no report yet
Vehicle speed control
Risk. THIS COULD CAUSE THE THROTTLE VALVE TO REMAIN PARTIALLY OPEN.
1997 BMW Z3Problems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 47 owner complaints about the 1997 BMW Z3, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 1 safety recall.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through March 24, 2023. Updated daily.
Complaints by system
Where the 1997 BMW Z3 has problems
47 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
15Air bags4 crash/fire/injury
13Seats
10Seat belts
3Engine and engine cooling
3Power train
2Structure
2Vehicle speed control
1Suspension
1Electrical system
44 other systems1 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 15 | 4 |
| Seats | 13 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 10 | 0 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 3 | 0 |
| Power train | 3 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 1 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 1 |
| 4 other systems | 4 | 1 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
1 recall
1997 BMW Z3 recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with BMW.
Best & worst years
1997 vs. every other Z3 year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Z3 median. How we score
'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
In owners' words
What Z3 owners report
Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
The contact owned a 1997 BMW Z3 Roadster. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH, there was a multi-car rear-end accident involving two other vehicles after she fell asleep at the wheel and rear-ended the vehicle in front of her. The contact stated that no other passengers…
UPON STARTING THE CAR THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. THE FIRST TWO TIME IT COST APPROXIMATELY $350 TO REPAIR. FOR THIS TO HAPPEN A THIRD TIME IS INDICATIVE OF A DESIGN FAULT.
PASSENGER GOT INTO FRONT SEAT AND ADJUSTED IT DOWN AND BACK WITH THE POWER SEAT CONTROLS. AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND HAS BEEN ON EVER SINCE. I CHECKED FOR BROKEN OR DAMAGED WIRING BUT FOUND NOTHING OBVIOUS. BMW IS RECALLING MANY OF THEIR NEW CARS, BUT IT SEEMS THEIR OLD ONES EXHIBIT THE SAME…
Own a 1997 Z3?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.