Bmw M coupe problems
The BMW M Coupé and BMW M Roadster are high performance models of the BMW Z3 and Z4 coupés/roadsters produced by BMW M. The first generation was based on the Z3 and was produced between 1998 and 2002. The second generation was based on the Z4 and was produced between 2006 and 2008.
All models were produced in the BMW Spartanburg plant in the United States. Some major components— such as the engine and transmission— were imported from Germany.
First generation (1997–2002)
Z3 M Roadster
The M-Roadster E36/7 was introduced in 1997 as the high performance version of the BMW Z3. The most significant cosmetic difference between the M-Roadster, including the M-Coupe, is the substantially flared rear quarter-panels ("fender flares") and the correspondingly offset rear wheels. Additional external differences compared to the standard Z3 models included front and rear bumpers, gills, quad exhaust, trunk, and mirrors.
The standard Z3 models received a facelift in 1999. The appearance of the M was not changed
In the 6 years from 1997 to 2002, 15,322 M Roadsters were produced.
The M Roadster is electronically limited to a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph). The curb weight is 1,420 kg (3,130.6 lb).
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Bmw M coupe model years
Common Bmw M coupe problems
The BMW M Coupe is known for several common problems that owners have reported over the years. One of the most prevalent issues is steamed-up headlights, which are caused by poorly fitted headlights that allow condensation to build up inside the lens. This problem can be solved by drilling a small hole at the bottom of each lens to allow water to escape or by removing and correctly re-fitting the headlight.
Another common problem with the BMW M Coupe is window regulator failure. This issue is characterized by windows not gliding up or down as smoothly as they once did and a squeaking noise when trying to move the windows. Fitting a replacement window regulator can rectify this problem.
The gear shifter in the BMW M Coupe can also be problematic. Specifically, the gear shifter can become sticky, making it difficult to move from neutral to the left or right. This issue is caused by a pin in the transmission that lacks lubrication and can be fixed by lubricating the pin.
The alarm system in the BMW M Coupe is also known for having issues. In particular, the alarm can go off by itself without anything setting it off. This problem is caused by failing micro switches on either the door or the bonnet, and the solution is to correctly identify the faulty micro switch and fit a replacement one to stop the alarm from going off by itself.
In addition to these common problems, the BMW M Coupe can suffer from age-related issues such as worn suspension components and old gaskets, which are not specific to BMW but are common in used cars.
Finally, it's worth noting that the BMW M Coupe's chassis has inherent structural issues, especially in more powerful versions like the Z3 M Coupe. These issues can lead to rear subframe failure, especially after spirited driving. To compensate for this, many owners reinforce the chassis by having their car's weaker points reinforced by independent shops.
In summary, the BMW M Coupe is known for several common problems, including steamed-up headlights, window regulator failure, sticky gear shifters, faulty alarm systems, and structural issues with the chassis. However, many of these problems can be fixed by replacing or repairing the affected parts.
How many BMW M coupes were made?
A total of 4,275 M Coupes were produced, and 5,070 M Roadsters.
Is the M Coupe a Shooting Brake?
For decades, there was only one BMW shooting brake—the BMW Z3 M Coupe, nicknamed the “Clown Shoe” for its unusual shape.
What year of BMW Z3 to avoid?
Owners of the 1999 to 2002 Z3 have reported that its cooling system tends to leak. These leaks can come from various components like the radiator, water pumps, and hoses. The radiator is the part that is most prone to leaking.
What is the life expectancy of a 1996 BMW Z3?
What is Bmw Z3 lifespan? The estimated lifespan of a Bmw Z3 is 150,000mi, before reaching the life expectancy upper limit. Fuel type is a major factor when looking into a vehicles lifespan/life expectancy.
Percentage distribution of complaints by Bmw M coupe years
We have researched Bmw problems and analysed all the complaints filed against Bmw M coupe cars and compiled the top 4 most problematic Bmw M coupe model years:
Below you can see the percentage distribution of known problems by Bmw M coupe model years.
Distribution of the number of complaints by Bmw M coupe years
We've also compiled a chart for you with the number of complaints about Volkswagen Jetta cars of certain model years:
Bmw M coupe car problems categorized by type of issue
After analysing all complaints related to Bmw M coupe , it was concluded that the most common issues with these cars are:
- Structure problems
- Power train problems
- Suspension problems
- Seats problems
- Equipment problems
The graph below shows statistics for all Bmw M coupe vehicle components and the number of complaints received.
The NHTSA has received 21 complaints about various vehicle components related to the Bmw M coupe . Below are the 25 most recent complaints reported for Bmw M coupe vehicles.
List of Bmw M coupe complaints
Bmw M coupe 2000
- Date Of Incident: 2018-10-27
- Date Complaint: 2018-10-30
- VIN: WBSCM9346YL
- Components: SUSPENSION,STRUCTURE
- Summary: THREE SPOT WELDS OF THE TRUNK FLOOR AND FRAME CROSSMEMBER ARE FAILING WHICH WILL LEAD TO CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE TRUNK FLOORS, DIFFERENTIAL MOUNTS, AND THE FRAME CROSS MEMBER THAT JOINS THEM TO THE TRUNK FLOOR. THIS ISSUE WILL POTENTIALLY DESTROY MY CAR, LEADING TO GROSS SAFETY CONCERNS COUPLED WITH PROHIBITIVE REPAIR COSTS IF DEALT WITH BEFORE THE FAILURE. I WILL NOT DRIVE MY CAR IN ITS CURRENT STATE AS I DO NOT WANT TO RISK MY LIFE INCASE A FAILURE OCCURS WHILE DRIVING. I NEED TO COVER THE REPAIR COSTS ($3,500) OF COMPREHENSIVE SUBFRAME REINFORCEMENT IN ORDER TO FEEL SAFE.
Bmw M coupe 1999
- Date Of Incident: 2013-01-03
- Date Complaint: 2013-01-03
- VIN: WBSCM9332XL
- Components: SUSPENSION,STRUCTURE
- Summary: REAR SUBFRAME IS BEGINNING TO SEPARATE FROM THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE, POSSIBLY CONTRIBUTOR TO UNSAFE AND UNSTABLE HANDLING. FIRST NOTICED AFTER HAVING SERVICE 2 INTERVAL DONE IN 2009, BUT UPON MORE RESEARCH ONLINE MANY Z3 OWNERS ARE HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE REGARDLESS OF MODEL OR HOW IT'S DRIVEN. BROKEN SPOT WELD UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. TRYING TO CATCH IT EARLY ON BEFORE IT GETS WORSE. *TR
Bmw M coupe 2000
- Date Of Incident: 2012-06-01
- Date Complaint: 2012-08-06
- VIN: WBSCM9344YL
- Components: POWER TRAIN
- Summary: MY Z3 M COUPE HAS 71,000 MILES AND IS MAKING A CLUNKING NOISE. I CHECKED THE TRUNK FLOOR AND THERE ARE 18 OR MORE SPOT WELDS BREAKING THROUGH THE SUB FRAME. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS - I'M AFRAID THE DIFFERENTIAL IS GOING TO FALL OFF AND CAUSE AND ACCIDENT - FOR ME OR OTHERS. I HAVE PARKED THE CAR AND HAVE TO WORK FROM HOME. THIS HAS OCCURRED IN MANY OTHER CASES TO MY KNOWLEDGE AND APPEARS TO BE A DESIGN FLAW IN THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS. *TR
Bmw M coupe 2000
- Date Of Incident: 2010-02-05
- Date Complaint: 2010-02-06
- VIN: WBSCM9346YL
- Components: STRUCTURE
- Summary: BMW Z3 M COUPE SUBFRAME BROKE *CN
Bmw M coupe 1999
- Date Of Incident: 2008-05-31
- Date Complaint: 2008-05-31
- VIN: WBSCM9339XL
- Components: STRUCTURE
- Summary: SUBFRAME TEAR, SEPARATING OF TRUNK FLOOR FROM RAILS. *TR
Bmw M coupe 1999
- Date Of Incident: 2006-12-28
- Date Complaint: 2006-12-28
- VIN: WBSCM9335XL
- Components: STRUCTURE
- Summary: THE 1999 BMW M COUPE I OWN IS SUFFERING FROM A REAR SUBFRAME FAILURE. THE DIFFERENTIAL MOUNT AND REAR SUBFRAME ARE BECOMING DISCONNECTED FROM THE FRAME. VISUAL INSPECTIONS HAVE SHOWN THE SEPARATION. THIS WILL LEAD TO THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL BECOMING TOTALLY DISCONNECTED FROM THE CAR, LEADING TO A POSSIBLE ACCIDENT. THIS ISSUE IS CURRENTLY UNRESOLVED AS THE FIX WILL BE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. THERE ARE NUMEROUS DOCUMENTED CASES OF SUBFRAME FAILURES ON BMW Z3, M ROADSTER AND M COUPE MODELS. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURER DEFECT THAT HAS NO BEEN ADDRESSES BY THE MANUFACTURER. THIS PRESENTS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *NM
Bmw M coupe 1999
- Date Of Incident: 2006-08-28
- Date Complaint: 2006-08-29
- VIN: WBSCM9338XL
- Components: STRUCTURE
- Summary: THERE IS A CRASH RISK AS THE CAR'S SUBFRAME IS RAPIDLY TEARING AND THIS DESIGN FLAW COULD EVENTUALLY LEAD TO A LOSS OF CONTROL LEADING TOWARDS A CRASH. THE CAR INVOLVED IS A BMW M COUPE 1999. *NM
Bmw M coupe 2000
- Date Of Incident: 2006-08-16
- Date Complaint: 2006-08-18
- VIN: WBSCM9348YL
- Components: STRUCTURE
- Summary: 1) CAR MODEL IS A 2000 BMW M COUPE (VARIATION OF THE Z3 WITH HARDTOP) WITH 55K MILES. IN RECENT YEARS THESE CARS (ALL Z3 MODELS) HAVE SHOWN SIGNS OF REAR SUBFRAME FAILURE. AFTER INVESTIGATING CREAKING AND SQUEAKING NOISES COMING FROM THE REAR OF MY CAR I DISCOVERED A CRACK ON THE SUBFRAME WHERE THE DIFFERENTIAL IS MOUNTED TO THE TRUNK FLOOR PAN OF THE CAR. 2) IF THIS CRACK GOES UNFIXED, IT WILL SPREAD POSSIBLY TEARING THE DIFFERENTIAL FROM THE CAR, AND RENDER THE CAR USELESS. 3) PROBLEM IS UNSOLVED CURRENTLY. *NM
Bmw M coupe 1999
- Date Of Incident: 2005-08-20
- Date Complaint: 2005-09-17
- VIN: 4USCK533XXL
- Components: STRUCTURE
- Summary: REAR SUBFRAME WELDS ARE FAILING. AS A RESULT, THE FLOOR IS TEARING FROM THE SUBFRAME. THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE CONTAINS DESCRIPTIONS AND PHOTOS OF MANY EXAMPLES OF THIS VERY ISSUE. HTTP://WWW.THELARGEGLASS.COM/BMW/SUBFRAME/. *JB
Bmw M coupe 2000
- Date Of Incident: 2004-12-01
- Date Complaint: 2005-08-23
- VIN: WBSCM9349YL
- Components: STRUCTURE
- Summary: MY MODEL YEAR 2000 BMW Z3 M COUPE HAS SUFFERED FROM THE PROBLEM OF FAILED WELDS IN THE REAR FLOOR AREA OF THE HATCH. THE FIRST INSTANCE OCCURRED AT APPROX. 83,000 MILES, WHILE THE SECOND WAS AROUND 115,000 MILES. FORTUNATELY ON BOTH OCCASIONS I NOTICED THE PROBLEM AND HAD IT REPAIRED BEFORE THE PROBLEM BECAME SIGNIFICANT, BUT A NUMBER OF MY FRIENDS WITH Z3 M ROADSTERS, Z3 M COUPES AND Z3S HAVE EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM WITH NEAR CATASTROPHIC RESULTS. IN ONE CASE, THE CAR IS LITERALLY TOTALLED BECAUSE THE ENTIRE REAR END TORE APART ON THE HIGHWAY. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE FACTORY WELDS FAIL, ALLOWING MAJOR METAL PANELS TO MOVE EASILY WHICH COMPROMISES THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE BACK HALF OF THE CAR. ONCE THE REAR FLOOR (OR TRUNK AREA IN THE ROADSTER) FAILS, THE SWAYBAR MOUNTS AND DIFFERENTIAL MOUNTS ARE FREE TO MOVE RANDOMLY, ULTIMATELY OVERWHELMING THE REAR SUBFRAME MEMBER WHICH ANCHORS THE REAR SUSPENSION CONTROL ARMS. THE RESULT OF THIS RANGES FROM MINOR - YET QUITE EXPENSIVE - TO CATASTROPHIC. TO DATE, BMW HAS CLAIMED THIS OCCURS BECAUSE THE CARS ARE DRIVEN IN COMPETITIVE EVENTS OR WITH AFTERMARKET ACCESSORIES, BUT I KNOW OF MULTIPLE CARS THAT ARE STOCK AND NOT DRIVEN HARD AND YET HAVE SUFFERED THIS FAILURE. I HAVE TO ADMIT MINE IS ON NON-STOCK SPRINGS AND SHOCKS... SO I DOUBT MY FILING WILL BE MUCH HELP IN YOUR ANALYSIS. FOR THAT REASON ALONE I HAVE NOT DOCUMENTED THE FAILURES WITH BMW. NEVERTHELESS IT IS ANOTHER DATA POINT FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME IF MORE DETAILS ARE NEEDED.
Bmw M coupe 2000
- Date Of Incident: 2005-05-25
- Date Complaint: 2005-08-19
- VIN: WBSCM9346YL
- Components: STRUCTURE
- Summary: TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, AS AN OWNER OF A 2000 BMW Z3 M COUPE E36/8, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE DESIGN DEFECT OF THE SUB-FRAME ON MY VEHICLE. I LEASED MY VEHICLE NEW ON 12/1999 AND UPON THE EXPIRATION OF THE LEASE, PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM BMWNA ON 10/2002; I HAVE BEEN THE SOLE OWNER/OPERATOR OF THIS VEHICLE. DURING THIS TIME, I HAVE PLACED OVER 49,000 STREET DRIVEN MILES ON THE CAR WITH ABSOLUTELY NO COMPETITIVE EVENTS (I.E. RACING, AUTOCROSSING, DRAG-RACING, ETC.). THAT SAID, LESS THAN THREE MONTHS AGO, A MECHANIC DISCOVERED AND SUBSEQUENTLY REPAIRED THE BEGINNINGS OF A CRACK ON THE DIFFERENTIAL MOUNT OF MY SUBFRAME. BASED ON EXPERIENCE OF FELLOW BMW Z3 OWNERS IN THE COMMUNITY, MY CONFIDENCE IN THE SUB-FRAME DESIGN IS WANING. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION YOU REQUIRE OF ME TO FACILITATE THIS REQUEST.
Bmw M coupe 1999
- Date Of Incident: 2004-09-19
- Date Complaint: 2004-09-19
- VIN: WBSCM9330XL
- Components: POWER TRAIN,STRUCTURE
- Summary: DIFFERENTIAL BRACKET AND SUBFLOOR ARE CRACKING AND TEARING APART AT THE WELD SEAMS AND SPOT WELDS. COULD LEAD TO UNPREDICTABLE HANDLING, ESPECIALLY DURING REGULAR DRIVING TURNS/HIGHWAY SPEEDS (INSTABILITY, ROUGH SHAKING, LOOSE CHASSIS KNOCKING). *AK
Bmw M coupe 1999
- Date Of Incident: 2002-06-08
- Date Complaint: 2004-06-10
- VIN: WBSCM9333XL
- Components: STRUCTURE
- Summary: SEPARATION OF FLOOR PAN WELDS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM IN AN UNCOMMON VEHICLE. I'M UNABLE TO PROVIDE A CAUSE, SINCE I AM THE THIRD OWNER, AND HAVE NEVER DRIVEN THE CAR AT IT'S INTENDED LIMITS. TO MY KNOWLEDGE, IT HAS NEVER BEEN RACED. SO FAR, I HAVE NOT REPAIRED THE PROBLEM.*AK
Bmw M coupe 2000
- Date Of Incident: 2004-02-21
- Date Complaint: 2004-03-16
- Components: STRUCTURE
- Summary: DIFFERENTIAL BRACKET AND SUBFLOOR ARE CRACKING AND TEARING APART AT THE WELD SEAMS. IF ALLOWED TO CONTINUE, THIS COULD LEAD TO COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE DIFFERENTIAL MOUNT AND/OR SUBFRAME MOUNTING LOCATIONS WHICH COULD RESULT IN UNPREDICTABLE HANDLING. *JB
Bmw M coupe 1999
- Date Of Incident: 2004-01-01
- Date Complaint: 2004-03-15
- Components: STRUCTURE,EQUIPMENT
- Summary: SERIOUS CRACKING ALONG MULTIPLE BODY SEAMS IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT IN STRUT TOWER AREA AND IN THE REAR IN THE LOWER SUBFRAME AREA. *AK
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