2000 BMW M Coupe recalls & problems

Recent owner complaints

• Oct 27, 2018 · 117,000 milesStructure › Body
  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.
• Jun 1, 2012 · 71,500 milesPower train
  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
• Feb 5, 2010 · 200,000 milesStructure › Frame and members
  BMW Z3 M COUPE SUBFRAME BROKE *CN
• Aug 16, 2006 · 55,600 milesStructure › Frame and members
  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
• Dec 1, 2004 · 83,000 milesStructure
  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…
• May 25, 2005 · 48,000 milesStructure › Frame and members
  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…
• Feb 21, 2004 · 43,125 milesStructure › Body
  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
• Mar 11, 2004Structure › Frame and members
  MANUFACTURING WEAKENESS/DEFECT IN THE REAR SUBFRAME WELDS AND DIFFERENTIAL MOUNTS. *AK

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.