2008 BMW Z4 Problems & Recalls
Detailed safety information and owner complaints
Problem Breakdown
Compare to Other Years
Common Problems
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2013 1 Series Coupe (128i); 2007-2013 3 Series Coupe (328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive); 2007-2010 X3 SAV (X3 3.0si, X3 xDrive30i); 2008-2013 1 Series...
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2011 128i and 2007-2011 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 525i, 525xi, 528i, 528xi, 530i, 530xi, X3 3.0si, X3 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive30i, Z4 3.0i, Z4 3.0...
This complaint is regarding a large number of 2008 BMW cars exhibiting the ABS failure light. Mine is a Z4 with @ 65K miles and was diagnosed by a certified mechanic as the ABS module failure - a high ($3000-$4000) cost repair. If you use this search term - "how common is bmw 2008 ABS module failure...
The contact owns a 2008 BMW Z4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the m...
IDLING IN GEAR (AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION) AT A DRIVE THRU. CAR SUDDENLY TRIED TO ACCELERATE. PUT CAR IN PARK AND ENGINE CONTINUED TO INCREASE TO MAX RPMS. I SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AT THE IGNITION. RESTARTED ENGINE AND IDLED NORMALLY.
Mileage: 75,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT FOR SEVERAL MONTHS THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR WAS FLASHING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS CONSTANTLY ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE MANUF...
Mileage: 60,000
RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2008 BMW Z4. AFTER A WEEK OF OWNERSHIP THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. FAULT CODE POINTS TO THE PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR OC3. BMW ISSUED A 15 YEAR EXTENDED WARRANTY TO MANY BMW MODELS INCLUDING THE 2006 AND 2007 Z4 WITH COMFORT SEATS, BUT NOT TO THE 2008 MODEL. THIS REPAIR COST...
RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2008 BMW Z4. AFTER A WEEK OF OWNERSHIP THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. FAULT CODE POINTS TO THE PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR OC3. BMW ISSUED A 15 YEAR EXTENDED WARRANTY TO MANY BMW MODELS INCLUDING THE 2006 AND 2007 Z4 WITH COMFORT SEATS, BUT NOT TO THE 2008 MODEL. THIS REPAIR COST...
RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2008 BMW Z4. AFTER A WEEK OF OWNERSHIP THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. FAULT CODE POINTS TO THE PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR OC3. BMW ISSUED A 15 YEAR EXTENDED WARRANTY TO MANY BMW MODELS INCLUDING THE 2006 AND 2007 Z4 WITH COMFORT SEATS, BUT NOT TO THE 2008 MODEL. THIS REPAIR COST...
THE AIRBAG RED LIGHT ON DASH APPEARED AND STAYED ON,ALSO PASSENGER YELLOW AIRBAG LIGHT STAYS ON .TOOK TO BMW DEALER THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR MAT WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST AROUND 1,600.00 . ERROR CODE 93C3 THEY INFORMED ME WITH THIS PROBLEM...
THE AIRBAG RED LIGHT ON DASH APPEARED AND STAYED ON,ALSO PASSENGER YELLOW AIRBAG LIGHT STAYS ON .TOOK TO BMW DEALER THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR MAT WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST AROUND 1,600.00 . ERROR CODE 93C3 THEY INFORMED ME WITH THIS PROBLEM...
THE AIRBAG RED LIGHT ON DASH APPEARED AND STAYED ON,ALSO PASSENGER YELLOW AIRBAG LIGHT STAYS ON .TOOK TO BMW DEALER THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR MAT WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST AROUND 1,600.00 . ERROR CODE 93C3 THEY INFORMED ME WITH THIS PROBLEM...
DASHBOARD AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON - OBD SCAN INDICATES THE PASSENGER SEAT OC3 AIRBAG SENSOR MAT HAS FAILED. I BELIEVE THIS MEANS THE VEHICLE CAN NO LONGER DETECT IF THERE IS A CHILD IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, AND WILL DEPLOY AIRBAGS REGARDLESS OF PASSENGER WEIGHT. BMW HAS A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR MAN...
Mileage: 80,000
DASHBOARD AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON - OBD SCAN INDICATES THE PASSENGER SEAT OC3 AIRBAG SENSOR MAT HAS FAILED. I BELIEVE THIS MEANS THE VEHICLE CAN NO LONGER DETECT IF THERE IS A CHILD IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, AND WILL DEPLOY AIRBAGS REGARDLESS OF PASSENGER WEIGHT. BMW HAS A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR MAN...
Mileage: 80,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V683000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE RECALL PARTS WERE NOT AVAILA...
A FAILED FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG SEAT SENSOR MAT CAUSES THE AIR BAG WARNING LAMP AND THE PASSENGER AIR BAG 'ON-OFF' LAMP TO BE ILLUMINATED SIMULTANEOUSLY. IN AUGUST 13, 2008, BMW ISSUED A VOLUNTARY RECALL INVOLVING FRONT PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR MAT ON U.S.A. MODEL BMWS REGARDING THE FRONT PASSENGER ...
Mileage: 55,920
A FAILED FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG SEAT SENSOR MAT CAUSES THE AIR BAG WARNING LAMP AND THE PASSENGER AIR BAG 'ON-OFF' LAMP TO BE ILLUMINATED SIMULTANEOUSLY. IN AUGUST 13, 2008, BMW ISSUED A VOLUNTARY RECALL INVOLVING FRONT PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR MAT ON U.S.A. MODEL BMWS REGARDING THE FRONT PASSENGER ...
Mileage: 55,920
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V683000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR REPAIR. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE PARTS WERE UNAVAILABLE FOR THE REPAIR. THE CONTAC...
'THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED USED FROM A DEALER IN OCTOBER 2012, WITH ABOUT 30600 MILES;, CURRENT MILEAGE IS ABOUT 57400. THE AIRBAG DISABLED LIGHT IN INSTRUMENT CLUSTER STARTED ACTING UP SEVERAL MONTHS AGO; NOW IT IS ON AT ALL TIMES, WHETHER OR NOT A PASSENGER IS IN THE SEAT OR THE CAR IS IN MOTION ...
Mileage: 55,800
TAKATA RECALL AIRBAG LIGHT ON AT ALL TIMES ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. A SCAN OF THE VEHICLE SHOWS A DEFECTIVE PASSENGER SEAT CUSHION SENSOR. RESETTING THE LIGHT WITH THE SCAN TOOLS DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM, THE LIGHT GOES BACK ON IMMEDIATELY AND STAYS ON WHETHER THERE IS A PASSENGER SEATED IN THE...
Mileage: 77,000
VERY ERRATIC STEERING. CROSSING THE CROWN OF A ROAD WILL PULL ONE WAY AND THEN QUICKLY PULL IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION UNLIKE ANYTHING I HAVE EVER DRIVEN. ALSO SAME EFFECT WITH TRYING TO STAY IN LANES WITH ANY COMMON DEVIATION. THIS IS WORST AT HWY SPEEDS BUT DOES OCCUR AT LOWER SPEEDS AS WELL.
Mileage: 89,858
LIGHT INDICATING PASSENGER AIRBAG WAS DISABLED BEGAN COMING ON WHILE PASSENGER IN THE SEAT. WITHIN A FEW WEEKS OF NOTICING THIS, PASSENGER AIRBAG ALWAYS INDICATES OFF. MANY 08 MODELS WERE RECALLED FOR PASSENGER AIRBAG MAT FAILURES, BUT NOT THE Z4 (TOO FEW CARS MADE?) I CALLED BMW-USA AND A CAS...
Mileage: 70,000
JUST BOUGHT A USED 2008 Z4. CANNOT DRIVE STRAIGHT LINE, CAR GOES ALL OVER THE ROAD. STEERING HAS "STICK-SLIP" EFFECT. CAR WANDERS FROM RIGHT TO LEFT AND LEFT TO RIGHT. GOT RUBBER ELEMENTS IN FRONT AXLE REPLACED, 4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT, ..., NO CHANGE. APPEARS TO BE A POWER STEERING ISSUE. *TR
Mileage: 69,000
WHILE TURNING ON A CONSTANT RADIUS CLOVER-LEAF ON-RAMP (RIGHT OR LEFT), A SUDDEN CHANGE IN STEERING ANGLE WAS REQUIRED TO AVOID AN OBSTACLE. AS THE ELECTRICALLY-ASSISTED STEERING WAS QUICKLY ADJUSTED, A FLAT SPOT (OR A HEAVY SPOT OR A DELAY IN BOOST) IN THE STEERING WHEEL/FEEL WAS ENCOUNTERED. IN ...
Mileage: 34,000
WHILE TURNING ON A CONSTANT RADIUS CLOVER-LEAF ON-RAMP (RIGHT OR LEFT), A SUDDEN CHANGE IN STEERING ANGLE WAS REQUIRED TO AVOID AN OBSTACLE. AS THE ELECTRICALLY-ASSISTED STEERING WAS QUICKLY ADJUSTED, A FLAT SPOT (OR A HEAVY SPOT OR A DELAY IN BOOST) IN THE STEERING WHEEL/FEEL WAS ENCOUNTERED. IN ...
Mileage: 34,000
AFTER STARTING UP THE CAR (BUT DURING IGNITION, THE KEY SLIPPED IN MY FINGERS CAUSING A MISSED START, I THEREFORE HAD TO TURN THE KEY AGAIN TO GET ENGINE TO TURN OVER.) AND DRIVING FROM MY DRIVEWAY, THERE WAS A COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE STEERING ASSIST WHICH CAUSED EXTREMELY DIFFICULT STEERING/CORNERI...
Mileage: 27,899
AFTER STARTING UP THE CAR (BUT DURING IGNITION, THE KEY SLIPPED IN MY FINGERS CAUSING A MISSED START, I THEREFORE HAD TO TURN THE KEY AGAIN TO GET ENGINE TO TURN OVER.) AND DRIVING FROM MY DRIVEWAY, THERE WAS A COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE STEERING ASSIST WHICH CAUSED EXTREMELY DIFFICULT STEERING/CORNERI...
Mileage: 27,899
STEERING FAILURE WITH DTC FAILURE AND BRAKE YELLOW WARNING LIGHTS. MUST FIGHT WITH CAR TO DRIVE STRAIGHT WANTS TO VEER TO THE LEFT WITH SHAKY STEERING. *TR
Mileage: 52,010
ALL FOUR RIMS ARE BENT. THE VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN TAKEN OFF-ROAD, NOR HAS THE VEHICLE ENCOUNTERED MAJOR POTHOLES. A LOGICAL EXPLANATION FOR THIS OCCURRENCE IS SHODDY MANUFACTURING. BENT RIMS POTENTIALLY CAUSE HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. *TR
Mileage: 35,129