2008 Bmw Z4 - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

The 2008 BMW Z4 2-DR with SAB has not been rated for overall safety by NHTSA. However, it received a decent front crash driver side and front crash passenger side rating of 4 out of 5. Unfortunately, the overall side crash rating, side crash driver side rating, and side crash passenger side rating are not rated. It did receive a high rollover rating of 5 out of 5, indicating a lower possibility of rollover.

One positive safety feature of this car is the standard electronic stability control, which can help maintain control of the vehicle in challenging driving conditions. However, it does not come equipped with forward collision warning or lane departure warning systems, which could potentially enhance safety.

In terms of complaints and recalls, this vehicle has a total of 18 complaints reported and has been subject to 2 recalls. It's essential for owners to stay informed about any recalls and address them promptly to ensure the safety of the vehicle.

auto generated summary, may be inaccurate.

Top stats at a glance

Complaint Count

18

Recall Count

2

Investigation Count

0

Safety Rating

Not Rated

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Safety Features

2008 BMW Z4 2-DR w/SAB Safety Features

Here are the safety features that come as standard on the 2008 BMW Z4 2-DR w/SAB

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

ESC is an advanced safety feature in vehicles designed to help drivers maintain control during challenging driving conditions. By continuously monitoring various factors such as steering angle, vehicle speed, and individual wheel speeds, ESC can detect and reduce the risk of skidding or loss of control. It achieves this by automatically applying brakes to specific wheels to stabilize the vehicle.

Standard
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)

Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is a safety feature in vehicles that helps prevent frontal collisions by alerting the driver of an imminent collision with a vehicle or obstacle ahead. Using sensors such as radar or cameras, FCW monitors the distance and speed of vehicles in front, and if it detects a potential collision, it provides visual and/or auditory warnings to prompt the driver to take evasive action.

No
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is a safety feature in vehicles that alerts drivers when their vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane without signaling. Utilizing cameras or sensors to monitor lane markings on the road, LDW detects when the vehicle crosses these lines and triggers visual, auditory, or haptic alerts to notify the driver of potential lane departure.

No

2008 BMW Z4 2-DR w/SAB Safety Ratings

Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2008 BMW Z4 2-DR w/SAB Where possible we've included the ratings for the oldest and latest models of this car so you can compare how the safety ratings have changed over time.

Frontal Crash Ratings

Combines Driver and Passenger star ratings into a single frontal rating. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 35 mph.

Test 2005 Score 2008 Score 2024 Score
Overall Front Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Front Crash Driver Side Rating 4 4 Not Rated
Front Crash Passenger Side Rating 4 4 Not Rated

Side Crash Ratings

Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.

Test 2005 Score 2008 Score 2024 Score
Overall Side Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Side Crash Drivers Side Rating 3 Not Rated Not Rated
Side Crash Passenger Side Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Front Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Rear Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Overall Side Barrier Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated

Rollover Ratings

The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.

Test 2005 Score 2008 Score 2024 Score
Rollover Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Rollover Possibility % 0% 0% 0%
Dynamic Tip Result
Side Pole Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated

Complaints for the 2008 Bmw Z4

This chart show the number of complaints for each car component. A Higher number of complaints could indicate that this car might have a common fault. Something to look out for when purchasing one.

Component Complaints

Choose a component to see what complaints people have made about them.

Complaint:
"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 manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 60,000."
Components Involved: AIR BAGS
Date of incident: 2021-06-10
Complaint:
"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 i do not have any airbag protection . this is a safety problem and i believe they have repaired other models but not this model . why ?"
Components Involved: AIR BAGS
Date of incident: 2019-01-07
Complaint:
"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 many other models and years (including my z4 model - but not yet for my 2008 model year)."
Components Involved: AIR BAGS
Date of incident: 2018-04-08
Complaint:
"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 air bag seat sensor mat involving approximately 200,000 model year 2004-06 vehicles. my similarly affected 2008 vehicle was not included in the recall. the recall also states that in this situation, bmw recommends customers not to use the front passenger seat and have the vehicle serviced immediately. when i called my local bmw dealer, i was advised of a $152 shop diagnosis fee and a likely repair cost of $1800. this is a prohibitive cost for a factory defect on a 73 year old senior citizen living on social security."
Components Involved: AIR BAGS
Date of incident: 2016-01-08
Complaint:
"'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 or stopped. a scan of the vehicle shows a defective passenger occupancy sensor / mat. resetting the light with the scan tool does not fix the problem. many 2008 bmw models were recalled for a similar problem, but not the z4, even though there are several complaints listed here. the local bmw dealer wants $152.00 shop diagnosis fee and a replacement mat switch could be $1800.00. this is a safety issue known by the manufacturer from the beginning and should be included in the recall."
Components Involved: AIR BAGS
Date of incident: 2016-01-08
Complaint:
"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 vehicle or not. it does not make a difference if the vehicle is stationary or moving. i purchased the vehicle used on may 7th 2016 and the light was on when i purchased the vehicle."
Components Involved: AIR BAGS
Date of incident: 2016-07-05
Complaint:
"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 case agent called me back. bmw would take no responsibility for the failure."
Components Involved: AIR BAGS
Date of incident: 2017-05-01

Recalls for the 2008 Bmw Z4

Component Recalls

Choose a component to see what recalls people have made about them.

Recall:
"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 3.0si and z4 sdrive30i vehicles. the heater for the positive crankcase ventilation (pcv) valve may short circuit."
Consequence:
An electrical short can cause the parts within the PCV valve to melt, increasing the risk of a fire, even when the vehicle is not in use.
Remedy:

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the PCV valve heater, free of charge. Interim letters were mailed on November 27, 2017. Owners will receive a second notification by the end of October 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Component(s) Involved: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING > EXHAUST SYSTEM > EMISSION CONTROL > CRANKCASE (PCV)
Date of incident: 2017-10-30
Recall:
"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 convertible (128i); 2006-2011 3 series sedan (325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 328i xdrive, 330i, 330xi); 2006-2012 3 series wagon (328i, 328i xdrive); 2007-2013 3 series convertible (328i); 2006-2010 5 series sedan (525i, 525xi, 528i, 528xi, 530i, 530xi); 2006-2007 5 series wagon (530xi); 2007-2010 x5 sav (x5 3.0si, x5 xdrive30i); 2006-2008 z4 coupe (z4 3.0si); and 2006-2011 z4 roadster (z4 3.0i, z4 3.0si, z4 sdrive30i) vehicles. the heater for the positive crankcase ventilation (pcv) valve may short circuit."
Consequence:
An electrical short can cause the PCV valve heater to overheat, increasing the risk of a fire while driving or, soon after driving when parked.
Remedy:

This recall supersedes and expands previous NHTSA recalls 17V-683 and 19V-273. Dealers will install an electrical wiring harness with fuse protection for the PCV Valve heater in potentially affected vehicles, free of charge. This recall supersedes and expands previous NHTSA recalls 17V-683 and 19V-273. Vehicles previously repaired under the prior recalls will need to come back for the new recall remedy. The remedy is currently being developed. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed on April 1, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 22, 2022. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Component(s) Involved: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING > EXHAUST SYSTEM > EMISSION CONTROL > CRANKCASE (PCV)
Date of incident: 2022-03-02

BMW Overall Complaint Ranking

This table shows the ranking of car manufacturers when it comes to most complaints and recalls. The manufacturer with the most complaints is at the top. However this doesn't necassarily mean they should be avoided. Some manufacturers might just have more popular or affordable cars which a lot of people have bought. Which means there's more scope for a complaint to be made. Use the ranking table below as a part your wider research into buying a car.

BMW ranks 12 out of 44 in the complaints ranking table.

Manufacturer Complaint Count Recall Count Ranking
FORD 208,358 3,259 1
CHEVROLET 111,306 2,082 2
TOYOTA 81,019 1,852 3
HONDA 61,937 1,268 4
NISSAN 56,226 930 5
DODGE 45,756 827 6
HYUNDAI 44,150 649 7
GMC 34,441 1,410 8
KIA 29,832 501 9
CHRYSLER 27,698 254 10
TESLA 26,230 730 11
BMW 24,890 1,877 12
VOLKSWAGEN 23,125 829 13
MERCEDES-BENZ 19,066 2,925 14
SUBARU 18,513 703 15
MAZDA 10,599 364 16
PONTIAC 10,430 138 17
CADILLAC 9,434 444 18
AUDI 7,865 1,093 19
BUICK 7,851 279 20
SATURN 7,672 84 21
MERCURY 7,374 135 22
LEXUS 6,373 408 23
LINCOLN 5,897 423 24
ACURA 5,722 382 25
MINI 5,585 366 26
INFINITI 4,000 187 27
MITSUBISHI 3,912 397 28
VOLVO 3,875 727 29
PORSCHE 2,646 1,231 30
SUZUKI 2,272 123 31
FIAT 2,205 80 32
SAAB 1,536 76 33
JAGUAR 1,195 198 34
SMART 528 17 35
GENESIS 436 42 36
ISUZU 249 37 37
ALFA ROMEO 161 37 38
MASERATI 76 46 39
BENTLEY 46 159 40
POLESTAR 42 2 41
LUCID 14 6 42
CODA 4 2 43
MAYBACH 0 0 44

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