03 3.0l Z4 bad Build quality!!!

A

alconno

Member
 Leeds- West Yorkshire
Dear all

Apart from having to replace the rear springs, Roof motor and window modulator has anyone had problems with interior fittings such as:

1) Plastic surround around the rear view mirror fall off
2) glove box catch fall off
3) plastic trim on door handle loose and fall off
4)rattles from interior dash board
5)steering whistle/grind when turning on full lock

I thought BMW cars were of superior build quality, this appears not on My 7 year old Z4 with only 23 k miles. Is its true that they are made in the USA and not Germany? no offence to our american members intended !!

I love the engine and sound :D but have been put of BMW's by this poor build quality :thumbsdown: having had many old Mazda's in the past and never had any interior problems.

I think it may be time to get shut and look at going back to the mazda rx8

AL
 
Yes had rear spring problems - but sorted by BMW. As for the others you mention:

1. NO
2. NO
3. NO
4. NO
5. NO

And yes they were made in the US.
 
had one spring snap, not really a big deal and not only a BMW problem....

4. mine's a little rattly at times but a hell of a lot better than some other cars Ive had.

NO to all the others
 
I've read lots about the supposedly lower build quality of the Z4 compared to other BMWs but it's utter rubbish IMO.

Springs - not restricted to Z4s or BMWs
Roof motor - happens to lots of other convertibles
Window modulator - not heard of that being a common fault on the Z4?

And the only one I've experienced from your list is a few rattles in the dash, but they're not that bad - it's only the covers where the cupholders fit / the airvents in that area that rattle in mine, and only over poor surfaces...
 
Having sat in a few 3 series over the years i would say Zeds 4s seem better built than some... remember the car is seven years old...
 
For what it's worth, the US BMW plant is held to the same standards as the other BMW plants around the world.


BMW doesn't make all the parts for their cars. They are dependent on others. My 03 325Ci had the trim around the doors fall down THREE times. The manufacturer had not used enough glue. This was not a BMW manufactured part, but it was on their cars and they fixed it promptly. Same with the coils. Same with anything I had a problem with and I was picky as hell. BTW, built in Germany.



There are NO 100% perfect cars out there. As long as stuff is fixed under warranty and they work to improve the part that fails, I'm happy.
 
Over 100k miles and:

NO broken springs
NO roof motor fail
ONE window regulator fail
NO rear-view plastic surround falling off
NO glove box catch issues
NO issues with the door handle plastic cover
NO rattle from behind the dash
NO whistle/grind from full lock
ONE broken sport button support (too enthusiastic)
ONE broken handbrake cable (again, too enthusiastic)

All in all, pretty good build quality imo :)
 
Had most of what you describe on the same age of Zed, except the roof motor and window regulators. I consider all of these minor niggles.

It's a sports car and as such lighter, less well nailed together.

Compared to my X5 that is 2 years older and double the mileage the Zed is very poor, rattles, squeeks and bits fall off and break. X5 is bullet proof needing only a couple of bushes and a driveshaft outside of consumables in 90k+

I still love it and if I wanted that sort of build then I'd not be driving a softtop.
 
cj10 x5's are not bulletproof do not jinx yourself

as for poor build quality it sounds as if yours has had a few less than satisfactory repairs over the years as quite a few on the list point to broken clips or poor fitting (not by yourself i hasten to add just in case your thinking i meant that) but the build quality of the z4's is actually very good everything near enough is tried and tested or quite basic by bmw standards and the z4 is bmw's most reliable car with fewer warranty claims than any other model in the range
 
I've had half a dozen BMW's over the last 22 years and I have to say the Z4 isn't the best finished inside.

Mechanically I'm sure its as good as any BMW, but the quality of interior finish is certainly not as good as even my E46's IMHO.

(I do hate the tinny clang the doors make when you close them - doesn't sound like any Beemer I've had before and it makes me wince. My mate's MR2's doors close with a decent 'clunk' - I don't understand it :? )

Nevertheless I agree with the fact that it's generally a lot better than most 2-seater sports cars.

Just a thought, though - have you guys checked-out the quality of the (similarly-priced) Porche boxter? :poke:

(Wouldn't swap the Zed for the world though - those looks and that in-line 6 - MAGIC :wink:
 
Mines had number 3, a little silicone has fixed that. I've removed my glovebox due to the catch rattleing so much, I never used it so no loss really. I agree the rattles are not good, but the suspension is sporty so vibration has to go somewhere. I'm planning try to sort the rattling inside door catches and track down any other niggles by the end of the year, but it doesn't stop me loving the z4, the flaws give it some character, mines a rock solid bone shaker with lowered springs but my Friday evening trip up to Sheffield was fantastic, top down in the evening sun, blasting up the hills to buxton was fun!
 
Had a replacement screen, and about a week later the mirror surround fell into the footwell on a particularly tricky bit of country lane.

Was a pain to clip back in place (I guess the fitter also found it awkward, so he gave up!), but once secured, no troubles since.

Not had any of the other problems.
 
bmwangler said:
(I do hate the tinny clang the doors make when you close them - doesn't sound like any Beemer I've had before and it makes me wince. My mate's MR2's doors close with a decent 'clunk' - I don't understand it :? )
Click to expand...

To keep the weight as low as possible, there is no "sound insulation" inside the door.
IIRC, the facelift roadster and the coupé do have some sound insulation in the doors, so they make a more decent "clunk".
But i agree that the sound of the door is somewhat "misplaced" for a car like the Z4.
 
So far bearing in mind i do 7k a year, its my daily driver and now done 62k miles, i have had the following:-

Cigarette lighter fuse x2 - this is due to the dodgy tom tom lead i had
springs - a common fault but replaced them for eibachs anyway so wasnt really bothered
Alarm sensor under the bonnet - £8 from a dealer and fitted in about 2mins if that.

other items such as tyres, pads etc are things to expect with any car so obviously cannot be included.

i do have the occasional rattle but no more than any other car, i would certainly prefer rattles and trim issues than major mechanical issues i suffered on my TT. The only issuse that does bother me is the tinny sounds when you shut the door, i dont know what bmw were thinking not adding to the sound deadening, because a few people have said it doesnt sound like a bmw when you shut the door!

Plus with the great help on this forum pretty much anything can be repaired/replaced!, until i got my z and joined this forum i never did anything to my cars ! - now i love tinkering!
 
As for my own Z4, i have one broken rear spring at 94.000 km / 58.000 miles and 7 years.
It also seems that my sway bar links need replacement.
Otherwise, the Z4 is the best built car i ever own (and my first BMW...).
 
I have a rattle around the left cup holder and also what i suspect is the roof when its down - but its a roadster, and due to its design its going to rattle at some point in its life
 
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