1999 BMW Z3

Hello, NHTSA released a recall warning for BMWs made from 2000 to 2006, regarding Takata airbags. "The risk to vehicle occupants is dire," it said. My 1999 BMW Z3 was made one year before this, and is not included in the recall. I have been trying to determine whether my '99 BMW has Takata airbags as well, thus far with no success. As of today, BMW will only tell me that there are no outstanding recalls for my car - they have not been willing to tell me what type of airbags they originally installed in it. Do your records indicate what type of airbags I have?

AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS LIT

Mileage: 103,000

THE PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON AND STAYS ON. WHETHER CAR IS STATIONARY OR IN MOTION.

Mileage: 53,000

THE PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON AND STAYS ON. WHETHER CAR IS STATIONARY OR IN MOTION.

Mileage: 53,000

VERY WELL KNOWN FAILURE, JUST SEARCH FOR "BMW Z3 SUBFRAME FAILURE". IT IS A DESIGN FLAW BY BMW THAT AFFECTS A LOT OF Z3'S THROUGH ALL MODEL YEARS. MINE STARTED TO POP ONE WELD AT 88K MILES. IT CAN CAUSE THE REAR ALIGNMENT TO BE OFF, IN WORST CASE THE TRUNK FLOOR IS TORN OUT AND THE DIFFERENTIAL FALLS TO THE GROUND. CLUNKING FROM THE BACK WHILE SHIFTING IN THE FIRST TWO GEARS IS ONE INDICATOR THIS DAMAGE IS NOT FAR AWAY. THIS IS ONE FORUM THREAD THAT DESCRIBES THE ISSUE WELL: HTTPS://WWW.BIMMERFORUMS.COM/FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?1979601-SUBFRAME-TRUNK-FLOOR-DIFFERENTIAL-MOUNT-FAILURE

Mileage: 88,000

VERY WELL KNOWN FAILURE, JUST SEARCH FOR "BMW Z3 SUBFRAME FAILURE". IT IS A DESIGN FLAW BY BMW THAT AFFECTS A LOT OF Z3'S THROUGH ALL MODEL YEARS. MINE STARTED TO POP ONE WELD AT 88K MILES. IT CAN CAUSE THE REAR ALIGNMENT TO BE OFF, IN WORST CASE THE TRUNK FLOOR IS TORN OUT AND THE DIFFERENTIAL FALLS TO THE GROUND. CLUNKING FROM THE BACK WHILE SHIFTING IN THE FIRST TWO GEARS IS ONE INDICATOR THIS DAMAGE IS NOT FAR AWAY. THIS IS ONE FORUM THREAD THAT DESCRIBES THE ISSUE WELL: HTTPS://WWW.BIMMERFORUMS.COM/FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?1979601-SUBFRAME-TRUNK-FLOOR-DIFFERENTIAL-MOUNT-FAILURE

Mileage: 88,000

VERY WELL KNOWN FAILURE, JUST SEARCH FOR "BMW Z3 SUBFRAME FAILURE". IT IS A DESIGN FLAW BY BMW THAT AFFECTS A LOT OF Z3'S THROUGH ALL MODEL YEARS. MINE STARTED TO POP ONE WELD AT 88K MILES. IT CAN CAUSE THE REAR ALIGNMENT TO BE OFF, IN WORST CASE THE TRUNK FLOOR IS TORN OUT AND THE DIFFERENTIAL FALLS TO THE GROUND. CLUNKING FROM THE BACK WHILE SHIFTING IN THE FIRST TWO GEARS IS ONE INDICATOR THIS DAMAGE IS NOT FAR AWAY. THIS IS ONE FORUM THREAD THAT DESCRIBES THE ISSUE WELL: HTTPS://WWW.BIMMERFORUMS.COM/FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?1979601-SUBFRAME-TRUNK-FLOOR-DIFFERENTIAL-MOUNT-FAILURE

Mileage: 88,000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 BMW Z3. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED AND PLACED INTO REVERSE, A CLANKING SOUND EMERGED FROM THE REAR END WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 99V272000 (POWER TRAIN). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

Mileage: 140,000

THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING IS SEPARATING FROM THE SUBFRAME OF THE CAR, UNDER OR NEAR THE TRUNK AREA. THIS IS A WELL DOCUMENTED ISSUE WITH THE Z3 SERIES OF VEHICLES. THIS COULD BE A SAFETY HAZARD WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE IF THE READ DIFFERENTIAL SEPARATES FROM THE SUBFRAME, AND COULD CAUSE A HAZARD TO OTHER MOTORIST. THIS APPEARS TO BE DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW. THE FRAME WAS DESIGNED FOR A 1.9L ENGINE, AND BMW DID NOT REDESIGN THE SUBFRAME TO ALLOW FOR THE LARGER ENGINES IT LATER SOLD IN THE Z3 SERIES OF CARS. BMW ALSO HAD THIS SAME ISSUE ON 3XX SERIES OF VEHICLES, AND AGREED TO REPAIR THOSE CARS DUE TO A CLASS ACTION LAW SUITE SETTLEMENT. BMW SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE DESIGN ISSUE, AND ACKNOWLEDGE THE SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

Mileage: 101,000

THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING IS SEPARATING FROM THE SUBFRAME OF THE CAR, UNDER OR NEAR THE TRUNK AREA. THIS IS A WELL DOCUMENTED ISSUE WITH THE Z3 SERIES OF VEHICLES. THIS COULD BE A SAFETY HAZARD WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE IF THE READ DIFFERENTIAL SEPARATES FROM THE SUBFRAME, AND COULD CAUSE A HAZARD TO OTHER MOTORIST. THIS APPEARS TO BE DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW. THE FRAME WAS DESIGNED FOR A 1.9L ENGINE, AND BMW DID NOT REDESIGN THE SUBFRAME TO ALLOW FOR THE LARGER ENGINES IT LATER SOLD IN THE Z3 SERIES OF CARS. BMW ALSO HAD THIS SAME ISSUE ON 3XX SERIES OF VEHICLES, AND AGREED TO REPAIR THOSE CARS DUE TO A CLASS ACTION LAW SUITE SETTLEMENT. BMW SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE DESIGN ISSUE, AND ACKNOWLEDGE THE SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

Mileage: 101,000

DRIVER SEAT BECAME LOOSE AND WOULD SLIDE FORWARD WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED AND BACKWARD ON ACCELERATION. THE MOVEMENT WAS ABRUPT ENOUGH TO BE DISCONCERTING, ESPECIALLY IN AN EMERGENCY MANEUVER. BMW DEALERSHIP ADVISED IT WAS EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR AND NOT DANGEROUS BECAUSE THE SEAT WAS NOT AT RISK OF FULLY DETACHING. I HAVE LIVED WITH IT, BUT IT IS A POTENTIAL CAUSE OF ACCIDENTS AND IT FEELS UNSAFE - AS IF THE SEAT MIGHT COME LOOSE. IT IS VERY DISTRACTING TO ANY DRIVER WHO IS NOT ACCUSTOMED TO IT AND EVEN TO ME - A LIKELY CAUSE OF DRIVER ERROR OR LOSS OF CONTROL DURING ABRUPT MANEUVERS. RECENTLY AS I LOOKED ON THE INTERNET FOR SOLUTIONS I FOUND THAT THIS IS AN EXTREMELY COMMON PROBLEM WITH 1999 M ROADSTER VERSION OF THE Z3. I THINK IT IS SUFFICIENT TO MERIT RECALL, BUT THAT IS WHAT YOU FOLKS DO FOR A LIVING... I HOPE YOU WILL LOOK INTO IT CAREFULLY. PS: THE DATE THAT I ENTERED IS A VERY ROUGH ESTIMATE. I DO NOT RECALL PRECISELY WHEN THE PROBLEM FIRST OCCURRED. THANK YOU *TR

MY 1999 BMW ROADSTER ENGINE BEGAN TORQUING FROM IDLE TO VERY FAST WITHOUT ANY WARNING. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO MECHANICS AND THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT WOULD CAUSE THIS. IT HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES SINCE THEN. IT WILL STOP THIS WHEN I SHUT OFF ENGINE AND TURN IT BACK ON. I FEAR THIS COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. PLEASE ADVISE ON WHAT TO DO. *TR

Mileage: 88,000

DRIVER SIDE (DOOR) AIRBAG DEPLOYED WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY. IMPACT CAUSED ME TO SWERVE INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC LANES. *TR

Mileage: 117,860

I HAVE SUBFRAME DAMAGE, IN THE TRUNK IT'S MOST VISIBLE WITH THE CARPET OUT, I CAN SEE THE SPOT WELDS HAVE POPPED, CRACKED, BROKE FREE, WHATEVER. THUS CAN CAUSE A MASSIVE RISK TO AS IF ANYMORE POP THE DIFFERENTIAL COULD POSSIBLE TEAR NEXT THE BRACKET THAT HOLDS IT UP. *TR

Mileage: 100,000

REAR SUBFRAME ON VEHICLE HAS TORN FROM THE REAR UNDER PANEL ON VEHICLE. THE TRUNK FLOOR ON VEHICLE IS FALLING OUT FROM UNDERNEATH, THIS POSES A MASSIVE SAFETY ISSUE. WAS TOLD BY TECHNICIAN VEHICLE IS NO LONGER SAFE TO OPERATE. *TR

Mileage: 175,556

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 BMW Z3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCREASINGLY HARD TO CONTROL AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY FOR AN ALIGNMENT. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL HAD FAILED AND WAS CAUSING THE WHEELS TO FRACTURE FROM THE SUB FRAME. THE MECHANIC ALSO ADVISED THE CONTACT OF THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 99V272000 (POWER TRAIN: DRIVELINE: DIFFERENTIAL UNIT). THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIRS. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 105,000.

Mileage: 105,000

MY 1999 BMW Z3 ROADSTER BEGAN DRIVING FUNNY AND MAKING SQUEAKING NOISES, IN THE REAR. THEN I NOTICED THE BACK TIRES, WERE STARTING TO KICK OUT AND LOOK STRANGE. THEN MY CAR BEGAN MAKING A BAD VIBRATING SOUND, COMING FROM THE BACK TIRES, WHEN I WAS IN FIRST GEAR. I TOOK IT TO SHOP. THEY JACKED IT UP, AND FOUND, THAT THE DIFFERENTIAL UNIT, HAS SEPARATED FROM THE SUB-FRAME. *TR

Mileage: 105,341

1999 BMW Z M ROADSTER REAR GEARBOX(DIFF) TEARING FROM CAR. ALL WELDS ARE BROKEN AND SUPPORT IS TORN IN HALF IN PLACES AND CRACKED. *TR

Mileage: 91,318

AIR BAG LIGHT ON. SHOP MECHANIC STATED "RETRIEVED DTC CODE FOR DRIVERS SEAT BELT SWITCH OPEN OR SHORT CIRCUIT. CLEANED CONNECTORS, CLEARED DTC INFO OPERATIONAL CHECK OK. IF FAULT RECURS, RECOMMEND REPLACEMENT OF DRIVERS SEAT BELT LATCH ASSEMBLY." PROBLEM FIXED JUNE 18, 2008. NOW PROBLEM WITH AIR BAG LIGHT ON IS BACK. THERE SEEM TO BE A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH AIR BAG SENSORS AND SEAT BELT LATCHES ON VARIOUS BSM VEHICLES ACCORDING TO INTERNET SEARCHES. *TR

Mileage: 82,000

I NOTICED A SQUEAKING NOISE COMING FROM THE BACK OF MY 1999 BMW Z3 COUPE. WHEN I HAD IT CHECKED I FOUND IT WAS A SMALL CRACK WHERE THE SUBFRAME HAD BEEN FACTORY REINFORCED. THE REINFORCEMENTS WERE FAILING IN THE BACK OF THE CAR NEAR THE TRUNK FLOORING AND THE SWAYBAR. THE MECHANIC STATED IT WOULD COST $6500 TO REPLACE THE CRACKING FRAME, OR I COULD GO TO ANOTHER SHOP AND HAVE IT SPOT WELDED TO REINFORCE AND STOP THE CRACK FROM GETTING LARGER. *TR

Mileage: 111,000