Total Complaints
3 filings
BMW Z8 · model year
2002 BMW Z8
3 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2002BMWZ8 carries 3 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2002 Z8 is structure:frame and members with 1 filings, followed by exterior lighting:tail lights (1) and exterior lighting (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 34 investigation files overlapping the 2002 Z8. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
3
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20160907EXTERIOR LIGHTING
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW Z8. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TAIL LIGHTS FAILED INTERMITTENTLY SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TAIL LIGHTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
20160906EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW Z8. WHILE STATIONARY, THE TAIL LIGHTS ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY AND WERE NOT STEADY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,400. UPDATED 10/21/16*LJ THE LIGHT BULBS WERE REPLACED. *JS
Mileage: 23,400
20060129STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
THIS ENTIRE MODEL RUN OF THIS HIGH PERFORMANCE CAR IS NOW EXHIBITING SIGNIFICANT FLEXING AND WEAKENING OF THE ALUMINUM FRAME DUE TO A DESIGN FAILURE. THIS IS CAUSING THE CHASSIS TO BEND AT THE AREA OF THE SHOCK TOWER CROWNS, AND CHANGE THE ALIGNMENT OF THE CAR. ALUMINUM CHASSIS CAN NOT BE FIXED, THEY HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE COST OF THIS DESIGN FLAW IS AROUND $80,000 PER CAR ONCE THE CHASSIS GIVES WAY. YOU CAN SEE A FULL REVIEW OF THE PROBLEM HERE: HTTP://WWW.BMWZ8.US/VBB/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=400&REFERRERID=2. *AK
Mileage: 3,700
Compare 2002BMWZ8 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2002 BMW Z8 have?▼
The 2002 BMW Z8 has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2002 BMW Z8?▼
The most-complained component for the 2002 BMW Z8 is STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS and EXTERIOR LIGHTING.
Is the 2002 BMW Z8 safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.