"How reliable is the 1999 Bmw M Roadster?"

"Based on 23 NHTSA complaints, the 1999 Bmw M Roadster has a median complaint mileage of 74500 miles. The most common issue is STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS."

"What are common problems with the 1999 Bmw M Roadster?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1999 Bmw M Roadster is STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS, accounting for a significant portion of the 23 total complaints filed."

1999 Bmw M Roadster: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 23 complaints

Total Complaints

74,500mi

Median Mileage

STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

60,000 25th Percentile

74,500 Median Mileage

98,646 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

SUSPENSION

POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT

VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE

SEATS

SUSPENSION:REAR

STRUCTURE:BODY

POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"1998 & 1999 M ROADSTER AND M COUPE BMWS HAVE A HUGE REARVIEW MIRROR THAT IS POSITIONED LOW, AND IMPAIRS FRONT VISIBILITY. MIRROR CREATES A HUGE BLIND SPOT. REPORTED TROUBLE TO DEALER AND BMWNA REPRESENTATIVE, BUT THEY HAD NO RECOMMENDATION AND STATED THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF ANY ISSUES. MANY OWNERS ..."

"AFTER OTHERS TOLD ME OF THE DEFECTS IN THEIR Z3 CARS, I DECIDED TO CHECK MY OWN CAR. AFTER REMOVING THE CARPET IN THE TRUNK AND IT REVEALED MULTIPLE BROKEN SPOTWELDS OF THE CROSSMEMBER THAT SUPPORTS THE DIFFERENTIAL AND CONNECTS TO THE TRUNK FLOOR PAN. ALSO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE FLOOR PAN IS PULLING ..."

"1) FAILURE OCCURRED SUDDENLY DURING ACCELERATION 2) THE DIFFERENTIAL MOUNTS AND SUBFRAME ON MY 1999 BMW M ROADSTER (MZ3) GAVE WAY, ALLOWING THE DIFFERENTIAL TO DROP TO THE ROAD MOMENTARILY AND CRACK THE HEAT SINK. THE DIFFERENTIAL THEN RESTED ON THE EXHAUST PIPES. THIS CAUSED THE CV JOINT BOLTS T..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28