IllustrationMY 1997 BMW Z3 HAS THE SRS LIGHT CONSTANTLY ON, I GET IT FIXED AND IT GOES ON AGAIN. I'VE DONE THIS LIKE 3 TIMES, NOW MY MECHANIC IS SAYING IT'S LIKE 800 TO FIX. REDICULOUS! IT'A DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE, I'M NOT SUE THE SYSTEM WILL WORK NOW.*AK
1997 BMW Z3
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1997 BMW Z3 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 30.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Z3 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 11 of 47 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Air Bags. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seats. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seat Belts. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
4 crash reports2 fire reports5 injury reports
What owners actually said
47 reportsAIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON, UNKNOWN REASON.*AK
REPEATED PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR'S AIRBAG. THE AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON AND STAYS ON. I HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE AND I PAID BMW TO FIX IT. THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS SOMETHING WITH THE SEATBELT. THE LIGHT HAS COME ON AGAIN.
WHILE APPLYING BRAKES STEERING JERKS SIDE TO SIDE. AS A RESULT, VEHICLE CROSSES OVER TO DIFFERENT LANES WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER STATES THAT IS A NORMAL PROCEDURE OF THE VEHICLE. *AK
THE BRACKET WHICH HELD THE DRIVER'S SEAT TO THE FLOOR BECAME LOOSE. THIS CAUSED THE SEAT TO ROCK BACK AND FORTH WHEN A STOP WAS MADE. THE DEALER STATED THE PROBLEM WAS NORMAL AND THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING THE SEAT. *JB *CB *JB THE DEALER WITNESSED ALOT OF THIS PROBLEM. *SCC
THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT LOCKS UP MORE OFTEN THAN NORMAL AND AT UN-NEEDED TIMES. THIS CAUSES PAIN TO THE USER WITH THE END RESULT BEING THAT THE USER TENDS TO REMOVE THE SEAT BELT, OR IS FORCED TO SIT THERE IN PAIN WITH THE SEAT BELT ON AND LOCKED UP. *NLM
THE SEAT TRACKS OF BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE ALLOWED THE SEATS TO MOVE AT LEAST 10MM FORWARD AND REARWARD UNDER BRAKING AND ACCELERATION. THIS MOVEMENT CAUSES A PARTIAL LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAD ONLY 32K MILES ON IT. THIS APPEARS TO BE A PREMATURE FAILURE AND A DEFECT OF BOTH TRAC…
Read full complaint
THE SEAT TRACKS OF BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE ALLOWED THE SEATS TO MOVE AT LEAST 10MM FORWARD AND REARWARD UNDER BRAKING AND ACCELERATION. THIS MOVEMENT CAUSES A PARTIAL LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAD ONLY 32K MILES ON IT. THIS APPEARS TO BE A PREMATURE FAILURE AND A DEFECT OF BOTH TRACKS. THIS FAILURE MODE IS DOCUMENTED BOTH ON THIS SITE AND ON MANY BMW FORUMS. THE ENTIRE TRACK ASSEMBLY OF BOTH SEATS HAD TO BE REPLACED. *NLM
FIRST FAILURE, DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEATS ARE COMING LOOSE FROM THE TRACK THAT THE SEATS MOVE BACK AND FORTH ON. THE SEATS CAN MOVE BACK AND FORTH A FEW INCHES, WITHOUT DEPRESSING ON THE LEVEL TO MOVE THE SEATS BACK AND FORTH. THE AUTOMOBILE DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM TO BE THE TRACK AND IT REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. THE AUT…
Read full complaint
FIRST FAILURE, DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEATS ARE COMING LOOSE FROM THE TRACK THAT THE SEATS MOVE BACK AND FORTH ON. THE SEATS CAN MOVE BACK AND FORTH A FEW INCHES, WITHOUT DEPRESSING ON THE LEVEL TO MOVE THE SEATS BACK AND FORTH. THE AUTOMOBILE DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM TO BE THE TRACK AND IT REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. THE AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER CONTENDS THIS IS A REPAIR ITEM AND DOES NOT BELIEVE IT TO BE DEFECT IN THE SEATS OR A SAFETY PROBLEM SHOULD AN ACCIDENT OCCUR. THE FACT THAT BOTH SEATS NOW DO THIS AND IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAPPEN UNDER NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR WOULD INDICATE OTHERWISE. THE AUTOMOBILE HAS ONLY 42,000 MILES AND IS LESS THAN 4 YEARS OLD. SECOND FAILURE: THE OUTER TRIM OF THE DASHBOARD HOUSING OF THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG HAS COME LOOSE. WE ARE CONCERNED THAT THIS DEFECT MAY DISRUPT OR ALTER THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAG SHOULD A COLLISION OCCUR. DEALERSHIP AND AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURE CONTENDS THIS SITUATION WOULD NOT CAUSE THE AIRBAG TO MALFUNCTION AND THEREFORE NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THEY WOULD NOT SUPPLY INFORMATION OR DATA TO SUPPORT THEIR ASSESSMENT. *JB
WHILE DRIVING THE ACCELERATOR STUCK CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND HIT A TREE. THE CONSUME BELIEVES THIS ACCIDENT IS RELATED TO NHTSA RECALL #8324 97V-131000 OF THE CRUISE CONTROL THROTTLE CABLES CABLE. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *TS *NLM
WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, VEHICLE WAS IN A FRONTAL COLLISON. ONLY THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED UPON IMPACT. THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILS. TS
Official recalls
197V131000 · Vehicle Speed Control
Aug 19, 1997
THE CRUISE CONTROL AND THROTTLE CABLES ARE ATTACHED TO THE SAME THROTTLE VALVE ACTUATING LEVER AT THE THROTTLE HOUSING. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE PLASTIC BUSHING ON EITHER CABLE COULD BREAK DUE TO ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES COUPLED WITH VIBRATION. IF THE BUSHING BREAKS, THE OUTER CABLE HOUSING CAN SEPARATE FROM THE BUSHING. IN THIS CASE, DURING APPLICATION OF THE THROTTLE PEDAL WITHOUT CRUISE CONTROL BEING ENGAGED, THE OUTER TUBE COULD CATCH ON THE EDGE OF THE BROKEN BUSHING.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS COULD CAUSE THE THROTTLE VALVE TO REMAIN PARTIALLY OPEN. IT HIS WERE TO OCCUR, THE CAR MIGHT NOT DECELERATE AS EXPECTED INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A SPRING STEEL CLIP ON THE OUTER TUBE OF EACH CABLE IN THE AREA OF THE ADJUSTING SCREW AND PLASTIC BUSHING. THE CLIP IS DESIGNED TO PREVENT THE OUTER TUBE FROM DISLODGING FROM THE BUSHING.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.