BMW Z4 buyers guide review (2002-2008) Reliability and known faults (Z4 E85/E86 and Z4M)

BMW Z4 2002-2008 Buyers guide for 2.0, 2.2, 2.5, 3.0 and 3.2 Z4M reliability. Find the BMW Z4 E85 for sale that is right for you and know what maintenance is needed before you decide to buy a BMW Z4. Avoid buying the cheapest broken Z4 with known reliability issues and find the best year BMW Z4 to buy. Find the BMW Z4 that can be a good investment, especially if looking at a BMW Z4M. Our guide will help identify the best engine BMW Z4 for you and highlight common faults and reliability issues to look out for. Avoid the mistake of buying a cheap BMW Z4 with common faults as a project and attempting to fix it but always being stuck with the same problem. This buyer's guide covers 2002 BMW Z4, 2003 BMW Z4, 2004 BMW Z4, 2005 BMW Z4, 2006 BMW Z4, 2007 BMW Z4 and 2008 BMW Z4.

Owners and buyers looking for a guide on what to look out for may find our guide useful and if you are considering a used BMW Z4 or a competitor like a Nissan 370Z or Porsche Boxster/Cayman of the same age then don't forget to check out our other videos.

The common problems discussed in our buyer's guide to the BMW Z4 include maintenance, high mileage, and reliability as well as common faults to roof mechanisms and VANOS failure.

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Legal and disclaimer - Any content not originally created by The Miles Driven remains the property of the original owner and is editorialised for media reporting. All content is used within the confines of media reporting/editorial use and is transformative in nature to inform others with new information and content about cars and vehicles. We use no more of the original content than necessary in alignment with U.S copyright law for fair use and U.K fair dealing. We accept no liability for the purchase of vehicles using our guide and suggest thorough due diligence by individual professional inspections before making a buying decision.

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[Meatpipeify]

I picked up a 2003 Z4 3.0i 6-speed about 6 months ago. It was severely neglected and needed a TON of work over the winter, but it's running great now and I love it! Sounds amazing too.

[scotty]

I bought a 2006 E86 3.0si manual in Sterling grey with Dream red leather interior a month ago, It had to be that color combo for me, A car that my scratch needed itching as i have always loved their looks, It's my first BMW at 61years old and i absolutely love it! A proper driver focused car IMO, The N52 is a lovely engine and coupled with the ZF 6 speed manual is a blast to drive and the N52 sounds great as well, A surefire future classic IMO due to the 2 year build life and you never see many on the roads 👍

[derin]

So, I have owned three E85s…and at one point, I owned all three at the same time.
The three were: 3.0Si, Z4M Roadster and Alpina Roadster S. I only sold the latter two a few months ago.
Here are my humble thoughts, for what they are worth, on ownership:

1) The 3.0Si was an extremely capable car. Easily fast enough for the public road. Cheap to buy (here in the UK) and cheap to run in terms of taxation, servicing and fuel costs.

2) The Alpina was the prettiest of the three. MORE than fast enough. Also, cheap to tax and run…but more costly to buy in the first place. Yes, more powerful than the 3.0Si but not appreciably faster in use on the public road.

3) The Z4M felt appreciably faster than the above two but again beyond ‘usable’. It sounded the best! It also felt like it was built to be that fast from the outset whilst the Alpina felt like what it was…an enhanced 3.0Si.
It was also far and away the most expensive to own! The road tax was higher, it used more fuel and was more demanding of servicing costs.
As an outright performance car it was undoubtedly the best of the three…but at a cost.

I have recently purchased an E89 manual 35i. I haven’t really driven it yet but already I can say that pound for pound these are an absolute bargain in the U.K at present. I bought it for little more than half the amount that I sold the Z4M and Alpina for, yet its performance is in their league but with the added refinement of the E89.

I once drove my E85 3.0Si all the way from the middle of the UK to Switzerland and wouldn’t really wish to repeat that in any of the E85s. Yet, I could imagine doing that in the E89.

[kevinjekyll]

I guess I was lucky to find a Z4M roadster in red with the black top, I had to pay top dollar for it, I would give it a 9+ out of 10 as far as over all condition goes. I find it quite hard to drive around the city, the clutch and gearbox do require you to pay attention to what you want, but on the open road this thing just sings. For my round town driving pleasure I use my r171 SLK 55 AMG, now I just need a Boxter to complete my dream collection, well a dream on my budget... thanks for the review, always great to hear of another person's perspective.

[xinpeit]

Εχω 2.5i του 2004 κ δεν το αλλαζω με τιποτα! Διαχρονικο κ απολαυστικό ❤

[Audidude]

The Z4M isn't built in Germany, it's built in Spartanburg. South Carolina, US. The drivetrain is produced in Germany and shipped to Spartanburg for assembly into the car. Greer is a city very close to Spartanburg.

[Eggywind]

I would NEVER buy this car if I’d known what I know now after owning one for 15years! and spending a small country’s GDP on keeping it on the road. But I just love it at the same time. 🤷‍♂️

[Starry_Night_Sky]

I have the Z4. It's a manual. In the USA, finding anything manual is difficult. Well, it's still easier to maintain 🤑 than an actual horse 🐎. Has been fun to drive.

[Eric-uemm]

Amazing video, could you elaborate on the SMG? It was only available in the beginning?

[santiago]

Tengo un Z4 2.0 que solo me da alegrías y con un consumo por debajo de 7 litros a velocidad legal. En cuidad unos 8, 5. Gracias por traducir el vídeo.

[beschuitfluiter]

Also, search for the sound generator mod. Its only on the 3.0. But it greatly increases induction noise and its a reversable mod that takes less than a minute

[beschuitfluiter]

My flip up screen broke. Old plastic and stress on the rail that lifts it did that.

Mirrors broke

Roof motor broke

But its an awesome ride

[laurentbesson]

bonjour avez vous deja eu des problemes avec le boitier électronique airbag z4 2.5 2003 ?

[iakonagoood]

I jus recently traded my 93 3000gt for a 03 z4. Lemme tell u, What a headache of a car

[moletsanesejake]

There's no need to listen to the whole clip.. Some issues sound like those of e90 ..ai ill pass