The BMW Z4 from 2003-2008 is a sports car with BMW reliability. Yes, BMWs are known for their issues but are the issues related to this BMW a serious deterrent? I mean, if the car is taken care of it can last well over 200k miles due to its reliable I6 motor.
Today I am going to talk about some of the common issues with the BMW Z4 from 2003-2008. At the same time I will be going over its benefits. The goal is to help you decide what is best for you, let’s get to it!
Thank you Drive512AutoRanch for allowing me to go through their inventory to potentially help out others!
Let’s start with the most common Issues!
Do not get scared because I will explain the difficulty of replacing the parts at the end of this segment.
Valve Cover Leaking OilÂ
The Valve cover gasket likes to leak oil. The oil should be seen at the intersection of the Valve Cover and the Head of the motor. Luckily the part to replace it is cheap.
How to replace the valve cover in the BMW Z4 2003-2008:
Control Arm Bushings
You may hear thuds going around corners or just very loose steering. Either way, they need to be replaced.
Everything listed above might not need to be replaced and instead only the lower control arm bushings. If you perform this job, why not replace it all? It is a good price anyways
How to replace the control arm bushings in a BMW Z4:
Soft Top Motor
The final notable issue has to be the soft top motor going bad. The example I drove had a bad motor.
How to replace the soft top motor in the BMW Z4:
As you can see, the valve cover gasket replacement video is short and very easy to replace. The soft top motor can easily be replaced with some patience. The difficult part to replace will be the bushings.
Over all these issues… ARE NOT HARD TO REMEDY, however…
Let’s talk a bit about the car before I break the bad news.
Exterior
The exterior of the beauty is beautiful! I absolutely love the look of the car. It has such a sporty design. 
The front quarter panel has this sharp slash going through the BMW logo that breaks up what would have been a boring panel without it.
The rear quarter panel has this hump. I think of it like a wide booty or shoulders of a bodybuilder. It gives the car an aggressive, sporty and fast look.
The rear is subtle, yet very nice looking. Probably the most appealing rear end I have seen in. Top 20.
Interior
I was slightly disappointed when I sat in the front seat. Let’s start with the door panels.
They aren’t anything impressive. I was expecting a door panel closer to the 3 series. Even the BMW e36 has nicer door panels than this. Anywho…
On the other hand, I really enjoyed these supporting black leather seats. BMW created the seats for great comfort and stability while you take on the curvy roads. Sadly the car is an Auto, but if it is a manual than the shifter is in a fantastic location to bang through the gears.
You know, the interior is beautiful. I may be nick picking, but it just felt cheap compared to the 3 series. I firmly believe BMW did this because their focus is more so on the sporty feel and the handling. The instrument cluster looks akin like a higher end car would and the steering wheel is covered with nice leather.
HOWEVER…
The BMW Z4 is a beautiful car. It fell short on some of the quality compared to the 3 series. That is expected, somewhat, for a sporty car.
If you want to buy this car than you need to hear me out.
The car is ultimately reliable due to its I6 motor, but… BMWs will break down. All cars break down. BMWs are just a bit more expensive to repair. I listed the most common issues but other things WILL break.
So, if you are mechanically inclined or you have deep pockets for a mechanic, than this is a solid car.
Are you banging on a budget? Look else where. Maybe a Honda Civic from 2006-2011 which proved to be very reliable and fun to drive with a manual.
This car is currently for sale as of writing this article in Austin, Texas. Check them out if you are interested! They specialize in 0% down financing.
Thank you Drive512AutoRanch
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