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BMW Z4 VIN Number Check

Decode a BMW Z4 VIN free with NHTSA vPIC. See the NHTSA recalls for that model year, then read what owners have reported.

VIN prefix4USWBA5UM

Free decode plus the NHTSA recalls for its model year. 17 characters, no I, O or Q.

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BMW Z4

About the BMW Z4

BMW has sold the Z4 in the US since the 2003 model year. Across those years NHTSA lists 28 vehicle recall campaigns and 1,277 owner complaints. The 2003 has the most complaints of any model year (414). EPA rates it at 17–28 mpg combined. A free VIN decode gives you NHTSA vPIC’s record for the car (model year, engine, plant) and the NHTSA recalls for its model year. It won’t show theft, flood or lemon-law history.

US model years2003–2026
EPA classTwo Seaters
NHTSA recall campaigns28
Owner complaints1,277 at NHTSA
BMW Z4 photographed at a US vehicle auction
Auction lot photo, for illustration
Generations

BMW Z4 at a glance

One generation in the data, 2003–2026: 28 NHTSA recall campaigns and 1,277 owner complaints.

1 / 1
Z4
2003–2026Two Seaters
BMW Z4 (2003–2026)

Photo: M 93, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons

20032010201520202025
2003–2026

BMW Z4

EPA classTwo Seaters
EPA combined mpg17–28
NHTSA recalls28

Engines (EPA)

  • 2.5 L 6-cyl · 2003–2005
  • 3.0 L 6-cyl · 2003–2011
  • 3.2 L 6-cyl · 2006–2008
  • 3.0 L 6-cyl (turbo) · 2009–2016, 2020–2026
  • 2.0 L 4-cyl (turbo) · 2012–2016, 2019–2026

Drive & transmission (EPA)

  • RWD
  • automatic (2003–2016, 2019–2026), manual (2003–2016, 2025–2026), automated manual/dual-clutch (2013–2016)

Known issues to check

Steering (990)Air bags (101)Engine and cooling (78)7 high-risk recall campaigns

Mentions in 1,277 NHTSA complaints.

Sample VIN pattern · Z44USBT334?3L······NHTSA vPIC decodes it as a 2003 BMW Z4 2.5si, built in Spartanburg, South Carolina
Check a Z4 VIN

Sources: EPA · NHTSA · vPIC

NHTSA campaign data

Which Z4 model years each recall covers

NHTSA data

NHTSA has 28 campaigns on file for Z4 model years 2003–2026, and the 2011, 2019 and 2020 show up in the most (6 each). Move the line to your model year to see which apply.

2020
Air bag inflator, fire risk or do-not-drive/park-outside advisorySafety recallCanada only
Pick a row
What to ask

Source: NHTSA recall database, vehicle campaigns only; row text is NHTSA’s summary. A listed year does not mean every car is covered, so check the VIN.

Canada rows: Transport Canada recalls database. Transport Canada recalls that match an NHTSA campaign are folded into that row by VinNumber.net; rows with the Canadian flag have no NHTSA match. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada · Transport Canada.

Owner reports · NHTSA complaints

What BMW Z4 owners report

NHTSA data

Between them, the 2003 and 2004 hold 825 of the 1,277 complaints, or 65%. Tap any bar or generation.

1,277NHTSA complaints, 2003–2026
20mention a crash
7mention a fire
6injuries reported
Owner complaints by model yearZ4: 1,277 complaints · most for the 2003 (414)

Top complaint areas · Z4

Mentions in 1,277 complaints, 2003–2026.

Steering990
Air bags101
Engine and cooling78
Electrical system74
Wheels24
Brakes18
Crashes 20Fires 7Injuries 6

2003–2026

NHTSA data summary

Steering owns this generation. Its 990 mentions are more than twice the next area, air bags (101). Its first model year, the 2003, drew more complaints than any other (414 of 1,277).

Counts: NHTSA complaints file, records to October 1, 2026, one count per complaint; areas are NHTSA component groups.

Owner complaints · by model year

Z4 complaint breakdown by model year

NHTSA data

Every Z4 version is counted together. Tap a year to see its top systems.

1,277complaints, 2003–2026
20mention a crash
7mention a fire
6injuries reported
2complaints report a death
Most complaints: 2003 (414), 2004 (411), 2005 (190)
414’03411’04190’05’10’15’20

2003 · 414 complaints

Crashes 5 · fires 0 · injuries 1

Steering342
Air bags31
Electrical system13
Engine and engine cooling11
Structure8

Systems as NHTSA names them; a complaint can list several. Source: NHTSA complaints data, records to October 1, 2026.

EPA fuel economy & emissions

Z4 CO₂, smog rating and yearly fuel cost

EPA data

EPA lists 94 Z4 versions for model years 2003–2026. The lowest tailpipe CO₂ is 312 g/mi (2026). Pick a model year and powertrain to see each version.

Z42003–2026

17–28 mpg · CO₂ 312–523 g/mi

2025
28combined MPG
312CO₂ grams per mile (tailpipe)
$2,950EPA yearly fuel cost
6/10Smog rating
1 = worst · 10 = cleanest
6/10Greenhouse gas rating
California LEV-III SULEV30 · Federal Tier 3 Bin 30Emission standard
Cleanest gas version of 2025: sDrive30i · Auto (S8), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo — 28 MPG · 312 g/mi
Best (lowest) CO₂ by model year
250300350400450200520102015202020252003 · Gas: 4232004 · Gas: 4232005 · Gas: 4232006 · Gas: 4232007 · Gas: 4042008 · Gas: 4042009 · Gas: 4042010 · Gas: 4042011 · Gas: 4042012 · Gas: 3292013 · Gas: 3402014 · Gas: 3412015 · Gas: 3402016 · Gas: 3402019 · Gas: 3212020 · Gas: 3242021 · Gas: 3212022 · Gas: 3172023 · Gas: 3122024 · Gas: 3122025 · Gas: 3122026 · Gas: 312
Gas

Annual fuel cost is EPA’s estimate at its current fuel-price assumptions (15,000 miles a year, 55% city driving), so older years are priced at today’s fuel prices. Smog rating and emission standard can differ by sales area (federal vs. California); both are shown. Greenhouse-gas ratings start with the 2013 model year. Source: fueleconomy.gov.

Compare rivals

Z4 vs Porsche Boxster vs Audi TT

NHTSA + EPA data

Take 2003–2026. NHTSA lists 28 recall campaigns for the Z4, against 19 for the Porsche Boxster and 10 for the Audi TT. Pick a range to compare.

BMW Z4

Model years 2003–2026

NHTSA recall campaigns
28
NHTSA owner complaints
1,277
EPA combined mpg
17–28
Engines (EPA)
4-cyl 2.0 L · 6-cyl 2.5, 3.0, 3.2 L
Also listed
turbo
Drive (EPA)
RWD

Most-reported complaint areas (NHTSA)

  1. Steering 990
  2. Air bags 101
  3. Engine and cooling 78

Porsche Boxster

Model years 2003–2026

NHTSA recall campaigns
19
NHTSA owner complaints
81
EPA combined mpg
16–25
Engines (EPA)
4-cyl 2.0, 2.5 L · 6-cyl 2.7–4.0 L
Also listed
turbo
Drive (EPA)
RWD

Most-reported complaint areas (NHTSA)

  1. Engine and cooling 31
  2. Powertrain (transmission, driveline) 19
  3. Brakes 9

Audi TT

Model years 2003–2026

NHTSA recall campaigns
10
NHTSA owner complaints
97
EPA combined mpg
19–26
Engines (EPA)
4-cyl 1.8, 2.0 L · 5-cyl 2.5 L · 6-cyl 3.2 L
Also listed
turbo
Drive (EPA)
AWD/4WD, FWD

Most-reported complaint areas (NHTSA)

  1. Powertrain (transmission, driveline) 41
  2. Electrical system 22
  3. Engine and cooling 15

NHTSA recalls (vehicle campaigns for all powertrain versions; equipment and tire campaigns left out), complaints (not sales-adjusted) and 5-Star overall ratings for the latest year rated for all three; EPA mpg, engines and drive. Rivals: same EPA class, picked by VinNumber.net.

BMW Z4 VIN number location

Where to find the VIN on a Z4

Tap a spot. Every location should show the same 17 characters.

Green BMW Z4 (G29) roadster, front three-quarter view, with the VIN locations marked

Photo: Hans Haase, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped

Illustration: VinNumber.net

Photo: Dinkun Chen, CC BY-SA 4.0; edited and VIN pins added by VinNumber.net

The Z4 roadster carries its VIN on a plate at the base of the driver's side windshield and on the door sill label on the driver's side. The engine compartment carries a firewall stamp. No rear trunk lid label is present on the open-top design. Check that the firewall stamp matches the dashboard plate.

  1. Windshield plateRead it through the glass at the base of the driver's side windshield.
    Source: 49 CFR 565.13(f) (NHTSA): VIN inside the passenger compartment, readable through the glazing next to the left windshield pillar
  2. Door jamb labelOpen the driver's door: the certification label on the B-pillar lists the VIN.
    Source: 49 CFR 567.4 (NHTSA): certification label with VIN at the driver door hinge pillar, latch post or door edge
The title, registration and insurance card show the VIN as well. All locations should match.
FAQ

Common BMW Z4 VIN questions

Which BMW Z4 model years have the most owner complaints?

The 2003 leads with 414, ahead of the 2004 (411) and 2005 (190). Those first two alone make up 65% of the 1,277 Z4 complaints filed with NHTSA, not adjusted for sales.

How many recalls has the BMW Z4 had?

NHTSA’s recall records show 28 vehicle campaigns for model years 2003–2026, leaving out equipment and tire campaigns.

Which BMW Z4 recalls are high risk?

NHTSA’s record names a fire risk in 19V-273, 22V-119, 17V-683, 24V-608, 25V-636, 20V-700 and 26V-056. Park-outside advisories came with 25V-636. Each should show as closed on a VIN check.

What fuel economy does the BMW Z4 get?

It varies. EPA rates the 2003–2026 Z4 at 17–28 mpg combined, depending on engine and drive (fueleconomy.gov).

How does the BMW Z4 compare with the Porsche Boxster and Audi TT on recalls?

For 2003–2026 models the Z4 has 28 NHTSA recall campaigns. The Porsche Boxster has 19, the Audi TT 10. Complaints run 1,277, 81 and 97 in that order, with no sales adjustment.

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