The 2008 BMW Z4 has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 1,657,667 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 27 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the air bags. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING22V1190002022-03-02917,106 affected
Defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2013 1 Series Coupe (128i); 2007-2013 3 Series Coupe (328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive); 2007-2010 X3 SAV (X3 3.0si, X3 xDrive30i); 2008-2013 1 Series Convertible (128i); 2006-2011 3 Series Sedan (325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 330i, 330xi); 2006-2012 3 Series…
Consequence
An electrical short can cause the PCV valve heater to overheat, increasing the risk of a fire while driving or, soon after driving when parked.
Remedy
This recall supersedes and expands previous NHTSA recalls 17V-683 and 19V-273. Dealers will install an electrical wiring harness with fuse protection for the PCV Valve heater in potentially affected vehicles, free of charge. This recall supersedes and expands previous NHTSA recalls 17V-683 and 19V-273. Vehicles…
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING17V6830002017-10-30740,561 affected
Defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2011 128i and 2007-2011 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 525i, 525xi, 528i, 528xi, 530i, 530xi, X3 3.0si, X3 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive30i, Z4 3.0i, Z4 3.0si and Z4 sDrive30i vehicles. The heater for the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve may short circuit.
Consequence
An electrical short can cause the parts within the PCV valve to melt, increasing the risk of a fire, even when the vehicle is not in use.
Remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the PCV valve heater, free of charge. Interim letters were mailed on November 27, 2017. Owners will receive a second notification by the end of October 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Complaints by component
AIR BAGS
8
STEERING
5
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
4
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
2
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
1
ENGINE
1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CRANKCASE (PCV)
1
SEATS
1
SERVICE BRAKES
1
Total complaints27
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“This complaint is regarding a large number of 2008 bmw cars exhibiting the abs failure light. Mine is a z4 with @ 65k miles and was diagnosed by a certified mechanic as the abs module failure - a high ($3000-$4000) cost repair. If you use this search term - "how common is bmw 2008 abs module…”
“The contact owns a 2008 bmw z4. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 22v119000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the…”
“Idling in gear (automatic transmission) at a drive thru. Car suddenly tried to accelerate. Put car in park and engine continued to increase to max rpms. I shut off the engine at the ignition. Restarted engine and idled normally.”
“Recently purchased a 2008 bmw z4. After a week of ownership the airbag light came on. Fault code points to the passenger seat occupancy sensor oc3. Bmw issued a 15 year extended warranty to many bmw models including the 2006 and 2007 z4 with comfort seats, but not to the 2008 model. This repair…”
“Recently purchased a 2008 bmw z4. After a week of ownership the airbag light came on. Fault code points to the passenger seat occupancy sensor oc3. Bmw issued a 15 year extended warranty to many bmw models including the 2006 and 2007 z4 with comfort seats, but not to the 2008 model. This repair…”
“Recently purchased a 2008 bmw z4. After a week of ownership the airbag light came on. Fault code points to the passenger seat occupancy sensor oc3. Bmw issued a 15 year extended warranty to many bmw models including the 2006 and 2007 z4 with comfort seats, but not to the 2008 model. This repair…”
“Tl* the contact owns a 2008 bmw z4. The contact stated that for several months the air bag warning indicator was flashing. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was constantly illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic for a diagnostic test. The…”
“The airbag red light on dash appeared and stayed on,also passenger yellow airbag light stays on .took to bmw dealer they informed me that the passenger seat occupancy sensor mat was defective and needed to be replaced at a cost around 1,600.00 . Error code 93c3 they informed me with this problem I…”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2008 BMW Z4 as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.