There are 16 owner-reported air bags & restraints complaints for the 2004 BMW Z4in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
THEY DO NOT WORK
PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY DETECTION MAT HAS A DEFECTIVE SENSOR. IT INDICATES THAT A CHILD'S WEIGHT IS IN THE SEAT AND THEREFORE WILL NOT PERMIT THE AIR BAG TO DEPLOY. THE FAULT CODE CAN BE RESET, THE LIGHT GOES OUT; STAYS OUT FOR WEEKS AND LIGHTS UP AT RANDOM AGAIN! CLEARING THE FAULT CODE IS BURDENSOME AND DISABLING THE AIR BAG INAPPROPRIATELY IS A SAFETY DEFECT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE ULTIMATE AUTOWERKS DEALER (LOCATED AT 2538 SAVANNAH HWY, CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA 29414; 843-406-8955) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR BAG SEAT MAT SENSOR/ PASSENGER SEAT DETECTION MAT FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V564000 (AIR BAGS). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW Z4. AFTER THE PASSENGER DOOR WAS OPENED, THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED INDEPENDENTLY THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT A DIAGNOSIS WAS NOT DISCLOSED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 69,000. UPDATED 03/07/17*LJ *CN
PASSENGER AIRBAG MODULE SEEMS TO BE DEFECTED.
AFTER CRANKING MY 2004 Z4 IN THE DRIVE WAY, MY WIFE IN THE CAR WITH ME AT THE TIME, THE DRIVERS SIDE AIRBAG WENT OFF FOR NO REASON. HAD JUST PUT THE CAR INTO REVERSE TO BACK IT UP AND THEN "POW" SOUNDED LIKE A GUNSHOT GOING OFF. I LOOKED OVER TO SEE MY WIFE PANICKED AS SHE WAS STUNNED THAT THIS WENT OFF RIGHT IN HER FACE. IT SCUFFED HER ARM A BIT AND GOT THE POWDER RESIDUE IN HER FACE. THIS CAR HAS BEEN DRIVEN VERY LITTLE, ONLY ABOUT 6000 MILES A YEAR ROUGHLY. THIS KIND OF THING SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. THE CAR HAD NOT EVEN MOVED IT WAS JUST PUT INTO REVERSE AND THEN IT UNEXPECTANTLY EXPLODED. I HAD PREVIOUSLY TAKEN THE CAR IN TO CHECK ON A RECALL THEY HAD ON SOME VEHICLES FOR THE AIRBAG MAT IN THE PASSENGER SIDE, WAS TOLD THAT MY MODEL WAS NOT EFFECTED. I THINK THAT MAY HAVE BEEN A LIE, AND IF WAS NOT A LIE THEN IT CLEARLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED AND SEATED IN THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE VEHICLE, THE AIR BAG INDEPENDENTLY DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN TO THE RESIDENCE AND THEN TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
PASSENGER AIR BAG EXPLODED AND BUSTED WIND SHIELD. *TR
MY PASSENGER-SIDE AIRBAG LITERALLY "EXPLODED" AS I WAS WALKING UP TO MY CAR THIS MORNING. OF COURSE, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT WAS WHAT IT WAS UNTIL I UNLOCKED MY CAR AND OPENED THE DOOR. THE AIRBAG WAS EXPOSED AND THERE WAS "SMOKE" IN THE CAR. IT APPEARS WHAT HAPPENED IS THE EXACT REASON GIVEN FOR RECALLING THE 3 SERIES VEHICLES DUE TO THE TAKATA AIRBAG PROBLEM, THE REASON GIVEN ARE INCIDENTS SUCH AS THIS OCCUR IN FLORIDA AND PUERTO RICO DUE TO THE HIGH HEAT AND HUMIDITY. SEE USA TODAY ARTICLE: HTTP://WWW.USATODAY.COM/STORY/MONEY/CARS/2014/07/16/BMW-TAKATA-SHRAPNEL-NHTSA-RECALL/12729929/ !....UPDATED 07/31/14 *BF
TAKATA AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON AND MAKES A TICKING NOISE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED THE ENGINE WAS IN OPERATION AND THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED WITH AN ILLUMINATION OF THE PASSENGER'S SIDE WARNING INDICATOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE MALFUNCTION WAS CONTRIBUTED TO WATER LEAKING INTO THE AIR BAG SENSOR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY REMAINED AT THE DEALER FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT WHILE VEHICLE IN MOTION. 9/27/2012 APPROX. 6:20PM HAD ONE OF THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOY WITHOUT WARNING WHILE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN. NO ACCIDENT INVOLVED, NO STRIKING CURB, NO POTHOLE...NOTHING UNTOWARD. BMW DEALER NOW HAS VEHICLE TO DETERMINE CAUSE OF MALFUNCTION. I HAVE REQUESTED THAT BMW NORTH AMERICA HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE INSPECT THE VEHICLE TO ASSIST IN DETERMINING CAUSE OF THIS MALFUNCTION AND TO PASS ALONG HIS FINDINGS TO THE APPROPRIATE INDIVIDUALS AT BMW. HAD ONE OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAGS MALFUNCTIONED AND DEPLOYED WHILE THIS VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN, THE RESULTS COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN CATASTROPHIC! *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW Z4. WHEN THE CONTACT STARTED THE VEHICLE, THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHENEVER THE ENGINE WAS IN OPERATION AND REMAINED ILLUMINATED UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THE CONSTANT FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO A FAULTY PASSENGER OCCUPANCY SEAT MAT SENSOR. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND THE CONTACT PLANNED TO NOTIFY THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000. UPDATED 09/02/14*LJ UPDATED 09/17/2014 *JS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED SPORADICALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 50,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS. THE "AIR BAG" WARNING WARNING LIGHT INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE WARNING INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE PASSENGER SEAT AND AIR BAG SENSOR REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. THERE WAS A RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V384000 (AIR BAGS:FRONTAL). HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM THE RECALL DEFECT. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED FOR MALFUNCTION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 41,400. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026