BMW Z4 review - Reliability & safety

BMW is one of the respected German 'Big Three' premium brands. All three have a desirable, high-quality reputation, yet neither BMW nor its Audi or Mercedes rivals are exactly top-ranking when it comes to owner satisfaction. The Z4 scored the full five stars when it was tested by Euro NCAP, thanks in part to a healthy list of crash-avoidance technology available as standard or at extra cost.

BMW Z4 reliability

BMW finished 14th out of 32 manufacturers in our 2024 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey ahead of Mercedes in 25th and Audi in 27th. While 21.4% of owners reported one or more faults within the first year, this is ahead of Mercedes with 26.3% and Porsche with a concerning 36% and electrics represented the most common reason for BMW issues. BMW owners praised attributes like acceleration and build quality, but weren’t as impressed with child-friendly features or ride comfort.

The BMW Z4 was developed with the Toyota Supra but the brands tell us the cars were designed separately, so there’s no way to know which will be the more reliable until we have more data on both. 

Safety

The BMW Z4 achieved a five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP, including an impressive 97% score in the adult occupant category.

The Z4 has all the safety equipment you'd expect of a new car these days, from mandatory kit such as anti-lock brakes (ABS), stability control and tyre pressure monitoring, through to today's must-haves such as autonomous emergency braking. However, it's on the options list that you'll find the most impressive technology, with driver-assist systems like adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist and reversing assistance only available at extra cost.

The same is true of the clever adaptive LED headlamps, whose main beam will adjust in shape to avoid dazzling oncoming traffic at speeds of 44mph and above.