RoadVitals

2003 BMW 1 Series

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
1
Latest Jun 29, 2016
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
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InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
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Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
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Overview

Our database contains 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 2003 BMW 1 Series, most frequently naming the airbags category. 25 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Airbags1100.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Airbags
Filed Jun 29, 2016

TAKATA RECALL: RECALL NO: 15V-318 HI THERE, I RECEIVED A NOTICE IN JULY 2015 REGARDING THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT AIRBAG I CONTACTED MY LOCAL DEALER: BOB SMITH BMW 24500 CALABASAS RD, CALABASAS, CA 91302-2509 THEY KEEP TELLING ME THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE THE PARTS FOR THEM TO MAKE THE REPAIR. THIS HAS BEEN 1 YEAR SINCE WE RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTICE. YOURS SINCERELY..........[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID
10881622
Incident
Jul 1, 2015

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

SIB-65-10-13

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE

BMW: REPLACEMENT OF THE OC3 SENSOR SEAT MAT ON THE PASSENGER SEAT. MODELS E82, E88, E90, E91, E92, E93. MODEL YEARS UNKNOWN. *KB UPDATED 12/6/13. *PE

SIB-17-02-09

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL

BMW: OIL LEAKS FROM THE AIR HOSE ON TURBOCHARGER. THIS IS DESIGNATED FOR E70, AND E90 MODELS WITH M57Y DIESEL ENGINES. SERVICE ENGINE SOON LAMP MAY BE ILLUMINATED. *KB

SB-61-19-12

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

DURING THE SCHEDULED 3 MONTH/ 5,000 MILE SERVICE IT COULD POSSIBLY BE DETERMINED THAT SOME OF THE CONTACT PROTECTIVE SLEEVE S IN THE CHARGING SOCKET MAY BE MISSING. BMW MODEL E28E. *KB

SB-62-01-13

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

INSTRUMENT PANEL AND GUAGES ARE INOPERATIVE. BMW MODEL F30. *KB

SB-62-03-13

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DISPLAY IS INTERMITTENTLY INOPERATIVE. BMW F25, AND F30 MODELS. *KB

SB-34-01-13

ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL:AUTOMATIC (ASC)

ASC (AUTOMATIC STABILITY CONTROL) OPERATION TO SENSITIVE. CRUISE CONTROL ACTION FUNCTION CAN OCCASIONALLY ACTIVATE AND DEACTIVATE DUE TO THE ASC IMPLAUSABILITY WHEN THE DSC WARNING LAMP IS FLASHING ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. BMW. *KB

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

BMW 1 Series by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2012010—
2011333045.9
2010830—
2009182038.6
2008183043.5
2007600—
2006500—
2005300—
2004300—
2003Viewing100—
2002100—
2001100—
2000100—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.