RoadVitals

1999 BMW 3 Series Owner Complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full

Data refreshed

Complaints on fileComplaints 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.
6
Latest Apr 18, 2014
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.
0
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
0
Reports on file since Oct 12, 2004

What this page shows

Our database holds 6 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1999 BMW 3 Series. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.

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

Complaints, most recent first

Showing 1–6 of 6

Airbags
Filed Apr 18, 2014

I WAS DRIVING HOME AT 10:15 PM AND THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR MOUNTED AND PASSENGER SIDE HEAD PROTECTION AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. I CALLED BMW THE FOLLOWING MORNING TO REPORT IT AND SEE WHAT I SHOULD DO. I WAS TOLD I WOULD GET A RETURN CALL WITHIN 1-3 BUSINESS DAYS. I HAVE LEFT 2 MESSAGES AND BMW STILL HAS NOT CALLED ME BACK. *TR

NHTSA ID
10583545
Incident
Apr 14, 2014
Mileage
226,722 mi
Fuel system
Filed Dec 24, 2013

THE BMW 323I ( BMW E46 ) FUEL TANK STRAP, WHICH HOLDS THE FUEL TANK IN PLACE, DETACHED FROM THE CAR BODY. THIS IS A STRAP HOLDING THE FUEL TANK IN PLACE. THE 4 SPOT WELDS THAT HOLD THE STRAP TO THE CAR BODY FAILED. NOTE, THE FUEL TANK IS HELD IN PLACE BY THIS STRAP. *TR

NHTSA ID
10557179
Incident
Dec 23, 2013
Mileage
150,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Aug 7, 2013

I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE INTO BRECHT DEALERSHIP IN ESCONDIDO TO ADDRESS SEATBELT SAFETY/AIRBAG SENSOR LIGHT WARNING. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN FOR REPAIR A TOTAL OF EIGHT (8) TIMES FOR THE SAME ISSUE. TODAY THE SEATBELT AIRBAG WARNING DEVISE CAME ON WITH THE LOANER PROVIDED BYDEALER WITH A SCREEN STATEMENT: WARNING DANGER KEEP YOUR SEATBELT ON AND RETURN TO SHOP FOR REPAIR. THIS IS A 20014 VEHICLE. I BELIEVE THIS ENTIRE ISSUE OF SEATBELT AIRBAG SAFETY IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT AND WARRANTS FULL INVESTIGATION BEFORE A GRANDCHILD SEATED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT IS KILLED FROM AN AIRBAG IMPROPERLY EJECTING OR EVEN WORSE NOTHING NO AIRBAG OR SEAT BELT PROTECTION IN AN ACCIDENT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10534078
Incident
Jul 1, 2002
Mileage
28,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Jul 11, 2012

ALL DOORS LOCK ON THEIR OWN AND THE WINDOWS AND SUNROOF CLOSE LEAVING YOU LOCKED INSIDE THE CAR. *TR

NHTSA ID
10465325
Incident
Jul 2, 2012
Mileage
155,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Jul 11, 2007

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 BMW 3 SERIES. WHILE DRIVING, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER STATED THAT A FAULTY SEAT BELT CLIP CAUSED THE FAILURE AND THEY MADE THE REPLACEMENT. APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR LATER, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN. THE DEALER REPLACED THE SEAT BELT CLIP ONCE MORE. ONE YEAR LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS WAS DEFECTIVE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE CABLE CONNECTOR AND STRAP, A SHRINK TUBE, AND THE LOWER BELT. FOUR MONTHS LATER, THE AIR BAG WARNING ILLUMINATED FOR THE FOURTH TIME. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR AIR BAG HAD FAILED. THEY RECOMMENDED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR AIR BAG WIRING HARNESS BE REPLACED. THE REPLACEMENT HAS NOT BEEN MADE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 100,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,916 UPDATED 0310/08. *LJ THE CONSUMER HAD A RECALL NOTICE WHICH ADDRESSES AN AIR BAG ISSUE.

NHTSA ID
10196059
Incident
Oct 1, 2000
Mileage
3,916 mi
Body & structure
Filed Oct 12, 2004

(1) IN EVERYDAY DRIVING, I HEARD A CREAKING NOISE IN THE REAR END OF MY 1999 BMW 328I. (2) I FOUND THAT THE LEFT REAR SUBFRAME HAS STARTED TO SHEAR AWAY FROM THE CHASSIS MAKING THE CAR ONLY DRIVABLE FOR ONLY SHORT DISTANCES, IF AT ALL. (3) I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER TO SEE IF THEY WOULD COVER THE COST OF REPAIR AS A GOODWILL GESTURE AND THEY SAID NO. I THEN APPEALED TO BMW NORTH AMERICA AND THEY SENT OUT A BODY TECHNICIAN WHO ALSO DENIED THE REPAIR. THE CAR WAS APPROX. ONE YEAR AND 10000 MILES OVER WARRANTY. NO PARTS WERE REPLACED NOR ANY REPAIRS MADE. THIS IS A DEFECT IN THE WORKMANSHIP OF THE CAR AND IT IS DOCUMENTED ON THE WEB FORUM WWW.BIMMER.ROADFLY.ORG. *NM

NHTSA ID
10095640
Incident
Oct 12, 2004
Mileage
60,660 mi

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.

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .