RoadVitals

2001 BMW 3 Series Airbags Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the airbag system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Airbags reportsComplaints 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.
8
Latest Mar 27, 2017
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
22%
of 36 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2001 BMW 3 Series submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.

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

Owner reports naming airbag

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Airbags
Filed Mar 27, 2017

I TOOK IT TO BMW DEALER TO FIX THE RECALL PART--AIR BAG MODULE ON MAY 01,2015, NEXT DAY I WENT TO PICKUP THE CAR, THEY TOLD ME IT IS DONE. I HAD NOT LOOK AT THE PAPER WORK. AFTER THE DAY BEFORE, I RECEIVED FINAL RECALL AGAIN, AND THEN I LOOK UP THE DOCUMENT, THEN I FOUND OUT DEALER HAD NOT CHANGE THE AIR BAG MODULE FOR ME. THE PAPER TYPE IN " DEALER IS NOT AUTHORIZED TO PERFORM RECALL REPAIRS FOR NON DEALER BRAND VEHICLE"? I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY??

NHTSA ID
10968638
Incident
May 1, 2015
AirbagsOther / unspecifiedSuspension
Filed Jan 10, 2016

WAS DRIVING ON HWY 99 GETTING READY TO EXIT ON JENSEN AVE WHEN I FELT A BUMP THEN MY DRIVER CURTAIN/ DOOR AIRBAG DEPLOYED. AFTER FURTHER INSPECTION I FOUND DAMAGED TO THE DIVER'S RIM AND TIRE, BRAKES HAVE BEEN CLICKING EVER SINCE AND SUSPENSION SEEMS TO BE AFFECTED AS WELL SINCE CAR IS BEEN SHAKING AND TILTING TO THAT SIDE

NHTSA ID
10819230
Incident
Jan 6, 2016
Mileage
6 mi
AirbagsElectrical
Filed Jun 2, 2015

RECALLED PASSENGER AIR BAG WAS REPLACED BY DEALER LAST WEEK, BUT THE DASHBOARD LIGHT INDICATES THE PASSENGER AIR BAG IS TURNED OFF. THE DEALER SAYS THIS WAS AN EXISTING PROBLEM AND REFUSES TO FIX WITHOUT CHARGING SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS TO "DIAGNOSE." I MAINTAIN THIS IS DIRECTLY ELATED TO THE RECALLED AIR BAG AND SHOULD BE FIXED WITHOUT CHARGE.

NHTSA ID
10723037
Incident
Jun 1, 2015
Mileage
85,000 mi
Airbags
Filed May 17, 2015

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND OUT OF NO WHERE THE AIR BAGS GO OFF. ENGINE IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF AND WON'T START AGAIN.

NHTSA ID
10716981
Incident
May 17, 2015
Mileage
152,711 mi
Airbags
Filed Nov 11, 2014

DEALER REFUSES TO FIX DEFECT IN REGARDS TO AIRBAG RECALL NOTICE. THE DEALER IS WEATHERFORD BMW IN BERKELEY CALIFORNIA, 735 ASHBY AVE, BERKELEY, CA 94710. *TR

NHTSA ID
10654163
Incident
Nov 10, 2014
Airbags
Filed Oct 24, 2014

I RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL LETTER AUG-SEP 2014. THE LETTER STATED THAT I WOULD BE NOTIFIED WHEN THE AIR-BAG REPLACEMENT WOULD BE AVAILABLE. IT IS OCTOBER 24TH. I CALLED THE BMW INFORMATION NUMBER 1-800-525-7417 TODAY. A RECORDING REPEATED THE INFORMATION IN THE LETTER: THAT I WOULD BE NOTIFIED WHEN THE REPLACEMENT AIRBAG WOULD BE AVAILABLE. I HAVE ONLY ONE CAR, THE BMW. MY DAUGHTER AND I LIVE TOGETHER - I AM THE USUAL DRIVER. YESTERDAY A CAR PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF US AND I HAD TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES TO AVOID A COLLISION. LUCKILY, THE AIR BAGS WERE NOT TRIGGERED. BUT I AM CONCERNED ABOUT OUR SAFETY, SHOULDN'T BMW PROVIDE US WITH A REPLACEMENT VEHICLE UNTIL THE AIR BAG CAN BE REPLACED? THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE? *TR

NHTSA ID
10649642
Incident
Oct 24, 2014
AirbagsOther / unspecifiedSuspension
Filed Mar 12, 2013

WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE, I HIT A POTHOLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. MY DRIVER SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED: THE SIDE, AND CURTAIN. THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE ON THE OUTSIDE. THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE WAS FLAT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10502510
Incident
Mar 10, 2013
Mileage
119,200 mi
Airbags
Filed Jun 29, 2001
Crash reported

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 55MPH ON HIGHWAY AND ANOTHER VEHICLE VEERED INTO HIS LANE, AND DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID
891725

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Exterior lighting8

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .