Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full
Data refreshed
Our database holds 36 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2001 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.
Showing 1–25 of 36 · page 1 of 2
COMPLETE DISINTEGRATION OF OF A HANOOK VENTUS S1 NOBLE WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH. TIRE DID NOT HIT ANY OBSTACLES, NOR WAS THE TIRE. UNDER OR OVER INFLATED. DRIVEN 17,000 MILES BEFORE FAILURE
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 70 MPH IN A STRAIGHT LINE ON THE HIGHWAY, THE DYNAMIC STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT TURNED ON AND THE CAR JERKED AND STUTTERED ALMOST AS IF IT WAS BRAKING ON ITS OWN OR LOCKING UP. THIS OCCURRED TWICE TODAY AND IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE AS IT WAS UNEXPECTED AND COULD HAVE LED TO A LOSS OF CONTROL, WHILE DRIVING AT A SIGNIFICANT SPEED ON THE INTERSTATE. BMW SHOULD HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT WHATEVER IS CAUSING THIS PROBLEM.
OUR 2001 E46 HAS ELECTRONIC DOOR LOCKS WHICH ARE FAILING. MY WIFE HAS FOUND HERSELF LOCKED INSIDE THE CAR, UNABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR. THE LOCKS FREEZE, AND CANNOT BE MANUALLY UNLOCKED, TRAPPING THE OCCUPANT IN THE CAR. THERE IS NO MECHANICAL OVERRIDE TO THE SYSTEM. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN SHE TURNED THE CAR OFF AND TRIED TO OPEN THE DRIVERS DOOR TO EXIT THE VEHICLE.
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??
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
THE REAR PARKING LIGHT WENT OUT IN MY CAR, SO I PURCHASED MORE BULBS, BUT THE BULB NEVER WORKED. I TOOK MY CAR TO MY BMW DEALERSHIP FOR THE TAKATA RECALL, THEY CHECKED THE LIGHT TOO AND SAID THAT A PART IN THE HOUSING HAD BURNED ALL THE WAY DOWN . I RECENTLY CHECKED ON RECALLS, AND FOUND THAT THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH THE HOUSING THAT HOUSES THE BRAKE AND SIGNAL LIGHTS, BEGINNING WITH 2002 MODELS. MY CAR IS A 325I 2001, I FEEL THAT THIS YEAR SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN A RECENT RECALL, I RESEARCHED ONLINE, AND FOUND THAT THERE ARE MANY 2001 BMW 325IS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE THAT RECALL. THIS COULD POSSIBLY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I REALLY THINK THIS SHOULD BE INCLUDED IMMEDIATELY.
A RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM FOR CARS PRODUCED FROM 9/1/01 TO 02/01/05. [RECALL CAMPAIGN 11V-438: REPAIR GROUND CABLE FOR REAR LIGHT LAMPS (SIDE PANEL)]. ...UPDATED 09/22/15 *BF I HAVE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM ALTHOUGH MY CAR WAS PRODUCED APPROXIMATELY 14 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE VEHICLES AFFECTED BY THE RECALL. SITUATION ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING LIGHTS DOES NOT FUNCTION IN THE REAR LAMP ASSEMBLY, MOUNTED ON THE REAR QUARTER PANEL (REAR PARKING LIGHT, REAR TURN SIGNAL, AND REAR BRAKE LIGHT). CAUSE A POOR GROUND CONNECTION AT THE REAR LAMP ASSEMBLY (CONNECTORS X338 LEFT SIDE ? PIN # 2 AND X339 RIGHT SIDE ? PIN # 3) CAUSES A MALFUNCTION OF THE REAR TAIL LAMPS.
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.
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.
THE "YAW SENSOR" FAILS IN THESE CARS, FREQUENTLY CAUSING A SUDDEN BRAKING ON ONE SIDE OF THE CAR AND PULLING THE CAR IN THAT DIRECTION. THIS IS A REAL HAZARD: THE CAR SUDDENLY BRAKES BY ITSELF WITHOUT WARNING. THE PROBLEM IS WELL DESCRIBED IN THESE DISCUSSION FORUMS: HTTP://WWW.M3FORUM.NET/M3FORUM/ARCHIVE/INDEX.PHP/T-450191.HTML HTTP://WWW.BIMMERFORUMS.COM/FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?1022059-LATERAL-ACCELERATION-SENSOR-FAILURE THE ORIGINAL SENSORS FOR THIS CAR WERE DISCONTINUED AND THE ONLY REPLACEMENT PART AVAILABLE IS FOUR TO FIVE TIMES THE PRICE OF THE ORIGINAL PART -- OVER $1000. THIS HAS LED TO A MARKET IN USED SENSORS THAT ARE ALSO IN DANGER OF FAILING. THIS IS A REAL HAZARD. *TR
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
BMW 330XI 2001 55,000 MILES LATEST PROBLEM OCTOBER 2014 LATELY WHEN I START THE CAR, PRESS ON THE BRAKE AND PUT IT IN DRIVE THE ENGINE REVS ALL THE WAY UP AND THE CAR GETS AWAY FROM ME. I HAVE TO STOMP ON THE BRAKE WITH BOTH FEET AND POP THE GEAR TO PARK IN ORDER TO STOP THE CAR... CLEARLY YOU CAN HEAR THE ENGINE REVVING AT A VERY HIGH RATE GETTING TRACTION WHILE PRESSING ON THE BRAKE. IN THE PAST I THOUGHT IT WAS STUPID ME PRESSING THE GAS AND BRAKES AT THE SAME TIME INADVERTENTLY ... OR MAYBE THE FLOOR MAT GOT IN THE WAY AND ACCELERATING WHEN PUSHING ON THE BRAKE - BUT NEITHER OF THOSE ARE TRUE. I HAVE MY RIGHT FOOT ON THE FAR LEFT SIDE OF THE BRAKE PEDAL TOTALLY AVOIDING HE GAS PEDAL IN ANTICIPATION OF IT HAPPENS AND IT HAPPENS ANYWAY. UNFORTUNATELY IT IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM THAT CAN'T BE DUPLICATED TO SHOW THE MECHANIC... ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED... I POSTED THIS ON BIMMERFEST WHO SUGGESTED I POST A COMPLAINT. *TR
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
WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, THE PASSENGER-SIDE FUEL TANK RETAINING STRAP BRACKET BROKE FROM THE FLOOR PAN OF THE CAR. IT WAS NOT ENTIRELY CLEAR TO ME IF IT WAS STRUCK BY SOMETHING ON THE ROAD OR IF THE WELDS JUST FAILED, HOWEVER I DO KNOW THAT I DIDN'T HIT A POTHOLE OR OTHER ROAD IRREGULARITY. I'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM ON ~2001 BMW 3-SERIES COUPES AND IT APPEARS THAT IT IS FAILING WELDS. *TR
VEHICLE OPERATED WITHOUT ISSUE AND THEN THE REVERSE GEAR CEASED FUNCTIONING WHEN ATTEMPTING TO REVERSE FROM A PARKING SPOT AND THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE PUSHED AS THE REVERSE GEAR IN THE TRANSMISSION NO LONGER ENGAGED. REPEATED ATTEMPTS WITH THE VEHICLE AT OPERATING TEMPERATURE AND WHEN ALLOWED TO COOL DOWN YIELDED THE SAME RESULT. NOTHING LED ME THE FEEL THIS WOULD OCCUR AND COULD HAVE BEEN DEADLY IF THE SITUATION HAD BEEN DIRE IF AN OUTCOME AS SUCH RESTED ON THE SUCCESS OR FAILURE OF THE REVERSE GEAR. *TR
MY BMW IS HAVING THE SAME ISSUES THAT THE 2002 BMW 3 SERIES HAS A RECALL ON. THE REAR TAILLIGHTS ARE BURNING THE NEUTRAL WIRE AND CONNECTOR OFF IN THE LAMP ASSEMBLIES. CAUSING THE LIGHTS TO BECOME IN OPERABLE. *JS
2001 BMW 330I. NO REVERSE. IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS TRANSMISSION, YET THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL. IT WAS A ONE OWNER CAR WITH METICULOUS MAINTENANCE RECORDS. DESPITE THE HIGH MILES, THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS PRIOR TO THE REVERSE GEAR FAILING. *TR
ELECTRICAL GROUND CONTACT RESISTANCE IN REAR TAIL LAMP HAS RENDERED TAIL LAMP NON FUNCTIONAL AND CAUSED WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATION. PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE IDENTICAL TO CAMPAIGN 11V438000. *TR
THE WELDS ON THE FRONT (PASSENGER SIDE) FUEL TANK SUPPORT STRAP FITTING (WELDED TO THE UNDER SIDE OF THE BODY) BROKE AWAY ALLOWING THE SUPPORT STRAP TO FALL, CONTACT, BEND BACKWARD AND SCRAPE ALONG THE ROAD SURFACE CAUSING SPARKS. THE TANK WAS FULL OF FUEL, AND THE WEIGHT OF THE TANK CAUSED IT TO SAG DOWNWARD TOWARD THE ROAD SURFACE. FORTUNATELY IT DID NOT BREAK OR CONTACT THE ROAD SURFACE BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND SEEK ASSISTANCE. THIS IS A DANGEROUS DESIGN/MANUFACTURING FLAW THAT COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY IF NOT CORRECTED. I AM REPORTING IT BECAUSE AFTER THIS EVENT I LEARNED THAT THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS REPORTS OF THIS FAILURE IN THIS MODEL BMW. *TR
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
1) CAR WOULD NOT START, FUSE BLOWN ON FUEL PUMP. (NO. 1 ORIGINAL) TOWED TO MECHANIC. 2) MECHANIC REPLACES FUEL PUMP. (NO.2) 3) RETURN CAR TO DRIVEWAY WHERE IT SITS OVER NIGHT. CAR WON'T START. TOWED IT TO MECHANIC. REPLACED FUEL PUMP, AND HE ALLOWS IT TO SIT IN HIS GARAGE OVER NIGHT. (NO.3) 4) CAR WON'T START. HE THOROUGHLY CHECKS THE CAR FOR PROBLEMS, REPLACES THE FUEL PUMP, EMPTYING FUEL TANK, REPLACING WITH NEW GASOLINE. (NO.4) MECHANIC CUT OPENED THE ORIGINAL FUEL PUMP AND FOUND THAT THE IMPELLER HAD SWOLLEN. THIS SUGGESTED TO HIM THAT THE HIGH ETHANOL CONTENT FUEL WAS SWELLING THE IMPELLER. HE TRIED USING BOTH BMW PARTS AND AFTER MARKET PARTS. THIS ISN'T NOT AN ISSUE WITH THE AGE OF THE CAR. HE SAVED THE FUEL PUMP AND A GASOLINE SAMPLE. *TR
THE DOORS WILL NOT UNLOCK WITH THE REMOTE KEY. THE DRIVER'S DOOR WILL UNLOCK WITH THE KEY INSERTED, BUT ONCE INSIDE THE CAR, THE PASSENGER DOORS WILL STILL NOT UNLOCK WITH THE INSIDE BUTTON OR BY PULLING THE UNLOCK LEVER ON EACH DOOR. THE LEVERS DO NOT WORK BY PULLING TWICE EITHER. VERY DANGEROUS!!! I'VE HAD PASSENGERS WHO HAD TO CLIMB IN AND OUT OVER THE CONSOLE AND INTO THE BACK SEATS. *TR
RECENTLY MY REAR TAILLIGHTS WERE NOTICEABLY DARKER AND LESS RESPONSIVE. TAKING MY BMW TO MY AUTHORIZED BMW DEALERSHIP/SERVICE CENTER, RESULTED IN A DIAGNOSIS THAT THE REAR WIRE HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF ~$300. FOLLOWING THE VISIT TO THE DEALERSHIP/SERVICE CENTER, RESULTED IN THE REAR LIGHT FAILING COMPLETELY. RESEARCHING THIS INCIDENT ONLINE PRODUCED MANY SIMILAR PROBLEMS W/OTHER 330I MODELS AND I ALSO DISCOVERED THAT NHTSA HAD ISSUED A RECALL OF BMW 3-SERIES FROM MY 02-06. MY BMW IS A 01. IT IS APPARENT, FROM THE MANY POSTINGS ON BMW BOARDS AND WEBSITES, THAT THIS DEFECT ALSO OCCURS IN OLDER BMWS OF THE SAME E46 SERIES EARLIER THAN MODEL YR 2002. I ASK THAT NHTSA EXTEND THE PREVIOUS RECALL TO EARLIER MODEL YEARS OF THE E46 SERIES OF BMWS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW 330I . THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT THEN PULLED OVER AND NOTICED THAT THE REAR RIGHT WHEEL CAME APART. WHEN REMOVING THE WHEEL THE CONTACT ALSO NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A HUGE CRACK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RIM. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THEY COULD NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THE CRACK DEVELOPED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 00V383000 ( WHEELS:RIM ). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED . THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 180,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 181,000.
THE LEFT REAR BRAKE LIGHT STARTED TO DIM AND TRIGGERED A WARNING INDICATOR BUT WENT AWAY. AFTER A MONTH OR TWO, ALL THE LIGHTS ON REAR LEFT HAS FAILED. NO BRAKE LIGHTS, TURN SIGNAL, OR REVERSE LIGHT ON THE LEFT SIDE. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS LOOKS LIKES NHTSA ACTION NUMBER : EA09019. I CURRENTLY SEE THE BURN HARNESS AND LIGHTBULB CARRIER BURNT AS WELL. AFTER THE LIGHTS GOING OUT IT HAS CAUSED THE HEADLIGHTS TO FLICKER. THE RECALL ISN'T JUST SEDANS, 2001 COUPES SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE LIST. CURRENTLY I HAVE NO REAR TAIL LIGHTS AND STROBBING HEADLIGHTS. *TR
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.
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