RoadVitals

1980 BMW 320I

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.
3
Latest Feb 9, 2006
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.
0
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.
0
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

Overview

Our database contains 3 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1980 BMW 320I, most frequently naming the engine, electrical and fuel system categories. 1 manufacturer communication is 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

  • Engine233.3%
  • Electrical116.7%
  • Fuel system116.7%
  • Tires & wheels116.7%
  • Transmission116.7%

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

ElectricalEngineFuel system+1 more
Filed Feb 9, 2006

1980 BMW 320I FUEL SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE TUNED AND REPLACED, NEEDS AUX AIR VALVE, IGNITION HAS MISFIRE, BATTERY BOX NEEDS TO BE WELDED. *TS THE STARTER AND CLUTCH ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FUEL INJECTORS WERE REPLACED. THE THROTTLE CABLE WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE STALLED.*JB UPDATED 05/22/06

NHTSA ID
10150847
Incident
Feb 1, 2006
Engine
Filed Sep 22, 2002

ORDER FACTORY RECALL IMMEDIATELY AND NOTIFY ALL OWNERS,THEY HAVE MAKERS OF THESE NEW PUMPS,CURRENT OIL PUMP AT IDLE IS 10 PSI, INSUFFICENT TO SHUT OFF OIL LIGHT, MAKE BMW PUT IN LEGAL OIL PUMP, ONE THAT PROVIDES SUFFICENT LUBRICATION AT IDLE AND HARDEN THE THREADS OF THE OIL SWITCH HOUSING. *AK

NHTSA ID
767561
Incident
Jan 1, 1981
Tires & wheels
Filed Feb 5, 2002

FIRESTONE, AFFINITY,DOT VDE8AIA265 ON A BMW 320I 1980. REPLACEMENTS TIRES. WHEN DRIVING COULD HEAR A NOISE LIKE A FLAT TIRE MAKES. TOOK TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THE TIRE WAS INPROPERLY INFLATED. 3 MONTHS LATER, RIGHT REAR TIRE CAME APART. WIRES WERE STICKING OUT. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE AND THE TIRE DEALER SOLD HIM 1 YEAR OLD TIRES. *YH

NHTSA ID
8003605
Incident
Jan 1, 2001

Manufacturer communications

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

B510819

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.

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 320I by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2018210159.9
2017901
2016250155.7
2015333156.5
2014517261.9
2013932
2012331
2005010
2004110
2003010
2002110
2001010
2000010
1999000
1998000
1982100
1980Viewing300
1979110
1978241
1977041

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.