Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 9 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2003 BMW 325, most frequently naming the airbags, electrical and body & structure 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.
When owners filed reports about this model year
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2012 | 1 | 1 |
| Mar 2013 | 1 | 2 |
| Dec 2014 | 1 | 3 |
| Jan 2016 | 1 | 4 |
| Feb 2017 | 1 | 5 |
| Dec 2017 | 1 | 6 |
| May 2018 | 1 | 7 |
| Nov 2018 | 1 | 8 |
| Apr 2019 | 1 | 9 |
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
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.
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
DRIVERS WINDOW IS STUCK IN UP POSITION. WHEN RAISE/LOWER SWITCH IS ACTIVATED, I HEAR THE MOTOR RUNNING BUT WINDOW DOES NOT MOVE DOWN. THE LOCAL BMW REPAIR CENTER SAID IT WILL BE $150 TO INSPECT THE PROBLEM AND THEN $$$ TO REPAIR. THE MALFUNCTION OF THE WINDOW HAPPENED WHILE I WAS DRIVING
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 325. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS MALFUNCTIONING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT CERTAIN LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATING ON THE DASHBOARD WHILE OTHER LIGHTS WERE NOT. THE VEHICLE ALSO FAILED TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS AWAITING DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIRS. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 158,000.
DANGEROUS DEATH TRAP!!! I GOT STUCK IN MY CAR BECAUSE THE DOOR LOCKS DO NOT WORK. YOU ARE UNABLE TO GET OUT OF THE CAR IF THE UNLOCK MECHANISM FAILS. THERE ARE MANY COMPAINTS OF THE SAME FOR THE E46 BMW MODELS. WE HAD TO CRAWL OF WINDOWS AND LUCKILY THOSE WORKED. AS DESIGNED, YOU CANNOT OPEN THE DOORS IF ITHE MODULE FAILS AND THERE IS NOT MECHANICAL OVERRIDE TO UNLOCK. THERE IS NOT DOOR KEY FOR PASSENGER DOORS AS WELL. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES, I AM LOOKING TO GET IT FIXED BUT IT WORKS SOMETIMES.
I HAVE HAD BOTH AIR BAGS REPLACED AD THE AIRBAG MAN DOES NOT GO OFF I WAS TOLD THAT THE MRS CONTROL UNIT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, BECAUSE NONE OF MY AIRBAGS WILL WORK UNTIL THE MRS CONTROL UNIT IS REPLACED. I WANT TO KNOW IS BMW GOING TO REPLACE THE UNIT I WAS TOLD THAT THE AIR BAG MISHAP CAUSED THE MRS CONTROL UNIT TO GO BAD.
TAKATA RECALL. AFTER CONTACTING BMW NEAREST DEALER THEY HAVE NOT TAKEN ANY ACTION TO TAKE CARE OF THE RECALL. THEY TOOK MY CAR INFORMATION AND SAID WHEN THE PARTS ARRIVE THEY WOULD CALL ME BACK.
I AM CONCERNED I GOT A LETTER ABOUT THE RECALL IN JULY AND IT IS NOW JANUARY AND I AM DRIVING AN UNSAFE CAR. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT. WHY HAS IT TAKEN MORE THAN 6 MONTHS TO FIX IT. NOTHING HAS HAPPENED BUT THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT IT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 325. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V428000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.
HIGH PRESSURE STEERING PUMP LINE BURST LEADING TO LOSS OF STEERING POWER ASSISTANCE
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
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.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 2011 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 2010 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 2009 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 2008 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 2007 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 2006 | 8 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 2003Viewing | 9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2002 | 26 | 2 | 3 | 52.6 |
| 2001 | 31 | 2 | 0 | 54.6 |
| 2000 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1999 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1998 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1997 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1996 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1995 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 42.2 |
| 1994 | 25 | 1 | 0 | 44.5 |
| 1993 | 8 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 1992 | 23 | 3 | 2 | 58.9 |
| 1991 | 6 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 1990 | 6 | 2 | 1 | — |
| 1989 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 59.8 |
| 1988 | 7 | 2 | 1 | — |
| 1987 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 65.9 |
| 1986 | 9 | 3 | 4 | — |
| 1985 | 1 | 2 | 5 | — |
| 1984 | 3 | 1 | 1 | — |
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.