RoadVitals

1989 BMW 325I 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.
8
Latest Feb 6, 2007
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.
1
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 Mar 2, 1999

What this page shows

Our database holds 8 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1989 BMW 325I. 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 1–8 of 8

Fuel system
Filed Feb 6, 2007

1989 BMW 325I - FUEL LINE DISINTEGRATION. THERE WAS A RECALL IN 1994 - WENT TO DEALER TO HAVE FIXED - DEALER DECLINE "NO OUTSTANDING RECALL", CALLED BMW 800 831 1117 ON 2/6/2007 - PROVIDED VIN AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO OUTSTANDING RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM DESCRIBED IN RECALL 94V066000 IS BEING EXPERIENCED BY THIS VEHICLE. IF BMW FIXED IT, THE FIX IS DEFECTIVE. A 1989 CAR SHOULD NOT HAVE FUEL LINES DEGRADING AN SPILLING GASOLINE ON THE ENGINE. SEEMS THE RECALL NEEDS ANOTHER RECALL OR THERE WILL BE A FIRE AND PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH. *JB

NHTSA ID
10181821
Incident
Feb 6, 2007
Mileage
160,000 mi
EngineFuel systemVisibility
Filed Aug 24, 2005

PROBLEM WITH COOLING SYSTEM BEGAN WITHIN APPROXIMATELY ONE MONTH OF PURCHASE DATE (. CAR BOUGHT USED, FROM MECHANIC/BMW AUTHORIZED REPAIR SERVICE (SAME MECHANIC IN FOLLOWING NARRATIVE). NOTICED 1): COOLANT LIGHT COMING ON; COOLANT LEVEL SLIGHTLY LOW; TOLD PROBLEM WAS DEFECTIVE COMPUTER CHIP, TOLD TO KEEP EYE ON COOLANT LEVEL; BROUGHT CAR IN AGAIN BECAUSE LIGHT COMING ON MORE OFTEN, COOLANT LEVEL LOW TO EMPTY IN OVERFLOW AFTER MEDIUM-LONG DISTANCE DRIVE (75 - 100 MILES); TOLD TO JUST KEEP PUTTING COOLANT IN OVERFLOW, NOTHING WAS WRONG; ASKED MECHANIC TO CHECK THE COOLANT SYSTEM EVERY TIME WE BROUGHT CAR IN FOR REGULAR MAINTENANCE; SAME PROBLEM CONTINUES, BUT TRAVEL DISTANCE IS LESS (50-75 MILES), BROUGHT IN AGAIN, TOLD RADIATOR LEAKING; MECHANIC PUT STOP-LEAK IN IT; SAME PROBLEM, EVEN LESS TRAVEL DISTANCE (30 MILES); REPLACED RADIATOR; SAME PROBLEM CONTINUED,(AFTER DRIVING 25-35 MILES), TOLD TO KEEP EYE ON COOLANT LEVEL; TRAVEL DISTANCE 13 MILES, LIGHT GOES ON, ENGINE MAKES LOUD NOISE; TOOK CAR IN, TOLD COOLANT GOT INTO ENGINE AND HEAD OR ENGINE BLOCK PROBABLY CRACKED AS A RESULT OF OVER-HEATING, EVEN THOUGH TEMP GAUGE NEVER INDICATED ANY OVERHEATING; TOLD FOR FIRST TIME THAT TEMP GAUGE DOES NOT REGISTER AFTER COOLANT FALLS BELOW A CERTAIN LEVEL: TOLD THIS WAS A BMW PROBLEM BECAUSE OF WHERE THE SENSOR IS LOCATED; TOLD PROBLEM COULD BE SOLVED WITH A "STOP-LEAK" TYPE OF PRODUCT FOR THE ENGINE; SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN:LIGHT ON, COOLANT LEVEL 0; FINALLY JUST TOLD 8-22-05 THE HEAD IS CRACKED. 2):FRONT WINDOW WOUOLD NOT DEFROST, EVEN WHEN WE WIPED IT OFF. 3): SMELL OF GASOLINE: TOLD THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. WE HAVE HAD THIS CAR IN THE SHOP FOR THE COOLANT PROBLEM THIS LAST TIME FOR OVER 3 WEEKS. WE HAVE SPENT A FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS PRIOR TO THIS LATEST DIAGNOSIS, NOW MECHANIC SAYS IT WILL COST US AT MINIMUM 1400 FOR A USED HEAD. DEFROST PROBLEM NOT SOLVED; GASOLINE SMELL STILL THERE.

NHTSA ID
10134019
Incident
Jan 10, 2004
Seat belts
Filed Jan 14, 2004

FRONT SEAT BELT LACHES ARE DIFFICULT TO LATCH. THEY ALSO COME UNLATCHED BY THEMSELVES PERIODICALLY WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE TWO BMW'S AN 87 325E AND AN 89 325I THAT HAVE BOTH HAD THIS PROBLEM. IT IS VERY UNNERVING TO WONDER WHETHER THE LACH ON THE SEATBELT WILL HOLD YOU IF YOU HAVE AN ACCIDENT.*AK

NHTSA ID
10053206
Incident
Jan 12, 2004
Mileage
127,500 mi
Interior & seats
Filed Oct 15, 2003

ENGINE TEMPERATURE GAUGE, TACHOMETER, MPG GAUGE BATTERIES ON SI BOARD FAILED CAUSING ENGINE TEMPERATURE GAUGE, TACHOMETER, MPG GAUGE TO STOP WORKING. SEVERE ENGINE DAMAGE COULD RESULT FROM NOT KNOWING ENGINE TEMP. *LA

NHTSA ID
10042963
Incident
Oct 11, 1989
Mileage
242,000 mi
Engine
Filed Mar 25, 2003

THE VEHICLE OVER HEATED. *JB

NHTSA ID
10012488
Incident
Mar 25, 2003
Driver assistance
Filed Jun 13, 2002
Crash reported

WITH FOOT ON BRAKE CONSUMER PUT VEHICLE IN DRIVE AND VEHICLE TOOK OFF AT 60 MPH, CONSUMER CAME TO A STOP WHEN VEHICLE HIT ANOTHER CAR.*AK *MJ

NHTSA ID
8011789
Incident
Jun 7, 2002
Driver assistance
Filed Jun 13, 2002

WHILE SHIFTING GEAR TO DRIVE AND WITHOUT WARNING VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE UP TO 60 MPH. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK

NHTSA ID
8011788
Brakes
Filed Mar 2, 1999

NO SUMMARY

NHTSA ID
703945

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 .