Airbags
Filed Dec 15, 2008
1 injury reported
AIR-BAG DEPLOYMENT FOR NO APPARENT REASON. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10251893
- Incident
- Dec 15, 2008
- Mileage
- 165,200 mi
1990 BMW 325I
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.
5
Latest Dec 15, 2008
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.
1
1 injuries, 0 deaths reported
Overview
Our database contains 5 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1990 BMW 325I, most frequently naming the driver assistance, airbags and electrical categories. 3 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 1997 | 1 | 1 |
| Nov 1998 | 1 | 2 |
| Sep 2000 | 1 | 3 |
| Jan 2004 | 1 | 4 |
| Dec 2008 | 1 | 5 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Driver assistance360.0%
- Airbags120.0%
- Electrical120.0%
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
Driver assistance
Filed Jan 15, 2004
A MONTH AGO, RESUMING THE CRUISE SETTING ON THE CRUISE CONTROL RESULTED IN THE SPEED JUST ACCELERATING TO WAY BEYOND THE CRUISE SPEED. TRIED TO TAKE IT OUT OF GEAR RESULTING IN THE ENGINE JUST REVVING UP. PUT IT BACK INTO GEAR AND IT CONTINUED RACING AND ACCELERATING. THE ONLY WAY WAS TO HIT THE BRAKE AND SLOW DOWN TO THE CURB ON A PRETTY BUSY HIGHWAY. THIS WAS A DANGEROUS SITUATION. TOOK IT INTO THE BMW DEALERSHIP WHO WANTED A LOAD OF MONEY TO INVESTIGATE. HAVE NOT USED CRUISE SINCE THEN. I THINK THERE IS A MANUFACTURER FLAW AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED BY BMW. ONCE AGAIN, THIS CAN BE AND WAS VERY DANGEROUS. I FORGOT THE INCIDENT AND TRIED IT AGAIN THAT RESULTED IN EXACTLY THE SAME FAILURE. *CB
- NHTSA ID
- 10019832
- Incident
- Dec 20, 2003
Driver assistance
Filed Sep 13, 2000
Crash reported
CONSUMER PUT ON SEATBELT, STARTED THE CAR PUT IN REVERSE, AND CAR JERKED AND TOOK OFF BACKWARDS VERY FAST. WENT ACROSS TO YARDS, AND STILL RMP'S WERE REVVING VERY HIGH. VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A TREE ON DRIVERS SIDE. CAR HAD TO BE TOWED. MECHANIC SAID THAT THROTTLE WAS NOT STUCK. ALSO, BRAKES WOULD NOT STOP CAR, CONSUMER FELT THAT THROTTLE LEAKAGE AND CONTROL AND SUDDEN ACCELARATION PLAYED A BIG PART IN THIS INCIDENT. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 870372
- Incident
- Sep 1, 2000
Electrical
Filed Nov 14, 1998
DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND THE ENGINE CUTS OUT FOR A SECOND AS WELL THE THE GAUGES ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CLUSTER FAIL. I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE TO THREE DIFFRENT MECHANICS TWO BMW SPECIALIST AND ONE AND AUTHORIZED DEALER AND NONE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO LOCATE THE CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. THE FAILURE OCCURES USUALLY AFTER THE CAR HAS WARMED UP AND IS EXCELLERATING BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD GEAR.
- NHTSA ID
- 700607
- Incident
- Sep 28, 1998
Driver assistance
Filed Jun 16, 1997
CONSUMER'S CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT DISENGAGE, AUTO WAS TRAVELING APPROX. 65-70 MPH. CONSUMER FINALLY SLAMMED ON BRAKES AND WAS ABLE TO PULL THE AUTO TO THE SHOULDER, AND AFTER SITTING WITH BOTH FEET ON BRAKES WHILE AUTO WAS STILL REVVING AND ACCELERATING. -SHE THEN WAS FINALLY ABLE TO PUT AUTO IN PARK AND SHUT OFF ENGINE, BUT THEN AFTER WAITING 2-5 MINUTES, TURNED AUTO ON AGAIN AND THE AUTO CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE WHILE IN PARK. DRIVER FINALLY SHUT AUTO OFF AND CALLED FOR HELP. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 813160
- Incident
- Jun 7, 1997
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.
MSG0415
AIR BAGS
RECALL 96V110 - BMW OF NORTH AMERICA HAS INITIATED A RECALL CAMPAIGN WHICH INVOLVES THE AIRBAG CONTACT RING LOCKING TAB. *TW
MSG1016
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS
RECALL 96V111 - THIS RECALL CAMPAIGN INVOLVES THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. *TW
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
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2011 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 2010 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 2009 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 2008 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 2007 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 2006 | 515 | 7 | 3 | 59.7 |
| 2005 | 71 | 5 | 5 | 61.5 |
| 2004 | 147 | 5 | 5 | 62.1 |
| 2003 | 199 | 8 | 3 | 61.2 |
| 2002 | 162 | 7 | 3 | 65.5 |
| 2001 | 151 | 7 | 0 | 56.6 |
| 2000 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1999 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1995 | 31 | 2 | 0 | 48.8 |
| 1994 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 44.7 |
| 1993 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 40.2 |
| 1992 | 40 | 4 | 0 | 50.8 |
| 1991 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1990Viewing | 5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1989 | 8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1988 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1987 | 5 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1986 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1985 | 0 | 0 | 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.