RoadVitals

1994 BMW 325IS 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.
10
Latest Sep 5, 2017
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 Aug 18, 1999

What this page shows

Our database holds 10 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1994 BMW 325IS. 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 1–10 of 10

Body & structure
Filed Sep 5, 2017

OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLES ON BOTH DOORS BECAME INOPERABLEWITHIN A MONTH OF EACH OTHER ALSO TRUNK LATCH BROKE DUE TO THE WAY IT IS ATTATCHED TO TRUNK LID IE TWO SCREWS THRU SHEET METAL, SHEET METAL BROKE AROUND BOTH SCREWS

NHTSA ID
11021665
Incident
May 1, 2017
Mileage
272,814 mi
Transmission
Filed Aug 30, 2011

OWNER OF A 1994 325IS. WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AND TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY DIED DOWN (SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR) ALMOST CAUSING THE VEHICLES BEHIND TO ALMOST CRASH INTO ME. IN ILLINOIS. CALLED THE NATIONAL BMW CUSTOMER CENTER AND THEY SAY THEY HAVE NO ACTIVE RECALL DESPITE NUMEROUS COMPLAINT OF INCIDENTS WITH THE TRANSMISSION OF 325 I IN THE CONSUMER REPORTS SITE. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN WELL KEPT AND MAINTAINED PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS, SOMEONE CAN GET KILLED. *TR

NHTSA ID
10422665
Incident
Aug 29, 2011
Mileage
135,000 mi
Suspension
Filed May 6, 2005
Crash reported

I AM A MEMBER OF THE BMWCCA AND A BMW AUTOMTIVE ENTHUSIAST. I HAVE NOTICE FOR MANY YEARS THE OCCURANNCE OF A COMMON FAILURE IN E36 AND E46 BODY STYLES - FOR ALL YEARS OF PRODUCTION. THE REAR SUBFRAME IS ATTACHED AT FOUR MOUNTING LOCATIONS TO THE UNIBODY. THE UNIBODY IS NOT REINFORCED AT THE ATTACHMENT POINTS. FAILURES HAVE OCCURED WHERE THE UNIBODY SHEET METAL CRACKS AND IN MANY CASES THE REAR SUBFRAME IS RIPPED FROM THE CAR. IN GERMANY, BMW HAS RECOGNIZED THIS PROBLEM AND HAS ISSUED A RECALL TO REINFORCE THE SUBFRAME ATTACHMENT POINTS. I FEEL IT IS TIME THAT BMW TAKES OWNERSHIP OF THIS PROBLEM IN THE USA. PLEASE HELP. THIS PROBLEM WILL WORSEN AS THESE CARS AGE AND WILL EVENTAULLY CAUSE FATALITIES. PLEASE CONTACT ME FOR MORE DETAILS - I CAN PROVIDE NUMEROUS PHOTOS FORM CLUB MEMBERS. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID
10120052
Incident
May 6, 2005
Interior & seats
Filed Sep 27, 2004

LTR RE A DEFECTIVE HOOD LATCH ON A 1994 BMW 325IS, REQUESTING A DEFECT INVESTIGATION. WHILE DRIVING, THE HOOD LATCH DISENGAGED AND CAUSE THE HOOD TO OPEN. *JB

NHTSA ID
10094352
Incident
Sep 1, 2004
ElectricalEngine
Filed Aug 6, 2001

AFTER TAKING VEHICLE THROUGH A CARWASH ENGINE HYDROLOCKED AND CAUSED FUEL TO INJECT INTO ENGINE. DEALER SAID ENGINE HAS TO BE REPLACED.*AK CONSUMER STATES DME SHORTED OUT CAUSING IT TO HYDROLOCK AND CAUSING ENGINE AND FUEL COMPONENTS TO BE DAMAGED INTERNALLY. *SLC

NHTSA ID
893434
Incident
Jul 27, 2001
Visibility
Filed Jul 11, 2000

WHILE DRIVING ENGINE OVERHEATED. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALER, AND TECHNICIAN TOLD CONSUMER THAT WAS CAUSED BY THE HEATING CORE.*AK

NHTSA ID
865261
Incident
Jun 23, 2000
Airbags
Filed Oct 27, 1999

WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED, AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON AND WILL NOT GO OFF. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
851944
Transmission
Filed Oct 15, 1999

THE 1994 BMW 3 SERIES HAS A CLUTCH LINING PROBLEM THAT WILL CAUSE THE CAR TO BUCK AND THROW ITSELF FORWARD WHEN STUCK IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC FOR ANY AMOUNT OF TIME. ALTHOUGH THIS IS CALLED A MINOR INCOMVENIENCE BY BMW, IT CAN CAUSE A LOW IMPACT ACCIDENT IF THE CLUTCH AND DUAL MASS FLY WHEEL ARE NOT REPLACED.... $2000 LATER.

NHTSA ID
713340
Incident
Feb 1, 1998
Airbags
Filed Sep 23, 1999

THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE IS STARTED. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
848548
Electrical
Filed Aug 18, 1999

I AM TOLD THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM FOR 3 SERIES BMWS WHERE THE WATER BACKS UP UNDER THE WINDSHIELD AND IT GETS INTO THE ELECTRONIC COMPUTER AND SHORTS IT OUT.

NHTSA ID
710164
Incident
Nov 20, 1998

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 .