1990 BMW E46 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1990 BMW E46, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Airbags125.0%
- Electrical125.0%
- Engine125.0%
- Tires & wheels125.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
DAUGHTER DRIVING TO WORK IN MY 1990 BMW 735I CALLED ME ON CELL PHONE SAID SMELLED HOT WATER AND SOMETHING BURNING. TOLD HER TO PULL OVER AND PARK CAR I WAS ON THE WAY EARLY MORNING COLD. GOT TO CAR INSIDE WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE AND THE WINDOWS HAD WATER ON THE INSIDE OF THEM AND THE DRIVERS AIRBAG HAD TRIGGERED. FIRE DEPARTMENT ON THE SITE SAID IT APPEARS THAT THE HEATER CORE/SYSTEM HAD EXPLODED SHORTING OUT DRIVERS SIDE PANEL AND ELECTRONICS STARTING THE FIRE. DAUGHTER WAS LUCKY TO ESCAPE SINCE THE DOOR LOCKS LOCKED AND NO WAY TO OPEN THEM SINCE POWER DEAD. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO DASH AND WIRING ,SMOKE DAMAGE ETC. CONTACTED BMW BY E MAIL TOLD TO CALL LOCAL DEALER WHO SAID BRING CAR IN AND WE WILL LOOK AT IT. I HAVE NO MONEY TO SEND THE CAR TO DEALER FOR THEIR FAULTY PRODUCT WHICH COULD HAVE KILLED MY 18 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER,THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WHICH NEEDS ADDRESSED. *JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
DAUGHTER DRIVING TO WORK IN MY 1990 BMW 735I CALLED ME ON CELL PHONE SAID SMELLED HOT WATER AND SOMETHING BURNING. TOLD HER TO PULL OVER AND PARK CAR I WAS ON THE WAY EARLY MORNING COLD. GOT TO CAR INSIDE WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE AND THE WINDOWS HAD WATER ON THE INSIDE OF THEM AND THE DRIVERS AIRBAG HAD TRIGGERED. FIRE DEPARTMENT ON THE SITE SAID IT APPEARS THAT THE HEATER CORE/SYSTEM HAD EXPLODED SHORTING OUT DRIVERS SIDE PANEL AND ELECTRONICS STARTING THE FIRE. DAUGHTER WAS LUCKY TO ESCAPE SINCE THE DOOR LOCKS LOCKED AND NO WAY TO OPEN THEM SINCE POWER DEAD. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO DASH AND WIRING ,SMOKE DAMAGE ETC. CONTACTED BMW BY E MAIL TOLD TO CALL LOCAL DEALER WHO SAID BRING CAR IN AND WE WILL LOOK AT IT. I HAVE NO MONEY TO SEND THE CAR TO DEALER FOR THEIR FAULTY PRODUCT WHICH COULD HAVE KILLED MY 18 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER,THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WHICH NEEDS ADDRESSED. *JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
DAUGHTER DRIVING TO WORK IN MY 1990 BMW 735I CALLED ME ON CELL PHONE SAID SMELLED HOT WATER AND SOMETHING BURNING. TOLD HER TO PULL OVER AND PARK CAR I WAS ON THE WAY EARLY MORNING COLD. GOT TO CAR INSIDE WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE AND THE WINDOWS HAD WATER ON THE INSIDE OF THEM AND THE DRIVERS AIRBAG HAD TRIGGERED. FIRE DEPARTMENT ON THE SITE SAID IT APPEARS THAT THE HEATER CORE/SYSTEM HAD EXPLODED SHORTING OUT DRIVERS SIDE PANEL AND ELECTRONICS STARTING THE FIRE. DAUGHTER WAS LUCKY TO ESCAPE SINCE THE DOOR LOCKS LOCKED AND NO WAY TO OPEN THEM SINCE POWER DEAD. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO DASH AND WIRING ,SMOKE DAMAGE ETC. CONTACTED BMW BY E MAIL TOLD TO CALL LOCAL DEALER WHO SAID BRING CAR IN AND WE WILL LOOK AT IT. I HAVE NO MONEY TO SEND THE CAR TO DEALER FOR THEIR FAULTY PRODUCT WHICH COULD HAVE KILLED MY 18 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER,THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WHICH NEEDS ADDRESSED. *JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
TURNING INTO A FAST-FOOD PARKING LOT (ABOUT A 130 DEGREE RIGHT TURN), THE LEFT FRONT TIRE STRUCK A SHORT (2" - 3") CURB AT ABOUT 3 - 5 MPH. THE SIDEWALL, MIDWAY BETWEEN THE TREAD AND THE WHEEL RIM BLEW OUT. A JAGGED "L" SHAPED BREACH SECTION ABOUT 3" IN TOTAL LENGTH WAS CLEARLY EVIDENT. THE EDGES OF THE TEAR WERE FORCED OUTWARD FROM THE INSIDE. THE IMPACT WAS SO MINOR THAT EVEN AFTER IMMEDIATELY DEFLATING THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE WHEEL RIM. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .