1998 BMW 3 SERIES — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
4
Owner Complaints
4
Recalls
2
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 1998 BMW 3 SERIES
The 1998 BMW 3 SERIES has received a total of 4 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been 4 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with EXTERIOR LIGHTING, EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS. 2 technical service bulletins have been issued by BMW of North America, LLC for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Air Bags (2 complaints), Electrical System (1 complaint), and Suspensionfront (1 complaint).
Recalls for the 1998 BMW 3 SERIES
NHTSA has recorded 4 recalls for the 1998 BMW 3 SERIES, potentially affecting up to 359,188 vehicles.
Recall 06E044000 — EXTERIOR LIGHTING
| 1,215 vehicles affected
Defect: CERTAIN J & A AUTO ACCESSORIES COMBINATION HEADLAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.
Consequence: WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
Remedy: J & A AUTO ACCESSORIES WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE HEADLAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 10, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT J & A AUTO ACCESSORIES AT 310-327-4981.
View full details →Recall 06E023000 — EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
| 292,000 vehicles affected
Defect: CERTAIN ANZO COMBINATION HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS WHICH FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."
Consequence: WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: ANZO WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE HEADLAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN MAY 9, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT ANZO USA AT 909-468-3688.
View full details →Recall 06E026000 — EXTERIOR LIGHTING
| 61,944 vehicles affected
Defect: CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.
Consequence: WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
Remedy: PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.
View full details →Recall 06E064000 — EXTERIOR LIGHTING
| 4,029 vehicles affected
Defect: CERTAIN TRADESONIC COMBINATION LAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. COMBINATION LAMPS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.
Consequence: LACK OF AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS IN THE LAMPS WILL DECREASE LIGHTING VISIBILITY TO OTHER DRIVERS AND MAY POSSIBLY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: TRADESONIC WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING JULY 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TRADESONIC AT 626-934-8884.
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 1998 BMW 3 SERIES
4 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 1998 BMW 3 SERIES. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspensionfront | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
THEY HAVE NOT HAD ANY PARTS TO SERVICE THE RECALL ANY TIME I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR IN FOR REPAIRS OR HAVE CALLED ABOUT THE RECALL.
THEY HAVE NOT HAD ANY PARTS TO SERVICE THE RECALL ANY TIME I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR IN FOR REPAIRS OR HAVE CALLED ABOUT THE RECALL.
AT APPROXIMATELY 4:45 P.M. CT ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2016, I WAS DRIVING MY 1998 BMW M3 CONVERTIBLE HOME FROM WORK. I WAS ON STATE HIGHWAY 75 IN TULSA, OKLAHOMA, HEADING SOUTH. I DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC RECOLLECTION OF MY SPEED AT THAT EXACT MOMENT, BUT WOULD ESTIMATE IT TO BE IN THE AREA OF 55-60 MILES AN HOUR, AS THERE WAS SOME TRAFFIC, BUT IT WAS NOT HEAVY. I WAS IN THE RIGHT-HAND LANE ON A PART OF THE HIGHWAY WHERE THERE IS NO CURB. I DID NOT SWERVE OFF THE SHOULDER. TULSA ROADS ARE NOTORIOUSLY BAD, BUT THIS PARTICULAR STRETCH OF HIGHWAY WAS REPAVED RELATIVELY RECENTLY. MY PASSENGER DOOR AIRBAG DEPLOYED SPONTANEOUSLY. I WAS NOT INVOLVED IN A COLLISION. I DID NOT HAVE A FLAT TIRE. BMW OF NORTH AMERICA HAS ASSURED ME THAT THE AIRBAG OPERATED APPROPRIATELY AND THERE MUST HAVE BEEN SOME STIMULUS TO CAUSE ITS DETONATION. I STRUGGLE TO ACCEPT THAT THERE WAS ANY STIMULUS AT THAT SPEED THAT WOULD CAUSE DETONATION OF JUST ONE AIRBAG WITHOUT CAUSING SOME DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE.
THE CONSUMER IS EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH FRONT END SUSPENSION. EVERY TIME THAT VEHICLE IS DRIVEN OVER A BUMP, A LOUD RATTLING NOISE OCCURS. THE CONSUMER HAS TAKEN THEIR VEHICLE TO BE FIXED FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT IT WAS NOT FIXED PROPERLY BECAUSE THE PROBLEM STILL REMAINS. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
Safety Rating for the 1998 BMW 3 SERIES
NHTSA has not yet tested the 1998 BMW 3 SERIES in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 1998 BMW 3 SERIES
BMW of North America, LLC has issued 2 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 1998 BMW 3 SERIES. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
SIB-16-08-06 — FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:FUEL GAUGE SYSTEM
BMW VEHICLES: ENGINE CRANKS BUT DOES NOT START; FUEL LEVEL GAUGE DISPLAYS A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF FUEL, ALTHOUGH THE FUEL TANK IS EMPTY; FAULT CODE 2A1C (FUEL LEVEL PLAUSIBILITY) IS STORED IN MSV80. RIGHT SIDE FUEL SENDING UNIT IS DISLODGED FROM ITS BRACKET DUE TO INCORRECT ASSEMBLY. NO MODEL YEARS...
SIB-22-01-07 — EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY
BMW VEHICLE: NOISE FROM FRONT AXLE/RIGHT SIDE. A GRINDING OR SCRAPING NOISE MAY BE HEARD WHILE CORNERING AT VEHICLE SPEEDS UP TO 30 MPH. THE NOISE IS MORE PRONOUNCED WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN THE WARM UP PHASE AND MAY CHANGE INTENSITY DURING LEFT AND RIGHT TURNS. THE RIGHT SIDE...
NHTSA Investigations for the 1998 BMW 3 SERIES
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the BMW 3 SERIES
- 1993 BMW 3 SERIES — 0 complaints
- 1994 BMW 3 SERIES — 1 complaint
- 1995 BMW 3 SERIES — 3 complaints
- 1996 BMW 3 SERIES — 3 complaints
- 1997 BMW 3 SERIES — 6 complaints
- 1998 BMW 3 SERIES (current)
- 1999 BMW 3 SERIES — 6 complaints
- 2000 BMW 3 SERIES — 111 complaints
- 2001 BMW 3 SERIES — 49 complaints
- 2002 BMW 3 SERIES — 40 complaints
- 2003 BMW 3 SERIES — 95 complaints