2001 BMW 3 SERIES — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
49
Owner Complaints
1
Recall
2
Service Bulletins
1
Investigation
Overview of the 2001 BMW 3 SERIES
The 2001 BMW 3 SERIES has received a total of 49 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There has been 1 recall campaign affecting this vehicle, covering issues with AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE. 2 technical service bulletins have been issued by BMW of North America, LLC for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Exterior Lighting (8 complaints), Air Bags (7 complaints), and Electrical System (5 complaints).
Recalls for the 2001 BMW 3 SERIES
NHTSA has recorded 1 recall for the 2001 BMW 3 SERIES, potentially affecting up to 4,511 vehicles.
Recall 21V401000 — AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
| 4,511 vehicles affected
Defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2000-2001 BMW 3 Series (323Ci, 325Ci, 328Ci and 330Ci), 1999-2001 323i, 328i, 330i, 330xi, and 2000 323i, 328i stationwagon vehicles equipped with Non-Azide Driver air bag Inflators (NADI) manufactured by Takata. These vehicles are equipped with driver-side air bag inflators that were previously inspected, but not replaced under recall numbers 19V-851,...
Consequence: The inflator could explode during air bag deployment, resulting in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants. An underinflated air bag may not properly protect the occupant. These scenarios increase the risk of serious injury or death.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver-side air bag inflator with a newly designed inflator, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 12, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2001 BMW 3 SERIES
49 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2001 BMW 3 SERIES. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exterior Lighting | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System Gasoline | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Power Train | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic Stability Control Esc | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuelpropulsion System | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bagssidewindow | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical Systemignition | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System Gasolinedeliveryfuel Pump | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Latcheslockslinkages | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structureframe And Members | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Or Other | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
COMPLETE DISINTEGRATION OF OF A HANOOK VENTUS S1 NOBLE WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH. TIRE DID NOT HIT ANY OBSTACLES, NOR WAS THE TIRE. UNDER OR OVER INFLATED. DRIVEN 17,000 MILES BEFORE FAILURE
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 70 MPH IN A STRAIGHT LINE ON THE HIGHWAY, THE DYNAMIC STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT TURNED ON AND THE CAR JERKED AND STUTTERED ALMOST AS IF IT WAS BRAKING ON ITS OWN OR LOCKING UP. THIS OCCURRED TWICE TODAY AND IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE AS IT WAS UNEXPECTED AND COULD HAVE LED TO A LOSS OF CONTROL, WHILE DRIVING AT A SIGNIFICANT SPEED ON THE INTERSTATE. BMW SHOULD HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT WHATEVER IS CAUSING THIS PROBLEM.
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 70 MPH IN A STRAIGHT LINE ON THE HIGHWAY, THE DYNAMIC STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT TURNED ON AND THE CAR JERKED AND STUTTERED ALMOST AS IF IT WAS BRAKING ON ITS OWN OR LOCKING UP. THIS OCCURRED TWICE TODAY AND IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE AS IT WAS UNEXPECTED AND COULD HAVE LED TO A LOSS OF CONTROL, WHILE DRIVING AT A SIGNIFICANT SPEED ON THE INTERSTATE. BMW SHOULD HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT WHATEVER IS CAUSING THIS PROBLEM.
OUR 2001 E46 HAS ELECTRONIC DOOR LOCKS WHICH ARE FAILING. MY WIFE HAS FOUND HERSELF LOCKED INSIDE THE CAR, UNABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR. THE LOCKS FREEZE, AND CANNOT BE MANUALLY UNLOCKED, TRAPPING THE OCCUPANT IN THE CAR. THERE IS NO MECHANICAL OVERRIDE TO THE SYSTEM. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN SHE TURNED THE CAR OFF AND TRIED TO OPEN THE DRIVERS DOOR TO EXIT THE VEHICLE.
I TOOK IT TO BMW DEALER TO FIX THE RECALL PART--AIR BAG MODULE ON MAY 01,2015, NEXT DAY I WENT TO PICKUP THE CAR, THEY TOLD ME IT IS DONE. I HAD NOT LOOK AT THE PAPER WORK. AFTER THE DAY BEFORE, I RECEIVED FINAL RECALL AGAIN, AND THEN I LOOK UP THE DOCUMENT, THEN I FOUND OUT DEALER HAD NOT CHANGE THE AIR BAG MODULE FOR ME. THE PAPER TYPE IN " DEALER IS NOT AUTHORIZED TO PERFORM RECALL REPAIRS FOR NON DEALER BRAND VEHICLE"? I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY??
Safety Rating for the 2001 BMW 3 SERIES
NHTSA has not yet tested the 2001 BMW 3 SERIES in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2001 BMW 3 SERIES
BMW of North America, LLC has issued 2 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2001 BMW 3 SERIES. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
SIB-11-02-10 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL
BMW: SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT IS ON WITH DIESEL ENGINES. *RM
SIB-13-02-10 — FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL
BMW: IT IS NOW POSSIBLE TO PERFORM A FUEL QUALITY DETECTION TEST ON VEHICLES WITH AN N54 ENGINE. *RM
NHTSA Investigations for the 2001 BMW 3 SERIES
NHTSA has opened 1 investigation into potential safety defects in the 2001 BMW 3 SERIES.
Other Model Years of the BMW 3 SERIES
- 1996 BMW 3 SERIES — 3 complaints
- 1997 BMW 3 SERIES — 6 complaints
- 1998 BMW 3 SERIES — 4 complaints
- 1999 BMW 3 SERIES — 6 complaints
- 2000 BMW 3 SERIES — 111 complaints
- 2001 BMW 3 SERIES (current)
- 2002 BMW 3 SERIES — 40 complaints
- 2003 BMW 3 SERIES — 95 complaints
- 2004 BMW 3 SERIES — 93 complaints
- 2005 BMW 3 SERIES — 29 complaints
- 2006 BMW 3 SERIES — 288 complaints