1996 BMW M3 — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
1
Owner Complaint
1
Recall
3
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 1996 BMW M3
The 1996 BMW M3 has received a total of 1 safety complaint filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There has been 1 recall campaign affecting this vehicle, covering issues with VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL. 3 technical service bulletins have been issued by BMW of North America, LLC for this model year. The most commonly reported problem area is the Fuel System Gasolinestoragetank Assembly (1 complaint).
Recalls for the 1996 BMW M3
NHTSA has recorded 1 recall for the 1996 BMW M3, potentially affecting up to 410,000 vehicles.
Recall 97V131000 — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
| 410,000 vehicles affected
Defect: THE CRUISE CONTROL AND THROTTLE CABLES ARE ATTACHED TO THE SAME THROTTLE VALVE ACTUATING LEVER AT THE THROTTLE HOUSING. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE PLASTIC BUSHING ON EITHER CABLE COULD BREAK DUE TO ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES COUPLED WITH VIBRATION. IF THE BUSHING BREAKS, THE OUTER CABLE HOUSING CAN SEPARATE FROM THE BUSHING. IN THIS CASE, DURING APPLICATION OF THE THROTTLE PEDAL...
Consequence: THIS COULD CAUSE THE THROTTLE VALVE TO REMAIN PARTIALLY OPEN. IT HIS WERE TO OCCUR, THE CAR MIGHT NOT DECELERATE AS EXPECTED INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A SPRING STEEL CLIP ON THE OUTER TUBE OF EACH CABLE IN THE AREA OF THE ADJUSTING SCREW AND PLASTIC BUSHING. THE CLIP IS DESIGNED TO PREVENT THE OUTER TUBE FROM DISLODGING FROM THE BUSHING.
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 1996 BMW M3
1 complaint has been filed with NHTSA for the 1996 BMW M3. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel System Gasolinestoragetank Assembly | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
I OWN A 1996 BMW M3. FOUR TIMES SINCE IT WAS NEW THE FUEL GAUGE HAS FAILED, AND EACH TIME FUEL SENDERS WERE REPLACED TO GET IT WORKING AGAIN. AS YOU'LL SEE, THE PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD AMONG BMWS, BUT ONLY IN CALIFORNIA, AND BMW CAN'T OR WON'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM. MY DEALERSHIP'S SERVICE MANAGER (LARRY GORDON) TOLD ME THAT THE PROBLEM IS WELL KNOWN TO BMW DEALERSHIP SERVICE MANAGERS, BECAUSE THEY HAVE COMPLAINED TO BMW ABOUT IT REPEATEDLY, BUT THAT BMW WILL NOT ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. HE SAID THERE IS AGREEMENT THAT THE PROBLEM ONLY AFFECTS CARS IN CALIFORNIA, AND THAT IT IS CAUSED BY SOMETHING IN CALIFORNIA'S FUEL THAT CAUSES THE REPLACED PARTS TO FAIL VERY PREMATURELY. HE SAID BMW WILL NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM BECAUSE IT ONLY AFFECTS CARS IN CALIFORNIA, AND THAT HE SUSPECTS THAT OTHER COMPONENTS COULD ALSO BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY OUR FUEL. LAST WEEK MATT SILVERSTEIN (BMW CUSTOMER SERVICE, 1-800-831-1117, EXT. 35421) TOLD ME, AFTER CHECKING HIS COMPUTER, THAT MY COMPLAINT WAS FULLY RESOLVED BY MY DEALER -- BMW OF SAN DIEGO. WHEN I SAID THAT WAS NOT TRUE -- THAT I WAS DEFINITELY NOT SATISFIED, HE TOLD ME THAT CUSTOMERS MAY ONLY GET COMPLAINTS RESOLVED THROUGH THEIR DEALER, WHO IN TURN COULD CONTACT THEIR ZONE REP. I TOLD HIM THAT MY DEALER HAD GOTTEN NOWHERE WITH BMW IN RESOLVING THIS -- THAT AS FAR AS HE AND OTHER SERVICE MANAGERS KNEW, IT WAS DUE TO AN INCOMPATIBILITY WITH CERTAIN BMW PARTS AND CALIFORNIA'S FUEL. HE REFUSED TO HELP ME. I THEN CONTACTED THE CLARK HOWARD CONSUMER WEBSITE BY E-MAIL. SOMEONE RESPONDED WITH THIS MESSAGE: "SENDING UNIT (AN ELECTROMECHANICAL DEVICE LOCATED INSIDE THE FUEL TANK) IS A POTENTIAL SAFETY DEFECT. REPORT THEM TO THE NHTSA." CAN YOU HELP ME? *AK
Safety Rating for the 1996 BMW M3
NHTSA has not yet tested the 1996 BMW M3 in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 1996 BMW M3
BMW of North America, LLC has issued 3 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 1996 BMW M3. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
120299 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
CUSTOMER MAY COMPLAIN OF ENGINE RUNNING ROUGH ON COLD START. *TT
36 01 98 — TIRES
SUBJECT PERTAINING TO MICHELIN PILOT SX MXX3 TIRES IN 235/40 ZR 17 AND 225/45 ZR 17 SIZES. *YC
MSG1407 — POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT
NEW DIFFERENTIAL HAS A FLANGE WITH 4 HOLES VERSUS THE OLD FLANGE THAT HAS 6 HOLES. *TW
NHTSA Investigations for the 1996 BMW M3
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the BMW M3
- 1991 BMW M3 — 0 complaints
- 1992 BMW M3 — 0 complaints
- 1993 BMW M3 — 0 complaints
- 1994 BMW M3 — 0 complaints
- 1995 BMW M3 — 16 complaints
- 1996 BMW M3 (current)
- 1997 BMW M3 — 28 complaints
- 1998 BMW M3 — 18 complaints
- 1999 BMW M3 — 13 complaints
- 2000 BMW M3 — 0 complaints
- 2001 BMW M3 — 20 complaints