BMW 323I Recalls & Complaints by Model Year
NHTSA lists 12 safety recalls and 564 owner complaints across 15 model years of the BMW 323I (1985–2011). The most-complained-about year is 2000.
Pick your BMW 323I model year
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 BMW 323I | 2 | 1 |
| 2010 BMW 323I | 2 | 1 |
| 2009 BMW 323I | 2 | 0 |
| 2008 BMW 323I | 2 | 3 |
| 2007 BMW 323I | 2 | 2 |
| 2006 BMW 323I | 2 | 0 |
| 2005 BMW 323I | 1 | 0 |
| 2004 BMW 323I | 1 | 0 |
| 2003 BMW 323I | 1 | 0 |
| 2002 BMW 323I | 1 | 0 |
| 2001 BMW 323I | 3 | 3 |
| 2000 BMW 323I | 7 | 401 |
| 1999 BMW 323I | 7 | 136 |
| 1998 BMW 323I | 0 | 16 |
| 1985 BMW 323I | 0 | 1 |
What BMW 323I owners complain about
Across all model years, owners have filed 564 complaints with NHTSA. The 2000 model year has the most, with 401.
All BMW 323I recalls (12)
Every NHTSA safety campaign that lists a BMW 323I, most recent first, with the model years each one covers.
-
Inflator module (air bags) and air bags: frontal
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2006-2011 3 Series Sedan (324i, 325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi), 2006-2012 3 Series Sportswagon (325xi, 328i, 328xi), and 2009-2011 3 Series Sedan (335d) vehicles. The original steering wheel may have been replaced with a sport or M-sport steering wheel equipped…
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the driver's air bag module as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 30, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
-
Inflator module (air bags)
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…
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.
-
Inflator module (air bags) Do not drive
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2000-2005 323iT, 325iT, 325xiT, 320i, 323i, 325i, 325xi, 328i, 330i and 330xi and 2000-2006 323Ci, 325Ci, 328Ci, 330Ci, M3 Coupe, 323Cic, 325Cic, 330Cic, and M3 Convertible vehicles equipped with non-desiccated frontal Takata PSAN inflators and PSPI passenger frontal air bag inflators…
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger's front air bag, free of charge. The recall began February 13, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
-
Inflator module (air bags) Do not drive
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 1999 323i and 328i vehicles equipped with Non-Azide Driver air bag Inflators (NADI) manufactured by Takata at one specific inflator production facility. These inflators do not contain phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. Due to a manufacturing issue, the NADI inflators…
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the driver air bag inflators and replace them, as necessary, free of charge. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Note: BMW recommends that owners do not continue to drive…
Model years: 1999
-
Inflator module (air bags)
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 1999-2000 323i and 328i and 2000 323Ci and 328Ci vehicles equipped with Non-Azide Driver air bag Inflators (NADI) manufactured by Takata. These inflators do not contain phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. Due to a manufacturing issue, the NADI inflators may absorb…
Remedy: BMW will mail interim notices informing owners of the safety risk on January 17, 2020. Owners will receive a second notice when the remedy becomes available. Dealers will inspect the driver air bag inflators and…
-
Inflator module (air bags)
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 1999-2001 323i, 325i, 328i and 330i and 2000-2001 323Ci, 325Ci, 328Ci, 330Ci, 323iT, and 325iT vehicles equipped with Non-Azide Driver air bag Inflators (NADI) manufactured by Takata. These vehicles may have received a replacement driver air bag as part of a vehicle repair. Due to a…
Remedy: BMW notified owners, and Dealers will replace the driver air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began November 10, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
-
Air bags Do not drive
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2000 323i sedans, coupes, convertibles, and Sports Wagons; 2000 328i sedans and coupes; 2001-2005 325i sedans, coupes, convertibles, and Sport Wagons; 2001-2005 325xi sedans and Sports Wagons; 2006 325i coupes and convertibles; 2001-2006 330i sedans, coupes, and…
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until they have been repaired. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger side frontal air bag, free of charge. An interim notice was mailed to owners…
Model years: 2000
-
Electrical system: wiring
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2006-2011 323i, 325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi and M3, 2007-2011 328i xDrive, 335i xDrive and 335is and 2009-2011 335d vehicles. The wiring and electrical connectors for the system that controls air flow for the heating and air conditioning system may overheat.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the wiring and electrical connectors, free of charge. Interim letters were mailed on November 27, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when the remedy becomes…
-
Air bags: side/window
On certain 4-door passenger vehicles, the side air bag system could deploy in certain non-crash impacts, such as when contacting large potholes or curbs at substantial speeds.
Remedy: Dealers will recalibrate the central air bag control module to reduce the possibility of such a non-crash deployment. Owner notification began october 25, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on…
-
Switch (exterior lighting)
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The brake lamps in these vehicles are controlled by a switch activated by the movement of the brake pedal. This switch could fail internally, causing it to remain either in the "brake lamps off" position or in the "brake lamps on" position.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the existing brake lamp switch with an improved switch.
Model years: 2000
-
Pedals and linkages (service brakes)
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. It is possible that the retaining clip that secures the brake booster pushrod to the brake pedal arm was not properly installed during production. It is possible for the clip to detach from the pin on the brake pedal arm allowing the pushrod to disconnect from the arm.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the clip for tight installation and replace the clip if it is loose.
Model years: 1999
-
Air bags: side/window
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. These vehicles are built with a side air bag system consisting of door-mounted thorax air bags (rear door air bags are optional), a head protection system (hps) for front occupants, a central electronic sensor and diagnostic system, left and right satellite impact sensors, and associated wiring.…
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the central computer control module that regulates the performance of all of the vehicle's occupant protection systems.
Model years: 1999
Other BMW models
- X53,154 complaints
- 328I2,578 complaints
- X32,004 complaints
- 325I1,386 complaints
- Z41,281 complaints
- 3 Series843 complaints
- 528I835 complaints
- 330I815 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.