2001 BMW 325 recalls and problems

The 2001 BMW 325 has 2 safety recalls and 31 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at any BMW dealer.

Urgent: recall 19V-698, recall 17V-047 carry a "do not drive" warning. Contact a dealer before driving.
Recalls
2
Complaints
31
Crashes / fires
2 / 5
Injuries / deaths
2 / 0

Recalls may cover only some 2001 BMW 325 vehicles. Check your VIN at NHTSA ↗ to see open recalls for your exact car.

2001 BMW 325 recalls

Recall 19V-698: Air Bags

Do not driveReported Oct 2, 2019 · 3,924 vehicles affected · BMW of North America, LLC

Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2000-2002 325i and 325xi Sedan, and 323Ci, 325Ci, and 330Ci Convertible vehicles. This recall affects certain vehicles that may have had a driver-side air bag module installed as replacement equipment such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bag, or as a remedy part for a prior recall. The frontal air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the vehicle has been remedied. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace the driver's air bag module, free of charge. The recall began November 7, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Note: This recall is an expansion of previous recalls, numbers 17V-047 and 19V-015.

Recall 17V-047: Air Bags

Do not driveReported Jan 20, 2017 · 230,117 vehicles affected · BMW of North America, LLC

Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2000-2002 BMW 320i, 323i, 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi, 323Ci, 325Ci, 330Ci, M3, 323iT, 325iT and 325xiT vehicles, 2001-2002 525i, 530i, 540i, M5, 525iT and 540iT vehicles, and 2001-2003 X5 3.0i, X5 4.4i, and X5 4.6is vehicles. These vehicles may have had a driver-side air bag module installed as replacement equipment such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bag, or as a remedy part for a prior recall. These replacement modules contain an air bag inflator that may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to lower absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the vehicle has been remedied. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver side air bag module, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 15, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

2001 BMW 325 problems reported by owners

Problem areaReports
Engine and Engine Cooling13
Air Bags7
Power Train3
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)3
Tires2
Electrical System2
Seat Belts1
Fuel System, Gasoline1
Fuel System, Other1
Suspension1
Exterior Lighting1
Unknown or Other1

Most reported parts

  • Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System › Fan — 11
  • Air Bags › Frontal — 2
  • Power Train › Automatic Transmission — 2
  • Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly — 1
  • Power Train › Manual Transmission — 1
  • Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System — 1
  • Air Bags › Side/Window — 1
  • Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine — 1

Typical mileage at the time of the problem: 149,500 miles (median of owner reports).

Problems that are not covered by a recall are paid repairs; labor rates follow local mechanic pay — see what auto mechanics earn in each state.

Recent 2001 BMW 325 complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA, as written (personal details removed). Complaints are not verified by NHTSA.

Service Brakes · at 180,000 miles · reported Oct 8, 2015
While traveling down the interstate at approximately 75 MPH with the cruise control on, the car suddenly veered left and the ABS engaged and slowed the car suddenly to about 40 MPH. My immediate thought was that I had blown a tire, but then recognized the ABS was causing the car to judder. The dsc and ABS lights illuminated and remained on. The mil light did not illuminate. I took the car to a repair shop that diagnosed a faulty rotational rate sensor (Yaw). The system recognized that it received erroneous data, but I believe failed in an unsafe manner. I purchased this car for my soon to be…
Engine · at 240,003 miles · reported Aug 16, 2015
Had just parked the car and a few minutes later it caught on fire. Everything under the hood is burned. Surveillance cameras caught the hole thing.
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) · at 165,000 miles · reported Aug 6, 2015
Daughter driving car, dynamic stability control(Dsc) light came on and individual brakes started applying themselves uncommanded. Drove to a local import shop that verified a bad yaw sensor. Part is $1300.00 plus $300.00 labor. Part is only available from bmw who has superseded the part number 3 times. I went to a salvage yard that had 13 cars that had the same part number effectivity and all of the cars had the yaw sensors removed. This is a well known problem and very dangerous unless you disable the dsc system which also disables the anti-lock brake system. Below is just one of many…
Electrical System · reported Jul 19, 2015
Specific monitor lights remain on even after being checked and cleared. An asterisk type icon shows up next to the prnd panel and slows down vehicle where as you need to put much pressure on gas pedal to get it to move slightly,pulling over and shutting off engine for 2 mins removes the icon and issue, but mostly these are unpredictable occurrences.the body of car icon lights stay on indicating the cars back lights are not working, even after fixing lights. The car's recall #14v428 ; passenger side front airbag has not been fixed as of yet. Currently all windows are jammed the motor hums but…
Air Bags · reported Dec 17, 2014
The contact owns a 2001 bmw 325. The contact received a notification of NHTSA campaign number: 14v428000 (Air bags) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

Other BMW 325 years

Compare all BMW 325 years · All BMW models

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2001 BMW 325 have any recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2001 BMW 325: 19V-698 (air bags), 17V-047 (air bags). Not every vehicle is affected, so check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What is the most common problem with the 2001 BMW 325?

Owners report engine and engine cooling problems most often (13 reports), followed by air bags (7). The typical mileage when problems were reported is about 149,500 miles.

Are BMW recall repairs free?

Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at authorized BMW dealers, whether you are the first owner or bought the car used.