Total Complaints
4 filings
BMW 3-SERIES · model year
1998 BMW 3-SERIES
4 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1998BMW3-SERIES carries 4 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1998 3-SERIES is air bags with 2 filings, followed by suspension:front (1) and electrical system (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 4 investigation files overlapping the 1998 3-SERIES. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
4
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 2 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20171231AIR BAGS
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.
20171231ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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.
20161004AIR BAGS
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.
Mileage: 125,000
19981112SUSPENSION:FRONT
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
Compare 1998BMW3-SERIES to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1998 BMW 3-SERIES have?▼
The 1998 BMW 3-SERIES has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 BMW 3-SERIES?▼
The most-complained component for the 1998 BMW 3-SERIES is AIR BAGS with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SUSPENSION:FRONT and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Is the 1998 BMW 3-SERIES safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1998 BMW 3-SERIES; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.