Total Complaints
190 filings
BMW 3-SERIES · model year
190 NHTSA complaints, 11 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2007BMW3-SERIES carries 190 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 11 crashes, 8 fires, 7 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2007 3-SERIES is air bags with 35 filings, followed by electrical system (31) and engine (22). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 4 investigation files overlapping the 2007 3-SERIES. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
Total Complaints
190 filings
Crashes Reported
11 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 35 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 31 |
| ENGINE | 22 |
| STEERING | 15 |
| SEAT BELTS | 10 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 9 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 7 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 6 |
| SEATS | 6 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 6 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 5 |
| POWER TRAIN | 5 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 4 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 3 |
| WHEELS | 3 |
THE SEAT BAG SENSOR IS CONTINUOUSLY ON. THERE IS NO ONE IN THE SEAT. THIS STARTED AT ABOUT 65K, THE CAR NOW HAS 106K...IS THIS DANGEROUS TO A PASSENGER? OF COURSE, THIS SEEMS TO ACTIVATE THE SEATBELT LIGHT ALSO...
Mileage: 65
THE SEAT BAG SENSOR IS CONTINUOUSLY ON. THERE IS NO ONE IN THE SEAT. THIS STARTED AT ABOUT 65K, THE CAR NOW HAS 106K...IS THIS DANGEROUS TO A PASSENGER? OF COURSE, THIS SEEMS TO ACTIVATE THE SEATBELT LIGHT ALSO...
Mileage: 65
THE SEAT BAG SENSOR IS CONTINUOUSLY ON. THERE IS NO ONE IN THE SEAT. THIS STARTED AT ABOUT 65K, THE CAR NOW HAS 106K...IS THIS DANGEROUS TO A PASSENGER? OF COURSE, THIS SEEMS TO ACTIVATE THE SEATBELT LIGHT ALSO...
Mileage: 65
I WAS GOING BETWEEN 30 AND 35 MPH THROUGH CITY STREETS AT ROUGHLY 3AM ON MY WAY BACK FROM MY COMMUTE WHICH IS ROUGHLY 60 MILES. I NOTICED IT STARTED TO SMELL LIKE BURNING PLASTIC AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER SMOKE WAS VISIBLE COMING FROM HOOD VENTS, I PARKED THE CAR AS SOON AS I COULD AND POPPED THE HOOD AND THE HEAT COVER FOR THE HOOD WAS ON FIRE ALONG WITH MOST OTHER COMPONENTS IN THE ENGINE BAY. MY FRIEND IMMEDIATELY CALLED 911 FOR ASSISTANCE AS I RAN AND TRIED TO WARN NEIGHBORS , WITHIN 7 MINUTES THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY CHARD. NO MAITNANCE LIGHTS WERE ON AND NOTHING SEEMED TO BE A PROBLEM. THE TWO RECALLS I NEVER RECEIVED BOTH WOULD EXPLAN THIS INCEDENT NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V683000 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V676000
Mileage: 100,000
I WAS GOING BETWEEN 30 AND 35 MPH THROUGH CITY STREETS AT ROUGHLY 3AM ON MY WAY BACK FROM MY COMMUTE WHICH IS ROUGHLY 60 MILES. I NOTICED IT STARTED TO SMELL LIKE BURNING PLASTIC AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER SMOKE WAS VISIBLE COMING FROM HOOD VENTS, I PARKED THE CAR AS SOON AS I COULD AND POPPED THE HOOD AND THE HEAT COVER FOR THE HOOD WAS ON FIRE ALONG WITH MOST OTHER COMPONENTS IN THE ENGINE BAY. MY FRIEND IMMEDIATELY CALLED 911 FOR ASSISTANCE AS I RAN AND TRIED TO WARN NEIGHBORS , WITHIN 7 MINUTES THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY CHARD. NO MAITNANCE LIGHTS WERE ON AND NOTHING SEEMED TO BE A PROBLEM. THE TWO RECALLS I NEVER RECEIVED BOTH WOULD EXPLAN THIS INCEDENT NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V683000 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V676000
Mileage: 100,000
I WAS GOING BETWEEN 30 AND 35 MPH THROUGH CITY STREETS AT ROUGHLY 3AM ON MY WAY BACK FROM MY COMMUTE WHICH IS ROUGHLY 60 MILES. I NOTICED IT STARTED TO SMELL LIKE BURNING PLASTIC AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER SMOKE WAS VISIBLE COMING FROM HOOD VENTS, I PARKED THE CAR AS SOON AS I COULD AND POPPED THE HOOD AND THE HEAT COVER FOR THE HOOD WAS ON FIRE ALONG WITH MOST OTHER COMPONENTS IN THE ENGINE BAY. MY FRIEND IMMEDIATELY CALLED 911 FOR ASSISTANCE AS I RAN AND TRIED TO WARN NEIGHBORS , WITHIN 7 MINUTES THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY CHARD. NO MAITNANCE LIGHTS WERE ON AND NOTHING SEEMED TO BE A PROBLEM. THE TWO RECALLS I NEVER RECEIVED BOTH WOULD EXPLAN THIS INCEDENT NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V683000 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V676000
Mileage: 100,000
RECALL FOR FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT & PCV VALVE HEATER NOT COMPLETE. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO OBTAIN PARTS TO REPAIR THESE RECALLS.
RECALL FOR FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT & PCV VALVE HEATER NOT COMPLETE. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO OBTAIN PARTS TO REPAIR THESE RECALLS.
DEALER REFUSED TO MAKE THE REPAIRS ON MY ENGINE THAT WAS CAUSED BY THE RECALL PRODUCT THE PCV VALVE. DEALER SAYS THEIR NOT REQUIRED TO MAKE ANY REPAIRS, THEIR JOB IS TO REPLACE THE RECALL PART
DEALER REFUSED TO MAKE THE REPAIRS ON MY ENGINE THAT WAS CAUSED BY THE RECALL PRODUCT THE PCV VALVE. DEALER SAYS THEIR NOT REQUIRED TO MAKE ANY REPAIRS, THEIR JOB IS TO REPLACE THE RECALL PART
STATIONARY IN PARKING LOT. FRONT PASSENGER DOOR WILL NOT LOCK/UNLOCK WITH ANY METHOD ATTEMPTED. DRIVERS DOOR WILL ONLY UNLOCK USING EMERGENCY KEY FROM EXTERIOR.
Mileage: 73,000
DESPITE REPEATED PHONE CALLS TO BMW CUSTOMER SERVICE, AND STOPPING AT THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP, NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN BY BMW FOR A RECALL REGARDING A SPONTANEOUS FIRE THAT CAN OCCUR WITH MY VEHICLE DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE, EVEN WHEN THE CAR IS GARAGED AND NOT IN USE. CUSTOMER SERVICE REPEATEDLY TELLS ME THEY DON'T HAVE THE PARTS TO FIX THE ISSUE. I LEARNED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM A YEAR AND A HALF AGO FROM THE NEWS. I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER FROM BMW, ALTHOUGH I VERIFIED WITH THEM THEY HAVE MY VIN NUMBER AND MY CAR IS PART OF THE RECALL. I HESITATE TO EVEN DRIVE MY CAR AND HAVE SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT A SPONTANEOUS FIRE SPARKED BY AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE. IT SEEMS UNACCEPTABLE AS A CONSUMER NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN TO REMEDY WHAT COULD BE A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE (MY HOUSE BURNING DOWN FOR ONE). I AM GETTING NOWHERE WHEN I CONTACT BMW.
WATER LEAKS IN MY CAR ON DRIVER SIDE FRONT AND BACK SEAT CARPET IS SOAK AND SMELL. NOT THE FIRST WHEN GOING TO GET A CAR WASH LEAKS OCCUR. THIS IS MY SECOND BMW I HAD A 2004 325L SAME PROBLEM WITH LEAKAGE. ALSO, NO DOUBT RUST HAVE OCCUR IN THIS VEHICLE WITH ON GOING LEAKS.
REPLACED BLOWER MOTOR TWICE 4 MONTHS 1ST ONE MADE NOISE AND STOP BLOWING AIR OUT VENTS NOW SECOND ONE IS MAKING LOUD RATTLING NOISE. CONSTANT TAIL LIGHT BULB ISSUES DISPLAY TAIL LIGHT MALFUNCTION.
REPLACED BLOWER MOTOR TWICE 4 MONTHS 1ST ONE MADE NOISE AND STOP BLOWING AIR OUT VENTS NOW SECOND ONE IS MAKING LOUD RATTLING NOISE. CONSTANT TAIL LIGHT BULB ISSUES DISPLAY TAIL LIGHT MALFUNCTION.
REPLACED BLOWER MOTOR TWICE 4 MONTHS 1ST ONE MADE NOISE AND STOP BLOWING AIR OUT VENTS NOW SECOND ONE IS MAKING LOUD RATTLING NOISE. CONSTANT TAIL LIGHT BULB ISSUES DISPLAY TAIL LIGHT MALFUNCTION.
PASSENGER AIRBAG RESTRAINT FAILURE - BMW'S, IN PARTICULAR 3 SERIES AND E90 MODELS, HAVE A KNOWN AND COMMON FAILURE WHERE THE SEAT BASED ELECTRICAL MAT FAILS IN THE PASSENGER SEATS. THIS IS NOT RELATED TO WEAR AND TEAR AS THE SEATS OFTEN GO UNUSED BUT SIMPLY FAIL AFTER A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME. THE ERROR CAUSES THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG TO DEFAULT TO ALWAYS ON, WHICH CAN CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH TO CHILDREN OR SMALL PASSENGERS IN THAT SEAT. THE COST TO REPAIR THIS IS USUALLY $200 FOR PARTS AND $400 FOR LABOR WHICH MEANS MANY DRIVERS SIMPLY DON'T FIX IT CREATING A VULNERABILITY. THE ISSUE HAS BEEN RECURRING WITH BMWS FOR SEVERAL GENERATIONS AND ACROSS MODEL TYPES AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER AS ITS A POORLY MADE PART AND SET UP. THERE ARE NUMEROUS DOCUMENTED CASES ON BMW FORUMS AND A PARTIAL RECALL FOR SOME MODELS WAS IMPLEMENTED. A FULL RECALL IS NEEDED ON ALL CARS AFFECTED, INCLUDING 2007 3 SERIES MODELS. THE ISSUE DOES NOT APPEAR FIXED UNTIL THE F MODEL 3 SERIES CAME OUT.
Mileage: 90,000
PASSENGER AIRBAG RESTRAINT FAILURE - BMW'S, IN PARTICULAR 3 SERIES AND E90 MODELS, HAVE A KNOWN AND COMMON FAILURE WHERE THE SEAT BASED ELECTRICAL MAT FAILS IN THE PASSENGER SEATS. THIS IS NOT RELATED TO WEAR AND TEAR AS THE SEATS OFTEN GO UNUSED BUT SIMPLY FAIL AFTER A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME. THE ERROR CAUSES THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG TO DEFAULT TO ALWAYS ON, WHICH CAN CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH TO CHILDREN OR SMALL PASSENGERS IN THAT SEAT. THE COST TO REPAIR THIS IS USUALLY $200 FOR PARTS AND $400 FOR LABOR WHICH MEANS MANY DRIVERS SIMPLY DON'T FIX IT CREATING A VULNERABILITY. THE ISSUE HAS BEEN RECURRING WITH BMWS FOR SEVERAL GENERATIONS AND ACROSS MODEL TYPES AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER AS ITS A POORLY MADE PART AND SET UP. THERE ARE NUMEROUS DOCUMENTED CASES ON BMW FORUMS AND A PARTIAL RECALL FOR SOME MODELS WAS IMPLEMENTED. A FULL RECALL IS NEEDED ON ALL CARS AFFECTED, INCLUDING 2007 3 SERIES MODELS. THE ISSUE DOES NOT APPEAR FIXED UNTIL THE F MODEL 3 SERIES CAME OUT.
Mileage: 90,000
PASSENGER AIRBAG RESTRAINT FAILURE - BMW'S, IN PARTICULAR 3 SERIES AND E90 MODELS, HAVE A KNOWN AND COMMON FAILURE WHERE THE SEAT BASED ELECTRICAL MAT FAILS IN THE PASSENGER SEATS. THIS IS NOT RELATED TO WEAR AND TEAR AS THE SEATS OFTEN GO UNUSED BUT SIMPLY FAIL AFTER A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME. THE ERROR CAUSES THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG TO DEFAULT TO ALWAYS ON, WHICH CAN CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH TO CHILDREN OR SMALL PASSENGERS IN THAT SEAT. THE COST TO REPAIR THIS IS USUALLY $200 FOR PARTS AND $400 FOR LABOR WHICH MEANS MANY DRIVERS SIMPLY DON'T FIX IT CREATING A VULNERABILITY. THE ISSUE HAS BEEN RECURRING WITH BMWS FOR SEVERAL GENERATIONS AND ACROSS MODEL TYPES AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER AS ITS A POORLY MADE PART AND SET UP. THERE ARE NUMEROUS DOCUMENTED CASES ON BMW FORUMS AND A PARTIAL RECALL FOR SOME MODELS WAS IMPLEMENTED. A FULL RECALL IS NEEDED ON ALL CARS AFFECTED, INCLUDING 2007 3 SERIES MODELS. THE ISSUE DOES NOT APPEAR FIXED UNTIL THE F MODEL 3 SERIES CAME OUT.
Mileage: 90,000
PASSENGER AIRBAG RESTRAINT FAILURE - BMW'S, IN PARTICULAR 3 SERIES AND E90 MODELS, HAVE A KNOWN AND COMMON FAILURE WHERE THE SEAT BASED ELECTRICAL MAT FAILS IN THE PASSENGER SEATS. THIS IS NOT RELATED TO WEAR AND TEAR AS THE SEATS OFTEN GO UNUSED BUT SIMPLY FAIL AFTER A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME. THE ERROR CAUSES THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG TO DEFAULT TO ALWAYS ON, WHICH CAN CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH TO CHILDREN OR SMALL PASSENGERS IN THAT SEAT. THE COST TO REPAIR THIS IS USUALLY $200 FOR PARTS AND $400 FOR LABOR WHICH MEANS MANY DRIVERS SIMPLY DON'T FIX IT CREATING A VULNERABILITY. THE ISSUE HAS BEEN RECURRING WITH BMWS FOR SEVERAL GENERATIONS AND ACROSS MODEL TYPES AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER AS ITS A POORLY MADE PART AND SET UP. THERE ARE NUMEROUS DOCUMENTED CASES ON BMW FORUMS AND A PARTIAL RECALL FOR SOME MODELS WAS IMPLEMENTED. A FULL RECALL IS NEEDED ON ALL CARS AFFECTED, INCLUDING 2007 3 SERIES MODELS. THE ISSUE DOES NOT APPEAR FIXED UNTIL THE F MODEL 3 SERIES CAME OUT.
Mileage: 90,000
Data as of 2025. 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.