Total Complaints
6 filings
BMW 320I · model year
1980 BMW 320I
6 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1980BMW320I carries 6 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.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1980 320I is tires with 1 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine (1) and electrical system (1). 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 34 investigation files overlapping the 1980 320I. 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.
6
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 |
|---|---|
| TIRES | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20060216ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
1980 BMW 320I FUEL SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE TUNED AND REPLACED, NEEDS AUX AIR VALVE, IGNITION HAS MISFIRE, BATTERY BOX NEEDS TO BE WELDED. *TS THE STARTER AND CLUTCH ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FUEL INJECTORS WERE REPLACED. THE THROTTLE CABLE WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE STALLED.*JB UPDATED 05/22/06
20060216POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
1980 BMW 320I FUEL SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE TUNED AND REPLACED, NEEDS AUX AIR VALVE, IGNITION HAS MISFIRE, BATTERY BOX NEEDS TO BE WELDED. *TS THE STARTER AND CLUTCH ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FUEL INJECTORS WERE REPLACED. THE THROTTLE CABLE WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE STALLED.*JB UPDATED 05/22/06
20060216FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
1980 BMW 320I FUEL SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE TUNED AND REPLACED, NEEDS AUX AIR VALVE, IGNITION HAS MISFIRE, BATTERY BOX NEEDS TO BE WELDED. *TS THE STARTER AND CLUTCH ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FUEL INJECTORS WERE REPLACED. THE THROTTLE CABLE WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE STALLED.*JB UPDATED 05/22/06
20060216ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
1980 BMW 320I FUEL SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE TUNED AND REPLACED, NEEDS AUX AIR VALVE, IGNITION HAS MISFIRE, BATTERY BOX NEEDS TO BE WELDED. *TS THE STARTER AND CLUTCH ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FUEL INJECTORS WERE REPLACED. THE THROTTLE CABLE WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE STALLED.*JB UPDATED 05/22/06
20020924ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ORDER FACTORY RECALL IMMEDIATELY AND NOTIFY ALL OWNERS,THEY HAVE MAKERS OF THESE NEW PUMPS,CURRENT OIL PUMP AT IDLE IS 10 PSI, INSUFFICENT TO SHUT OFF OIL LIGHT, MAKE BMW PUT IN LEGAL OIL PUMP, ONE THAT PROVIDES SUFFICENT LUBRICATION AT IDLE AND HARDEN THE THREADS OF THE OIL SWITCH HOUSING. *AK
20020205TIRES
FIRESTONE, AFFINITY,DOT VDE8AIA265 ON A BMW 320I 1980. REPLACEMENTS TIRES. WHEN DRIVING COULD HEAR A NOISE LIKE A FLAT TIRE MAKES. TOOK TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THE TIRE WAS INPROPERLY INFLATED. 3 MONTHS LATER, RIGHT REAR TIRE CAME APART. WIRES WERE STICKING OUT. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE AND THE TIRE DEALER SOLD HIM 1 YEAR OLD TIRES. *YH
Compare 1980BMW320I to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1980 BMW 320I have?▼
The 1980 BMW 320I has 6 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1980 BMW 320I?▼
The most-complained component for the 1980 BMW 320I is TIRES with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Is the 1980 BMW 320I 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 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.