BMW 323I · model year

2000 BMW 323I

459 NHTSA complaints, 17 crash reports, and 7 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2000BMW323I carries 459 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 17 crashes, 2 fires, 25 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 2000 323I is power train:automatic transmission with 193 filings, followed by air bags (48) and power train (33). 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. This model year has 7 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 34 investigation files overlapping the 2000 323I. 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.

459
Complaints
17
Crashes
2
Fires
25
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

459 filings

Crashes Reported

17 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION193
AIR BAGS48
POWER TRAIN33
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW19
VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS12
UNKNOWN OR OTHER10
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL10
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS10
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES10
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL7
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION7
STRUCTURE:BODY7
SUSPENSION6
TIRES5
STRUCTURE5

Recalls (7)

21V40100027/05/2021

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

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

19V85300026/11/2019

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

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

19V85200026/11/2019

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

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

00V04800017/02/2000

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH

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.

20V01800015/01/2020

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

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 PS

14V42800011/06/2018

AIR BAGS

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; 2001-200

02V22300009/08/2002

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.

Recent Complaints

20230619AIR BAGS

I was driving normally, and made a right hand turn onto a street when the driver door airbag and driver curtain airbag deployed suddenly. The engine shut off and the hazards turned on automatically, and I pulled off the road to a safe location. I was able to restart the engine to bring the vehicle onto the tow truck. As far as I am aware there was no impact, and the outside of the car is not damaged. I am able to see some other NHTSA reports of this random deployment happening with other 3 series models, specifically 2000 model year vehicles like mine. I am unsure of what caused this, I can only assume a faulty sensor is the cause.

20220331AIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2000 BMW 323i. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the passenger’s side air bag deployed but did not inflate. There was no crash to cause the air bag to deploy. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was notified of several recalls regarding the driver’s side air bags however, there was no recall on the passenger’s side air bags. The VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V853000 (Air Bags). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000.

Mileage: 139,000

20220105SUSPENSION

The contact owns a 2000 BMW 323I. The contact stated that while driving at highway speeds, an abnormal rattling noise would emit from the rear end of the vehicle without warning. Upon inspection, the contact discovered part of the rear driver’s side subframe had detached from the undercarriage of the vehicle. The contact called the dealer about the failure and they offered no assistance. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was 205,721

Mileage: 205,721

20211015AIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2000 BMW 323I. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V401000 (Air Bags) however, the dealer informed the contact that the part for the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect

20210713AIR BAGS

Takata Recall. The contact owns a 2000 BMW 323i. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA campaign numbers: 20V018000 (Air Bags) and 19V853000 (Air Bags) however, the dealer informed him that the parts for the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue but provide no assistance. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

20201103AIR BAGS

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BMW 323I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V853000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. AN UNKNOWN DEALER STATED THAT PARTS WERE NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

Mileage: 57,800

20200929AIR BAGS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BMW 323I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V853000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT REACHED OUT TO BMW OF SAN DIEGO (5090 KEARNY MESA ROAD, SAN DIEGO, CA 92111, (844) 307-7409) AND IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT PARTS WERE NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

20200824AIR BAGS

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BMW 323I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V853000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT CALLED OPEN ROAD BMW OF EDISON (731 US-1, EDISON, NJ 08817) AND WAS INFORMED THAT PARTS WERE NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

20200728AIR BAGS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BMW 323I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V853000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND WERE NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE AN ESTIMATED TIME FRAME FOR THE RECALL REMEDY TO BE AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.*DT*JB

20200713AIR BAGS

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BMW 323I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V853000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCE A FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.*DT*JB

20200601AIR BAGS

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BMW 323I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V853000 (AIR BAG) AND 20V018000 (AIR BAG) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT CALLED TO SCHOMP BMW (1190 PLUM VALLEY LN, HIGHLANDS RANCH, CO 80129, (303)730-1300) AND BMW OF DENVER DOWNTOWN (1040 S COLORADO BLVD, DENVER, CO 80246, (303)954-4856) WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE FOR BOTH LOCATIONS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE IF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCE A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.*DT*JB

20200411AIR BAGS

I AM CHECKING ON HOW TO FIX THE AIRBAG RECALL TO PREVENT POSSIBLE INJURY CONCERNED ABOUT AIR BAGS

20200218AIR BAGS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BMW 323I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V853000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON START UP, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 159,000. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

Mileage: 159,000

20200211AIR BAGS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BMW 323I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V853000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE NHTSA HOTLINE WAS CONTACTED AND THE VIN TOOL CONFIRMED PARTS WERE NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

20200122AIR BAGS

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BMW 323-I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V852000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. BMW OF SAN FRANCISCO LOCATED AT 1675 HOWARD ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103, WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT PARTS WERE NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

20200120AIR BAGS

DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG HAS BEEN RECALLED. HAS CAUSED SEVERAL DEATHS. MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO TEST/REPLACE FAULTY PARTS AND HAS NOT GIVEN A LOANER.

20200115AIR BAGS

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BMW 323I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V853000 (AIR BAGS). THE CONTACT STATED THAT GLOBAL IMPORTS BMW (LOCATED AT 500 INTERSTATE N PKWY, ATLANTA, GA 30339, (800) 294-1853) EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE REPAIR. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

20190708POWER TRAIN

2000 BMW 323I. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO POWERTRAIN SAFETY RECALL. *LD *JS

20190708STRUCTURE:BODY

TAKATA RECALL. THERE HAS BEEN NUMEROUS ISSUES WITH THE INTEGRITY OF THE SUBFRAME OF THIS PARTICULAR MODEL AND YEAR OF BMW. IT EXPERIENCES RUST ISSUES FREQUENTLY. I NEED TO REPLACE SUBFRAME DO TO THIS AND WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. THIS HAS HAPPENED OVER THE YEARS, IT HAS NOT BEEN STATIONARY OR ANYTHING OF THAT MATTER. IT HAS BEEN USED AS A DAILY DRIVER, AS THAT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN TO A DAILY DRIVER SUBFRAME, SPECIALLY FROM A BMW.

Mileage: 160,000

20190429CrashPOWER TRAIN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BMW 323I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO REVERSE. ON ONE OCCASION, THE FAILURE OCCURRED AND CAUSED A FENDER BENDER WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH AN UNKNOWN BMW DEALER AND AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE REVERSE DRUM FAILED DUE TO DEFECTIVE METAL. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE PARTS WERE NO LONGER AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 180,000.

Mileage: 180,000

Compare 2000BMW323I to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2000 BMW 323I have?
The 2000 BMW 323I has 459 NHTSA complaints, 17 crashes, 2 fires, 25 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2000 BMW 323I?
Yes, the 2000 BMW 323I has 7 recall(s). The most common affected component is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2000 BMW 323I?
The most-complained component for the 2000 BMW 323I is POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION with 193 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include AIR BAGS and POWER TRAIN.
Is the 2000 BMW 323I 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.