Total Complaints
30 filings
BMW 325 · model year
1987 BMW 325
30 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1987BMW325 carries 30 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 5 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 1987 325 is visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac system:heater core with 4 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (3) and engine and engine cooling:engine (2). 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 1987 325. 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.
30
Complaints
0
Crashes
5
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 |
|---|---|
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE | 4 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 3 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 1 |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 1 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:BRAKE FLUID LOW WARNING: LAMP | 1 |
| SEATS | 1 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20031014ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
WHILE DRIVING OIL LIGHT CAME ON AFTER BEING SERVICED 5 DAYS AGO. WILL BE TAKING VEHICLE BACK TO DEALERSHIP TO HAVE MECHANIC CHECK ENGINE AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FOR PROBLEMS.*AK
Mileage: 82,000
20010927VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE
VEHICLE NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL NUMBER 93V015000. COOLANT LEAKING INTO VEHICLE ON DRIVER'S SIDE DUE TO A CRACK IN HEATER CORE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
20001128VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION DUE TO FAILURE OF THE IDLE CONTROL VALVE, ON ONE OCCASION THE SURGE OCCURRED AND THE VEHICLE WENT ONTO A CURB WHICH DAMAGED THE OIL PAN, CONSUMER FEELS THE DEALER SHOULD REIMBURSE HER FOR THE REPAIRS. *SLC
20000829VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE
WHILE DRIVING COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON. HOSE BLEW OFF COOLANT RESERVOIR. VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND HOSE WAS REATTACHED. *AK RECALL (93V-015) WORK DONE ON THE COOLANT SYSTEM, AFTER THE RECALL WAS DONE THE VEHICLE RUNNING HOTTER THAN BEFORE. *YH
20000824ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
COSNUMER RECEIVED RECALL 93V015000 IN EARLY JUNE. CONSUMER CONTACTED UNION PARK BMW LOCATED IN WILMINGTON DELAWARE, TELE#302-658-7245, AND WAS TOLD PARTS WERE ON ORDER, BUT DOES NOT KNOW WHEN PARTS WILL COME IN. CONSUMER HAS BEEN WAITING FOR OVER 2 MONTHS.*AK
20000727VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE
WHILE DRIVING WINDOW GOT FOGGY AND COOLANT WAS LEAKING ON FRONT SEAT FLOOR. TECHNICIAN EXPLAINED THAT CLAMPS WERE TOO TIGHT, FORCING THE COOLANT TO OVERFLOW JUST LIKE STATED IN RECALL 93V015000. *AK
19981202FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
DRIVING AT 55 MPH, ALL INSTRUMENTS READING NORMAL, HEARD A "BANG" , LOST ALL ENGINE POWER AND BRAKES,POWER STEERING. WAS NOT TIMING BELT BECAUSE WHEN DOWNSHIFTING TO ARREST VEHICLE TACHOMETER WAS WORKING. CAR WOULD NOT RESTART IN NEUTRAL WHILE COASTING, NOR WOULD IT "POP" START. COASTED TO A STOP USING EMERGENCY BRAKE. WHEN STOPPED, NOTICED FLAMES FROM UNDER HOOD. LEFT VEHICLE AND WATCHED IT BURN TO OBLIVION. CAUSE OF FIRE UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME, INSURANCE WON'T INVESTIGATE BECAUSE THERE WAS NOT ANY COVERAGE FOR FIRE.
19981108FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY
ABLE TO SMELL THE GAS FUME, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE ENGINE IS RUNNING. THE FUEL LEAKAGE MAY BE RELATED TO THE TYPE OF GASOLINE ADDITIVE (NTBE?) IN THE CALIFORNIA,
19980708FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHILE DRIVING ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE, SPREADING TO THE EXHAUST . MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
19970627LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
REAR DOOR DOESN'T OPEN FROM INSIDE.
19970627SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:BRAKE FLUID LOW WARNING: LAMP
THE BRAKE LIGHT INOPERATIVE.
19970627SEATS
THE DRIVER'S SEAT WOBBLES.
19970627SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER
SEAT HEATER BURNED THROUGH THE SEAT AND BURNED PASSENGER.
19970627ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL
THE OXYGEN SENSOR FAILED.
19970627POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT
DIFFERENTIAL LEAKS.
19970627ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
BATTERY FAILED.
19970627VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
POWER WINDOWS FAILED.
19970627STRUCTURE:BODY
THE SIDE AND FRONT MOLDING FELL OFF.
19970627POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION DOESN'T SHIFT PROPERLY.
19970627UNKNOWN OR OTHER
THE COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON.
Compare 1987BMW325 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1987 BMW 325 have?▼
The 1987 BMW 325 has 30 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 5 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1987 BMW 325?▼
The most-complained component for the 1987 BMW 325 is VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE.
Is the 1987 BMW 325 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.