Total Complaints
25 filings
BMW 325 · model year
1992 BMW 325
25 NHTSA complaints, 4 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1992BMW325 carries 25 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 4 crashes, 0 fires, 3 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 1992 325 is air bags:frontal with 2 filings, followed by seats (2) and service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (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 1992 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.
25
Complaints
4
Crashes
0
Fires
3
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
4 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:FRONTAL | 2 |
| SEATS | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 2 |
| AIR BAGS | 2 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION) | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20081126POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1992 BMW 325. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO BACKFIRE AND LOSE POWER. THE MECHANIC COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WOULD ALSO HESITATE AND SHAKE WHEN IT WAS INITIALLY STARTED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 206,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 198,880.
Mileage: 198,880
20010521POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
WHEN SHIFTING GEARS FRONT WILL MAKE A CRACKLING NOISE. *AK CONSUMER STATES ENTIRE BACK END SUSPENSION (STRUTS LEFT AND RIGHT) HOLDING THE REAR WHEELS, TRANSMISSION DIFFERENTIALS TO THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE IS SEPARATING FROM THE FRAME, DEALER HAS BEEN INFORMED, HOWEVER REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE LIABILITY OR INVESTIGATE POSSIBLE PRODUCT DESIGN DEFECT. *SLC
20010521SUSPENSION:REAR
WHEN SHIFTING GEARS FRONT WILL MAKE A CRACKLING NOISE. *AK CONSUMER STATES ENTIRE BACK END SUSPENSION (STRUTS LEFT AND RIGHT) HOLDING THE REAR WHEELS, TRANSMISSION DIFFERENTIALS TO THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE IS SEPARATING FROM THE FRAME, DEALER HAS BEEN INFORMED, HOWEVER REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE LIABILITY OR INVESTIGATE POSSIBLE PRODUCT DESIGN DEFECT. *SLC
19991013VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE
HEATER CORE HAS RUPTURED, CAUSING WINDOWS TO FOG UP. THIS CONDITION MAKES IT HARD FOR THE DRIVER TO SEE. *AK
19990806AIR BAGS
DEALER REPLACED THE AIR BAG LIGHT, AND THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS STILL ON. *AK
19990722VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
WINDOWS FOG UP AND DO NOT COOL PROPERLY. DEALER NOT AWARE OF PROBLEM. REPAIRWORK NOT DONE. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
19990719VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
CONSUMER CONTACTED MANUFACTURER IN REFERENCE TO RECALL NUMBER 98V178000, CONSUMER NOTED THERE WAS NO DEALER WITHIN A 500 MILE RADIUS. MANUFACTURER WILL NOT SEND ANOTHER DEALER PARTS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
19990529FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
GAS TANKS LEAKS IF THE VEHICLE IS FILLED OVER THE 1/2 FULL MARK, POSSIBLY DUE TO A SEAL FAILURE. *AK
19980904ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
WATER PUMP AND IGNITION SYSTEM FAILURES.
19980722CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
WAS PULLING FROM STOP LIGHT, HAD APPLIED BRAKES SUDDENLY AND BRAKES FAILED TO STOP VEHICLE. REARENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. DRIVER'S AIR BAG DEPLOYED & BROKE DRIVER'S ARM. VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER. PLASTIC HOUSING OF CRUISE CONTROL CABLE HAD BROKEN. *AK
19980424ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
RADIATOR HEATER CORE EXPLODED, FILLING VEHICLE WITH STEAM AND SMOKE, CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY.
19971129EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
HEADLIGHT LENS COVERS WERE ORIGINALLY 100 PERCENT TRANSPARENT. OVER THE YEARS, WITH NO ABUSE, THEY SEEM TO BECOMING INCREASINGLY YELLOWED. IT IS TO THE POINT THAT THEY DIMINISH THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE HEADLIGHTS.
19971022STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
THE REAR CROSSMEMBER TO SUBFRAME AND TO THE FLOOR PAN BROKE OFF, CAUSING THE SUBFRAME TO FALL DOWN WHILE DRIVING. COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER IS AWARE OF PROBLEM BUT CANNOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE. *AK
19961209SEATS
DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASENGER'S SIDE FRONT SEATS ROCK ABOUT 2 INCHES PLAY WHEN ADDED FORCE. *AK
19960924AIR BAGS
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY THE STEERING LOCKED UP DUE TO SOMETHING INSIDE THE AIR BAG MECHANISM BREAKING.*AK
19960815ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY
ON THREE OCCASIONS, THE STARTER NEED TO BE REPLACED, DEALER REPLACED TWO BUT NOT THIRD ONE. PLEASE DESCRIBE .*AK
19960416STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)
CONSUMER WAS IN AND ACCIDENT AND THE STEERING GEAR NEED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK
19960314POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
THE STEERING IS MAKING A LOUD NOISE WHEN YOU TURN THE WHEEL, CLUTCH SLIPPED IN AND OUT OF GEAR AND MAKES A GRAINDING NOISE. *AK
19960125ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHORTS, CAUSING POWER DOOR LOCKS/WINDOWS/SUN ROOF/SEAT WARMERS TO FAIL.
19960125ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
VEHICLE STALLS ON A CONSISTENT BASIS, EVEN WHILE VEHICLE IS MOVING/UP TO 60 MPH. *DSH
Compare 1992BMW325 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1992 BMW 325 have?▼
The 1992 BMW 325 has 25 NHTSA complaints, 4 crashes, 0 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1992 BMW 325?▼
The most-complained component for the 1992 BMW 325 is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEATS and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP.
Is the 1992 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.