Total Complaints
5 filings
BMW 325I · model year
1990 BMW 325I
5 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1990BMW325I carries 5 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 1 injury, 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 1990 325I is vehicle speed control with 1 filings, followed by electrical system:ignition (1) and vehicle speed control:linkages (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 1990 325I. 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.
5
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 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 |
|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL | 1 |
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20081215AIR BAGS
AIR-BAG DEPLOYMENT FOR NO APPARENT REASON. *TR
Mileage: 165,200
20040115VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL
A MONTH AGO, RESUMING THE CRUISE SETTING ON THE CRUISE CONTROL RESULTED IN THE SPEED JUST ACCELERATING TO WAY BEYOND THE CRUISE SPEED. TRIED TO TAKE IT OUT OF GEAR RESULTING IN THE ENGINE JUST REVVING UP. PUT IT BACK INTO GEAR AND IT CONTINUED RACING AND ACCELERATING. THE ONLY WAY WAS TO HIT THE BRAKE AND SLOW DOWN TO THE CURB ON A PRETTY BUSY HIGHWAY. THIS WAS A DANGEROUS SITUATION. TOOK IT INTO THE BMW DEALERSHIP WHO WANTED A LOAD OF MONEY TO INVESTIGATE. HAVE NOT USED CRUISE SINCE THEN. I THINK THERE IS A MANUFACTURER FLAW AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED BY BMW. ONCE AGAIN, THIS CAN BE AND WAS VERY DANGEROUS. I FORGOT THE INCIDENT AND TRIED IT AGAIN THAT RESULTED IN EXACTLY THE SAME FAILURE. *CB
20000913CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES
CONSUMER PUT ON SEATBELT, STARTED THE CAR PUT IN REVERSE, AND CAR JERKED AND TOOK OFF BACKWARDS VERY FAST. WENT ACROSS TO YARDS, AND STILL RMP'S WERE REVVING VERY HIGH. VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A TREE ON DRIVERS SIDE. CAR HAD TO BE TOWED. MECHANIC SAID THAT THROTTLE WAS NOT STUCK. ALSO, BRAKES WOULD NOT STOP CAR, CONSUMER FELT THAT THROTTLE LEAKAGE AND CONTROL AND SUDDEN ACCELARATION PLAYED A BIG PART IN THIS INCIDENT. *AK
19981114ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND THE ENGINE CUTS OUT FOR A SECOND AS WELL THE THE GAUGES ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CLUSTER FAIL. I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE TO THREE DIFFRENT MECHANICS TWO BMW SPECIALIST AND ONE AND AUTHORIZED DEALER AND NONE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO LOCATE THE CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. THE FAILURE OCCURES USUALLY AFTER THE CAR HAS WARMED UP AND IS EXCELLERATING BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD GEAR.
19970616VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
CONSUMER'S CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT DISENGAGE, AUTO WAS TRAVELING APPROX. 65-70 MPH. CONSUMER FINALLY SLAMMED ON BRAKES AND WAS ABLE TO PULL THE AUTO TO THE SHOULDER, AND AFTER SITTING WITH BOTH FEET ON BRAKES WHILE AUTO WAS STILL REVVING AND ACCELERATING. -SHE THEN WAS FINALLY ABLE TO PUT AUTO IN PARK AND SHUT OFF ENGINE, BUT THEN AFTER WAITING 2-5 MINUTES, TURNED AUTO ON AGAIN AND THE AUTO CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE WHILE IN PARK. DRIVER FINALLY SHUT AUTO OFF AND CALLED FOR HELP. *AK
Compare 1990BMW325I to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1990 BMW 325I have?▼
The 1990 BMW 325I has 5 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 BMW 325I?▼
The most-complained component for the 1990 BMW 325I is VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION and VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES.
Is the 1990 BMW 325I 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.