BMW 325I · model year

2001 BMW 325I

196 NHTSA complaints, 11 crash reports, and 7 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2001BMW325I carries 196 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 11 crashes, 8 fires, 27 injuries, and 1 fatality. 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 2001 325I is air bags with 33 filings, followed by exterior lighting (20) and electrical system (17). 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 2001 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.

196
Complaints
11
Crashes
8
Fires
27
Injuries
1
Deaths

Total Complaints

196 filings

Crashes Reported

11 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
AIR BAGS33
EXTERIOR LIGHTING20
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM17
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL10
VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS10
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW8
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN7
ENGINE6
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION5
POWER TRAIN5
SERVICE BRAKES5
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL4
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES4
STEERING4
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM3

Recalls (7)

07E02300029/03/2007

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER

CERTAIN CARDONE MASTER CYLINDERS WITH PART NUMBERS 10-2925, 10-2987, 10-2987MZA, 10-3083, 11-3015, 11-3042, 11-3044, 11-3045, 11-3047, 11-3064, AND 11-3156, AND WITH DATE CODES LOWER THAN DCA7078 SOLD AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR USE ON THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE SEAL ON MASTER CYLINDER CAN FAI

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

01V20600021/06/2001

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE ENGINE AUXILIARY/COOLING FAN OPERATION, INCLUDING VARIABLE SPEED, IS ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED. FAILURE OF THE FAN MOTOR CAN CAUSE THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUITRY OF THE FAN CONTROL UNIT TO OVERLOAD AND FAIL, CAUSING THE FAN TO STOP OPERATING.

00V38300020/11/2000

WHEELS:RIM

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE MACHINE USED TO MOUNT AND INFLATE THE TIRES ON THE WHEELS AT THE ASSEMBLY PLANT MAY HAVE DAMAGED THE INNER RIM FLANGE OF THE WHEELS.

02V13800016/05/2002

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE ENGINE AUXILIARY/COOLING FAN OPERATION, INCLUDING VARIABLE SPEED, IS ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED. FAILURE OF THE FAN MOTOR CAN CAUSE THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUITRY OF THE FAN CONTROL UNIT TO OVERLOAD AND FAIL, CAUSING THE FAN TO STOP OPERATING.

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

Recent Complaints

20250830AIR BAGS

Steering wheel angle sensor internal abc-dsc issues, yellow light is on.. Is there a recall for this issue!? Also front door passenger side air bag is not working, I have used OBD reader to confirm all the above...

20250830STEERING

Steering wheel angle sensor internal abc-dsc issues, yellow light is on.. Is there a recall for this issue!? Also front door passenger side air bag is not working, I have used OBD reader to confirm all the above...

20241031AIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2001 BMW 325I. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 20V018000 (Air Bags) and 17V047000 (Air Bags); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact called another local dealer Ferman BMW (31400 US Hwy 19 N, Palm Harbor, FL 34684); but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

20240820AIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2001 BMW 325I. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the air bag warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was scanned using a hand-held diagnostic machine. The DTC code 02: Ignition Decay 1/Belt Tensioner Driver was retrieved. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 195,000.

Mileage: 195,000

20240820ENGINE

The contact owns a 2001 BMW 325I. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the air bag warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was scanned using a hand-held diagnostic machine. The DTC code 02: Ignition Decay 1/Belt Tensioner Driver was retrieved. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 195,000.

Mileage: 195,000

20220831FireENGINE

The contact owns a 2001 BMW 325i. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked overnight and off, the vehicle caught on fire. The contact was alerted by her father that the vehicle was on fire. There were no occupants at the time of the fire. The entire front end of the vehicle was engulfed in flames. The fire department was called to the scene. It was unknown if there was a fire report was filed. There were no injuries sustained. The father of the contact had a truck parked in front and due to the flames of the vehicle fire, it melted the front of the parked vehicle causing damage. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was not driveable after the fire. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 188,000.

Mileage: 188,000

20211004ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I am having a major electrical short in my trunk area affecting my critical tail lights functionalities and common trunk function. I cannot use my turning signals or brake lights or lights in general when driving my vehicle from the rear my lights are not operable. This is a huge safety concern and risk that’s need to be recalled affecting millions I'm for certain. Along with that I am having steering issue with my steering rack called “steering Wander”. Not being able to control you vehicle with supreme confidence is a issue which can easily lead to collisions.

20211004EXTERIOR LIGHTING

I am having a major electrical short in my trunk area affecting my critical tail lights functionalities and common trunk function. I cannot use my turning signals or brake lights or lights in general when driving my vehicle from the rear my lights are not operable. This is a huge safety concern and risk that’s need to be recalled affecting millions I'm for certain. Along with that I am having steering issue with my steering rack called “steering Wander”. Not being able to control you vehicle with supreme confidence is a issue which can easily lead to collisions.

20211004STEERING

I am having a major electrical short in my trunk area affecting my critical tail lights functionalities and common trunk function. I cannot use my turning signals or brake lights or lights in general when driving my vehicle from the rear my lights are not operable. This is a huge safety concern and risk that’s need to be recalled affecting millions I'm for certain. Along with that I am having steering issue with my steering rack called “steering Wander”. Not being able to control you vehicle with supreme confidence is a issue which can easily lead to collisions.

20200309CrashSTRUCTURE:BODY

WHEN SHIFTED TO REVERSE ENGINE RPMS WENT WIDEOPEN CAUSING IT TO SPIN OUT OF CONTROL FROM OUR DRIVEWAY INTO MOBILEHOME ACROSS FROM ME THEN INTO A VAN AND SHOVED IT INTO ANOTHER MOBILEHOME

Mileage: 222,504

20200309CrashPOWER TRAIN

WHEN SHIFTED TO REVERSE ENGINE RPMS WENT WIDEOPEN CAUSING IT TO SPIN OUT OF CONTROL FROM OUR DRIVEWAY INTO MOBILEHOME ACROSS FROM ME THEN INTO A VAN AND SHOVED IT INTO ANOTHER MOBILEHOME

Mileage: 222,504

20200309CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

WHEN SHIFTED TO REVERSE ENGINE RPMS WENT WIDEOPEN CAUSING IT TO SPIN OUT OF CONTROL FROM OUR DRIVEWAY INTO MOBILEHOME ACROSS FROM ME THEN INTO A VAN AND SHOVED IT INTO ANOTHER MOBILEHOME

Mileage: 222,504

20200211SERVICE BRAKES

I HAVE BEEN RECENTLY GETTING THE TAKATA AIRBAG RECALL WHICH I AM GETTING DONE SOON. I NOTICED HOWEVER AN OLD RECALL ON SOME BMW 325IS STARTING IN 2001. AN ISSUE WITH THE HANDBRAKE... THE DATABASE IS SHOWING THAT MY VIN DOESN'T HAVE THIS ISSUE BUT I CAN SURE TELL YOU I HAD THIS ISSUE AND BAD. DRIVING 70 DOWN THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE HANDBRAKE CLAMP OR ADJUSTER... SOMETHING BROKE AND FELL INTO THE DRUM OF THE BRAKE DISC. IT THEN MADE A HORRIBLE NOISE AND FULLY DESTROYED THE PARKING BRAKE ASSEMBLY AND SOUNDED LIKE A WASHING MACHINE FILLED WITH METAL. I TOOK THE DISC OFF AND FOUND ALL THE PARTS JUST INSIDE WRECKED. WAS THIS RECALL NOT COVERED FOR ENOUGH CARS OR DOES A RECALL EXPIRE? I LITERALLY FEEL THIS COULD'VE BEEN A SERIOUS ISSUE IF IT SOMEHOW HAD LOCKED A WHEEL!

Mileage: 243,000

20191018AIR BAGS

RECALL NUMBER 19V698 COULD NOT BE VERIFIED USING VIN NO WBAAV33481F[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TT

Mileage: 89,000

20190811SERVICE BRAKES

EVER SINCE I'VE HAD THE CAR I HAVE HAD OVERHEATING PROBLEMS AFTER REPLACING THE WATER PUMP ALL THE HOSES HVAC HOSES UNDER THE MANIFOLD THE CAR STILL WANTS TO OVERHEAT I'VE BEEN IN TRAFFIC I'VE HAD THIS PROBLEM HAVING A I'M CARS BEHIND ME AND MY TEMPERATURE GAUGE GOING TO AGE AND I CAN'T CRANK THE CAR BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO RUIN THE MOTOR I'VE HAD TO LET THE CAR COOL BE LATE FOR JOBS WORK AND OTHER THINGS APPOINTMENTS ARE THE CAR COOL DOWN AND I'VE HAD TO ADD COOLANT IN IT AT $20 A PIECE BY THE COOLANT RUNS RIGHT BACK OUT

Mileage: 98,000

20190811ENGINE

EVER SINCE I'VE HAD THE CAR I HAVE HAD OVERHEATING PROBLEMS AFTER REPLACING THE WATER PUMP ALL THE HOSES HVAC HOSES UNDER THE MANIFOLD THE CAR STILL WANTS TO OVERHEAT I'VE BEEN IN TRAFFIC I'VE HAD THIS PROBLEM HAVING A I'M CARS BEHIND ME AND MY TEMPERATURE GAUGE GOING TO AGE AND I CAN'T CRANK THE CAR BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO RUIN THE MOTOR I'VE HAD TO LET THE CAR COOL BE LATE FOR JOBS WORK AND OTHER THINGS APPOINTMENTS ARE THE CAR COOL DOWN AND I'VE HAD TO ADD COOLANT IN IT AT $20 A PIECE BY THE COOLANT RUNS RIGHT BACK OUT

Mileage: 98,000

20190811UNKNOWN OR OTHER

EVER SINCE I'VE HAD THE CAR I HAVE HAD OVERHEATING PROBLEMS AFTER REPLACING THE WATER PUMP ALL THE HOSES HVAC HOSES UNDER THE MANIFOLD THE CAR STILL WANTS TO OVERHEAT I'VE BEEN IN TRAFFIC I'VE HAD THIS PROBLEM HAVING A I'M CARS BEHIND ME AND MY TEMPERATURE GAUGE GOING TO AGE AND I CAN'T CRANK THE CAR BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO RUIN THE MOTOR I'VE HAD TO LET THE CAR COOL BE LATE FOR JOBS WORK AND OTHER THINGS APPOINTMENTS ARE THE CAR COOL DOWN AND I'VE HAD TO ADD COOLANT IN IT AT $20 A PIECE BY THE COOLANT RUNS RIGHT BACK OUT

Mileage: 98,000

20180504ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

FAULTY TAIL LIGHTS- THE RIGHT TAIL BULB ASSEMBLY ON THE CAR GOT SO HOT IT MELTED ALONG WITH THE PLUG. I CALLED THE BMW HOT LINE 800-525-7417, THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE CAR HAD 2 RECALLS FOR AIRBAGS, ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE CAR HAD A FAULTY TAIL LITE REPAIR IN 2002. I TRAILERED THE CAR ON 4/11/18 TO SEWELL GRAPEVINE BMW, WHERE SCOTT LORD IN THE SERVICE DEPT TOOK IT IN. I ASK FOR THEM TO FIND OUT ALSO ABOUT THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY MELTING & I LEFT THE PART WITH THE CAR. ON 4/11/18 I RENTED THE SAME TRAILER & WENT TO PICKUP THE CAR, (I LIVE 40 MLS FROM THERE). UPON TALKING WITH MR. LORD, THE 2 RECALLS WHERE PERFORMED & HE SAID THE TECHNICIAN LEFT BROCHURES IN THE CAR ON HOW THE MELTED TAIL LIGHT IS REPAIRED & THAT THE CAR IS TOO OLD FOR THEM TO DO IT. FIRST OFF, THANKS TO NHTSA WEB SITE, I LEARNED THAT THERE WHERE 210,000 OF THESE CARS RECALLED FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, BEGINNING WITH THE YEAR OF THIS CAR. 2ND, I 'VE NEVER KNOWN A RECALL TO EXPIRE UNTIL FIXED. I CALLED BMW RECALL BACK 5/2/18 &

20180504EXTERIOR LIGHTING

FAULTY TAIL LIGHTS- THE RIGHT TAIL BULB ASSEMBLY ON THE CAR GOT SO HOT IT MELTED ALONG WITH THE PLUG. I CALLED THE BMW HOT LINE 800-525-7417, THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE CAR HAD 2 RECALLS FOR AIRBAGS, ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE CAR HAD A FAULTY TAIL LITE REPAIR IN 2002. I TRAILERED THE CAR ON 4/11/18 TO SEWELL GRAPEVINE BMW, WHERE SCOTT LORD IN THE SERVICE DEPT TOOK IT IN. I ASK FOR THEM TO FIND OUT ALSO ABOUT THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY MELTING & I LEFT THE PART WITH THE CAR. ON 4/11/18 I RENTED THE SAME TRAILER & WENT TO PICKUP THE CAR, (I LIVE 40 MLS FROM THERE). UPON TALKING WITH MR. LORD, THE 2 RECALLS WHERE PERFORMED & HE SAID THE TECHNICIAN LEFT BROCHURES IN THE CAR ON HOW THE MELTED TAIL LIGHT IS REPAIRED & THAT THE CAR IS TOO OLD FOR THEM TO DO IT. FIRST OFF, THANKS TO NHTSA WEB SITE, I LEARNED THAT THERE WHERE 210,000 OF THESE CARS RECALLED FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, BEGINNING WITH THE YEAR OF THIS CAR. 2ND, I 'VE NEVER KNOWN A RECALL TO EXPIRE UNTIL FIXED. I CALLED BMW RECALL BACK 5/2/18 &

20180413FireENGINE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW 325I. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO A SAFE AREA AND INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE COOLING FAN FAILED AND THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE AND THEN TO BRIAN HARRIS BMW (12336 AIRLINE HWY, BATON ROUGE, LA 70817, (225) 754-1200). THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

Compare 2001BMW325I to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2001 BMW 325I have?
The 2001 BMW 325I has 196 NHTSA complaints, 11 crashes, 8 fires, 27 injuries, and 1 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2001 BMW 325I?
Yes, the 2001 BMW 325I has 7 recall(s). The most common affected component is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2001 BMW 325I?
The most-complained component for the 2001 BMW 325I is AIR BAGS with 33 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include EXTERIOR LIGHTING and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Is the 2001 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.