Total Complaints
8 filings
BMW 325IX · model year
8 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2001BMW325IX carries 8 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 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 2001 325IX is engine and engine cooling:cooling system:fan with 2 filings, followed by latches/locks/linkages (2) and power train:automatic transmission (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 2001 325IX. 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.
Total Complaints
8 filings
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN | 2 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:REAR:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
IN VARYING TEMPERATURES THE ELECTRONIC DOOR LOCKS ON MY 2001 BMW 325IX FAIL TO WORK, RENDERING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO OPEN THE LOCKS ON THE THREE PASSENGER DOORS, EVEN MANUALLY FROM THE INSIDE. THE PROBLEM HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE OVER THE YEARS AND SEEMS TO INCREASE WHEN THE INTERIOR TEMPERATURE IN THE CAR GETS HOT (SUCH AS ON A SUNNY DAY AFTER SITTING). *TR
Mileage: 56,000
IN VARYING TEMPERATURES THE ELECTRONIC DOOR LOCKS ON MY 2001 BMW 325IX FAIL TO WORK, RENDERING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO OPEN THE LOCKS ON THE THREE PASSENGER DOORS, EVEN MANUALLY FROM THE INSIDE. THE PROBLEM HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE OVER THE YEARS AND SEEMS TO INCREASE WHEN THE INTERIOR TEMPERATURE IN THE CAR GETS HOT (SUCH AS ON A SUNNY DAY AFTER SITTING). *TR
Mileage: 56,000
DUE TO THE MALFUNCTIONING OF THE ELECTRONIC FOR DOOR LOCKS, THE DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK USING THE KEY PAD AND FROM THE CENTRAL CONSOLE LOCK BOTTOM FROM INSIDE THE CAR AND ALSO WITH THE MANUAL LOCK LEVER FROM INSIDE. BUT THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR WILL UNLOCK USING THE KEY MANUALLY FROM OUTSIDE. ONCE THE CAR IS AUTO LOCKED AFTER IT STARTS MOVING, THE DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK AND OPEN FROM INSIDE WITH THE MANUAL LEVER, EXCEPT THE DRIVER SIDE. THE CENTER COSOLE SWITCH WILL NOT UNLOCK ANY DOORS EXCEPT THE CARGO HATCH. MAIN SAFETY ISSUE IS AS FOLLOW: THE REAR SEAT AND FRONT RIGHT SIDE PASSENGERS CANNOT UNLOCK THEIR DOORS USING THE MANUAL LEVER ON THE DOOR. THIS CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. THIS FAILURE LOCKS THE OCCUPANTS OF THE CAR UNLESS THEY CRAWL TO THE DRIVER SIDE OR TO THE BACK CARGO DOOR. I HAVE NOT YET TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP. BUT I THOUGHT BMW NEEDS TO FIX THIS ON ALL CARS BEFORE SOME ONE GETS TRAPPED IN THE CAR AND CANNOT GET OUT TO SAFETY OR ESCAPE FROM THE CAR,
Mileage: 64,800
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW 330XI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE FAN DOES NOT SHUT OFF AND HAS DRAINED THE BATTERY. THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED, BUT THE FAN STILL DOES NOT SHUT OFF WHEN THE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF AND THE KEY IS REMOVED. HE TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND REMOVED THE KEY, BUT THE ENGINE FAN WAS STILL RUNNING AN HOUR LATER. THE CONTACT CURRENTLY DISCONNECTS THE FAN WHEN HE PARKS AND PLUGS IT BACK UP WHEN HE IS READY TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 01V206000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING: COOLING SYSTEM FAN) DOES NOT APPLY TO HIS VIN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 105,300. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. HE NOTICED SMOJE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. UPDATED 09/26/07. *JB
Mileage: 105,300
DEALER PERFORMING 60,000 MAINTENANCE CHECK ON 2001 BMW 325IX REPORTED THAT BOTH REAR SPRINGS WERE CRACKED. ALSO REPORTED THAT THEY HAD SEEN SIMILAR CRACKED SPRINGS ON A HALF DOZEN 3 SERIES CARS OF THE SAME VINTAGE (1999-2005) OVER THE LAST YEAR.*JB
Mileage: 62,000
TO WHOM THIS MAY CONCERN: I OWN A BMW 325XI 2001 MANUAL. A MANUAL SHIFTER IS DESIGNED TO GO TO THE MIDDLE WHEN IT IS IN NEUTRAL. THIS PROBLEM I HAVE CAUSES THE STICK SHIFT TO GO TO THE RIGHT (NEAR FIFTH GEAR) AND STAY THERE. I WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND SHIFTED INTO THE WRONG GEAR BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. I ALMOST BLEW THE ENGINE AND LOST CONTROL OF MY CAR. THIS IS A BIG SAFETY HAZARD. IF THE STICK SHIFT DOES NOT RETURN TO WHERE IT IS DESIGNED TO BE, THE DRIVE CAN GET CONFUSED RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH ONLINE AND I HAVE FOUND OVER 4000 COMPLAINS ABOUT THIS. I CHECKED FORUMS AND OTHER WEBSITES. THE DEALER INSTEAD OF REPLACING THE CORRECT PART (BUSHINGS) WANTS TO REPLACE THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION!!! WE ALL FEEL THAT NHTSA SHOULD STEP IN AND FORCE A RECALL. THE COMPANY IS NOT HELPING AT ALL! THEY WANT TO KEEP THIS IN THE DARK. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP. *JB
Mileage: 60,000
WHILE DRIVING 55 TO 60 MPH CONSUMER SMELT SOMETHING BURNING IN VEHICLE. CONSUMER PULLED VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD AND TURNED OFF ENGINE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. CONSUMER LOOKED AT OWNER'S MANUAL, AND MANUEL STATED TO PULL VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD. THERE WAS A MALFUNCTION IN TRANSMISSION SYSTEM AT 172 MILES. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER STATED LIGHT CAME ON SHOWING TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTIONED. *AK
WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY, CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE OVERHEATED, VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP AND CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE FAN IN WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT, CONSUMER WAS ALSO ADVISED THAT PART WAS ON BACK ORDER. *JB
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.