BMW BMW · model year

2001 BMW BMW

12 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2001BMWBMW carries 12 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 4 fires, 4 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 BMW is engine and engine cooling:cooling system:fan with 2 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:cooling system:radiator assembly (2) and service brakes, hydraulic (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 24 investigation files overlapping the 2001 BMW. 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.

12
Complaints
1
Crashes
4
Fires
4
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

12 filings

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

ComponentCount
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY2
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM1
TIRES1
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL1
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING1

Recent Complaints

20040220ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS VEHICLE STALLED, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. *AK

20040107AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW

WHILE TRAVELING AT 60 MPH SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON. *AK

20030407CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL

WHILE TURNING AT A 90 DEGREE ANGLE THE VEHICLE VEHICLE SLID ON SAND IN THE ROADWAY AND COLLIDED HEAD-ON WITH A TREE. NEITHER THE DRIVER NOR PASSENGER FRONT AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. *NLM

20030404SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

BRAKE AND INSPECTION FAILURE. GLADYS HUTCHERSON IS ANSWERING THE LETTER REFERENCE 10009266 FOR SAME PROBLEMS.(BMW 2001). *JB

Mileage: 13,000

20030306SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

THE BRAKES FAILED STATE INSPECTION, AT 13000 MILES.*AK *JB

Mileage: 13,000

20011126TIRES

TIRES DID NOT FAIL, BUT CAUSE ABRUPT STEERING JERKS WHEN SLOWING OR STOPPING AND AT OTHER TIMES (DOT NUMBER: DMDF10Y TIRESIZE: 225/45ZR17)

20010816FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN

ONE MONTH AFTER DELIVERY OF BRAND NEW BMW 325 XI, IT OVERHEATED AND WAS TOWED DUE TO A DEFECTIVE COOLING FAN. NEW COUNTRY MOTOR CARS CLAIMED TO HAVE REPLACED THE DEFECTICE COOLING FAN WITH A "POST-RECALL" COOLING FAN. ONE MONTH LATER, IT OVERHEATED AGAIN. THIS TIME, THE COOLANT THERMOSTAT WAS REPLACED. ONE WEEK LATER, IT OVERHEATED FOR THE THIRD TIME. AGAIN, THE FAN WAS REPLACED. IN SUM, MY BRAND-NEW BMW OVERHEATED (WAS TOWED, SERVICED ETC.) THREE TIMES IN A TWO-MONTH PERIOD AND THE DEALERSHIP AND THE MANUFACTURER HAVE REFUSED TO EITHER GIVE ME MY MONEY BACK OR PROVIDE ME WITH A REPLACEMENT CAR.

20010816FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY

ONE MONTH AFTER DELIVERY OF BRAND NEW BMW 325 XI, IT OVERHEATED AND WAS TOWED DUE TO A DEFECTIVE COOLING FAN. NEW COUNTRY MOTOR CARS CLAIMED TO HAVE REPLACED THE DEFECTICE COOLING FAN WITH A "POST-RECALL" COOLING FAN. ONE MONTH LATER, IT OVERHEATED AGAIN. THIS TIME, THE COOLANT THERMOSTAT WAS REPLACED. ONE WEEK LATER, IT OVERHEATED FOR THE THIRD TIME. AGAIN, THE FAN WAS REPLACED. IN SUM, MY BRAND-NEW BMW OVERHEATED (WAS TOWED, SERVICED ETC.) THREE TIMES IN A TWO-MONTH PERIOD AND THE DEALERSHIP AND THE MANUFACTURER HAVE REFUSED TO EITHER GIVE ME MY MONEY BACK OR PROVIDE ME WITH A REPLACEMENT CAR.

20010813FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN

ONE MONTH AFTER DELIVERY OF BRAND NEW BMW 325 XI, IT OVERHEATED AND WAS TOWED DUE TO A DEFECTIVE COOLING FAN. NEW COUNTRY MOTOR CARS CLAIMED TO HAVE REPLACED THE DEFECTICE COOLING FAN WITH A "POST-RECALL" COOLING FAN. ONE MONTH LATER, IT OVERHEATED AGAIN. THIS TIME, THE COOLANT THERMOSTAT WAS REPLACED. ONE WEEK LATER, IT OVERHEATED FOR THE THIRD TIME. AGAIN, THE FAN WAS REPLACED. IN SUM, MY BRAND-NEW BMW OVERHEATED (WAS TOWED, SERVICED ETC.) THREE TIMES IN A TWO-MONTH PERIOD AND THE DEALERSHIP AND THE MANUFACTURER HAVE REFUSED TO EITHER GIVE ME MY MONEY BACK OR PROVIDE ME WITH A REPLACEMENT CAR.

20010813FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY

ONE MONTH AFTER DELIVERY OF BRAND NEW BMW 325 XI, IT OVERHEATED AND WAS TOWED DUE TO A DEFECTIVE COOLING FAN. NEW COUNTRY MOTOR CARS CLAIMED TO HAVE REPLACED THE DEFECTICE COOLING FAN WITH A "POST-RECALL" COOLING FAN. ONE MONTH LATER, IT OVERHEATED AGAIN. THIS TIME, THE COOLANT THERMOSTAT WAS REPLACED. ONE WEEK LATER, IT OVERHEATED FOR THE THIRD TIME. AGAIN, THE FAN WAS REPLACED. IN SUM, MY BRAND-NEW BMW OVERHEATED (WAS TOWED, SERVICED ETC.) THREE TIMES IN A TWO-MONTH PERIOD AND THE DEALERSHIP AND THE MANUFACTURER HAVE REFUSED TO EITHER GIVE ME MY MONEY BACK OR PROVIDE ME WITH A REPLACEMENT CAR.

20010809FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM

INTERMITTENTLY MOTORCYCLE WILL STALL AND DIE WHEN ACCELERATING OR DECELERATING, PROBLEM PERSISTS AFTER 4 FAILD ATTEMPS TO FIX.

20000926ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH

BMW HAS ISSUED A BULLETIN ON THE COMPUTER FAILURE WHICH CAUSES THE SUV TO STALL AT 10-20MPH. VERY DANGEROUS AT INTERSECTIONS. I ALMOST HAD A BAD ACCIDENT. VEHICLE IS DANGEROUS UNTIL COMPUTER REPROGRAMED. BMW SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL. PRESENTLY THEY ARE CASUALLY TELLING NEW OWNERS TO BRING IN WHEN CONVENIENT.

Compare 2001BMWBMW to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2001 BMW BMW have?
The 2001 BMW BMW has 12 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 4 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2001 BMW BMW?
The most-complained component for the 2001 BMW BMW is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC.
Is the 2001 BMW BMW 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.