Total Complaints
9 filings
BMW BMW · model year
2002 BMW BMW
9 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2002BMWBMW carries 9 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 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 2002 BMW is exterior lighting:headlights with 2 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (1) and fuel system, gasoline:delivery (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 24 investigation files overlapping the 2002 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.
9
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 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 |
|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 |
| EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20040422POWER TRAIN
MY BMW M3CI IS AGAIN IN THE SHOP. IN THE LAST 23K MILES, THE CAR HAS SEEN THE SHOP MORE THAN ANYONE'S IMAGINATION. NOW THE ENGINE REVS HIGH AT IDLE, TRANSMISSION LIGHT (SMG 2 OF M3) CAME ON, WHICH NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW WHY, AND MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEARED. THE CAR NOW VIBRATE TRHOUGH OUT THE CABIN AND AT STEERING WHEEL IT VIBRATES ABNORMALLY. THE DEALER TRIES TO DOWN PLAY IT. IT'S BEEN IN TH SHOP FOR THE LAST 14 DAYS, AND STILL NO ENDING INSIGHT
Mileage: 20,000
20040422ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
MY BMW M3CI IS AGAIN IN THE SHOP. IN THE LAST 23K MILES, THE CAR HAS SEEN THE SHOP MORE THAN ANYONE'S IMAGINATION. NOW THE ENGINE REVS HIGH AT IDLE, TRANSMISSION LIGHT (SMG 2 OF M3) CAME ON, WHICH NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW WHY, AND MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEARED. THE CAR NOW VIBRATE TRHOUGH OUT THE CABIN AND AT STEERING WHEEL IT VIBRATES ABNORMALLY. THE DEALER TRIES TO DOWN PLAY IT. IT'S BEEN IN TH SHOP FOR THE LAST 14 DAYS, AND STILL NO ENDING INSIGHT
Mileage: 20,000
20040422EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL
MY BMW M3CI IS AGAIN IN THE SHOP. IN THE LAST 23K MILES, THE CAR HAS SEEN THE SHOP MORE THAN ANYONE'S IMAGINATION. NOW THE ENGINE REVS HIGH AT IDLE, TRANSMISSION LIGHT (SMG 2 OF M3) CAME ON, WHICH NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW WHY, AND MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEARED. THE CAR NOW VIBRATE TRHOUGH OUT THE CABIN AND AT STEERING WHEEL IT VIBRATES ABNORMALLY. THE DEALER TRIES TO DOWN PLAY IT. IT'S BEEN IN TH SHOP FOR THE LAST 14 DAYS, AND STILL NO ENDING INSIGHT
Mileage: 20,000
20030722FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
BMW, R1150R, 2002; THE CONSUMER STATED UPON COLD START, THE MOTORCYCLE LEAKED 2 OUNCES OF FUEL ONTO THE EXHAUST. THE DEALER SAID THE PROBLEM WAS THE O RINGS ON QUICK DISCONNECT FUEL LINES. *AK *CB *JB
Mileage: 5,500
20020814FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
BMW, R1150R, 2002;GAS LEAK COMING FROM VEHICLE. CONSUMER CAN SMELL GAS, AND GAS IS ALL OVER THE GARAGE FLOOR. CONSUMER IS CONCERNED FOR HIS SAGETY. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
20020812FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY
SPONTANEOUS FUEL LEAK FROM QUICKCONNECT DEVICES AND FUEL HOSE CLAMPS. THE CRIMP TYPE CLAMP LOOSENS OVER TIME; LEAKED FUEL COULD SPILL ON CATALYTIC CONVERTER.
20020620ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHILE IN TRAFFIC ON THE HIGHWAY, THE ENGINE DIED WITHOUT ANY WARNING. DEALER SERVICED THE VEHICLE ON 04/15/2002 BECAUSE OF DIFFICULTIES IN STARTING THE ENGINE. FAILURE OF THE ENGINE WHILE IN TRAFFIC OF 60+ MPH PLACED MYSELF AND A PASSENGER IN GREAT PERIL BECAUSE I WAS UNABLE TO PUT THE CAR ON THE SHOULDER WHEN THE ENGINE DIED WITH THE CAR IN A TRAFFIC LANE. I WANT TO KNOW IF BMW HAS EXPERIENCED SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH OTHER NEW MODELS AND WHAT IS GOING TO BE DONE TO PREVENT ANOTHER OCCURRENCE. THE CAR IS ONLY A FEW MONTHS OLD.*AK
20020520EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
ALL XENON HEADLIGHTS SHOULD BE BANNED. THEY BLIND ONCOMING DRIVERS !!*AK
20020520EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
ALL XENON HEADLIGHTS SHOULD BE BANNED. THEY BLIND ONCOMING DRIVERS !!*AK
Compare 2002BMWBMW to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2002 BMW BMW have?▼
The 2002 BMW BMW has 9 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2002 BMW BMW?▼
The most-complained component for the 2002 BMW BMW is EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE and FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY.
Is the 2002 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.