Total Complaints
4 filings
BMW E46 · model year
1990 BMW E46
4 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1990BMWE46 carries 4 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 3 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 1990 E46 is electrical system with 1 filings, followed by air bags (1) and engine and engine cooling (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 E46. 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.
4
Complaints
0
Crashes
3
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 |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 |
| TIRES:SIDEWALL | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20071113TIRES:SIDEWALL
TURNING INTO A FAST-FOOD PARKING LOT (ABOUT A 130 DEGREE RIGHT TURN), THE LEFT FRONT TIRE STRUCK A SHORT (2" - 3") CURB AT ABOUT 3 - 5 MPH. THE SIDEWALL, MIDWAY BETWEEN THE TREAD AND THE WHEEL RIM BLEW OUT. A JAGGED "L" SHAPED BREACH SECTION ABOUT 3" IN TOTAL LENGTH WAS CLEARLY EVIDENT. THE EDGES OF THE TEAR WERE FORCED OUTWARD FROM THE INSIDE. THE IMPACT WAS SO MINOR THAT EVEN AFTER IMMEDIATELY DEFLATING THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE WHEEL RIM. *TR
Mileage: 149,700
20070417FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM
DAUGHTER DRIVING TO WORK IN MY 1990 BMW 735I CALLED ME ON CELL PHONE SAID SMELLED HOT WATER AND SOMETHING BURNING. TOLD HER TO PULL OVER AND PARK CAR I WAS ON THE WAY EARLY MORNING COLD. GOT TO CAR INSIDE WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE AND THE WINDOWS HAD WATER ON THE INSIDE OF THEM AND THE DRIVERS AIRBAG HAD TRIGGERED. FIRE DEPARTMENT ON THE SITE SAID IT APPEARS THAT THE HEATER CORE/SYSTEM HAD EXPLODED SHORTING OUT DRIVERS SIDE PANEL AND ELECTRONICS STARTING THE FIRE. DAUGHTER WAS LUCKY TO ESCAPE SINCE THE DOOR LOCKS LOCKED AND NO WAY TO OPEN THEM SINCE POWER DEAD. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO DASH AND WIRING ,SMOKE DAMAGE ETC. CONTACTED BMW BY E MAIL TOLD TO CALL LOCAL DEALER WHO SAID BRING CAR IN AND WE WILL LOOK AT IT. I HAVE NO MONEY TO SEND THE CAR TO DEALER FOR THEIR FAULTY PRODUCT WHICH COULD HAVE KILLED MY 18 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER,THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WHICH NEEDS ADDRESSED. *JB
Mileage: 213,000
20070417FireAIR BAGS
DAUGHTER DRIVING TO WORK IN MY 1990 BMW 735I CALLED ME ON CELL PHONE SAID SMELLED HOT WATER AND SOMETHING BURNING. TOLD HER TO PULL OVER AND PARK CAR I WAS ON THE WAY EARLY MORNING COLD. GOT TO CAR INSIDE WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE AND THE WINDOWS HAD WATER ON THE INSIDE OF THEM AND THE DRIVERS AIRBAG HAD TRIGGERED. FIRE DEPARTMENT ON THE SITE SAID IT APPEARS THAT THE HEATER CORE/SYSTEM HAD EXPLODED SHORTING OUT DRIVERS SIDE PANEL AND ELECTRONICS STARTING THE FIRE. DAUGHTER WAS LUCKY TO ESCAPE SINCE THE DOOR LOCKS LOCKED AND NO WAY TO OPEN THEM SINCE POWER DEAD. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO DASH AND WIRING ,SMOKE DAMAGE ETC. CONTACTED BMW BY E MAIL TOLD TO CALL LOCAL DEALER WHO SAID BRING CAR IN AND WE WILL LOOK AT IT. I HAVE NO MONEY TO SEND THE CAR TO DEALER FOR THEIR FAULTY PRODUCT WHICH COULD HAVE KILLED MY 18 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER,THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WHICH NEEDS ADDRESSED. *JB
Mileage: 213,000
20070417FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
DAUGHTER DRIVING TO WORK IN MY 1990 BMW 735I CALLED ME ON CELL PHONE SAID SMELLED HOT WATER AND SOMETHING BURNING. TOLD HER TO PULL OVER AND PARK CAR I WAS ON THE WAY EARLY MORNING COLD. GOT TO CAR INSIDE WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE AND THE WINDOWS HAD WATER ON THE INSIDE OF THEM AND THE DRIVERS AIRBAG HAD TRIGGERED. FIRE DEPARTMENT ON THE SITE SAID IT APPEARS THAT THE HEATER CORE/SYSTEM HAD EXPLODED SHORTING OUT DRIVERS SIDE PANEL AND ELECTRONICS STARTING THE FIRE. DAUGHTER WAS LUCKY TO ESCAPE SINCE THE DOOR LOCKS LOCKED AND NO WAY TO OPEN THEM SINCE POWER DEAD. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO DASH AND WIRING ,SMOKE DAMAGE ETC. CONTACTED BMW BY E MAIL TOLD TO CALL LOCAL DEALER WHO SAID BRING CAR IN AND WE WILL LOOK AT IT. I HAVE NO MONEY TO SEND THE CAR TO DEALER FOR THEIR FAULTY PRODUCT WHICH COULD HAVE KILLED MY 18 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER,THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WHICH NEEDS ADDRESSED. *JB
Mileage: 213,000
Compare 1990BMWE46 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1990 BMW E46 have?▼
The 1990 BMW E46 has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 3 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 BMW E46?▼
The most-complained component for the 1990 BMW E46 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include AIR BAGS and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING.
Is the 1990 BMW E46 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.