Total Complaints
3 filings
BMW E46 · model year
1994 BMW E46
3 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1994BMWE46 carries 3 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 1994 E46 is electrical system:ignition:anti-theft:control module with 1 filings, followed by power train:automatic transmission (1) and exterior lighting:brake lights:switch (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 1994 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.
3
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 |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL MODULE | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20071017EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 BMW E46. THE CONTACT HAS NOT YET RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER FOR HIS VEHICLE. HE MOVED, WHICH MAY BE THE REASON WHY HE HAS NOT RECEIVED IT IN THE MAIL. THE CONTACT FELT THAT THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE REPAIRED FOR FREE EVEN THOUGH HE HAS NOT RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER. HE STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH DOES NOT WORK AT ALL. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER FOR THE BRAKE LIGHT REPAIR. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 116,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
20070901POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
I WAS RECENTLY DRIVING A 1994 BMW 740I WITH APPROXIMATELY 110,000 MILES ON IT, IT HAD BEEN TAKEN CARE OF VERY WELL, AND UNEXPECTEDLY THE TRANSMISSION WILL "REST" IN A NEUTRAL STATE WHEN IT IS PUT INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE. THIS MEANS IT WILL GO BACKWARDS WHEN IT IS ON AN INCLINE, MAKING IT VERY UNSAFE. THIS PROBLEM DID NOT EXIST PREVIOUSLY WITH THE VEHICLE, AND AFTER MANY MANY HOURS OF RESEARCHING ONLINE, THIS PROBLEM AFFECTS MANY DIFFERENT MODELS OF VEHICLE THAT BMW MAKES. *JB
Mileage: 110,000
20070126ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL MODULE
I WAS TRAPPED INSIDE MY BMW BECAUSE OF A FAULTY DOUBLE-LOCKING ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM. IT WAS QUITE TRAUMATIC. BMW USA REFUSES TO BE OF ANY HELP....OR TO REPLACE THE DOUBLE LOCKING SYSTEM SOFTWARE BECAUSE OF THE VEHICLE'S AGE, DESPITE THE CANADIAN AND USA RECALL OF SIMILAR SOFTWARE SYSTEMS. THE CAR WAS IMMOBILIZED AND THE WINDOWS UNABLE TO OPEN. (THE OWNER'S MANUAL NOTES THIS SYSTEM IS NOT TO BE ENGAGED WHILE PASSENGERS ARE IN THE VEHICLE. THERE IS "POSITIVELY" NO WAY OUT, IT SAYS, AND THE ONLY WAY TO DISABLE THE SYSTEM IS TO USE THE MASTER KEY ON THE OUTSIDE DRIVER'S DOOR LOCK). AFTER ONE HOUR, THE ONLY WAY OUT WAS FOR SOMEONE TO BREAK THE GLASS WINDOW FROM THE OUTSIDE FOR ME TO EXIT. THIS SYSTEM HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED, HOWEVER, MY RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THE BMW 525IS DOUBLE LOCKING SYSTEM WAS RECALLED IN 1994 (FOR THE SAME DOUBLE LOCKING SYSTEM-SEE BELOW) THERE IS A CANADIAN RECALL, I LEARNED IN MY RESEARCH ALSO (SEE BELOW) UNITED STATES RECALL FOR THE 525 SERIES (NOT THE 530 WH
Compare 1994BMWE46 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1994 BMW E46 have?▼
The 1994 BMW E46 has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1994 BMW E46?▼
The most-complained component for the 1994 BMW E46 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL MODULE with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION and EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH.
Is the 1994 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.