2001 BMW 3 Series Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other 3 Series years
- More complaints than other years 8th of 20 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 36 complaints with NHTSA about the 2001 BMW 3 Series. That ranks 8th out of 20 3 Series model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (8 complaints, 22%), typically at around 102,100 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 36owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2001 BMW 3 Series problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 8 | 22% | 102,100 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 8 | 22% | 96,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 6 | 17% | 89,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 11% | 201,445 | — | — |
| Power Train | 3 | 8% | 173,851 | — | — |
| Suspension | 3 | 8% | 22,500 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 8% | 119,200 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 6% | 116,700 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 6% | 125,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 6% | 12,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 2 | 6% | 61,250 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 6% | 117,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 3% | 22,500 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 3% | 120,090 | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 3% | 116,700 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 3% | 22,500 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2001 BMW 3 Series recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2000-2001 BMW 3 Series (323Ci, 325Ci, 328Ci and 330Ci), 1999-2001 323i, 328i, 330i, 330xi, and 2000 323i, 328i stationwagon vehicles equipped with Non-Azide Driver air bag Inflators (NADI) manufactured by Takata. These vehicles are equipped with driver-side air bag inflators that were previously inspected, but not replaced under recall numbers 19V-851, 19V852, or 19V-853. Due to a manufacturing issue, the NADI inflator may absorb moisture, causing the inflator to explode or the air bag cushion to underinflate.
Risk: The inflator could explode during air bag deployment, resulting in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants. An underinflated air bag may not properly protect the occupant. These scenarios increase the risk of serious injury or death.
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver-side air bag inflator with a newly designed inflator, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 12, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Inadvertent side-impact air bag deployme (EA02012) — opened Jul 15, 2002, closed Jun 24, 2003, led to recall 02V223000.
- Inadvertent side-impact air bag (PE02011) — opened Jan 31, 2002, closed Jul 15, 2002.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Complete disintegration of of a hanook ventus s1 noble while traveling at approximately 30 mph. Tire did not hit any obstacles, nor was the tire. Under or over inflated. Driven 17,000 miles before failure
While driving about 70 mph in a straight line on the highway, the dynamic stability control light turned on and the car jerked and stuttered almost as if it was braking on its own or locking up. This occurred twice today and is a significant safety issue as it was unexpected and could have led to a…
Our 2001 e46 has electronic door locks which are failing. My wife has found herself locked inside the car, unable to open the door. The locks freeze, and cannot be manually unlocked, trapping the occupant in the car. There is no mechanical override to the system. The incident occurred when she…
I took it to bmw dealer to fix the recall part--air bag module on may 01,2015, next day i went to pickup the car, they told me it is done. I had not look at the paper work. After the day before, i received final recall again, and then i look up the document, then i found out dealer had not change…
Was driving on hwy 99 getting ready to exit on jensen ave when i felt a bump then my driver curtain/ door airbag deployed. After further inspection i found damaged to the diver's rim and tire, brakes have been clicking ever since and suspension seems to be affected as well since car is been shaking…
Other BMW 3 Series years
← 2000 3 Series · 2002 3 Series →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 3 Series | 0 | 1 |
| 2013 3 Series | 21 | 0 |
| 2012 3 Series | 7 | 3 |
| 2011 3 Series | 1 | 2 |
| 2010 3 Series | 30 | 2 |
| 2009 3 Series | 53 | 1 |
| 2008 3 Series | 68 | 2 |
| 2007 3 Series | 115 | 1 |
| 2006 3 Series | 202 | 3 |
| 2005 3 Series | 25 | 0 |
| 2004 3 Series | 77 | 0 |
| 2003 3 Series | 73 | 0 |
| 2002 3 Series | 26 | 0 |
| 2001 | 36 | 1 |
| 2000 3 Series | 88 | 1 |
| 1999 3 Series | 6 | 1 |
| 1998 3 Series | 3 | 0 |
| 1997 3 Series | 5 | 0 |
| 1996 3 Series | 2 | 0 |
| 1995 3 Series | 3 | 0 |
See all BMW 3 Series problems by year, every BMW model, or the BMW VIN decoder.
Similar BMW models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2001 BMW 3 Series?
Owners most often report air bags, exterior lighting, electrical system problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 8 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2001 BMW 3 Series?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2001 BMW 3 Series a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other 3 Series model years, the 2001 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.