2002 BMW 325 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other 325 years
- Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 16 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 26 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 BMW 325. That ranks 2nd out of 16 325 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (6 complaints, 23%), typically at around 110,000 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash, 1 fire, 1 injury. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.
- 26owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2002 BMW 325 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 | 6 | 23% | 110,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 6 | 23% | 43,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 3 | 12% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 3 | 12% | 145,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 8% | 113,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 2 | 8% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 8% | 13,275 | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 4% | 18,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 4% | 28,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 1 | 4% | 24,312 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 4% | 112,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 4% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2002 BMW 325 recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator moduleDo not drive
Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2000-2002 325i and 325xi Sedan, and 323Ci, 325Ci, and 330Ci Convertible vehicles. This recall affects certain vehicles that may have had a driver-side air bag module installed as replacement equipment such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bag, or as a remedy part for a prior recall. The frontal air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the vehicle has been remedied. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace the driver's air bag module, free of charge. The recall began November 7, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Note: This recall is an expansion of previous recalls, numbers 17V-047 and 19V-015.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator moduleDo not drive
Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2000-2002 BMW 320i, 323i, 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi, 323Ci, 325Ci, 330Ci, M3, 323iT, 325iT and 325xiT vehicles, 2001-2002 525i, 530i, 540i, M5, 525iT and 540iT vehicles, and 2001-2003 X5 3.0i, X5 4.4i, and X5 4.6is vehicles. These vehicles may have had a driver-side air bag module installed as replacement equipment such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bag, or as a remedy part for a prior recall. These replacement modules contain an air bag inflator that may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to lower absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the vehicle has been remedied. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver side air bag module, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 15, 2017. 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
- Rear Lamp Illumination (EA09019) — opened Dec 18, 2009, closed Sep 28, 2011, led to recall 11V438000.
- Rear lamp illumination (PE09036) — opened Aug 7, 2009, closed Dec 22, 2009, led to recall 11V438000.
- Rear lamp illumination (DP09002) — opened Apr 8, 2009, closed Aug 6, 2009.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
"takata recall" i am told that part is out of stock and do not know when or if it will be in stock.
Takata recall. We are under recall 17v047. For four months, we have been calling and doing on-line chats with bmw of mobile (mobile, alabama). Every call or chat ends with them asking for our phone number and email address. They say they will contact us shortly with info on when or if the recall…
Can not unlock car in any way. The relays in the gm5 module which give power to the actuators become weak and can not open car. Car can not be opened with car key as key hole is also electronic. In the end i cant get inside the car.
While vehicle was in motion on a straight highway, the passenger in the right rear seat leaned forward, extending the shoulder seat belt from its retractor. The right rear seat belt failed to retract when the passenger sat upright and will not retract now that the vehicle is parked on level ground.
Takata recall. My complaint concerns the delay in parts availability to fix driver's side airbag. This is taking way to long and am worried as to possibility of injury, or worse, if involve in an accident. In my opinion "lack of parts" is taking way too long .nothing has happened yet.
Other BMW 325 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 325 | 0 | 1 |
| 2011 325 | 0 | 1 |
| 2010 325 | 0 | 1 |
| 2009 325 | 0 | 1 |
| 2008 325 | 1 | 1 |
| 2007 325 | 0 | 1 |
| 2006 325 | 8 | 1 |
| 2003 325 | 9 | 0 |
| 2002 | 26 | 2 |
| 2001 325 | 31 | 2 |
| 2000 325 | 0 | 2 |
| 1999 325 | 2 | 0 |
| 1998 325 | 4 | 0 |
| 1997 325 | 1 | 0 |
| 1996 325 | 4 | 0 |
| 1995 325 | 23 | 0 |
See all BMW 325 problems by year, every BMW model, or the BMW VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2002 BMW 325?
Owners most often report air bags, electrical system, latches/locks/linkages problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 6 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2002 BMW 325?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2002 BMW 325 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other 325 model years, the 2002 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.