2004 BMW 325I Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 62 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the 2004 BMW 325I, 42% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 114,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “takata air bags” (21% of reports).
- 62air bags complaints
- 114,000median miles at failure
- 4mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 3related recalls
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Takata air bags: mentioned in 13 of 62 complaints (21%)
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 17 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 62 complaints, 4 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 3 an injury.
BMW 325I air bags complaints by model year
When owners reported it
Related recalls (3)
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator moduleDo not drive
Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2000-2005 323iT, 325iT, 325xiT, 320i, 323i, 325i, 325xi, 328i, 330i and 330xi and 2000-2006 323Ci, 325Ci, 328Ci, 330Ci, M3 Coupe, 323Cic, 325Cic, 330Cic, and M3 Convertible vehicles equipped with non-desiccated frontal Takata PSAN inflators and PSPI passenger frontal air bag inflators containing phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant that were used as interim remedy parts for previous Takata recalls. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high 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: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger's front air bag, free of charge. The recall began February 13, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Air bagsDo not drive
Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2000 323i sedans, coupes, convertibles, and Sports Wagons; 2000 328i sedans and coupes; 2001-2005 325i sedans, coupes, convertibles, and Sport Wagons; 2001-2005 325xi sedans and Sports Wagons; 2006 325i coupes and convertibles; 2001-2006 330i sedans, coupes, and convertibles; 2001-2005 330xi sedans; and 2001-2006 M3 coupes and convertibles to address a safety defect in the passenger side frontal air bag which may produce excessive internal pressure that could cause the air bag inflator to rupture upon deployment of the air bag.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure could cause rupturing of the inflator resulting in metal fragments striking and potentially seriously injuring the passenger seat occupant or other occupants.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until they have been repaired. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger side frontal air bag, free of charge. An interim notice was mailed to owners in September 2014. A second notice was mailed when an adequate supply of parts became available, on December 1, 2014. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at [email protected].
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator moduleDo not drive
Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2002-2005 325i, 325xi, 330i, and 330xi Sedans, and 325xi and 325i Sportswagons, 2002-2006 330Ci, 325Ci, and M3 Convertibles and 325i, 330i, and M3 Coupes, 2002-2003 M5, 540i, 525i Sedan, and 530i Sedans, and 540i and 525i Sportswagons, and 2003 X5 3.0i and 4.4i Sports Activity Vehicles. Please note that the 5-series and X5 vehicles are only included if they are equipped with the optional sports steering wheel. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.
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 replace the front driver air bag module, free of charge. The recall began Aug 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Note: This recall supersedes recall 14V-348 in its entirety. Additionally, vehicles that have had their driver side frontal air bag replaced previously as part of a recall remedy need to have their air bag replaced under this recall as well. Note: On December 17, 2015 BMW removed the model year 2004 X5 3.0i and 4.4i Sports Activity vehicle from this recall. Those vehicles were mistakenly identified as including the air bags that are subject to this recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owned a 2004 BMW 325i. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V018000 (Air Bags) and requested to be removed from the recall distribution list as she no longer own the vehicle. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted.
The ground wire on my break light has burned through the 8 pin connector not only is this limiting my ability to warn other drivers it is a major fire hazard this was discovered during a recall service at the local dealership i do not believe. The proper steps have been taken to remedy this problem…
I was driving by myself on the freeway and a rubble the size of a basketball was rolling towards my path. I do not know if it fell from a construction vehicle or it already hit another car and that the rubble just ricochet towards me. Anyway i was going 65 miles per hour and was in the middle lane…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2004 BMW 325Is have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 62 owner complaints about air bags for the 2004 BMW 325I (42% of the 147 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2004 BMW 325I air bags?
Yes: 3 safety recalls list air bags. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do air bags problems start?
The median reported mileage is 114,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the 2004 BMW 325I?
The most frequent phrase is “takata air bags”, in 13 of 62 complaints.
See all 2004 BMW 325I problems or air bags problems across all 325I years.