2003 BMW E36 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other E36 years
- Not enough data 1st of 3 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- None on file
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 13 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 BMW E36. That is the most of any E36 model year in the database (3 years). The most reported problem area is power train (3 complaints, 23%), typically at around 30,000 miles. Complaints mention 2 crashes, 1 fire, 1 injury. There are no safety recalls on file for this model year.
- 13owner complaints
- 0safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 2complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 BMW E36 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 3 | 23% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 2 | 15% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 15% | — | — | — |
| Air Bags | 1 | 8% | — | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 8% | 37,500 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 8% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 8% | 56,030 | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 8% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 8% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 8% | 63,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 BMW E36 recalls (0)
No safety recalls are on file for the 2003 BMW E36.
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.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I recently purchased a 2003 bmw 325i in december 2007. Today (january 21, 2008), my wife drove the car to work and parked said vehicle in her required parking space. Than about two hours later a local police officer came in and informed her that the bmw started by itself and crashed into the police…
Delay in transmission engagement (20-30 seconds) when cold. Hazard on hill and entering traffic. *tr
Double vanos system on several models of bmw from 1999 to 2006, have defective vanos systems. The e39 double vanos (variable valve timing unit) has a malfunction problem. This double vanos can be found on 6-cyl engines m52tu, m54, and m56, found in several model cars, e39, e46, etc, years 99-03…
2003 bmw 525i with 56k miles. Driver seat heater was turned on while the engine was warming up and few seconds later, one spot on the seat started smoking and burning a whole. The engine and heater was turned off immediately which prevented the fire from spreading. Notified bmw north america and…
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 bmw s10 (na). The contact purchased aftermarket chrome rims online. While driving 75 mph, the rims separated from the tires and shattered into several pieces. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it currently remains. The vin and engine size were unknown. The…
Other BMW E36 years
See all BMW E36 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 2003 BMW E36?
Owners most often report power train, electrical system, tires problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 3 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 BMW E36?
No safety recalls are on file for this model year.
Was the 2003 BMW E36 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other E36 model years, the 2003 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.