1999 BMW M3 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other M3 years
- About as many complaints as other years 15th of 28 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 11 complaints with NHTSA about the 1999 BMW M3. That ranks 15th out of 28 M3 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (5 complaints, 45%), typically at around 95,000 miles. Complaints mention 3 crashes, 2 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 11owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 3complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1999 BMW M3 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 | 5 | 45% | 95,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 18% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 18% | — | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 9% | 13,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 1 | 9% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 9% | 95,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 9% | 40,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1999 BMW M3 recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:side/window
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. These vehicles are built with a side air bag system consisting of door-mounted thorax air bags (rear door air bags are optional), a central electronic sensor and diagnostic system, left and right satellite impact sensors, and associated wiring. This system is unduly sensitive to certain non-crash impacts, such as contacting large potholes or curbs at substantial speed.
Risk: This could cause the side air bag to deploy without an actual side crash. In addition, the battery safety terminal (bst) could also activate, disconnecting the starter cable from the battery. In this case, the vehicle's electrical system could continue to operate and the engine would continue to run, but after stopping, could not be restarted.
Fix: Dealers will reprogram the central computer control module that regulates the performance of all of the vehicle's occupant protection systems.
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
- Inadvertant side airbag deployment (RQ99018) — opened Sep 3, 1999, still open, led to recall 99V063001.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Air bag warning light is on. Diagnosis: passenger air bag electronics are faulty and need to be replaced. Cost to repair is over $500 per dealer. Bmw should have a recall for this but they do not show this with my vin. Please help. Thank you. *tr
The material used on the bmw steering wheel melts at the touch of sunlight- doesn't have to be a hot temperature. The melting of the steering wheel restricts me from using the horn and could very well have affected the airbag and/or deployment of the airbag. Also, it's sticky, my fingerprints and…
The distance between the brake pedal and the gas pedal is too close and poses a danger when moving from the gas pedal to the brake. Your foot can become entangled under the brake pedal.
Tl * - the contact owns a 1999 bmw m3. The vehicle was purchased on january 21, 2007, with 2 bald rear tires. The dealer has not agreed to replace the tires. Bridgestone, potenza , dot # emh8cka. The contact thought the size was 18. The contact has not experienced any failures at this time…
Dt*: the contact stated while driving, the oil light came on and the engine made a grinding noise. The contact pulled over and checked the oil. The oil was full. The vehicle was taken to the dealership who determined an oil pan nut fell off into the oil pan causing an oil pump failure which burn…
Other BMW M3 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 M3 | 2 | 0 |
| 2023 M3 | 1 | 1 |
| 2022 M3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2021 M3 | 3 | 3 |
| 2018 M3 | 9 | 0 |
| 2017 M3 | 3 | 2 |
| 2016 M3 | 5 | 3 |
| 2015 M3 | 4 | 3 |
| 2014 M3 | 0 | 1 |
| 2013 M3 | 13 | 2 |
| 2012 M3 | 6 | 3 |
| 2011 M3 | 31 | 4 |
| 2010 M3 | 15 | 4 |
| 2009 M3 | 45 | 5 |
| 2008 M3 | 82 | 5 |
| 2007 M3 | 0 | 3 |
| 2006 M3 | 14 | 5 |
| 2005 M3 | 12 | 3 |
| 2004 M3 | 31 | 3 |
| 2003 M3 | 54 | 5 |
| 2002 M3 | 40 | 5 |
| 2001 M3 | 14 | 4 |
| 2000 M3 | 0 | 2 |
| 1999 | 11 | 1 |
| 1998 M3 | 14 | 1 |
| 1997 M3 | 19 | 2 |
| 1996 M3 | 1 | 1 |
| 1995 M3 | 12 | 4 |
See all BMW M3 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 1999 BMW M3?
Owners most often report air bags, service brakes, hydraulic, tires problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 5 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1999 BMW M3?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1999 BMW M3 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other M3 model years, the 1999 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.