The 2001 BMW 3 Series has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 4,511 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 49 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the exterior lighting. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
AIR BAGS21V4010002021-05-274,511 affected
Defect
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…
Consequence
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.
Remedy
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.
Complaints by component
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
8
AIR BAGS
7
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
5
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
3
POWER TRAIN
3
SUSPENSION
3
WHEELS
3
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
2
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
2
SERVICE BRAKES
2
Total complaints49
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“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…”
“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…”
“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…”
“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…”
“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…”
“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…”
“The rear parking light went out in my car, so I purchased more bulbs, but the bulb never worked. I took my car to my bmw dealership for the takata recall, they checked the light too and said that a part in the housing had burned all the way down . I recently checked on recalls, and found that…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationEA02012 Opened 2002-07-15 · closed 2003-06-24
INADVERTENT SIDE-IMPACT AIR BAG DEPLOYME
THE SUBJECT VEHICLE'S AIR BAG ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE CONTAINS PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC FOR DEPLOYING THE SIDE-IMPACT AIR BAGS.BMW REVISED THE MODULE SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE SPAN OF THE MODEL YEARS 1999 THROUGH 2002 (IDENTIFIED AS MRS2.CA, MRS2.BB, MRS3, MRS3+ AND MRS4).ALTHOUGH MODEL YEAR 1999.5 VEHICLES WITH VERSION…
InvestigationPE02011 Opened 2002-01-31 · closed 2002-07-15
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2001 BMW 3 Series as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.