RecallRepo

2001 BMW 320 Recalls

Recalls on record Updated July 2026

The 2001 BMW 320 has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 230,117 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 12 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine and engine cooling. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Recall campaigns

AIR BAGS 17V047000 2017-01-20 230,117 affected
Defect

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…

Consequence

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.

Remedy

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.

Complaints by component

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
3
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN
3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
1
1fires
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
1
SERVICE BRAKES
1
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
1
Total complaints12

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“While doing 55 mph on the expressway my vehicle engaged the brakes on it's own bringing us to a screaching, skidding stop in the middle of oncoming traffic. This was an extremely scary situation especially when traveling with your children in the car. The car was towed in to the dealership where…”

SERVICE BRAKES · reported 2012-08-17

“While doing 55 mph on the expressway my vehicle engaged the brakes on it's own bringing us to a screaching, skidding stop in the middle of oncoming traffic. This was an extremely scary situation especially when traveling with your children in the car. The car was towed in to the dealership where…”

ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) · reported 2012-08-17

“No summary listed for abov evehicle. *ak”

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE · reported 2001-06-21

“Vehicle cooling fan failed, many other bmw owners have experienced the same problem. The fan, made by siemens is defective and needs to be replaced by all vehicles which have this defect. Will cause people to be stranded due to engine overheating.”

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN · reported 2001-06-10

“This is a brand new vehicle, yet the engine overheats at 1828 miles. A lot of smoke came out of the hood and hindered visibility. The overheating happened very quickly and allowed me very little time to realize and to stop the vehicle. Once stopped, there appeared to be major leakage of…”

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM · reported 2001-06-09

“This is an acknowledeged problem from bmw. The manufacturer has claimed that the problem is not big enough to warrant a recall. Unfortunately many of us are being left stranded when the problem surfaces. Even though the problem is acknowledged bmw does not have the parts required to fix the…”

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM · reported 2001-06-08

“Cooling fan failure caused rapid overheating and coolant loss, disabling vehicle. *ak”

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN · reported 2001-05-19

“Vehicle overheated and then engine compartment caught fire. Car was a total loss”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD · reported 2001-05-12
Sources & methodology

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 320 as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.