The 1978 BMW 320i has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 132,600 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 3 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the visibility. Last updated July 5, 2026.
WHEN SUBJECTED TO THE EXTREMELY HIGH TEMPERATURES THAT CAN OCCUR IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, THE DAMPER SLEEVES WHICH COVER THE RETURN SPRINGS OF THE ACCELERATOR CONTROL SYSTEM CAN DEFORM AND PREVENT THEIR RETURNING THE THROTTLE TO IDLE POSITION AFTER RELEASE OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL.
DEALER WILL REPLACE THE THROTTLE RETURN DAMPER SLEEVES WITH NEW SLEEVES OF HIGH TEMPERATURE-RESISTANT PLASTIC MATERIAL.
THE HEX HEAD BOLT THAT CONNECTS THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS TO TERMINAL #30 MAY NOT HAVE BEEN TIGHTENED TO THE PROPER TORQUE.
THE DEALER WILL REMOVE THE FUSE PANEL AND RETIGHTEN THE 5-MM HEX HEAD BOLT IN THE MAIN POWER TERMINAL UNDERNEATH THE FUSE PANEL, WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNER.
DUE TO THE HIGH FUEL FLOW RATE IN THE FUEL SYSTEM, CONDITIONS OF EXTREME ALTITUDE, TEMPERATURES, OR FUEL CONTAMINATION, MAY LEAD TO THE FORMATION OF FUEL VAPOR BUBBLES.
THE DEALER WILL INSTALL AN ADDITIONAL FUEL PUMP IN THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FUEL TANK AT NO CHARGE TO OWNER.
DUE TO A MATERIAL STUCTURAL DEFECT, THE RUBBER SEAL BETWEEN THE METAL VALVE STEM AND RIM ALLOWS SLOW SEEPAGE OF AIR AROUND THE VALVE BASE.
THE DEALER WILL REPLACE DEFECTIVE METAL TIRE VALVE STEMS AND RUBBER SEALS WITH NEW ONES, AT NO COST TO THE CUSTOMER.
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“After driving at 30 mph and sitting at a stop sign heater core exploded. Scalding hot water gushed from beneath the dash board. Consumer sustained third degree burns on the legs and feet. The seat belt latch would not come undone at the time of the incident. *ak”
“After driving at 30 mph and sitting at a stop sign heater core exploded. Scalding hot water gushed from beneath the dash board. Consumer sustained third degree burns on the legs and feet. The seat belt latch would not come undone at the time of the incident. *ak”
“The heater core ruptured causing servere injury to driving which resulted in property damage. *yc”
SPARK PLUG FOULING
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1978 BMW 320i as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.