How many recalls does the 2005 BMW M3 have?

The 2005 BMW M3 has 3 NHTSA safety recall campaigns on record.

How do I check if my 2005 BMW M3 has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN at NHTSA's official recall lookup (nhtsa.gov/recalls) to see open, unrepaired recalls for your specific vehicle. Recall repairs are free.

What do owners complain about most on the 2005 BMW M3?

Of 12 NHTSA complaints on file, the most-reported component is air bags.

2005 BMW M3 Recalls

Recalls on record Updated July 2026

The 2005 BMW M3 has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 1,286,190 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 12 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the air bags. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Recall campaigns

AIR BAGS 20V018000 2020-01-15 292,948 affected

Defect

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2000-2005 323iT, 325iT, 325xiT, 320i, 323i, 325i, 325xi, 328i, 330i and 330xi and 2000-2006 323Ci, 325Ci, 328Ci, 330Ci, M3 Coupe, 323Cic, 325Cic, 330Cic, and M3 Convertible vehicles equipped with non-desiccated frontal Takata PSAN inflators and PSPI passenger…

Consequence

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger's front air bag, free of charge. The recall began February 13, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

AIR BAGS 14V428000 2018-06-11 574,007 affected

Defect

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2000 323i sedans, coupes, convertibles, and Sports Wagons; 2000 328i sedans and coupes; 2001-2005 325i sedans, coupes, convertibles, and Sport Wagons; 2001-2005 325xi sedans and Sports Wagons; 2006 325i coupes and convertibles; 2001-2006 330i sedans,…

Consequence

In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure could cause rupturing of the inflator resulting in metal fragments striking and potentially seriously injuring the passenger seat occupant or other occupants.

Remedy

Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until they have been repaired. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger side frontal air bag, free of charge. An interim notice was mailed to owners in September 2014. A second notice was mailed when an adequate supply of parts became available,…

AIR BAGS 15V318000 2015-05-28 419,235 affected

Defect

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2002-2005 325i, 325xi, 330i, and 330xi Sedans, and 325xi and 325i Sportswagons, 2002-2006 330Ci, 325Ci, and M3 Convertibles and 325i, 330i, and M3 Coupes, 2002-2003 M5, 540i, 525i Sedan, and 530i Sedans, and 540i and 525i Sportswagons, and 2003 X5 3.0i…

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 replace the front driver air bag module, free of charge. The recall began Aug 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Note: This recall supersedes recall 14V-348 in…

Complaints by component

AIR BAGS

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

POWER TRAIN

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

VISIBILITY

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD

Total complaints12

What owners report

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

“Evaporator core design flaw is conducive to mold and mildew buildup. Overtime, the bacteria can build up to the point where it will release into the ventilation system upon use causing unsafe health environments for both drivers and passengers. Standard cleaning procedures provided by bmw are not…”

UNKNOWN OR OTHER · reported 2018-05-19

“Takata recall I've been on the waiting list for almost a year at bmw san francisco. What is a "reasonable period of time" to wait for this repair?”

AIR BAGS · reported 2016-08-29

“Tl* the contact owns a 2005 bmw m3. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 14v428000 (air bags) however, the part needed to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was…”

AIR BAGS · reported 2015-03-10

“Tl* the contact owns a 2005 bmw m3. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 14v428000 (air bags); however, the part needed to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The…”

AIR BAGS · reported 2014-07-15

“Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2005 bmw m3. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 15v318000 (air bags) and 14v428000 (air bags); however, the parts for the repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the…”

AIR BAGS · reported 2014-07-15

“Smg transmission light came on and randomly went into neutral while driving down the four lane and almost caused an accident. Light went off and it seemed fine l for a couple weeks and same happened again when I was on the interstate taking my son to the hospital. I called bmw and was informed…”

POWER TRAIN · reported 2013-08-10

“My vehicle has 87,000 miles and I was just informed that the vanos had failed. This is the second time this issue has occurred with this car, however the vehicle is now out of warranty and they want to charge me almost $5,000 to fix. I've been the only owner for this vehicle and never had…”

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING · reported 2011-08-26

“There are no visual signs of this failure unless the valve cover to the engine is removed. Upon removal there is a metal fragment that is running loose underneath the valve cover. When this metal piece falls out it can enter the timing chain and cause the engine to seize and the vehicle to have…”

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE · reported 2011-07-21

Defect investigations

Investigation DP09002 Opened 2009-04-08 · closed 2009-08-06

REAR LAMP ILLUMINATION

IN MARCH 2009, THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) RECEIVED A PETITION FROM MR. MARK PETERS REQUESTING AN INVESTIGATION OF REAR LAMP FAILURE IN MODEL YEAR 2002-2005 BMW 3-SERIES VEHICLES.AN INFORMATION REQUEST LETTER WAS SENT TO BMW IN APRIL 2009, AND ODI RECEIVED BMW'S RESPONSE IN JUNE 2009.THE TAIL LAMP…

Investigation DP09002 Opened 2009-04-08 · closed 2009-08-06

REAR LAMP ILLUMINATION

Investigation DP09002 Opened 2009-04-08 · closed 2009-08-06

REAR LAMP ILLUMINATION

Investigation DP09002 Opened 2009-04-08 · closed 2009-08-06