1995 BMW 3 Series

Routine

Owners filed 3 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic › antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip. It has been recalled 4 times.

What fails

Component	Reports	Crashes
Unknown or Other	1	0
Suspension › Front › Wheel Bearing	1	1
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	1	0

4 safety recalls

Part 573 reports

Exterior Lighting06E064000

Filed Jul 17, 20064,029 vehiclesTradesonic

Defect. CERTAIN TRADESONIC COMBINATION LAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. COMBINATION LAMPS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

Risk. LACK OF AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS IN THE LAMPS WILL DECREASE LIGHTING VISIBILITY TO OTHER DRIVERS AND MAY POSSIBLY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy. TRADESONIC WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING JULY 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TRADESONIC AT 626-934-8884.

Exterior Lighting06E044000

Filed May 22, 20061,215 vehiclesJ & A Auto Accessories

Defect. CERTAIN J & A AUTO ACCESSORIES COMBINATION HEADLAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

Risk. WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy. J & A AUTO ACCESSORIES WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE HEADLAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 10, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT J & A AUTO ACCESSORIES AT 310-327-4981.

Exterior Lighting06E026000

Filed Mar 23, 200661,944 vehiclesPro-A Motors, Inc.

Defect. CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

Risk. WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy. PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.

Exterior Lighting › Headlights06E023000

Filed Mar 13, 2006292,000 vehiclesAnzo Usa, Inc.

Defect. CERTAIN ANZO COMBINATION HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS WHICH FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."

Risk. WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy. ANZO WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE HEADLAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN MAY 9, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT ANZO USA AT 909-468-3688.

What owners reported

Newest filings

Suspension › Front › Wheel BearingCrash

Filed Sep 6, 2005100,000 miles00

SUDDEN WHEEL BEARING FAILURE - LITTLE OR NO SYMPTOMS BEFORE FAILURE. SEVERE OR TOTAL LOSS OF CONTROL. SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH SEALED UNIT ANGULAR CONTACT UNITS ON ALL BMW'S THIS HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES ON OUR VEHICLES - RESULTING IN ONE CRASH. WE KNOW OF OTHER SIMILAR INCIDENTS. *JB

Unknown or Other

Filed Jan 15, 2004AK

I HAVE BEEN SOLD A USED CAR THAT HAS HAD THE ODOMETER ROLLED BACK. I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE FOR UNDER A YEAR AND NEED TO KNOW WHAT IS A GOOD PLAN OF ACTION.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

Filed Mar 17, 200375,000 milesFL

ABS BRAKES FAILED. THE ABS BRAKES FAILED TO WORK. INDICATOR LIGHT NOW ON. BRAKE RELAYS OK. BMW DEALER UNABLE TO FIX. THEY SAY THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS OR WHERE TO BEGIN. *NLM

3 of 3 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2006

Year	Complaints	Recalls	Fires	Assessment
2023	0	1	0	Routine
2013	21	0	0	Routine
2012	7	3	0	Routine
2011	1	3	0	Routine
2010	30	3	1	Routine
2009	53	2	2	Routine
2008	68	3	4	Routine
2007	115	2	4	Routine
2006	202	4	1	Above average
2005	25	0	1	Routine
2004	77	0	3	Routine
2003	73	0	0	Routine
2002	26	0	0	Routine
2001	36	1	0	Routine
2000	88	1	2	Routine
1999	6	1	0	Routine
1998	3	4	0	Routine
1997	5	4	0	Routine
1996	2	4	0	Routine
1995 — this page	3	4	0	Routine
1994	1	3	0	Routine
1993	0	3	0	Routine
1992	0	3	0	Routine

Compare every 3 Series year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Jul 17, 2006. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.