Car Problem DataNHTSA records

1998 BMW 320

Routine

Owners filed 6 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the seat belts › front › anchorage. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Visibility › Rearview Mirrors/Devices › Exterior1
000
Unknown or Other1
000
Seat Belts › Front › Anchorage1
000
Power Train › Automatic Transmission1
000
Exterior Lighting › Turn Signal › Switch1
000
Electrical System › Wiring › Fuses and Circuit Breakers1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Jun 18, 2001CA

THIS IS 2ND FAILED TRANSMISSION IN 58577 MILES. ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION FAILED AT APPROX 21000 AND WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY BY BMW. CREVIER BMW WAS INFORMED OF PROBLEMS WITH 2ND TRANSMISSION MAY 2000 AND STATED THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, THOUGH MADE NOTE OF ISSUE. ON JUNE 17, 2001 TRANSMISSION FAILED AND CAR TOWED TO SAVAGE BMW, ONTARIO CA, WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED FAILED TRANSMISSION. STATED CAR NOT UNDER WARRANTY, THOUGH WOULD CONTACT BMW CORPORATE. I FIND IT INCONCEIVABLE THAT A MANUAL TRANSMISSION WILL FAIL APPROXIMATELY EVERY 30,000 MILES. SERVICE DEALER AT SAVAGE BMW STATED THIS IS ONLY THE 3RD MANUAL TRANSMISSION HE'S HAD TO REPLACE SINCE 1968. BMW HAS A SERIOUS MANUFACTURING PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED. *AK

Unknown or Other
Filed Jun 30, 1999MA

CAR DEALER/MANUFACTURER WILL NOT SUPPLY A SHOP MANUAL. THE ONE AFTERMARKET MANUAL AVAILABLE IS LIMITED AND HAS INCORRECT INFORMATION. I NEED A SHOP MANUAL TO BE ABLE TO REPAIR MY CAR MYSELF. *AK

Seat Belts › Front › Anchorage
Filed Feb 1, 1999CA

SEAT BELT FAILED.

Visibility › Rearview Mirrors/Devices › Exterior
Filed Feb 1, 1999CA

THE RIGHT SIDE VIEW MIRROR MALFUNCTIONING, CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY. *YC

Exterior Lighting › Turn Signal › Switch
Filed Feb 1, 1999CA

MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH FAILED. *YC

Electrical System › Wiring › Fuses and Circuit Breakers
Filed Feb 1, 1999CA

FUSE BLEW CAUSING THE HEADLIGHTS / TAIL LIGHTS / REAR SIDE LIGHT BULB TO FAIL. *YC

6 of 6 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2001
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20020100Do not drive
200110110Do not drive
20000100Do not drive
19992000Routine
1998 — this page6000Routine
19971000Routine
19961000Routine
19952000Routine

Compare every 320 year →

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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.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.