Air Bags1 injured
Filed Dec 15, 2008165,200 milesNC
AIR-BAG DEPLOYMENT FOR NO APPARENT REASON. *TR
1990 BMW 325i
Routine
Owners filed 5 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the vehicle speed control. No safety recall has been issued.
What fails
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control › Linkages | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Vehicle Speed Control › Cruise Control | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Electrical System › Ignition | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Air Bags | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
What owners reported
Newest filingsVehicle Speed Control › Cruise Control
Filed Jan 15, 2004OH
A MONTH AGO, RESUMING THE CRUISE SETTING ON THE CRUISE CONTROL RESULTED IN THE SPEED JUST ACCELERATING TO WAY BEYOND THE CRUISE SPEED. TRIED TO TAKE IT OUT OF GEAR RESULTING IN THE ENGINE JUST REVVING UP. PUT IT BACK INTO GEAR AND IT CONTINUED RACING AND ACCELERATING. THE ONLY WAY WAS TO HIT THE BRAKE AND SLOW DOWN TO THE CURB ON A PRETTY BUSY HIGHWAY. THIS WAS A DANGEROUS SITUATION. TOOK IT INTO THE BMW DEALERSHIP WHO WANTED A LOAD OF MONEY TO INVESTIGATE. HAVE NOT USED CRUISE SINCE THEN. I THINK THERE IS A MANUFACTURER FLAW AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED BY BMW. ONCE AGAIN, THIS CAN BE AND WAS VERY DANGEROUS. I FORGOT THE INCIDENT AND TRIED IT AGAIN THAT RESULTED IN EXACTLY THE SAME FAILURE. *CB
Vehicle Speed Control › LinkagesCrash
Filed Sep 13, 2000PA
CONSUMER PUT ON SEATBELT, STARTED THE CAR PUT IN REVERSE, AND CAR JERKED AND TOOK OFF BACKWARDS VERY FAST. WENT ACROSS TO YARDS, AND STILL RMP'S WERE REVVING VERY HIGH. VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A TREE ON DRIVERS SIDE. CAR HAD TO BE TOWED. MECHANIC SAID THAT THROTTLE WAS NOT STUCK. ALSO, BRAKES WOULD NOT STOP CAR, CONSUMER FELT THAT THROTTLE LEAKAGE AND CONTROL AND SUDDEN ACCELARATION PLAYED A BIG PART IN THIS INCIDENT. *AK
Electrical System › Ignition
Filed Nov 14, 1998CA
DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND THE ENGINE CUTS OUT FOR A SECOND AS WELL THE THE GAUGES ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CLUSTER FAIL. I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE TO THREE DIFFRENT MECHANICS TWO BMW SPECIALIST AND ONE AND AUTHORIZED DEALER AND NONE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO LOCATE THE CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. THE FAILURE OCCURES USUALLY AFTER THE CAR HAS WARMED UP AND IS EXCELLERATING BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD GEAR.
Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Jun 16, 1997VA
CONSUMER'S CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT DISENGAGE, AUTO WAS TRAVELING APPROX. 65-70 MPH. CONSUMER FINALLY SLAMMED ON BRAKES AND WAS ABLE TO PULL THE AUTO TO THE SHOULDER, AND AFTER SITTING WITH BOTH FEET ON BRAKES WHILE AUTO WAS STILL REVVING AND ACCELERATING. -SHE THEN WAS FINALLY ABLE TO PUT AUTO IN PARK AND SHUT OFF ENGINE, BUT THEN AFTER WAITING 2-5 MINUTES, TURNED AUTO ON AGAIN AND THE AUTO CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE WHILE IN PARK. DRIVER FINALLY SHUT AUTO OFF AND CALLED FOR HELP. *AK
5 of 5 complaints, reproduced as filed.
Across model years
Worst on record: 2006| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Deaths | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2011 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2010 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2009 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2008 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | Routine |
| 2007 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2006 | 515 | 7 | 21 | 0 | Do not drive |
| 2005 | 71 | 5 | 2 | 0 | Do not drive |
| 2004 | 147 | 5 | 11 | 0 | Do not drive |
| 2003 | 199 | 8 | 11 | 0 | Do not drive |
| 2002 | 162 | 7 | 19 | 1 | Do not drive |
| 2001 | 151 | 7 | 8 | 1 | Do not drive |
| 2000 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Do not drive |
| 1999 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 1995 | 31 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 1994 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 0 | Routine |
| 1993 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 1992 | 40 | 4 | 1 | 0 | Routine |
| 1991 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 1990 — this page | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
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.