Owners filed 5 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system › 12v/24v/48v battery. It has been recalled 3 times.
What fails
Component
Reports
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly
1
0
0
0
Exterior Lighting › Brake Lights › Switch
1
0
0
0
Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System
1
0
0
0
Electrical System › 12v/24v/48v Battery
1
0
0
0
Air Bags › Frontal
1
1
0
0
3 safety recalls
Part 573 reports
Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System98V178000
Filed Aug 4, 1998340,000 vehiclesBayerische Motoren Werke
Defect. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. A MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE OF A COOLANT SYSTEM COMPONENT, SUCH AS A THERMOSTAT, WATER PUMP, OR FAN BELT, CAN RESULT IN SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED COOLANT TEMPERATURE AND SYSTEM PRESSURE. IF THE INDICATIONS OF A CRITICAL OVERHEATING CONDITION IS NOT NOTICED BY THE DRIVER, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT DAMAGE TO, OR FAILURE OF, A COOLANT SYSTEM COMPONENT COULD OCCUR.
Risk. IF A CRACK WERE TO FORM OR A SEAM WERE TO SEPARATE IN THE HEATER CORE END PIECE, HOT COOLANT COULD SUDDENLY BE EXPELLED, INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY TO A VEHICLE OCCUPANT.
Remedy. DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW DESIGN RADIATOR CAP TO CONTROL PRESSURE AND PROVIDE GREATER COOLANT OVERFLOW IN THE EVENT OF OVERHEATING.
Vehicle Speed Control97V131000
Filed Aug 19, 1997410,000 vehiclesBayerische Motoren Werke
Defect. THE CRUISE CONTROL AND THROTTLE CABLES ARE ATTACHED TO THE SAME THROTTLE VALVE ACTUATING LEVER AT THE THROTTLE HOUSING. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE PLASTIC BUSHING ON EITHER CABLE COULD BREAK DUE TO ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES COUPLED WITH VIBRATION. IF THE BUSHING BREAKS, THE OUTER CABLE HOUSING CAN SEPARATE FROM THE BUSHING. IN THIS CASE, DURING APPLICATION OF THE THROTTLE PEDAL WITHOUT CRUISE CONTROL BEING ENGAGED, THE OUTER TUBE COULD CATCH ON THE EDGE OF THE BROKEN BUSHING.
Risk. THIS COULD CAUSE THE THROTTLE VALVE TO REMAIN PARTIALLY OPEN. IT HIS WERE TO OCCUR, THE CAR MIGHT NOT DECELERATE AS EXPECTED INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy. DEALERS WILL INSTALL A SPRING STEEL CLIP ON THE OUTER TUBE OF EACH CABLE IN THE AREA OF THE ADJUSTING SCREW AND PLASTIC BUSHING. THE CLIP IS DESIGNED TO PREVENT THE OUTER TUBE FROM DISLODGING FROM THE BUSHING.
Filed Jul 1, 1996180,000 vehiclesBayerische Motoren Werke
Defect. THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH CAN FAIL ALLOWING THE SWITCH TO REMAIN IN THE "BRAKE LIGHTS OFF" POSITION OR IN THE "BRAKE LIGHTS ON" POSITION.
Risk. IF THIS HAPPENS, THE BRAKE LIGHTS EITHER WILL NOT OPERATE OR WILL BE CONTINUOUSLY ON, REGARDLESS OF BRAKE PEDAL POSITION. FOLLOWING DRIVERS WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE VEHICLE IS STOPPING, INCREASING THE POTENTIAL FOR A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.
Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE EXISTING BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED SWITCH.
What owners reported
Newest filings
Exterior Lighting › Brake Lights › Switch
Filed Sep 10, 2001CA
BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ON INSTRUMENT PANEL REMAINS ON AND WILL NOT SHUT OFF. DEALERSHIP HAS EXAMINED VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THAT ONBOARD COMPUTER IS CAUSING THIS PROBLEM. THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT AFFECTED BY RECALL 96V111000. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / ATTACHMENTS.*AK
Air Bags › FrontalCrash
Filed Jul 2, 2001NY
WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH CONSUMER'S SON BROADSIDED ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT RAN A RED LIGHT. BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. NO DETERMINATION HAS BEEN MADE FOR FAILURE OF AIR BAGS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS. *AK
Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System
Filed Aug 23, 1999DC
FAILURE OF RECALL (98V-178) PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM. MJS
Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly
Filed Aug 2, 1999CA
I WILL TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND INFORM YOU WHAT WAS DONE.
Electrical System › 12v/24v/48v Battery
Filed Sep 23, 1997TX
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE BATTERY EXPLODED. DEALER SAID THAT THIS WAS A NORMAL OCCURRENCE IN THE BMW VEHICLES. *AK
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: Aug 4, 1998. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.