2001 BMW 325Ix

Routine

Owners filed 7 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine and engine cooling › cooling system › fan. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Latches/Locks/Linkages2
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System › Fan2
010
Suspension › Rear › Springs › Coil Springs1
000
Power Train › Manual Transmission1
000
Power Train › Automatic Transmission1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Latches/Locks/Linkages
Filed Apr 4, 201056,000 milesVA

IN VARYING TEMPERATURES THE ELECTRONIC DOOR LOCKS ON MY 2001 BMW 325IX FAIL TO WORK, RENDERING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO OPEN THE LOCKS ON THE THREE PASSENGER DOORS, EVEN MANUALLY FROM THE INSIDE. THE PROBLEM HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE OVER THE YEARS AND SEEMS TO INCREASE WHEN THE INTERIOR TEMPERATURE IN THE CAR GETS HOT (SUCH AS ON A SUNNY DAY AFTER SITTING). *TR

Latches/Locks/Linkages
Filed Sep 7, 200764,800 milesMI

DUE TO THE MALFUNCTIONING OF THE ELECTRONIC FOR DOOR LOCKS, THE DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK USING THE KEY PAD AND FROM THE CENTRAL CONSOLE LOCK BOTTOM FROM INSIDE THE CAR AND ALSO WITH THE MANUAL LOCK LEVER FROM INSIDE. BUT THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR WILL UNLOCK USING THE KEY MANUALLY FROM OUTSIDE. ONCE THE CAR IS AUTO LOCKED AFTER IT STARTS MOVING, THE DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK AND OPEN FROM INSIDE WITH THE MANUAL LEVER, EXCEPT THE DRIVER SIDE. THE CENTER COSOLE SWITCH WILL NOT UNLOCK ANY DOORS EXCEPT THE CARGO HATCH. MAIN SAFETY ISSUE IS AS FOLLOW: THE REAR SEAT AND FRONT RIGHT SIDE PASSENGERS CANNOT UNLOCK THEIR DOORS USING THE MANUAL LEVER ON THE DOOR. THIS CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. THIS FAILURE LOCKS THE OCCUPANTS OF THE CAR UNLESS THEY CRAWL TO THE DRIVER SIDE OR TO THE BACK CARGO DOOR. I HAVE NOT YET TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP. BUT I THOUGHT BMW NEEDS TO FIX THIS ON ALL CARS BEFORE SOME ONE GETS TRAPPED IN THE CAR AND CANNOT GET OUT TO SAFETY OR ESCAPE FROM THE CAR, IF THEY NEED TO. THANKS SINCERELY AMIT R PATEL *TR

Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System › FanFire
Filed Aug 28, 2007105,300 milesNY

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW 330XI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE FAN DOES NOT SHUT OFF AND HAS DRAINED THE BATTERY. THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED, BUT THE FAN STILL DOES NOT SHUT OFF WHEN THE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF AND THE KEY IS REMOVED. HE TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND REMOVED THE KEY, BUT THE ENGINE FAN WAS STILL RUNNING AN HOUR LATER. THE CONTACT CURRENTLY DISCONNECTS THE FAN WHEN HE PARKS AND PLUGS IT BACK UP WHEN HE IS READY TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 01V206000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING: COOLING SYSTEM FAN) DOES NOT APPLY TO HIS VIN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 105,300. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. HE NOTICED SMOJE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. UPDATED 09/26/07. *JB

Suspension › Rear › Springs › Coil Springs
Filed May 17, 200662,000 milesMI

DEALER PERFORMING 60,000 MAINTENANCE CHECK ON 2001 BMW 325IX REPORTED THAT BOTH REAR SPRINGS WERE CRACKED. ALSO REPORTED THAT THEY HAD SEEN SIMILAR CRACKED SPRINGS ON A HALF DOZEN 3 SERIES CARS OF THE SAME VINTAGE (1999-2005) OVER THE LAST YEAR.*JB

Power Train › Manual Transmission
Filed Aug 26, 200560,000 milesVA

TO WHOM THIS MAY CONCERN: I OWN A BMW 325XI 2001 MANUAL. A MANUAL SHIFTER IS DESIGNED TO GO TO THE MIDDLE WHEN IT IS IN NEUTRAL. THIS PROBLEM I HAVE CAUSES THE STICK SHIFT TO GO TO THE RIGHT (NEAR FIFTH GEAR) AND STAY THERE. I WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND SHIFTED INTO THE WRONG GEAR BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. I ALMOST BLEW THE ENGINE AND LOST CONTROL OF MY CAR. THIS IS A BIG SAFETY HAZARD. IF THE STICK SHIFT DOES NOT RETURN TO WHERE IT IS DESIGNED TO BE, THE DRIVE CAN GET CONFUSED RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH ONLINE AND I HAVE FOUND OVER 4000 COMPLAINS ABOUT THIS. I CHECKED FORUMS AND OTHER WEBSITES. THE DEALER INSTEAD OF REPLACING THE CORRECT PART (BUSHINGS) WANTS TO REPLACE THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION!!! WE ALL FEEL THAT NHTSA SHOULD STEP IN AND FORCE A RECALL. THE COMPANY IS NOT HELPING AT ALL! THEY WANT TO KEEP THIS IN THE DARK. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP. *JB

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Sep 10, 2001MN

WHILE DRIVING 55 TO 60 MPH CONSUMER SMELT SOMETHING BURNING IN VEHICLE. CONSUMER PULLED VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD AND TURNED OFF ENGINE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. CONSUMER LOOKED AT OWNER'S MANUAL, AND MANUEL STATED TO PULL VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD. THERE WAS A MALFUNCTION IN TRANSMISSION SYSTEM AT 172 MILES. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER STATED LIGHT CAME ON SHOWING TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTIONED. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System › Fan
Filed May 17, 2001NJ

WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY, CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE OVERHEATED, VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP AND CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE FAN IN WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT, CONSUMER WAS ALSO ADVISED THAT PART WAS ON BACK ORDER. *JB

7 of 7 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2001
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
2001 — this page7010Routine
19911000Routine

Compare every 325Ix 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.

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