Page 3 of 3 · complaints 101–116 of 116

2001 BMW 330i complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2001 record →

Air Bags
Filed Jan 17, 2002NC

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT IMPACT, AFTER DEPLOYMENT HE MAY HAVE HIT TIRES ON CURB (CLAIM # 59-V831-359). *YD

Air Bags › Side/Window
Filed Jan 17, 2002TX

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER WAS TO CLOSE TO THE MEDIAN AND DAMAGED THE TIRES, AS A RESULT BOTH DRIVERS SIDE DOOR AIRBAG DEPLOYED PREMATURELY (CLAIM#43-R604-736). *YD

Tires1 injured
Filed Dec 31, 2001NY

AT AROUND 5:30PM AT THE STOP LIGHT OF THE BRUCKNER BLVD 138TH ST EXIT. I STEP ON THE GAS ...AND AT AROUNG 25 YARDS RAN OVER A POT HOLE PUNCTURING THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE, ALSO THE DEPLOYING THE RIDE SIDE AND PASSENGER HEAD AIRBAGS.*AK

Suspension
Filed Dec 10, 2001NV

WHILE DRIVING ENGINE CHECK LIGHT WOULD APPEAR AND REMAIN ON. VEHICLE WOULD THEN PULL FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. MECHANIC INDICATED COULD NOT LOCATE CAUSE OF PROBLEM. *AK

Visibility › Power Window Devices and Controls
Filed Dec 10, 2001NV

WINDOWS WOULD GO OFF TRACK WHEN TRYING TO GO UP OR DOWN. WOULD MAKE WEIRD NOISES WHEN USING THE WINDOWS.*AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System › Radiator Assembly
Filed Oct 25, 2001MA

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, SAW SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD, CONSUMER PULLED OVER AND SHUT OFF ENGINE. AT THAT TIME SHE SAW GREEN LIQUID POURING OUT FROM UNDERNEATH VEHICLE. CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER WHO REPLACED THERMOSTAT. *AK

Wheels
Filed Sep 10, 2001IL

00 V 383 000/BMW WHEELS: TIRES ON LEFT FRONT AND THE LEFT REAR EXPERIENCED LOSS OF AIR WHILE DRIVING. DEALER/MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL DUE TO VIN. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System
Filed Aug 9, 2001CA

ENGINE COOLING FAN INOPERATIVE. SAME PROBLEM REPAIRED TWICE! ONCE @ 282MI AND 2715MI. OUT OF SERVICE FOR 19 DAYS. *AK

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Jul 17, 2001NJ

WHEN VEHICLE IS DRIVEN IN FIRST GEAR AT LOW SPEEDS IT WILL OVERHEAT AND COMPLETELY SHUTDOWN, CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER CANNOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER.*AK

Air Bags › Side/Window
Filed Jul 16, 2001NY

WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 45 TO 50 MPH VEHICLE WENT OVER A POTHOLE THAT CAUSED RIGHT FRONT TIRE TO BLOWOUT. HOWEVER, DRIVERS SIDE DOOR AIRBAG AND PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System › FanFire
Filed Jun 27, 2001PA

VEHICLE OVERHEATED 2 DAYS BEFORE IT CAUGHTON FIRE. VEHICLE WAS GOING 30 MPH WHEN CONSUMER SMELLED SMOKE PULLING INTO DRIVEWAY. DEALER HAS HEARD OF PROBLEM, AND LOOKING AT VEHICLE.*AK

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Jun 25, 2001NJ

WHEN VEHICLE IS DRIVEN IN FIRST GEAR AT LOW SPEEDS VEHICLE WILL OVERHEAT AND SHUTDOWN WITHOUT WARNING. DEALER HAS NOT DETERMINED THE CAUSE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

Tires
Filed Apr 20, 2001NY

TIRES ARE LOW PROFILE AND CAUSE BUBBLES TO APPEAR ON TIRES WHICH CAN LEAD TO A BLOWOUT. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND VEHICLE AT DEALER SHOP FOR INSPECTION. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *AK

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Mar 28, 2001MD

WHEN USING CRUISE CONTROL AND AFTER PASSING ANOTHER VEHICLE, CRUISE CONTROL INDICATOR LIGHT WAS STILL ON, THE CRUISE DISENGAGES, CONSUMER STATES THAT THE USE OF THE RESUME BUTTON WILL NOT WORK UNTIL SPEED DROPS TO 5MPH FROM ORIGINAL SETTING, DEALER CAN NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. *SLC

Air Bags › Side/Window
Filed Feb 11, 2001MI

WE HIT AN AVERAGE SIZED POT HOLE AND THE SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. IT WAS VERY FRIGHTENING, AND MY RIGHT EAR IS RINGING. THIS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. THE CAR WAS A LOANER FROM THE DEALERSHIP, BECAUSE I HAD BROUGHT IN A COMPANY VEHICLE TO BE SERVICED. *AK *ET

Air Bags › Side/Window
Filed Jan 17, 2001TX

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR AIR BAG DEPLOYED, RESULTING DAMAGE TO RIMS AND UNDERNEATH (CLAIM# 53-C792-940). *YD

Reading these

NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Full record for the 2001 BMW 330i → · Every 330i year → · How the figures are calculated →