CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT IMPACT, AFTER DEPLOYMENT HE MAY HAVE HIT TIRES ON CURB (CLAIM # 59-V831-359). *YD
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 →
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
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
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
WINDOWS WOULD GO OFF TRACK WHEN TRYING TO GO UP OR DOWN. WOULD MAKE WEIRD NOISES WHEN USING THE WINDOWS.*AK
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
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 COOLING FAN INOPERATIVE. SAME PROBLEM REPAIRED TWICE! ONCE @ 282MI AND 2715MI. OUT OF SERVICE FOR 19 DAYS. *AK
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
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
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
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 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
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
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
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 →