Car Problem DataNHTSA records

1996 BMW E46

Routine

Owners filed 1 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the fuel system, gasoline. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Fuel System, Gasoline1
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Exterior Lighting06E040000
Filed May 15, 20061,648 vehiclesE Speed Racing

Defect. CERTAIN E SPEED RACING COMBINATION LAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

Risk. WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy. E SPEED RACING WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN MAY 10, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT E SPEED RACING 909-923-3636.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Fuel System, Gasoline
Filed May 21, 200739,000 milesFL

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 BMW E46. THE CONTACT STATED THAT GAS IS LEAKING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE OCCURS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS NOT DRIVEN ON A REGULAR BASIS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THIS IS NORMAL WHEN THE VEHICLE IS NOT DRIVEN ON A DAILY BASIS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 41,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,000.

1 of 1 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2000
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20050100Routine
20044100Routine
20031100Routine
20022200Routine
20010400Routine
200018400Routine
19991400Routine
19980200Routine
19974100Routine
1996 — this page1100Routine
19956100Routine
19943100Routine
19933110Routine
19920100Routine
19910100Routine
19902110Routine

Compare every E46 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.

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: May 15, 2006. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.