Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS - SIDE/WINDOW | ||||||||||||||||
| 99V063000 | BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE | from 06/01/1998 to 03/25/1999 | V (Vehicle) | 34701 | 04/30/1999 | ODI | BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE | 03/26/1999 | 03/29/1999 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. these vehicles are built with a side air bag system consisting of door-mounted thorax air bags (rear door air bags are optional), a head protection system (hps) for front occupants, a central electronic sensor and diagnostic system, left and right satellite impact sensors, and associated wiring. this system is unduly sensitive to certain non-crash impacts, such as contacting large potholes or curbs at substantial speed. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | This could cause the side air bag and hps to deploy without an actual side crash. in addition, the battery safety terminal (bst) would also activate, disconnecting the starter cable from the battery. in this case, vehicle electrical system would continue to operate and the engine would continue to run, but after stopping, could not be restarted. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will reprogram the central computer control module that regulates the performance of all of the vehicle's occupant protection systems. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Owner notification began april 30, 1999. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact bmw at 1-800-831-1117. also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236). | |||||||||||||||
| 02V223000 | BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE | from 04/08/1999 to 08/31/1999 | V (Vehicle) | 20500 | 10/25/2002 | ODI | BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE | 08/09/2002 | 08/14/2002 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | On certain 4-door passenger vehicles, the side air bag system could deploy in certain non-crash impacts, such as when contacting large potholes or curbs at substantial speeds. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | This could cause the side air bag and head protection system to deploy without an actual side crash or impact severe enough to cause significant visible damage to the vehicle. unexpected deployment of the side air bag could cause serious injury if the occupant's head is resting near the side air bag. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will recalibrate the central air bag control module to reduce the possibility of such a non-crash deployment. owner notification began october 25, 2002. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact bmw at 1-800-831-1117. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Also, customers can contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236). | |||||||||||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | |||
| 01/20/2013 | 139000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 1999 bmw 323i. the contact stated that while driving 30 mph over a road bump, the passenger's side air bag deployed inadvertently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they advised that the failure occurred because the suspension was an aftermarket component. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified and advised that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id number: 02v223000 (air bags). the failure mileage was 139,000. kmj | |||
| 01/20/2013 | 139000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 1999 bmw 323i. the contact stated tat while driving 30 mph, the contact hit a bump and the passenger air bag deployed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection and they stated that the suspension was after market and when the vehicle hit the bump it cause deployment. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified and stated that his vehicle was not included in recall nhtsa campaign 02v223000 ( air bags). the failure mileage was 139,000. ap | |||
| 04/03/2012 | 167000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 1999 bmw 323. the contact stated that while driving 70 mph, the driver side airbag and curtain air bag deployed erroneously. the contact was able to safely bring the vehicle to a stop. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the dealer and the manufacturer stated that the air bags deployed due to gravel interfering with the system and the age of the vehicle. the dealer advised that certain issues were to be expected as the vehicle aged. the failure and the current mileages were 167,000. | |||
| 04/03/2012 | 167000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 1999 bmw 323. the contact stated that while driving 70 mph, the driver side airbag and curtain air bag deployed erroneously. the contact was able to safely bring the vehicle to a stop. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the dealer and the manufacturer stated that the air bags deployed due to gravel interfering with the system and the age of the vehicle. the dealer advised that certain issues were to be expected as the vehicle aged. the failure and the current mileages were 167,000. kmj | |||
| 04/03/2012 | 167000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 1999 bmw 323. the contact stated the while driving 70 mph the driver side airbag and curtain deployed on their own. the contact was able to safely bring the vehicle to a stop. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the dealer and bmw of america stated that the airbags deployed due to gravel and that the car was old and problems were to be expected. the failure and current mileages were 167,000. dt | |||
| 12/17/2003 | 57561 | 5 | |
| I believe that carmax sold me a lemon. it is a 1999 bmw 323ci, was purchased used at the independence boulevard store on nov 28, 2003, with 57,097 miles. the purchase price was $21,420 including a $1,699 extended warranty for 3yrs/36000. automobile warranty agreement number: 7106508410. *ak since shortly after purchase, there have been excessive and expensive defects, including safety items. the car has broken down, failed to start, required towing, and the control panel flashes spurious warnings. despite the warranty, and despite my requests to carmax, critical repairs have not been performed. safety defects still occur and are not being repaired by carmax (i.e. current control panel warning for lights). major mechanical items are not being performed under warranty (e.g. transmission). this has all occurred in less than a year, and with less than 5,000 miles of my driving. summary of repairs since purchase: 12/17/0357,561mi.air bag light fault, seat belt, electrical & control panel 12/23/0457,694rear defroster, electrical, window replaced, worn brakes 06/04/0459,565horn replaced, fuses & electrical 9/10/0461,230clutch replaced, warning lights, control panel failure light intermittently comes on (has not been fixed) the car is currently unsafe to drive...reference the control panel warning indicator that carmax cannot analyze nor repair. the history of safety problems include fuses, air bag, electrical system, and horn. summary: i was sold a lemon and have an unsafe automobile. i require a safe car to drive, and i want to stop paying for repeated defects and breakdowns. recommemded solution: i suggest that either: (a) the car be returned for a full refund, including reimbursement for the cost of all defects, or; (b) i be reimbursed for all defects and that the terms of the 30 day warranty be extended to november 29, 2006. | |||
| 09/07/2004 | 104000 | 3 | 12/12/1999 |
| Cracked sub-frame at 104,000 miles. dealership stated that it was caused by pot holes, i do not drive over potholes and take care of my vehicle very much so. i am not wreckless, and i have every maintenance record available as well as other warranties. i have had numerous issues with this vehicle including transmission and clutch at 75,000 miles, electrical issues and light indicators turning on for no reason, airbag lights light up at least twice a year, engine light coming on at least once a year, and finally a cracked sub frame. this vehicle has been nothing but cost and is dangerous to drive at this point. *ak | |||
| 02/07/2004 | |||
| Will driving the vehicle, the airbag for the passenger side door and above came out. the vehicle was not involved in a motor vehicle accident. the vehicle was brought into the jmk dealer to replace the gasket in that door 2 weeks and 3 days from that day if blow out. | |||
| 01/22/2001 | 26116 | 1 | 10/22/1999 |
| Vehicle was impacted while driving 25 mph yet the air bags failed to deploy. *nlm *ts | |||
| While 65mph both side air bags deployed without impact. please provide additional information.*ak | |||
| 10/06/2000 | 1 | ||
| Consumer states the side door air bags deployed with no impact (claim # 35-w527-881). *yd | |||
| 10/01/2001 | 1 | ||
| While driving the consumer swerved to avoid hitting a truck and ran into a curb, as a result the air bag deployed (claim # 53-c838-338). *yd | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer states the drivers door and roof air bags deployed, the only damage to the vehicle was two blown out tires and rims, there was no impact to the body of the vehicle (claim # 11-3413-500). *yd | |||
| 10/06/2000 | 1 | ||
| Consumer states the side door air bags deployed with no impact (claim # 35-w527-881). *yd | |||
| 10/01/2001 | 1 | ||
| While driving the consumer swerved to avoid hitting a truck and ran into a curb, as a result the air bag deployed (claim # 53-c838-338). *yd | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer states the drivers door and roof air bags deployed, the only damage to the vehicle was two blown out tires and rims, there was no impact to the body of the vehicle (claim # 11-3413-500). *yd | |||
| 11/27/2001 | 1 | 11/10/1998 | |
| February 2000 the vehicle was recalled for campaign 99v063000, the repairs were made, november 2001 the passenger /driver side airbag deployed while the car was at a stop light. | |||
| 09/26/1999 | |||
| The air bag warning light continues to stay illuminated even though the system has been recoded 3 times. the vehicle will be taken to the dealership today for the same problem. *ak | |||
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL | |||
| 09/04/2008 | 135500 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 1999 bmw 323i. while driving over a small bump at 23 mph, the driver's side air bag deployed. the dealer is repairing the vehicle; however, they suffered some financial loss because of the incident. the contact referenced nhtsa campaign id numbers 02v223000 and 99v063000 (air bags:side/window). the current mileage was 136,000 and failure mileage was 135,500. | |||
| 10/20/2006 | 110000 | 2 | 08/01/2001 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving 30 mph, the vehicle drove over a pothole, causing the front left door and front left side curtain airbags to deploy. the service dealer and manufacturer were contacted. | |||
| 03/17/2005 | 1 | ||
| While driving approximately 35 mph consumer ran over a pothole. this caused the passenger side frontal and side air bags to deploy, but not inflate. the cause of why this happened was undetermined.*ak the curtain and side air bags, headliner and seat belts had to be replaced. *bf *nm | |||
| 10/31/2001 | 1 | 06/01/2099 | |
| Upon reading a wall street journal article dated september 4, 2002 concerning an nhtsa investigation into 1999 through 2001 3-series bmw's, i felt that my incident fell into this problem category. upon running over a pothole that inflicted damage to the front driver's side wheel, both side impact airbags deployed on driver's side resulting in significant costs to repair in terms of both dollars (insurance deductible) and only partially covered rental car costs for the one month it took to repair. no injuries occurred however.*ak | |||
| 02/22/2001 | 1 | ||
| Consumer states while driving in inclement weather the vehicle began to slide and hit a curb on the drivers side, the passenger side air bag deployed but the drivers side air bag did not ( claim # 13-7252-037). *yd | |||
| 02/22/2001 | 0 | ||
| Consumer was traveling about 20mph on highway during inclement weather, lost control of vehicle and hit a curb. and his head hit driver's side window. because driver's side airbag didn't deploy at all. but passenger's side airbag did deploy. dealership was aware of problem. *ak | |||
| 09/28/2000 | 1 | 10/01/1999 | |
| On a clear night i was turning and was hit on the passenger side of the car by a driver traveling between 45-50 mph. my car was hit and none of the 6 airbags deployed. the result: back injuries and time away from work | |||
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL - SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE | |||
| 03/15/2006 | 93000 | 1 | |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving 30mph the airbag warning light illuminated. upon inspection, the dealership determined the airbag sensor needed to be replaced again. the sensor was replaced three times before by the dealer. | |||
| 09/19/2005 | 2 | 03/01/1999 | |
| Ever since i have bought the car, i have always had problems with the engine control module (ecm) on the instrument cluster. the ecm has been replaced twice already and on many occasions the dealer would just reset the computer so that the malfunction lights would go off. i am positive that this is a problem with many such e46 bmw 323i 4 door cars. the ecm is extremely sensitive to heat or cold and it goes off only after driving for a few miles. it can sometime take days for the lights to go off. second failure in the e46 323i bmw's is the air-bag sensor under the passenger seat (passenger occupancy sensor). this has to be checked by the nhtsa as i am facing the same problem as many other owners of the car are. bmw owner forums on the internet have many complaints about dealers trying to rip them off on such part replacements. *nm | |||
| 12/17/2003 | 57561 | 5 | |
| I believe that carmax sold me a lemon. it is a 1999 bmw 323ci, was purchased used at the independence boulevard store on nov 28, 2003, with 57,097 miles. the purchase price was $21,420 including a $1,699 extended warranty for 3yrs/36000. automobile warranty agreement number: 7106508410. *ak since shortly after purchase, there have been excessive and expensive defects, including safety items. the car has broken down, failed to start, required towing, and the control panel flashes spurious warnings. despite the warranty, and despite my requests to carmax, critical repairs have not been performed. safety defects still occur and are not being repaired by carmax (i.e. current control panel warning for lights). major mechanical items are not being performed under warranty (e.g. transmission). this has all occurred in less than a year, and with less than 5,000 miles of my driving. summary of repairs since purchase: 12/17/0357,561mi.air bag light fault, seat belt, electrical & control panel 12/23/0457,694rear defroster, electrical, window replaced, worn brakes 06/04/0459,565horn replaced, fuses & electrical 9/10/0461,230clutch replaced, warning lights, control panel failure light intermittently comes on (has not been fixed) the car is currently unsafe to drive...reference the control panel warning indicator that carmax cannot analyze nor repair. the history of safety problems include fuses, air bag, electrical system, and horn. summary: i was sold a lemon and have an unsafe automobile. i require a safe car to drive, and i want to stop paying for repeated defects and breakdowns. recommemded solution: i suggest that either: (a) the car be returned for a full refund, including reimbursement for the cost of all defects, or; (b) i be reimbursed for all defects and that the terms of the 30 day warranty be extended to november 29, 2006. | |||
| 08/04/2002 | 75000 | 1 | 06/09/2002 |
| 1999 bmw 323i problems with the air bag light coming on around 75k miles. computer for airbag was declared malfuction. air bags won't deploy in an accident if this problem persists. other problems include engine hesitation due to faulty oxygen sensors. bmwna will not assist in air bag problem.*ak | |||
| 02/09/2001 | |||
| Airbag sensor mat was replaced 3 times on passenger side (2/9/01, 12/20/01 and 10/31/02) as a result of the airbag warning light being on. currently 4/10/03 the same problem is occurring resulting in fourth time there has been a problem with this item. *nlm | |||
| AIR BAGS - SIDE/WINDOW | |||
| 06/26/2011 | 140970 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 1999 bmw 323i. while driving, the drivers side (door panel and curtain) airbags deployed without any crash warning to the vehicle. the dealer was not notified and the manufacturer made the contact aware of the nhtsa campaign id number: 02v223000 (air bags:side/window) recall, but the vin was not apart of the recall. the failure 140,970 and the current mileage was 141,000. nw | |||
| 02/03/2011 | 160000 | ||
| We were driving down sepulveda blvd. in los angeles, ca at 7:30 pm. we believe we hit a pothole at 35 mph. there was no damage to the tires or wheels, but the side impact curtain airbag on our 1999 bmw 323i suddenly deployed. we researched recalls on our vehicle. we found the following: nhtsa campaign id number: 02v223000 summary: on certain 4-door passenger vehicles, the side air bag system could deploy in certain non-crash impacts, such as when contacting large potholes or curbs at substantial speeds. consequence: this could cause the side air bag and head protection system to deploy without an actual side crash or impact severe enough to cause significant visible damage to the vehicle. unexpected deployment of the side air bag could cause serious injury if the occupant's head is resting near the side air bag. remedy: dealers will recalibrate the central air bag control module to reduce the possibility of such a non-crash deployment. owner notification began october 25, 2002. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact bmw at 1-800-831-1117. we contacted bmw at the above 800 number. we were told that based on our vin # that we were not a part of the recall. being that our car is the same year, make and model of the car in the recall, and that the exact consequence did occur, it seems odd that bmw is saying that we are not a part of the recall. now, bmw wants thousands of dollars to fix the problem, which in all appearances is a manufacturer fault. | |||
| 08/03/2008 | 175123 | ||
| Greeting, i have been in possession of my 1999 bmw 323i for 11 years. i made the purchase oversees through the military bmw sales program. i had the vehicle maintenance by bmw highly trained technicians since year 2000. the car was service at bmw in 2007 for the heating & air condition compressor (hvac) and bmw was informed about the airbag indicator light. we informed bmw on many service visits prior to the 2007 service visit and after 2007 that the airbag indicator light constantly comes on when either conducting normal driving on approved roads or on one occasion when the driver | |||
| 10/20/2006 | 110000 | 2 | 08/01/2001 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving 30 mph, the vehicle drove over a pothole, causing the front left door and front left side curtain airbags to deploy. the service dealer and manufacturer were contacted. | |||
| 03/17/2005 | 1 | ||
| While driving approximately 35 mph consumer ran over a pothole. this caused the passenger side frontal and side air bags to deploy, but not inflate. the cause of why this happened was undetermined.*ak the curtain and side air bags, headliner and seat belts had to be replaced. *bf *nm | |||
| 12/08/2001 | |||
| Vehicle was involved in a side collision, and side air bags did not deploy. feel free to provide any further information.*ak | |||
| 11/28/2001 | 1 | ||
| Side air bags inadvertently deployed,vehicle was repaired under recall 99v063000, dealer has been notified. *ak *slc | |||
| 09/28/2000 | 1 | 10/01/1999 | |
| On a clear night i was turning and was hit on the passenger side of the car by a driver traveling between 45-50 mph. my car was hit and none of the 6 airbags deployed. the result: back injuries and time away from work | |||