Open safety recalls, the components owners report failing most often, crash-test results and running costs for the 2000 BMW 3 Series, assembled from NHTSA and EPA records.
Everything on this page applies to the model as a whole. Run its VIN to decode that exact car, its engine, trim, assembly plant and factory equipment, alongside these records.
Open a VIN recordRecalls and complaints are filed against a specific model year, so figures differ from one year to the next even within a single generation. See every BMW 3 Series year.
NHTSA lists 1 recall for this make, model and year. Recalls apply to the model, so some may already be fixed on this specific car. A dealer can confirm from the VIN.
Issue: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2000-2001 BMW 3 Series (323Ci, 325Ci, 328Ci and 330Ci), 1999-2001 323i, 328i, 330i, 330xi, and 2000 323i, 328i stationwagon vehicles equipped with Non-Azide Driver air bag Inflators (NADI) manufactured by Takata. These vehicles are equipped with driver-side air bag inflators that were previously inspected, but not replaced under recall numbers 19V-851, 19V852, or 19V-853. Due to a manufacturing issue, the NADI inflator may absorb moisture, causing the inflator to explode or the air bag cushion to underinflate.
Risk: The inflator could explode during air bag deployment, resulting in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants. An underinflated air bag may not properly protect the occupant. These scenarios increase the risk of serious injury or death.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver-side air bag inflator with a newly designed inflator, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 12, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Campaign 21V401000
The parts named most often across 88 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this make, model and year.
2 crashes · 4 injured
1 fire
1 crash
Complaints are self-reported and skew toward problems people find alarming, so read this as where to look rather than as a defect rate.
REAR LIGHTS . CLIP CONTACTS MELTING GROUND WIRE . PURCHASED LIGHTS AND CLIPS 3 TIMES AND MELTED AGAIN. LIGHTS INOPERABLE AFTER 2 WEEKS OF LIFE HARNESS MELTED . RECEIVED MULTIPLE WARNINGS AND A TICKET I NOW HAVE TO PROVE REPAIR . RECALL FOUND FOR EVERY OTHER MODEL EXCEPT THE 323I 2000 . NOT SAFE TO HAVE NO TAIL LIGHTS AVAILABLE . CAN'T DRIVE CAR IN UNSAFE CONDITIONS. CAN'T SELL CAR IN UNSAFE CONDITION
AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT WITH A TAKATA RECALL NOTICE. MY 2000 323I HAS A AIRBAG SEATBELT WARNING LIGHT THAT WILL NOT GO AWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGE FROM THE REAR END PASSENGER SIDE. REPAIR WORK WAS DONE TO CORRECT THE DAMAGES.
TAKATA RECALL!! I WAS DRIVING 35 MPH ON A REGULAR STREET I ALWAYS DRIVE ON AND MID DRIVE BOTH PASSANGER AND DRIVER AIR BAGS DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON!!!! CAUSING VERY SERIOUS INJURIES!! ALSO CAUSING MORE DAMAGE TO MY CAR!!!!
THE BRAKE LIGHTS AND TURN SIGNALS DON'T WORK... THE TRANSMISSION- REVERSE HAS GONE OUT... AND THE RADIATOR HAS A SERIOUS LEAK... MAKES THE CAR RUN HOT!
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BMW 3 SERIES. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V428000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
RECEIVED NOTIFICATION FROM BMW USA FOR RECALL CAMPAIGN NO. 14V-428 (DEFECTIVE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER AIR BAG) LAST SEPTEMBER 2014. AS OF TODAY'S DATE (MARCH 11, 2015), BMW USA HAS NOT INFORMED ME WHEN I CAN EXPECT THEM TO PERFORM THE WORK NEEDED TO RECTIFY THE DEFECTIVE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG. THEIR SUGGESTION THAT I OPERATE THE VEHICLE WITHOUT A FRONT SEAT PASSENGER IS LUDICROUS AND VIRTUALLY IMPRACTICAL. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BMW 3 SERIES. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V428000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.
WELL DOCUMENTED NO REVERSE ISSUE FOR BMW GM TRANSMISSION D-CLUTCH FRACTURE. *TR
THE AIRBAG ICON ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL STAYS ON. MY MACHANIC TOLD ME THIS MEANS THAT A PASSENGER SITTING IN THE FRONT SEAT DOES NOT ACTIVATE THE SENSOR IN THE SEAT AND, AS A RESULT, THE AIR BAG WOULD NOT DEPLOY IN CASE OF A COLLISION. SO I ASKED THEM TO REPAIR IT, AFTER PAYING ABOUT $700, ABOUT 8 MONTHS LATER IT POPPED BACK ON , SO I'M SERIOULY LOOKING TO TRADE THIS CAR. *TR
WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY HEATER SETTING ON WARM, SMOKE FILLED THE CABIN. SMOKE WAS COMING FROM CENTER CONSOLE AND LEFT SIDE OF GLOVE BOX FROM UNDERNEATH. HAD TO STOP THE VEHICLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY AND ESCAPE THE SMOKE FILLED CABIN THE SMOKE TURN TO A FLAME FROM UNDER THE GLOVE BOX. THE CAR PROCEEDED TO TOTALLY BURN FROM THIS INCIDENT. I REVIEWED THE SCHEMATICS TO IDENTIFY THE ONLY HEATING DISSIPATING ELEMENT LOCATED UNDER THERE IS THE FSR BLOWER MOTOR CONTROL SMOKE APPEARED SUDDENLY. *JB
I WAS PREPARING TO BACK OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY. THE VEHICLE ACTED AS THOUGH IT WAS IN "NEUTRAL" AND DID NOT MAKE ANY NOISE OR MOTION. THE REVERSE NEVER SHOWED ANY SIGNS OF TROUBLE. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING THE CAR ON A LIMITED BASIS OVER THE PAST FOUR MONTHS. A SHORT TIME PRIOR TO THIS, I BEGAN TO NOTICE A SLIGHT VIBRATION IN THE CAR WHILE ACCELERATING BETWEEN THE SPEEDS OF 25 MPH AND 30 MPH DRIVING FORWARD. IT WAS SUBTLE AND ACTUALLY BEGAN TO GO AWAY. I NEVER EXPERIENCED ANY UNUSUAL STRESS, NOISE, OR DIFFICULTIES WHILE GOING INTO REVERSE PRIOR TO FINDING IT COMPLETELY GONE TODAY. I FEEL EXTREMELY FORTUNATE THAT THIS OCCURRED IN MY DRIVEWAY AND DID NOT INVOLVE AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. I FEAR THAT IT COULD HAVE PUT ME AND MY FAMILY IN GREAT BODILY HARM, HAD I NOT BEEN SO LUCKY. I FEAR FOR WHAT THIS MAY COST TO REPAIR OR EVEN EVALUATE, SINCE MANY ONLINE HAVE EXPRESSED A SIMILAR SITUATION RESULTING IN THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF REPAIRS. *JB
THE LEFT REAR SUBFRAME MOUNT TORN AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE UNIBODY/FRAME MOUNTING LOCATION. THE REAR BODY METAL FATIGUE WAS CAUSED FROM LOADING AND UNLOADING OF THE DRIVE TRAIN DUE TO AN ENGINEERING DESIGN DEFECT. THIS OCCURRED UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS AND IS A KNOWN DEFECT BY BMW. A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT REQUIRED BMW TO FIX THE PROBLEM FROM 2009 TO 2010, BUT THERE ARE STILL MANY VEHICLES ON THE ROAD THAT HAVE NOT BEEN REPAIRED OR THE METAL FATIGUE SHOWED UP AFTER THE 2010 DEADLINE FOR REPAIR. THIS IS A MAJOR DEFECT MAKING THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE THE REAR AXLE CAN SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE. THIS SHOULD BE A VEHICLE RECALL AND ALL BMW E46 3 SERIES SHOULD HAVE THE REAR SUBFRAME MOUNTING POINTS REPAIRED AND REINFORCED BY BMW AT NO COST. *TR
Showing 12 of 88 complaints.
NHTSA has no NCAP crash-test rating for this model year, which is common for older, low-volume and heavy-duty vehicles.
No EPA fuel-economy match for this model. Naming may differ, or it predates EPA records.