2001 BMW 325CI: problems, recalls and reliability
6 recalls and 49 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is air bags (23% of complaints); the 2000 and 2003 model years look more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall May 2021
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 49 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Tl* the contact owns a 2001 bmw 325ci. While the vehicle was stationary, the air bag indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the air bag module needed replacement. A dealer was not contacted about the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 17v047000 (air bags). The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.”Owner report · Air Bags · Aug 2017
“2001 bmw 325 ci. Consumer writes in regards to takata airbag safety recall. *ld the consumer was involved in an accident in which the air bag deployed and hit the consumer in the head causing brain injury and eye irritation. Prior to the accident the consumer paid out of pocket to have the air bag replaced due to the parts not being available for the recall. The passenger side was replaced. The driver's side was deemed to be a safe airbag. The consumer requested to be refunded the cost of replacing the airbag. *js”Owner report · Air Bags · Mar 2017
“Gm5 module which controls door locks and windows. Intermittent failure prevents unlocking door locks or operating windows.”Owner report · Electrical System · Oct 2016
Show 7 more owner reports
“Driving down the road, the left front brake grabbed hard. The car veered into the oncoming traffic lane before the stability control failed (traction control and brake light came on) and I was able to recover. I tried restarting the car and it immediately did it again as soon as I was moving. To test, I drove around for 2 days with the stability control turned off (long press on dsc button) with no issues. I then left the stability control on and the issue occurred within 5 miles of careful driving. My diagnosis is the yaw sensor has failed. This is supported by other complaints on this site and similar occurrences listed in the bmw forums.”Owner report · Electronic Stability Control (Esc) · Mar 2016
“Tl* the contact owns a 2001 bmw 325ci. 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 notified. The contact had not experienced a failure.”Owner report · Air Bags · Jun 2015
“Tl*the contact owns a 2001 bmw 325ci. The contact received a notification for NHTSA campaign id number: 14v428000 (air bags) and stated that the part needed was unavailable to repair the vehicle. The dealer was unable to inform when the part would become available. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.”Owner report · Air Bags · Feb 2015
“Tl* the contact owns a 2001 bmw 325ci. The contact stated that the air bag warning lamp illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was included, but the contact did not receive notification of NHTSA campaign number: 14v428000 (air bags). The contact was unable to determine when the part would become available to schedule the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 180,000.”Owner report · Air Bags · Nov 2014
“Tl* the contact owns a 2001 bmw 325ci. The contact received a notification for NHTSA campaign number: 14v0428000 (air bags) and stated that the part needed was unavailable to repair the vehicle. The dealer was unable to inform when the part would become available. The manufacturer was not notified of the delay. The contact had not experienced a failure.”Owner report · Air Bags · Nov 2014
“Tl* the contact owns a 2001 bmw 325ci. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 14v428000 (air bags); however, the part needed to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced failure.”Owner report · Air Bags · Sep 2014
“I was driving on a surface street at approximately 30 mph when I suddenly heard a metal scraping noise. I pulled over to the side of the road and discovered fuel tank strap was dragging on the ground on the passenger side and the fuel tank was hanging within inches of the road. The car was towed to the dealer. *tr”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Feb 2014
When filing, owners marked a crash in 1 of these complaints and injuries in 5 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 6 campaigns
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 1999-2001 323i, 325i, 328i and 330i and 2000-2001 323Ci, 325Ci, 328Ci, 330Ci, 323iT, and 325iT vehicles equipped with Non-Azide Driver air bag Inflators (NADI) manufactured by Takata. These vehicles may have received a replacement driver air bag as part of a vehicle repair. Due to a manufacturing issue, the replacement NADI inflator may absorb moisture, causing the inflator to rupture or the air bag cushion to underinflate.
Remedy: BMW notified owners, and Dealers will replace the driver air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began November 10, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
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.
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.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE ENGINE AUXILIARY/COOLING FAN OPERATION, INCLUDING VARIABLE SPEED, IS ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED. FAILURE OF THE FAN MOTOR CAN CAUSE THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUITRY OF THE FAN CONTROL UNIT TO OVERLOAD AND FAIL, CAUSING THE FAN TO STOP OPERATING.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FAN. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN SEPTEMBER 28, 2001. THIS IS A SUPPLEMENT TO A RECALL THAT BEGAN DURING SEPTEMBER 2001 (SEE RECALL CAMPAIGN 01V206). 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.
CERTAIN CARDONE MASTER CYLINDERS WITH PART NUMBERS 10-2925, 10-2987, 10-2987MZA, 10-3083, 11-3015, 11-3042, 11-3044, 11-3045, 11-3047, 11-3064, AND 11-3156, AND WITH DATE CODES LOWER THAN DCA7078 SOLD AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR USE ON THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE SEAL ON MASTER CYLINDER CAN FAIL AND LEAK BRAKE FLUID.
Remedy: CARDONE WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE ANY DEFECTIVE MASTER CYLINDERS. THE RECALL BEGAN DURING APRIL 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT CARDONE AT 1-800-777-4780.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE ENGINE AUXILIARY/COOLING FAN OPERATION, INCLUDING VARIABLE SPEED, IS ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED. FAILURE OF THE FAN MOTOR CAN CAUSE THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUITRY OF THE FAN CONTROL UNIT TO OVERLOAD AND FAIL, CAUSING THE FAN TO STOP OPERATING.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FAN. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN SEPTEMBER 28, 2001. 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.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2000-2005 323iT, 325iT, 325xiT, 320i, 323i, 325i, 325xi, 328i, 330i and 330xi and 2000-2006 323Ci, 325Ci, 328Ci, 330Ci, M3 Coupe, 323Cic, 325Cic, 330Cic, and M3 Convertible vehicles equipped with non-desiccated frontal Takata PSAN inflators and PSPI passenger frontal air bag inflators containing phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant that were used as interim remedy parts for previous Takata recalls. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger's front air bag, free of charge. The recall began February 13, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2001 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact 325CI by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2001 BMW 325CI reliable?
NHTSA has 49 owner complaints and 6 recall campaigns on record for the 2001 BMW 325CI. The most complained-about area is air bags (23% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2001 BMW 325CI problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 105,000 miles or less.
Does the 2001 BMW 325CI have open recalls?
6 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.