2005 BMW 325CI: problems, recalls and reliability
3 recalls and 31 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is air bags (63% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · latest recall Jan 2020
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 31 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Rt rear brake light failed to illuminate while the brake pedal was applied. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnosis. The vehicle had not been repaired. There was a recall associated with NHTSA campaign id number 11v438000 (exterior lighting); however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was 43,120. Vehicle is available for inspection upon request.”Owner report · Exterior Lighting · Feb 2023
“I was driving one night and the headlight out indicator on the dash lit up showing the passenger headlight to be out. This limited my ability to see the road as I now only had one headlight operational. Upon further inspection, the halogen bulb was found to be in working order, but the wiring harness has lost its insulation. On both the driver and passenger side the insulation on the internal wire harness to the headlights has dried out and fallen off, exposing bare copper making an electrical short highly likely.”Owner report · Visibility/Wiper · Dec 2022
“On the night of 8/21/22, the fire department was callled to my detached garage when someone saw smoke comimg form the garage. The fire department determined that my car caught fire because of the cooling fan. The car was not running nor was the key in the ignition. The car was started 36 hours prior and had not been driven on a regualr basis for some time. The investigating office mentioned that the fan kept running, over heated causing the car and the contents of the garage to catch on fire.”Owner report · Electrical System · Aug 2022
Show 7 more owner reports
“Suspension- sway bars, bushings, every part of suspension breaking. Brakes-emergency brake does not work. Lighting-issues with headlamps. Rearview mirror-defective, not clear enough to see out of. Airbags-replaced, but when the car was impacted the roll bars deployed while the airbags did not.”Owner report · Visibility/Wiper · Nov 2018
“Driving vehicle and all power cuts out ...no power steering or power brakes ...just stops dead ... I know there has been a recall for this issue but my vehicle is not part of the recall...but obviously has a similar issue...this has happened on multiple occasions...and I am at the point where I am afraid to even drive it...”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jul 2018
“Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2005 bmw 325ci. The contact stated that the independent sales location that sold the vehicle made no mention of two recalls prior to the contact purchasing the vehicle. The contact stated that the air bag indicator remained illuminated for months. The vehicle was not inspected or diagnosed by an independent mechanic or dealer. The vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign numbers: 14v428000 (air bags) and 15v318000 (air bags), but the contact did not receive a notification. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was not available. Parts distribution disconnect.”Owner report · Air Bags · Jun 2017
“Tl* the contact owns a 2005 bmw 325ci. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15v318000 (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 made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. Updated 10/21/16*lj updated 10/25/16.*jb”Owner report · Air Bags · Aug 2016
“Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2005 bmw 325ci. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15v318000 (air bags); however, the part needed to repair the vehicle was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available. Updated 05/17/2016*lj updated 06/14/16.*jb”Owner report · Air Bags · Apr 2016
“Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2005 bmw 325ci. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15v31800 (air bags); however, the part needed to repair the vehicle was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.”Owner report · Air Bags · Apr 2016
“Please remove this vehicle from the recall list for takata air bag replacement.. I had the driver's side air bag replaced in 2016, at the bmw dealership in wilmington, nc. I have no idea why the replacement wasn't reported, but that dealership did have an ownership change after my replacement. I continue to receive dozens of notifications for this recall, that has already been completed. I've contacted bmw at least 3 times, but somehow I'm still on this list. Please remove my vehicle from the recall list immediately.”Owner report · Air Bags · Feb 2016
When filing, owners marked a crash in 1 of these complaints and injuries in 2 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 3 campaigns
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2002-2005 325i, 325xi, 330i, and 330xi Sedans, and 325xi and 325i Sportswagons, 2002-2006 330Ci, 325Ci, and M3 Convertibles and 325i, 330i, and M3 Coupes, 2002-2003 M5, 540i, 525i Sedan, and 530i Sedans, and 540i and 525i Sportswagons, and 2003 X5 3.0i and 4.4i Sports Activity Vehicles. Please note that the 5-series and X5 vehicles are only included if they are equipped with the optional sports steering wheel. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the vehicle has been remedied. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front driver air bag module, free of charge. The recall began Aug 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Note: This recall supersedes recall 14V-348 in its entirety. Additionally, vehicles that have had their driver side frontal air bag replaced previously as part of a recall remedy need to have their air bag replaced under this recall as well. Note: On December 17, 2015 BMW removed the model year 2004 X5 3.0i and 4.4i Sports Activity vehicle from this recall. Those vehicles were mistakenly identified as including the air bags that are subject to this recall.
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.
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 2005 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 2005 BMW 325CI reliable?
NHTSA has 31 owner complaints and 3 recall campaigns on record for the 2005 BMW 325CI. The most complained-about area is air bags (63% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2005 BMW 325CI problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 67,000 miles or less.
Does the 2005 BMW 325CI have open recalls?
3 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.