2006 BMW 325XI: problems, recalls and reliability
6 recalls and 110 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is air bags (51% of complaints); the 2004 and 2005 and 2007 and 2008 model years look more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Jul 2024
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 110 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“My vehicle was parked in the driveway in front of my house and had not been driven for several days. I walked outside and noticed the engine fan was running so I opened the driver's door and noticed white smoke coming from the glove box compartment. I opened the glove box and noted a small fire which within a matter of approximately five minutes had turned into a full-blown fire throughout the vehicle I was able to call 911 and have a fire department here before my house caught on fire although it did damage the siding on the front of the house and the tail light and rear passenger fender area of the Polaris razor”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jan 2026
“[XXX] . I have a 2006 BMW e91, but mine is not listed for recall above in the link. Currently have a fault for occupant detection malfunction. I also have sports seats listed in the above document. The sensor will say active when no one is sitting in the seat which is a safety concern. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)”Owner report · Air Bags · Jan 2025
“The contact owned a 2006 BMW 325XI. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V513000 (Air Bags) and 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) would like to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted.”Owner report · Air Bags · Sep 2024
Show 7 more owner reports
“I purchased a used car that now has a passenger restraint sensor warning. Please fulfill a recall as this is a recurring issue with bmw”Owner report · Air Bags · Jul 2022
“The contact owns a 2006 BMW 325XI. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Mar 2022
“Intermittently on startup/ignition, car electrical shuts completely down. No power to anything and key fob becomes locked in the ignition. After a few minutes the electrical comes back on on its own. This usually only happens in park on startup, however on one occasion, the electrical shut off for about 5 seconds as I was driving 70 MPH on the highway. Car went totally dark and I was fortunately able to control the wheel until power came back.”Owner report · Electrical System · May 2020
“When the ibs is plugged in it drains the battery fast , then it won't start unless I unplug the b+ blue plug , then plug the b+ cable back in after started so the valvetronic eccentric shaft motor has power , otherwise it goes into limp mode without it plugged in , I thought there was a recall on this but it starts on the 2007 e90 I guess mine is a 2006 .”Owner report · Electrical System · Nov 2019
“There has already been a major recall for most 2006 326xi models that needs to be also extendes to my vehicle. It is obviously an issue on other models, and the manufscturer needs to correct this before people are harmed since by default the module assumes noone is sitting there and will not deploy.”Owner report · Air Bags · Sep 2018
“Takata air bags my air bag light keeps coming on, my car is effected by the recall but when I run the VIN # it's not showing up. It's a safety problem and I'm afraid the air bags will deploy while driving.”Owner report · Air Bags · Aug 2018
“Tl* the contact owns a 2006 bmw 325xi. While driving unknown speeds, the heater blower failed to disburse air and the panel indicator was illuminated. The contact called a local dealer (erhard bmw of bloomfield, 1845 s telegraph rd, bloomingfield hills, mi 48302) and was advised to schedule a service appointment. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified and advised the contact to take the vehicle to the local dealer. The failure mileage was unknown. *bf *tr”Owner report · Visibility/Wiper · Dec 2017
When filing, owners marked a crash in 1 of these complaints and injuries in 1 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 6 campaigns
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2006-2011 323i, 325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi and M3, 2007-2011 328i xDrive, 335i xDrive and 335is and 2009-2011 335d vehicles. The wiring and electrical connectors for the system that controls air flow for the heating and air conditioning system may overheat.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the wiring and electrical connectors, free of charge. Interim letters were mailed on November 27, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when the remedy becomes available. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
BMW of North America LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2006 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi sedans and 325xi sports wagons, model year 2007 328i, 328xi, 335i, 335xi sedans and 328i and 328xi sports wagons, model year 2006-2007 525i, 525xi, 530i, 530xi, 550i sedans and 530xi sports wagons, model year 2006 760i sedans, model year 2006-2007 750i, 750Li, and 760Li sedans, and model year 2006 X5 sports activity vehicles, equipped with certain seat types. The front passenger seat occupant detection mat that determines if and how the passenger frontal air bag should deploy in a crash may fatigue and develop cracks which could lead to a system failure.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners with an interim notification letter in January 2014 since parts are not currently available. When parts are available, BMW sent a second letter in August and dealers will repair the occupant detection mat to eliminate the possibility that it may crack, free of charge. Additionally, owners of model year 2006-2007 3 Series with standard seats, 5 Series with comfort seats, and Z4 models, will receive an extended warranty on their front passenger seat occupant detection mat. Owners may contact BMW customer relations at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2006-2011 3 Series Sedan (324i, 325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi), 2006-2012 3 Series Sportswagon (325xi, 328i, 328xi), and 2009-2011 3 Series Sedan (335d) vehicles. The original steering wheel may have been replaced with a sport or M-sport steering wheel equipped with an inflator that can explode during deployment.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the driver's air bag module as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 30, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
BMW of North America, Inc. (BMW) is recalling certain 2006 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi, 525i, 525xi, 530i, 530xi, and 550i vehicles equipped with the Sport Seat option and certain 2006 525i, 525xi, 530i, 530xi, 550i vehicles with standard seats. The front passenger seat occupant detection mat that determines if, and how, the passenger frontal air bag should deploy in a crash may fatigue and develop cracks which could lead to a system failure.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will repair the occupant detection mat to eliminate the possibility that it may crack, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began September 1, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2013 128i and 135i Convertibles, 128i, 135i, and M Coupes, 2007-2010 X3 30si and X3 xDrive30i, 2013-2015 X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i and X1 xDrive35i, 2007-2013 328i, 328i xDrive, 335i, 335is, 335i xDrive and M3 Coupes, 2006-2011 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi, 335i xDrive and M3, 2009-2011 335D, 2006-2012 325xi, 328i, 328xi and 328i xDrive, 2010-2011 X6 ActiveHybrid, 2007-2013 328i, 335i, 335is, M3 Coupes, X5 30si, X5 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive35i, X5 48i, X5 xDrive48i, X5 xDrive50i and X5 M, 2009-2013 X5 xDrive35d and 2008-2014 X6 xDrive35i, X6 xDrive50i and X6M vehicles equipped with non-desiccated driver frontal air bag inflators containing phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) 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 driver air bag. On X5 and X6 vehicles, only the inflator will be replaced. All repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 11, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2006 525i, 525xi, 530i, 530xi, 530xi Sports Wagon, 325i, 325xi, 325xi Sports Wagon, 330i, 330xi, Z4 3.0i and Z4 3.0si vehicles. The heater for the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve may short circuit.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the PCV valve heater, free of charge. The recall began May 30, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Note: This recall is an expansion to recall 17V-683.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2006 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact 325XI 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 2006 BMW 325XI reliable?
NHTSA has 110 owner complaints and 6 recall campaigns on record for the 2006 BMW 325XI. The most complained-about area is air bags (51% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2006 BMW 325XI problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 80,000 miles or less.
Does the 2006 BMW 325XI have open recalls?
6 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning electrical system:wiring. 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.