2006 BMW 330CI: problems, recalls and reliability
2 recalls and 34 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is air bags (79% 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 34 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Headlights failing while driving. Bmw used poor insulation inside headlight assemblies that degrade overtime and fail causing significant safety hazard.”Owner report · Exterior Lighting · Jan 2018
“Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2006 bmw 330ci. 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.”Owner report · Air Bags · Sep 2016
“Tl* the contact owns a 2006 bmw 330ci. 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 of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. Updated 09/22/16*lj *cn”Owner report · Air Bags · Jul 2016
Show 7 more owner reports
“This issue is with the piston rings of the bmw m54 engine. It burns oil at a crazy rate and only now are people finally figuring out that this is the issue. Bmw lists several other fixes for the oil burning issue, but none of them solve the problem causing the owner to seek repairs that don't solve the issue. Bmw states that it is "normal" for the m54 engine to burn up to 1 quart of oil for every 1000 miles. This engine is in many different bmw models and many owners are effected. My car now burns about 1 quart for every 500 miles I drive.”Owner report · Engine · Jun 2016
“Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2006 bmw 330ci. 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.”Owner report · Air Bags · May 2016
“Tl* the contact owns a 2006 bmw 330ci. The contact received notifications of NHTSA campaign numbers: 14v428000 (air bags) and 15v318000 (air bags) however, the parts to do the repairs were unavailable. The contact stated the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The contact had not experienced any failures. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issues. Parts distribution disconnect. VIN tool confirms parts unavailable.”Owner report · Air Bags · Apr 2016
“Takata recall I was told by bmw north america that the only remedy for the airbag recall was an interim remedy of replacing with the same airbag, but a new one. Does the NHTSA stand behind this interim remedy as a solution to the safety hazard this airbag by takata represents? I am not driving the car now out of fear for my safety and have tried to sell it back to the local dealership, with no luck. They don't want it either. Do I have any legal recourse to be compensated for loss of use and/or inability to resale the auto??”Owner report · Air Bags · Feb 2016
“Tl* the contact owns a 2006 bmw 330ci. 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 of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.”Owner report · Air Bags · Oct 2015
“Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2006 bmw 330ci. The contact received a 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available. ...updated 04/12/16 *bf”Owner report · Air Bags · Aug 2015
“Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2006 bmw 330ci. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15v046000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified. The VIN was invalid. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.”Owner report · Air Bags · Jul 2015
When filing, owners marked a crash in 1 of these complaints and injuries in 3 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 2 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.
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 2006 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact 330CI 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 330CI reliable?
NHTSA has 34 owner complaints and 2 recall campaigns on record for the 2006 BMW 330CI. The most complained-about area is air bags (79% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2006 BMW 330CI problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 79,000 miles or less.
Does the 2006 BMW 330CI have open recalls?
2 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.