2000 BMW 3 Series
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Power train is the leading concern among 88 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 11th highest complaint count among 21 3 Series model years with reports.
Of the 2000 reports, 3 involved a crash and 2 involved a fire. 4 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator moduleMay 27, 2021
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.
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.
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 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: electrical system
4 reports, newest first. Show all
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Other or unspecified, Jan 5, 2021
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
Electrical system, Seats, Sep 5, 2013, fire
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
Electrical system, Structure, Oct 30, 2010
I HAVE A 2000 BMW 323 CI CONVERTIBLE AND HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE REMOTE TRUNK RELEASE. NEITHER THE KEY FOB NOR THE RELEASE BUTTON FUNCTION; THE ONLY WAY TO GET INTO THE TRUNK IS WITH THE KEY IN THE LOCK. I DID SOME ONLINE RESEARCH LEARNED TWO THINGS. 1. THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. (TYPE 'BMW TRUNK RELEASE PROBLEM' INTO A SEARCH ENGINE TO SEE THE EXTENT.) WHILE THE PROBLEMS I HAVE ARE MERELY ANNOYING, IT IS NOT HARD TO IMAGINE THEM BEING FAR WORSE. 2. THE PROBLEM IS IN THE HARNESS WHERE THE WIRING GOES FROM THE BODY TO THE TRUNK LID. THIS LINK IS CONTAINS SEVERAL PICTURES OF EXACTLY WHAT I FOUND WHEN I PULLED MY HARNESS BACK: HTTP://WWW.M3FORUM.NET/M3FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=248956. IN MY CASE, THERE ARE THREE COMPLETELY BROKEN WIRES, ONE THAT IS HANGING ON BY A FEW STRANDS, AND ABOUT 4 MORE WHERE THE INSULATION IS AT LEAST PARTIALLY CRACKED. YES, THE CAR IS 10 YEARS OLD, BUT THIS SEEMS LIKE A MAJOR DESIGN FLAW TO ME. *TR
Parking brake, Electrical system, Structure, Jul 10, 2006
I EXPERIENCED A TYPICAL PROBLEM WITH MY 2000 BMW 323CI , AS THE SUBFRAME BEGAN TO TEAR AFTER ONLY 57000 MILES OF USE. AFTER SOME COMPLAINING, I WAS ABLE TO GET BMW TO "GOODWILL" THE REPAIRS. BUT AS SOON AS I PICKED UP THE CAR AFTER THE REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED, THE EMERGENCY BRAKE PARKING LIGHT BEGAN TO MALFUNCTION. IT WOULD COME ON WHEN THE BRAKE WAS RELEASED ETC. A COUPLE WEEKS LATER THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT BEGAN TO DO THE SAME THING. I DIDN'T THINK TOO MUCH OF IT, BUT NOW ABOUT 9 MONTHS LATER I HAVE EXPERIENCED SEVERE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. FIRST ALL THE POWER STOPPED WORKING, THE HEADLIGHTS BLINKED, A/C AND WINDOWS STOPPED WORKING, POWER LOCKS NO LONGER WORKED. THEN IT SOMEHOW FIXED ITSELF. BUT A COUPLE WEEKS AFTER, SOMETHING ELSE HAPPENED AND NOW I CANNOT EVEN START MY CAR. AGAIN, IT APPEARS TO BE SOME SORT OF POWER PROBLEM, PERHAPS SOMETHING DRAINING THE BATTERY. *NM