2002 BMW 3 Series
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Air bags is the leading concern among 442 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 6th highest complaint count among 21 3 Series model years with reports.
Of the 2002 reports, 18 involved a crash and 31 involved a fire. 22 people were injured and 2 people died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
No safety recalls on file.
Representative owner complaints
442 reports, newest first.
Seat belts, Nov 13, 2002
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE FRONT SEAT BELTS BUCKLES WILL NOT LATCH PROPERLY CAUSING THE CONSUMER NOT TO HAVE A SEAT BELT ON WHILE DRIVING. DEALER NOTIFIED. MR
Engine and engine cooling, Vehicle speed control, Oct 1, 2002
CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVNG, VEHICLE STALLED. CHECKED BY DEALER WHO REPLACED A THROTTLE COMPONENT. VEHICLE STALLED AGAIN WHILE DRIVING AND DEALER REPLACED COMPONENT FOR A 2ND TIME. DEALER ADVISED CONSUMER THAT FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM FAILED. NLMTHE THROTTLE BODY HAS BEEN REPLACED. *JG
Fuel system, Gasoline, Aug 14, 2002
BMW, R1150R, 2002;GAS LEAK COMING FROM VEHICLE. CONSUMER CAN SMELL GAS, AND GAS IS ALL OVER THE GARAGE FLOOR. CONSUMER IS CONCERNED FOR HIS SAGETY. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
Fuel system, Gasoline, Aug 8, 2002
SPONTANEOUS FUEL LEAK FROM QUICKCONNECT DEVICES AND FUEL HOSE CLAMPS. THE CRIMP TYPE CLAMP LOOSENS OVER TIME; LEAKED FUEL COULD SPILL ON CATALYTIC CONVERTER.
Equipment, Aug 2, 2002
MY NEW CAR CAME WITH 4 225/45 ZR 17 TIRES, BOTH THE OWNERS MANUAL AND DOOR JAM STICKER DO NOT GIVE THE RECOMMENDED TIRE PRESSURE FOR THE REAR TIRES. I'VE CONTACTED THE DEALER AND THE BMW OWNERS LINE ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS AND NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE ME WITH THE MFG. RECCOMENDATION NOR HAVE THEY BEEN WILLING TO PROVIDE AN UPDATED STICKER FOR THE TIRES THAT CAME WITH MY NEW CAR. I FEEL THAT HAVING THE PROPER MFG. RECOMMENDED TIRE PRESSURE IS A CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE AND TO DATE BMW HAS NOT PROVIDED ME WITH THE INFORMATION. *AK
Air bags, Jul 24, 2002
WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, CONSUMER HIT AN 80 POUND PIECE OF IRON THAT WAS LYING IN THE ROAD, WHICH RESULTED IN 2 BLOWN TIRES ON THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT AND REAR, BOTH RIMS BENT, CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE AND PULL OVER, CONSUMERS CONCERN IS THAT THE RIGHT SIDE DOOR AIR BAG DEPLOYED EVEN THOUGH THE IMPACT WAS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE, CONSUMERS WIFE SUFFERED A BRUISE FROM THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAG, THERE IS ALSO OTHER DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE.*JB
Visibility, Jul 23, 2002
HEATED MIRRORS ON ALWAYS. TEMPERATURE READING IN EXCESS OF 115 DEGREES F. POSES BURN RISK.
Electrical system, Jul 22, 2002
APPARENTLY MY CAR HAS A PROGRAMMING DEFECT WITH THE COMPUTER. IT ONLY RELATES TO 2002 325XI'S WITH SPORT PKG, MANUAL TRANS. AT ONE TIME I WAS TOLD THERE WERE ONLY 4 WITH MY SET UP IN THE US. ALL CARS WITH MY EXACT COMPUTER SET UP I'M TOLD ARE HAVING THIS FAILURE. THEY CLAIM TO BE WORKING ON MY PROBLEM IN GERMANY BUT I REALLY FEEL MY CAR IS UNSAFE. WHAT HAPPENS IS THERE IS A 1 SECOND DELAY WHEN WHEN YOU STOP ACCELERATING TO WHEN THE CARE STOPS ACCELERTATING. LOW GEARS AT HIGH RPM'S THE CAR BASICALLY GOES OUT OF CONTROL FOR A SECOND. I THINK BECAUSE SO FEW CARS HAVE MY SET UP THAT BMW IS NOT RESOLVING THIS QUICK ENOUGH. TWO E-MAILS TO THE BMW ON LINE CUSTOMER CARE SITE. MY CAR HAS BEEN DRIVEN BY THE REGIONAL AFTER MARKET REP FROM BMW WHO CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM. WHERE ELSE DO I TAKE THIS TO GET MY CAR OPERATING SAFELY?*AK
Power train, Jun 19, 2002
WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE WILL NOT STAY IN GEAR. CONTACTED DEALER, CANNOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM.*AK CONSUMER ADDS THAT THE TRANSMISSION WILL INTERMITTENTLY SLIP OUT OF SECOND GEAR WHILE ACCELERATING BETWEEN 2500 - 4500 RPM. EACH TIME IT HAS OCCURRED, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATES NORMALLY IN SECOND GEAR UNTIL IT REACHES APPROXIMATELY 2500 RPM WHEN THE VEHICLE SLIPS OUT OF GEAR WITH NO INPUT FROM THE DRIVER. DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO HONOR WARRANTY. *TT
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 17, 2002
WHILE IN TRAFFIC ON THE HIGHWAY, THE ENGINE DIED WITHOUT ANY WARNING. DEALER SERVICED THE VEHICLE ON 04/15/2002 BECAUSE OF DIFFICULTIES IN STARTING THE ENGINE. FAILURE OF THE ENGINE WHILE IN TRAFFIC OF 60+ MPH PLACED MYSELF AND A PASSENGER IN GREAT PERIL BECAUSE I WAS UNABLE TO PUT THE CAR ON THE SHOULDER WHEN THE ENGINE DIED WITH THE CAR IN A TRAFFIC LANE. I WANT TO KNOW IF BMW HAS EXPERIENCED SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH OTHER NEW MODELS AND WHAT IS GOING TO BE DONE TO PREVENT ANOTHER OCCURRENCE. THE CAR IS ONLY A FEW MONTHS OLD.*AK
Visibility, Jun 3, 2002
HEATED MIRRORS HAS A POTENTIAL BURN RISK. MEASURED MIRROR SURFACE TEMP. IS 115 DEGREES F.*AK
Tires, May 30, 2002
WHILE DRIVING AT APPROX. 55 MPH, TIRE EXPLODED. NOTHING LEFT BUT THE RIM. NO OBVIOUS ROAD HAZARD. TIRE AND CAR WERE LESS THAN A MONTH OLD.*AK
Exterior lighting, May 15, 2002
ALL XENON HEADLIGHTS SHOULD BE BANNED. THEY BLIND ONCOMING DRIVERS !!*AK
Engine and engine cooling, Electrical system, Structure, Mar 19, 2002
DOOR LOCKS WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. ENGINE CHECK LIGHT APPEARS ON DASHBOARD. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED WHILE IN SERVICE AT THE DEALER. WHEN THE CONSUMER PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, HE WAS TOLD THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH ALARM SYSTEM, BUT IT IS MISSING NOW. *YH
Visibility, Feb 12, 2002
URGENT - MY 2002 325I'S FIRST SUNROOF GLASS EXPLODED ON ME ON 1/25/02. THE REPLACEMENT GLASS HAS TWO SURFACE HAIRLINE CRACKS AND TWO HAIRLINE CRACKS BENEATH THE SURFACE OF THE GLASS. THIS CANNOT BE AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. PLEASE EXAMINE YOUR SUNROOF CAREFULLY FOR DEFECTS. NO ONE AT BMW IS TAKING THIS SERIOUSLY ENOUGH.*AK
Visibility, Feb 5, 2002
I PURCHASED A NEW 2002 BMW 325I ON 12/4/01 EQUIPPED WITH SEVERAL OPTIONS INCLUDING A SUNROOF. I WAS DRIVING INTO WORK ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2002 AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE GLASS ON MY SUNROOF EXPLODED AND SHOWERED GLASS ALL OVER MY HEAD, THE INTERIOR OF MY CAR AND APPARENTLY SOME PIECES NICKED THE PAINT ON THE TRUNK. BMW SAYS THAT IT WAS MOST LIKELY A ROCK THAT HIT THE GLASS. ALTHOUGH I HAVE FULL-GLASS COVERAGE, I ASKED MY INSURANCE COMPANY, LIBERTY MUTUAL, TO SEND A CLAIMS ADJUSTER. HIS FINDINGS WERE INCONCLUSIVE; COULD HAVE BEEN A ROCK, DEFECT, ICE BUILDUP, ON THE GLASS, ETC. I'M VERY CONCERNED THAT THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN SERIOUS INJURY. A COMMON HIGHWAY STONE SHOULD NOT CAUSE SUCH A VIOLENT REACTION. BMW HAS BEEN DISSAPOINTEDLY UNRESPONSIVE AND UNCARING REGARDING THIS ISSUE. *AK
Steering, Jan 11, 2002
THE STEERING COLUMN IS KINKED AN INCH TO THE LEFT. I DO NOT MEAN THE WHEEL IS TURNED TO ONE O'CLOCK, I MEAN THE LEFT SIDE OF THE STEERING WHEEL IS 1 INCH CLOSER TO THE DASH BOARD THAN THE RIGHT. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT THE COLUMN IS WHERE IT SHOULD BE UNDER THE HOOD. THE DEALER SAID THAT A NUMBER OF COUPES HAVE THIS PROBLEM. WHEN I SPOKE TO BMW THEY SAID TALK WITH THE DEALER. I HAVE ASKED FOR A LETTER TO SAY THIS IS SAFE AND BMW HAS REFUSED TO ISSUE SUCH A LETTER.*AK