2006 BMW 3 Series
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Air bags is the leading concern among 1,243 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the highest complaint count among 21 3 Series model years with reports.
Of the 2006 reports, 29 involved a crash and 40 involved a fire. 23 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Engine and engine cooling, exhaust system, emission control, crankcase (pcv)Mar 2, 2022
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2013 1 Series Coupe (128i); 2007-2013 3 Series Coupe (328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive); 2007-2010 X3 SAV (X3 3.0si, X3 xDrive30i); 2008-2013 1 Series Convertible (128i); 2006-2011 3 Series Sedan (325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 330i, 330xi); 2006-2012 3 Series Wagon (328i, 328i xDrive); 2007-2013 3 Series Convertible (328i); 2006-2010 5 Series Sedan (525i, 525xi, 528i, 528xi, 530i, 530xi); 2006-2007 5 Series Wagon (530xi); 2007-2010 X5 SAV (X5 3.0si, X5 xDrive30i); 2006-2008 Z4 Coupe (Z4 3.0si); and 2006-2011 Z4 Roadster (Z4 3.0i, Z4 3.0si, Z4 sDrive30i) vehicles. The heater for the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve may short circuit.
An electrical short can cause the PCV valve heater to overheat, increasing the risk of a fire while driving or, soon after driving when parked.
This recall supersedes and expands previous NHTSA recalls 17V-683 and 19V-273. Dealers will install an electrical wiring harness with fuse protection for the PCV Valve heater in potentially affected vehicles, free of charge. This recall supersedes and expands previous NHTSA recalls 17V-683 and 19V-273. Vehicles previously repaired under the prior recalls will need to come back for the new recall remedy. The remedy is currently being developed. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed on April 1, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 22, 2022. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Campaign 22V119000 on NHTSA.gov
Engine and engine cooling, cooling system, fanAug 10, 2012
This recall involves aftermarket parts sold by Valeo. Valeo is recalling certain engine cooling fans, part numbers 696121, 696273, and 696275, used as service replacement parts for model year 2008-2011 BMW 1-Series, 2006-2011 BMW 3-Series, 2000-2009 BMW 5-Series, 2004-2005 BMW 6-Series, and 2006-2007 BMW 7-Series vehicles. A metal-oxide semiconductor may overheat due to insufficient screwing of the semiconductor on the aluminum heat sink. This primary failure could cause adjacent components on the fan assembly motor circuit board to overheat and short.
This condition could cause the fan motor to become inoperative, or cause the motor circuit board in the assembly to overheat, potentially leading to a fire in the engine compartment.
Valeo will notify owners and replace the fans free of charge. The safety recall began on August 22, 2012. This recall is being conducted by Valeo, not by BMW. For further information, owners may contact Valeo at 1-888-718-2536.
Campaign 12E029000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, frontalAug 5, 2008
BMW IS RECALLING 200,000 MY 2006 3 SERIES SPORT SEAT, MY 2004-2006 5 SERIES STANDARD AND SPORT SEAT, AND MY 2004-2006 X3 PASSENGER VEHICLES. DEPENDING ON THE MANNER AND FREQUENCY OF THE FRONT PASSENGER'S ENTRY AND EXIT, SMALL CRACKS HAVE DEVELOPED IN THE MAT. IF THIS OCCURS, THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAGS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE HEAD PROTECTION SYSTEM, WILL BE DEACTIVATED AND THE AIR BAG WARNING LAMP AS WELL AS THE PASSENGER AIR BAG "ON-OFF" LAMP WILL BE ILLUMINATED.
IN THIS SITUATION THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY EVEN IF A SUFFICIENTLY SEVERE ACCIDENT WOULD OCCUR AND OCCUPANT PROTECTION PROVIDED BY THE SYSTEM WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE.
DEALERS WILL REWORK THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR MAT SO THAT EXTERNAL FORCE APPLICATION TO THE SEAT DOES NOT CAUSE A CRACK TO THE MAT. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 6, 2008. BMW WILL ALSO EXTEND THE WARRANTY ON THESE VEHICLES TO 10 YEARS FROM FIRST REGISTRATION WITHOUT ANY MILEAGE LIMIT. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-525-7417.
Campaign 08V384000 on NHTSA.gov
Suspension, front, control armOct 18, 2006
ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, ONE OF THE SUSPENSION CONTROL ARM AND SWIVEL BEARING CONNECTION BOLTS WAS NOT TIGHTENED CORRECTLY. THE BOLTED CONNECTION COULD LOOSEN.
THE BOLTED CONNECTION COULD BREAK WHICH COULD IMPAIR VEHICLE HANDLING AND CONTROL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE BOLTED CONNECTION AND, IF NECESSARY, ADJUST THE CONNECTION. IN SOME CASES, IT MAY BE NECESSARY TO REPLACE THE SUSPENSION CONTROL ARM AND THE SWIVEL BEARING. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 21, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-831-1117.
Campaign 06V400000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
1,243 reports, newest first.
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2006 BMW 325I. 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.
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 15, 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.
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 6, 2022
The contact owns a 2006 BMW 325XIT. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 2, 2022
The contact's brother owns a 2006 BMW 330XI. The contact stated while his mother was driving approximately 30-40 MPH, she smelled a burning plastic odor and the vehicle started to overheat. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The coolant temperature warning light illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine and engine cooling, May 20, 2022
The contact owns a 2006 BMW 325CI. The contact stated while stopped at a traffic light, she became aware of smoke coming from under the hood and the odor of something on fire. The vehicle had overheated on several occasions. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer who diagnosed the vehicle with PCV valve heater failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 142,000.
Firerelated, May 18, 2022, fire
The contact's husband owned a 2006 BMW 325i. The contact stated that while her niece was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was smoke coming from underneath the hood. The contact's niece pulled over, and she and her boyfriend safely exited the vehicle before it caught fire. No injuries were sustained and no medical attention was received. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. A fire department report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard; however, it was not yet deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. Upon investigation, the contact was made aware that there were 3 unrepaired recalls associated with the VIN with NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 17V676000 (Electrical System), 19V273000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), and 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). However, the contact had not received the recall notifications. The failure mileage was approximately 178,000.
Electrical system, May 18, 2022
The contact owns a 2006 BMW 325i. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V676000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. 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. Parts distribution disconnect.
Engine and engine cooling, May 5, 2022
The contact owns a 2006 BMW 330XI. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle began to overheat. The check engine warning light, the coolant temperature warning light, and other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road and waited. The contact then continued driving. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring increasingly while driving and smoke would come out from underneath the hood and through the vent inside of the vehicle while driving, and the vehicle would occasionally stall. Additionally, the contact also stated that the vehicle stalled and failed to restart twice. The vehicle was then towed twice to the contact's residence. The contact's father, who is an independent mechanic, could not determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle remained at the residence undrivable. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine And Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 300,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine and engine cooling, Apr 29, 2022
The contact owns a 2006 BMW 325i. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, he smelled a burning plastic odor. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact continued to drive the vehicle. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and referred the contact to the manufacturer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was safe to drive. The failure mileage was approximately 122,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Apr 28, 2022, fire
The contact owns a 2006 BMW 330i. The contact stated while driving at 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled inadvertently and the engine exploded. The automatic transmission gearbox warning light illuminated. The contact immediately exited the vehicle. The contact stated that there was a significant amount of dark smoke and there was fire underneath the hood of the vehicle. The fire was extinguished independently. The contact did not sustain any injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact’s residence. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic where the engine, the valves and the engine compartment were replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine And Engine Cooling), which she associated with the failure. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.
Electrical system, Apr 26, 2022, fire
My car was just sitting in my driveway and my roommate noticed she said is there is your car supposed to be on fire and we went out there had to break the windows and it was already on fire and totally ruined from any repair. I didn't receive a recall until a year after it had already caught on fire. The car is totaled in my backyard. And is beyond repair because of the fire
Vehicle speed control, Apr 26, 2022
The vehicle accelerates to 5,000 RPM randomly, and unintentionally. This happens when shifting gears(manual transmission), or when in any gear. Braking barely slows the vehicle down. I've nearly crashed due to this issue, multiple times. The floormats are not in the way. This is a case of sudden unintended acceleration.
Engine and engine cooling, Apr 26, 2022, fire
The contact owned a 2006 BMW 330i. The contact stated while her boyfriend was driving 65 mph, he heard an abnormal noise coming from underneath the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to park on the side of the road and exit before the vehicle was engulfed in flames. The driver saw the fire starting under the transmission. The driver stated no one was injured nor sought medical attention. The driver stated the fire department extinguished the fire. A fire report was filed. The driver stated the police did arrive at the location and filed a police report. The vehicle was not drivable. The insurance company deemed the vehicle a total loss. The contact towed the vehicle to the record yard. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 ( Engine and Engine Cooling) on 4/25/2022. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. Consumer stated her vehicle hit a donkey head on but none of the airbags went off.
Other or unspecified, Apr 18, 2022, crash, fire
The contact owned a 2006 BMW 328XI. The contact stated while his son was driving approximately 50 MPH on a slick road, the vehicle made a loud boom sound. There were no warning lights on the instrument panel. The driver depressed the brake pedal and the vehicle skidded into a telephone pole where the front of the vehicle caught on fire. All air bags deployed. The vehicle was destroyed by fire and the origin was unknown. The driver pulled the passenger out while the vehicle was on fire. The passenger sustained a concussion and was required to be hospitalized for a few days. The fire department arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire. A police report was filed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 200,000.
Electrical system, Engine, Mar 15, 2022
Over heating and smell of burning plastic
Air bags, Dec 6, 2021
The contact owns a 2006 BMW 325i. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the front passenger’s side air bag warning light would remain illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the seat mat sensor was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 180,000.
Air bags, Nov 26, 2021
We took our recently purchased BMW 2006 330xi in for recalls and a few fixes. However, the BMW service center wasn't able to fix one of the issues through the recall process since it doesn't show up for our vehicle. However, everything that I read suggests that it was a recall for this make and model. We are not sure if it was supposedly addressed before we purchased the vehicle and it is now a reoccurring issue or it is a first-time issue. The airbag/seatbelt warning light is present for passenger seat occupancy detector faults. The BMW service center said it was the sensor in the front passenger seat and offered to fix it for $1000 plus. We opted to not fix it until we checked further into the situation. The light for the passenger airbag saying that it is off is currently lit, and the airbag/seatbelt light remains on at this time. Looking for more information on this issue.
Air bags, Sep 20, 2021
The passenger seat mat sensor stopped working and that disabled the airbag. I called BMW and they told me this part has already been replaced once in 2016 on my car during a recall, which happened before I purchased the car. I asked them to replace it again since this is a safety issue and they told me BMW would only replace this part for cars with less than 15 years, which in my case expired on January 2021. This is a very costly repair and in my view is caused by a poorly designed part, considering that there has already been 3 recalls on it and it keeps breaking after a some use. So for now, until this case is settled, I will be driving a car with the passenger airbag deactivated by the board computer, what is a very serious safety issue.
Latches/locks/linkages, Sep 9, 2021
The contact owns a 2006 BMW 325I. The contact stated that he was unable to open the driver’s and passenger’s side front doors. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 133,000.
Other or unspecified, Jul 19, 2021
2006 BMW 330CI CENTER CONSOLE EXPLOSION POSSIBLY DUE TO DEFECTIVE PLASTIC MATERIAL NEAR GEAR SHIFTER. -Bubble on the console was produced by heat in the car that resulted in it bursting and the spattering of a black petroleum substance that could have distracted the driver or injured a passenger and/or driver. -The possibility of a reoccurrence does exit due to the ongoing heat wave in Minnesota. -The front car seats and console had nothing laying on top of them at the time of occurrence. -Car was inspected by local BMW dealer in Wayzata, Minnesota. -Car was also inspected by a collision repair center, referred by BMW dealer. -BMW corporate is aware of the issue and pictures were provided. -BMW corporate has denied assistance due to the age of the car per Logan @ BMW corporate on 07/19/2021. -I was told there had not been a recall or any other report of a similar incident from BMW.
Air bags, Jul 5, 2021
Passénger seat occupancy seat mat has failed and passenger air bag system does not work. Diagnosed recently- repair scheduled soon for cost of $1588.35 It looks like there may have been a recall in 2017 but I don’t have any record of being notified or having it fixed.
Engine, Jun 16, 2021
The contact owns a 2006 BMW 325i. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle overheated without warning. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The contact stated the failure was like NHTSA campaign number: 17V676000 (Electrical System). The approximate failure mileage was 170,000.
Air bags, May 6, 2021
THE VEHICLE HAS AN UNEXPLAINED AND UNREPAIRABLE DEFECT RELATED TO THE MAIN AIRBAG CONTROL UNIT MODULE, BMW PART NUMBER 65779184432 (CURRENT VERSION); BELIEVE PART 65770394017 APPLIED TO MY VEHICLE AS-BUILT. THE CONTROL MODULE GENERATES INTERNAL CONTROL UNIT FAULT CODE 93D7. BOTH THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT AND SEATBELT LIGHT ARE CONTINUOUSLY ILLUMINATED. ACCORDING TO DEALER TECHNICIAN, THE CODE IS LOCKED IN AND CANNOT BE CLEARED. ADVICE PROVIDED WAS THAT THE UNIT CAN BE REPLACED AND THEN RECODED AT ESTIMATED COST OF APPROXIMATELY $2,000. IF A REPAIR CAN BE EFFECTUATED WITH AN UPDATED PART, THEN IT APPEARS THAT MY CAR AND PERHAPS ALL OTHER SIMILARLY AGED VEHICLES HAVE A DEFECTIVE MAIN AIRBAG CONTROL UNIT MODULE. A FAULTY AIRBAG MODULE WOULD BE A DEFECT IN A CRITICAL DEFECT IN A SAFETY SYSTEM'S PERFORMANCE THAT UNREASONABLY INCREASES RISK OF DEATH OR SERIOUS INJURY IN AN ACCIDENT. THE FAULT THUS POSES A RISK TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY. FURTHER, BASED ON OPENLY AVAILABLE INFORMATION, IT APPEARS THAT NUMEROUS OTHER VEHICLES HAVE SIMILAR, POTENTIALLY DEFECTIVE, MAIN AIRBAG CONTROL MODULES. FINALLY, IT APPEARS THAT BMW UPDATED THIS PART APPROXIMATELY 15 TIMES IN A 6-YEAR PERIOD, WHICH IS ABOUT DOUBLE THE UPDATE FREQUENCY FOR COMPARABLE VEHICLE--NOTING THAT THIS IS BASED ONLY ON MY LIMITED REVIEW. REGARDLESS, THAT DATA SUGGEST THAT BMW HAS HAD SOME AWARENESS THAT THE AIRBAG CONTROL MODULE HAD PERFORMANCE DIFFICULTIES. THANK YOU.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Apr 12, 2021, fire
OIL FILTER HOUSING GASKET LEAKED ON TO ALTERNATOR CAUSING THE ALTERNATOR TO OVER HEAT AND MELT INTERNAL COMPONENTS WHICH CAUSING LACK OF POWER AND MULTIPLE FALSE CHECK ENGINE CODES TO COME ON AND SMOKE CLOUDED MY VIEW WHILE DRIVING SO VERY COMMON PROBLEM IS THE HEATER CORE LEAKING TOO
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Apr 3, 2021
GOING THROUGH MY NEWLY PURCHASED, USED 2006 330XI, I FOUND SEVERAL WARNINGS FOR FRONT HEADLIGHT MALFUNCTIONS. FURTHER INVESTIGATION SHOWED ADAPTIVE FUNCTIONS WERE DISABLED AND THE LEFT LOW BEAM WAS STUCK POINTING LEFT. WHILE THE BULBS THEMSELVES WERE STILL FUNCTIONING, THE LIGHT WAS POINTED DIRECTLY AT ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND DID NOT ILLUMINATE THE ROAD IN FRONT OF ME. OPENING THE ACCESS PANEL AT THE REAR OF THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY SHOWED MULTIPLE BARE WIRES INSIDE OF THE SEALED HOUSING, THE INSULATION HAD SIMPLY STARTED TO FLAKE OFF OF THE WIRES RENDERING ALL CENTERING AND LEVELING FUNCTIONS OF THE LIGHT INOPERABLE. RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM WITH BMW HEADLIGHTS, FOR ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTED DATA AND CASES PLEASE REFERENCE THE FOLLOWING FORUM THREAD : HTTPS://WWW.BIMMERFEST.COM/THREADS/