2002 Bmw M3 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Air Bags (6) · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline (5) · Power Train (4)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Bmw M3 model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
25 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (5)
Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module 2020-01-15 · campaign 20V018000 · 292,948 vehicles ⚠ DO NOT DRIVE
Defect: 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 d
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: 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.
Air Bags 2018-06-11 · campaign 14V428000 · 574,007 vehicles ⚠ DO NOT DRIVE
Defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2000 323i sedans, coupes, convertibles, and Sports Wagons; 2000 328i sedans and coupes; 2001-2005 325i sedans, coupes, convertibles, and Sport Wagons; 2001-2005 325xi sedans and Sports Wagons; 2006 325i coupes and convertibles; 2001-2006 330i sedans, coupes, and convertibles; 2001-2005 330xi sedans; and 2001-2006 M3 coupes and convertibles to address a safety defect in the passenger side frontal air bag which may produce excessive i
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure could cause rupturing of the inflator resulting in metal fragments striking and potentially seriously injuring the passenger seat occupant or other occupants.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until they have been repaired. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger side frontal air bag, free of charge. An interim notice was mailed to owners in September 2014. A second notice was mailed when an adequate supply of parts became available, on December 1, 2014. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.
Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module 2017-01-20 · campaign 17V047000 · 230,117 vehicles ⚠ DO NOT DRIVE
Defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2000-2002 BMW 320i, 323i, 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi, 323Ci, 325Ci, 330Ci, M3, 323iT, 325iT and 325xiT vehicles, 2001-2002 525i, 530i, 540i, M5, 525iT and 540iT vehicles, and 2001-2003 X5 3.0i, X5 4.4i, and X5 4.6is vehicles. These vehicles may have had a driver-side air bag module installed as replacement equipment such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bag, or as a remedy part for a prior recall. These re
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the vehicle has been remedied. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver side air bag module, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 15, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module 2015-05-28 · campaign 15V318000 · 419,235 vehicles ⚠ DO NOT DRIVE
Defect: 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 vehicle
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: 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 r
Air Bags 2013-05-02 · campaign 13V172000 · 43,204 vehicles ⚠ DO NOT DRIVE
Defect: BMW is recalling certain model year 2002-2003 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi sedans; 325Ci and 330Ci coupes and convertibles; 325iT and 325xiT Sports Wagons; and M3 coupes and convertibles to address a safety defect in the passenger side frontal air bag which may produce excessive internal pressure causing the inflator to rupture upon deployment of the air bag.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking and potentially seriously injuring the passenger seat occupant or other occupants.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until they have been repaired. BMW intends to issue initial notifications to owners informing them of the safety defect in June 2013. Once replacement parts are available, estimated for July, BMW will notify owners again to contact their dealers and schedule a replacement of the passenger air bag, free of charge. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.
Service bulletins (22)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic 2023-10-13 · B340714 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
functional noises (squealing/honking) when braking shortly before the vehicle comes to a stop. cause material-
Equipment:electrical 2022-09-01 · B662419 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
vehicle cannot be opened or closed using comfort access, engine start is not possible, and the vehicle may not start when placing the key against the steering column.
Steering: Steering Wheel/Handle Bar 2021-04-01 · B340414 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
diagnosis of compound brake system complaints in m vehicles: 1. visible cracks are caused by high thermal stresses during rapid heating and cooling of the brake discs. braking from high speed with cold brake components (less than 212 degrees f) increases the likelihood of cracks to form.
Equipment Adaptive/Mobility 2020-11-01 · B651820 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
service action - head air bag holder retrofit: a rattle noise may develop from the head air bag (its) gas generator contacting adjacent component. this noise can be heard while driving on an uneven roadway.
Air Bags 2019-04-01 · B013118 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
takata air bag recall-related short-term alternate transportation and consequential repairs this service information bulletin supersedes si b01 31 18 dated october 2018.
Air Bags 2019-04-01 · B013118 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
takata air bag recall-related short-term alternate transportation and consequential repairs this service information bulletin supersedes si b01 31 18 dated october 2018.
Showing the 6 most recent of 22 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2023-10-13 · Air Bags“see attached document for complaint…”
2022-09-26 · Electrical System · 🔥 fire“bmw m 3 parked in the driveway and had been turned off for several hours i was wax the car when i noticed a puff of smoke coming out of the air condition vent so i sat in the driver seat to investigate out of habit i close the door i planed to open the windows and the convertible top to take a look the car went into antitheft mode and locked me in…”
2021-02-19 · Air Bags · 149,000 mi“in november, 2020, i received a notification from bmw that the previous fix to my airbag was only a temporary fix, and i needed to bring my car in for a permanent fix. in january, 2021, the airbag light went on. i am getting ready to start driving my cars on a regular basis again, so i took the car in this week for the airbag recall. they spent …”
2020-07-15 · Electrical System“the door central lock control module fails on all of the e46 bmw models where the passenger and driver can become trapped in the vehicle because the door locks cannot be unlocked in any way because of the faulty gm5 central locking module…”
2018-08-23 · Suspension · 190,000 mi“upon inspection, vehicle's rear subframe mounting points show cracking and other signs of structural fatigue consistent with other similar vehicles that have undergone complete rear subframe failure. vehicle's subframe needs to be reinforced and bmw settled in a class action suit regarding the issue, however, the issue was not escalated to a recall…”
2017-08-19 · Unknown Or Other · 95,000 mi“passenger door would not open from inside or outside the car. car was parked, door would not unlock after pushing remote or console button or when pulling door handle inside which normally unlocks it. this could be a death trap in case of fire! i hear there are known issues with the gm5 module.…”
2015-03-02 · Air Bags · 170,000 mi“this car is subject to the airbag recall.i was first notified of this in september 2014. since then, bmw has repeatedly put off the target date for this repair. back in october 2014, an article in the financial times stated that replacement parts for the first 25% of the parts would not be available until february 2015. if bmw was aware of this in …”
2015-01-08 · Air Bags · 80,000 mi“bmw sent me a recall notice to replace the takata passenger side air bag. i contacted my dealer in late october. the dealer has not responded and bmw usa says it does not know when parts may be available. the car was purchased in miami, fl new from a bmw dealer and was located in the florida keys for approximately 3 years. i now live on the wat…”
2014-06-17 · Power Train · 70,045 mi“i am filing this complaint on behalf of myself and the countless others experiencing this potentially fatal defect in bmw's smg pump unit. i was driving on the freeway for about 5 minutes when i noticed my car immediately shifted into neutral without me making that decision. i was in the middle of changing lanes when this happened. the smg warning …”
2012-10-09 · Suspension · 115,000 mi“i took my car into the bmw dealer for a inspection, they found the subframe/trunk floor was cracking and would not be able to put my car on a vehicle lift for further inspection and advised me it may not be safe to drive. looking into this online this seems to be a common saftey problem with these cars. *tr…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.