Problems · NHTSA complaints

1997 BMW 3 Series problems

Owners filed 6 complaints about the 1997 BMW 3 Series with NHTSA between Feb 1999 and Apr 2006. The most-cited component is electrical system (2).

Complaints
6
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Electrical system2
  2. Tires2
  3. Vehicle speed control1
  4. Engine and engine cooling1

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 4, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
19991
20000
20010
20021
20032
20041
20050
20061

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Electrical system

2 reports
“CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH. ALSO STATED THAT WHEN THIS HAPPENED SHE COULD NOT TURN THE VEHICLE OFF. DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT AND TO CALL THIS AGENCY AND REPORT IT. *PH”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 7, 2003Electrical systemODI 10032370

Tires

2 reports
“ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A 1998, BMW, 318I WITH 30283 MILES. DRIVING 65 MPH CONSUMER HEARD NOISE COMING FROM PASSENGER'S REAR OF VEHICLE. TIRE TREAD HAD SEPARATED, CAUSING $ 4000.00 DAMAGE TO VEHICLE.*AK CONTINENTAL TOURING 205/60R15 91H CH95”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 4, 2002TiresODI 8017880

Vehicle speed control

1 report1 related recall
“MY 1997 BMW 318TI SUFFERED FROM UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. HERE'S HOW IT HAPPENED: I PULLED OUT ONTO THE STREET AFTER GETTING MY CAR WASHED. I PUSHED THE ACCELERATOR DOWN HARD AS I PULLED OUT. THE CAR LUNGED FORWARD AND THE WET TIRES SPUN ON THE PAVEMENT. I LET OFF ON THE ACCELERATOR BUT THE CAR RACED FORWARD ON ITS OWN. I APPLIED BOTH FEET TO THE BRAKES. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV AT ITS MAXIMUM POSSIBLE REVOLUTIONS AND THE WHEELS WERE SCREECHING FORWARD. THE ABS SYSTEM WAS KICKING IN CONTINUALLY IN AN EFFORT TO STOP THE VEHICLE BUT IT WOULD NOT STOP AND I COULD BARELY CONTAIN IT. THE ODOMETER KICKED UP TO 130 MPH EVEN THOUGH I WAS NOT GOING MORE THAN 25 MPH. I TRIED TO PULL THE SHIFT LEVER INTO NEUTRAL BUT THE ENGINE JUST REVVED FASTER AND WOULD NOT STOP LUNGING FORWARD. WHILE STANDING ON THE BRAKES WITH BOTH FEET, I SHUT THE IGNITION OFF. THE ACCELERATION IMMEDIATELY STOPPED AND THE CAR SHUT DOWN. MY HAZARD LIGHTS WERE TURNED ON AT THE TIME BECAUSE THE CAR WASH PEOPLE TOLD ME TO TURN THEM ON (APPARENTLY TO ALERT THE STAFF PEOPLE THAT I HAD PAID EXTRA FOR A CLEAR COAT FINISH...). AFTER I GOT THE CAR SHUT OFF AND TURNED THE HAZARD LIGHTS OFF, THE CAR RESTARTED…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 23, 2006Vehicle speed controlODI 10155915

Engine and engine cooling

1 report
“WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ENGINE CHECK LIGHT REMAINED ON, AND EXHAUST FUMES WERE COMING INTO THE VEHICLE WHILE THE WINDOWS WERE CLOSED. CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS A RECALL ON WEBSITE CONCERNING THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER OXYGEN SENSOR . NOT ABLE TO LOCATE THAT INFORMATION IN OUR DATA BASE. *AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 1, 2004Engine and engine coolingODI 10090217
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 4, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.