Problems · NHTSA complaints
1998 BMW 3 Series problems
Owners filed 56 complaints about the 1998 BMW 3 Series with NHTSA between Apr 1998 and Mar 2022. The most-cited component is air bags (15).
Complaints
56
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
11
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
12
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Air bags15
- Electrical system6
- Vehicle speed control6
- Exterior lighting5
- Visibility5
- Tires4
- Engine and engine cooling4
- Fuel system, other4
- Service brakes3
- Structure3
- Power train3
- Suspension3
- Engine2
- Electronic stability control (esc)2
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
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
6
17
4
2
1
5
1
0
3
2
1
1
0
0
1
3
1
1
2
3
0
1
0
0
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 6 |
| 1999 | 17 |
| 2000 | 4 |
| 2001 | 2 |
| 2002 | 1 |
| 2003 | 5 |
| 2004 | 1 |
| 2005 | 0 |
| 2006 | 3 |
| 2007 | 2 |
| 2008 | 1 |
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 3 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
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.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Air bags
15 reports9 crashes1 fire
“REPORT#2:06/08/1999, MY LEFT FRONT DRIVER'S DOOR WAS STRUCK BY ANOTHER DRIVER,CAUSING MY CAR TO SPIN. I REGAINED MY CORRECT DRIVING PATH. TO AVOID ADDITIONAL COLLISIONS, I DEPARTED THE ROAD TO THE RIGHT NON-CURBED WET GRASSY ROADSIDE. TO AVOID STRIKING A WOOD TELEPHONE OR ELECTRICAL POLE, I TURNED SHARPLY RIGHT. I FIRMLY BRAKED & MY CAR SLID ON WET GRASS, COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, MAKING FRONTAL LOW IMPACT WITH A BRICK ROADSIDE WALL. MY CAR FORTUNATELY HAD A AUTOMATIC FRONT SEAT-BELTING SYSTEM FOR MY CLOSED-TOP CONVERTBLE. MY 2 DAUGHTER PASSENGERS & I WERE ALL SEAT-BELTED. MY 10 YRS OLD, IN THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER'S SEAT & MY 4 YR OLD WAS IN THE REAR LEFT PASSENGER SEAT, DIRECTLY BEHIND ME. WE WERE ALL STARTLED BY THE EVENT. I COULD SEE MY DAUGHTER TO MY RIGHT SIDE WAS UNHARMED. KNOWING WE WOULD ALL NEED TO SOON EXIT THE CAR & I WOULD NEED TO ASSIST MY YOUNGEST, I UNBUCKLED MY SEATBELT. I NEXT TURNED MYSELF TO THE RIGHT, TO CHECK ON MY YOUNGEST DAUGHTER, BEHIND ME. I SAW SHE WAS OK. I NEXT HEARD A LOUD POP IN FRONT OF ME, SO I TURNED FORWARD TO SEE A SMALL RECTANGULAR PLASTIC PILLOW FILLING WITH AIR. I REALIZED IT MUST BE THE AIRBAG. NEXT I FELT A EXTREME…”
Electrical system
6 reports
“Bought car from third party with rebuilt title 333,000 miles currently and has been recertified by state patrol in 2015. Control cluster says taillight failure, and has issues with not starting. When jump started the car has reduced power with transmission limp mode light. Sometimes light comes on with limp mode, other time no limp mode at all. Have replaced taillights, battery and alternator with no fix. Still having reduced power, have to jump start my car and have a taillight failure. Cars front tires rub when turning even though all parts have clearance. Electrical problems surplus with this car. Everything from the radio, heater, transmission and taillights works intermittently.”
Vehicle speed control
6 reports1 crash
“THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILS WHICH PREVENTS THE BRAKE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE WHEN THE CAR IS BRAKE. SUBSEQUENTLY, CRUISE CONTROL CANNOT BE DISENGAGED BY THE BRAKE ANYMORE BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. INSTEAD WHEN IN CRUISE CONTROL WITH THE BRAKE THE DEPRESSED THE CAR SPEEDS UP COMPENSATING FOR THE LOST SPEED. THIS GREATLY INCREASES THE CHANCE FOR A HIGH SPEED CRASH BECAUSE OF THE INABILITY TO DISENGAGE CRUISE CONTROL. *TR”
Exterior lighting
5 reports4 related recalls
“CONTROL DISPLAY THAT THE ELECTRIC CIRCUIT, LICENSE PLATE LIGHT, BRAKE CIRCUIT, HAS FAILED. ON MY DASHBOARD THE FOLLOWING LIGHTS ARE ON: AIRBAG, CHECK ENGINE, BRAKE PAD WEAR, ABS, AND THE ASC+T LIGHTS ARE ILLUMINATED AT ALL TIMES. NOTHING HAPPENED TO MY CAR, NO WRECK, NO QUICK STOPS, I AM AN EXTREMELY CAUTIOUS DRIVER. ALL THESE THINGS START TO OCCUR OUT OF NO WHERE,”
Visibility
5 reports
“BMW318TI - BOTH DRIVER-SIDE AND PASSENGER-SIDE WINDOW REGULATORS HAVE HAD PROBLEMS . REPLACED THE PASSENGER-SIDE REGULATOR TWICE ALREADY IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. FORTUNATELY ONCE WAS WITHIN THE ONE-YEAR WARRANTY OF WHEN IT BROKE THE FIRST TIME SO THE EXPENSE WAS JUST THE LABOR, STILL EXPENSIVE. JUST THIS WEEK THE DRIVER'S SIDE REGULATOR FAILED. NOT A CHEAP FIX, AND QUITE A SCARE WHEN IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED. AN UNEXPECTED LOUD CRACK AND THE WINDOW CRASHED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE DOOR, JUST A FEW SECONDS AFTER THE WINDOW BUTTON WAS DEPRESSED. WOULD LOVE TO HEAR THAT THERE WAS A RECALL. THIS WAS GETTING TOO BE VERY EXPENSIVE.*AK”
Tires
4 reports1 crash
“PIRELLI P205 60R 15 TIRE BLOW OUT RESULTING IN SERIOUS INJURY TO CLIENT. *JB”
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.