2002 BMW 325 problems
The 2002 BMW 325 has 30 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (20%) concerns air bags. Next are electrical system (20%) and latches & locks (10%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 30 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Air bags 20% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 1 and 2
- Injuries and deaths
- 1 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 58,000 miles 22 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 4 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 3 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 4 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 1 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 3 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 2 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 1 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 2 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 1 |
| 200k+ miles | 1 |
What the data shows
Of the 22 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 58,000 miles.
Safety-related details: 1 complaint mentions a crash; 2 complaints mention a fire; 1 injury reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2002 ranks 4th most-complained-about out of 5 model years of the BMW 325 with enough data (13 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 2 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 BMW 325. The contact stated that another vehicle crashed into the rear of the vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact was unconscious immediately after the impact. The contact was taken to a hospital where he sustained bruising on his neck, the shoulders and a severe concussion. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000. The VIN was not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 BMW 325. While the vehicle was parked in the driveway, the contact discovered that the driver side air bag deployed and evidence of a fire was present. The contact indicated that the dashboard was melted and burn marks were present throughout the cabin of the vehicle. The front windshield was shattered and the ceiling panel was burned and hanging down. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 140,000.
A friend sat in the passenger front seat of my car and pulled the seat belt out - a bit further than normal, but not that far (she weighs about 65kg, so she is not obese in any way). The air bag light subsequently came on and would not go off. The repair shop said it was necessary to replace the entire seat belt assembly ($510) in order to repair. This was done and the light went "off" once more - for three months. The light is on again.
Third window regulator broke on my 2002 BMW 325 - three different windows. I finally got sick of it and called BMW north america and they refuse to do anything about it. The windows go down & you can't get them back up. I did an internet search and easily found tons more complaints. Obviously this is a defective part that BMW should be forced to make good on - it needs to be recalled and anyone who already paid to fix it should be reimbursed. Cheap rotten parts.