2001 BMW 330CI problems
The 2001 BMW 330CI has 97 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (19%) concerns air bags. Next are fuel system (19%) and lighting (10%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 97 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Air bags 19% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 7 and 5
- Injuries and deaths
- 8 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 112,000 miles 75 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 | 0 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 3 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 6 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 9 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 10 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 19 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 11 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 5 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 7 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 5 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 75 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 112,000 miles. For air bags specifically, the median reported mileage is about 72,000 miles (12 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 7 complaints mention a crash; 5 complaints mention a fire; 8 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2001 ranks 2nd most-complained-about out of 5 model years of the BMW 330CI with enough data (15 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 5 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.
I was rear ended while stopped at a traffic light in december of 2009. My drivers side air bag as well as the door mounted side air bag did not engage. The insurance carrier totaled my vehicle, a 2001 BMW 330ci - VIN # [xxx] .
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 BMW 330ci. The contact stated that the driver was traveling approximately 30 MPH and merging into a turn lane when he crashed into a median. The driver and passenger side air bags deployed causing the contact, who was a passenger in the vehicle, to sustain injuries to the eye and fractures to the orbital wall. The driver did not receive any injuries. A police report was available. The driver and passenger were both transported to the hospital via ambulance.
BMW 2001 330ci. Reverse gear failed and inoperable (acts like neutral and does not engage) allowed vehicle to roll backwards down hill before I (the operator) noticed I was moving. Could not use engine throttle to control speed as it was like it was in neutral. Vehicle only has 75k miles on 'no service' automatic transmission.
I was receiving a intermittent left tail light warning indicator and assumed it was a bulb that was going out. After some time had past I received a steady left tail light indicator and when I was about to replace the bulb I discovered the bulbs was fine and found the wiring/connector in the tail light bulb carrier had a short/melted. I believe this is the same issue/problem on the 2002-2005 BMW e46 3series which a tail light recall was issued.