1997 BMW 3 Series

Documented records held locally from official US and Canadian sources. Each record shows its official identifier so it can be confirmed at the source; nothing here is a score or a prediction.

Vehicle coverage

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Coverage held for this vehicle

  • OFFICIAL ACTION 5 US Recalls
  • MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATION 32 Manufacturer Bulletins
  • INVESTIGATION 0 Investigations
  • CONSUMER REPORT 43 Consumer Complaints
  • CANADIAN RECALL 2 Canada Recalls

These are counts of distinct official records held locally. They are not combined into any score, and a record count is not a failure rate. A zero means no record is held here, not that none exists.

US Recalls

NHTSA Recall US

  • 06E064000 2006-07-17

    Recall 06E064000

    CERTAIN TRADESONIC COMBINATION LAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. COMBINATION LAMPS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

    Recorded model years: 1997

  • 06E044000 2006-05-22

    Recall 06E044000

    CERTAIN J & A AUTO ACCESSORIES COMBINATION HEADLAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

    Recorded model years: 1997

  • 06E026000 2006-03-23

    Recall 06E026000

    CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

    Recorded model years: 1997

Showing 3 of 5 records held. The full set is available from the official source named above.

A further 93 records exist for the BMW 3 Series where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.

Campaign applicability can depend on build date, equipment and market, and a remedy may already have been completed. Confirm any campaign against the official record using the VIN.

Manufacturer Bulletins

NHTSA Manufacturer Communication US

  • 10249437 2024-01-16

    B510819

    The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.

    Recorded model years: 1997

  • 10051519 2012-12-01

    SIB-61-37-12

    BMW: THE HIGH-VOLTAGE (HV) BATTERY CELLS COULD BE DAMAGED IF THE VEHICLE IS PREVENTED FROM ENTERING SLEEP MODE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. UPDATED 03/11/2013 *JS

    Recorded model years: 1997

  • 10051459 2012-12-01

    SIB270212

    BMW: DSC WARNING LIGHT IS ON. THE WARNING LAMPS FOR DSC, ABS AND BRAKE WARNING ILLUMINATED. THERE MAY ALSO BE A WARNING IN THE CONTROL DISPLAY FOR CHASSIS CONTROL SYSTEM FAILURE. *JS

    Recorded model years: 1997

Showing 3 of 32 records held. The full set is available from the official source named above.

A further 1,699 records exist for the BMW 3 Series where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.

A manufacturer communication is service guidance issued to dealers. It is not a safety recall, and its existence does not mean this vehicle has the described condition.

Investigations

NHTSA Investigation US

No matching records were found in the currently integrated dataset. This does not mean none exist for this vehicle — always check the official source using the VIN.

See all model years Go to the BMW 3 Series page

A further 15 records exist for the BMW 3 Series where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.

An investigation records that a regulator reviewed a suspected defect. It is not itself a finding of defect and not a recall.

Canada Recalls

Transport Canada Recall CA

  • 1999086 1999-05-17

    Transport Canada recall 1999086

    On certain 323I, 328I and M3 vehicles, non-crash impacts with a significant vertical and/or longitudinal component, such as experienced when contacting large potholes or curbs at substantial speed, could cause the lateral airbag and head protection system (HPS) to deploy inadvertently. Correction: Airbag control module will be reprogrammed.

    Recorded model years: 1997

  • 1997173 1997-10-09

    Transport Canada recall 1997173

    On certain 318IC, 318IS, 318TI, 325I, 325IC, 325IS, 525I, 525IT, 530I, 530IT, 540I, 740I, 740IL, 840CI and M3, the cruise control and throttle cable are attached to the same throttle valve actuating lever at the throttle housing. It is possible that the plastic bushing on either cable could break causing the outer cable housing to separate from the bushing. Throttle…

    Recorded model years: 1997

A further 91 records exist for the BMW 3 Series where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.

Canadian campaigns are recorded separately from US campaigns and do not imply one another.

Consumer Complaints

NHTSA Complaint US

43 complaint records in the dataset for this vehicle and year.

Outcomes stated in those reports

  • reports mentioning a crash 5
  • reported injuries 1
  • reported fatalities 1

Outcomes as stated by the person who filed the report. They are not verified, not adjudicated, and carry no exposure denominator, so they cannot be turned into a rate.

By system

  • Electrical system11 (22.4%)Official recall records for this system: 32, covering model years 2000–2025.
  • Tires & wheels7 (14.3%)Official recall records for this system: 2, covering model years 2001–2008.
  • Air bags (restraint system)5 (10.2%)Official recall records for this system: 52, covering model years 1999–2020.
  • Body & structure5 (10.2%)Official recall records for this system: 2, covering model years 2002–2020.
  • Speed control & accelerator4 (8.2%)Official recall records for this system: 2, covering model years 1995–2003.
  • Engine cooling3 (6.1%)Official recall records for this system: 5, covering model years 1995–2016.
  • Exhaust & emissions control2 (4.1%)Official recall records for this system: 5, covering model years 2006–2018.
  • Heating & air conditioning2 (4.1%)Official recall records for this system: 1, covering model years 1995.

A single report can name several systems, so these figures overlap and must not be added together — their sum is larger than the report total above.

A further 9,235 complaint records exist for this vehicle where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.

These are owner-submitted allegations, not confirmed defects. Counts are record counts in the dataset. No exposure denominator exists, so no failure rate or reliability score can be derived from them.

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