Equal-exposure complaint evidence and changes in the reported problem mix

2003 vs 2004 BMW 330I

NHTSA Consumer Complaints complaints · snapshot 2026-08-21

Share shifts show how a vehicle's problem mix changed. They do not measure reliability, and complaint counts are not normalized for sales volume.

First 275 months on market for each model year

Exposure window calculated through Aug 22, 2026

Age-matched reports

▲ 54.8% more reports in the equal exposure window

NHTSA Consumer Complaints complaints · snapshot 2026-08-21

Component share shift

Bars start at the neutral midpoint. Left means a smaller share; right means a larger share.

View component share data as a table
Component 2003 share 2004 share Share change
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 38.4% 70.8% ▲ 32.4 pts larger share
AIR BAGS 30.1% 17.7% ▼ 12.4 pts smaller share
ENGINE 11.0% 2.7% ▼ 8.3 pts smaller share
POWER TRAIN 4.1% not reported ▼ 4.1 pts smaller share
VISIBILITY not reported 2.7% ▲ 2.7 pts larger share
WHEELS 1.4% not reported ▼ 1.4 pts smaller share
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1.4% not reported ▼ 1.4 pts smaller share
STRUCTURE 1.4% not reported ▼ 1.4 pts smaller share
SERVICE BRAKES 1.4% not reported ▼ 1.4 pts smaller share
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 5.5% 4.4% ▼ 1.1 pts smaller share
SEAT BELTS not reported 0.9% ▲ 0.9 pts larger share
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 16.4% 7.1% ▼ 9.4 pts smaller share

NHTSA Safety Recalls recalls · snapshot 2026-08-22

Recall campaigns

2003 7

Campaign components: AIR BAGS, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, and VISIBILITY

2004 5

Campaign components: AIR BAGS, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

NHTSA Consumer Complaints complaints · snapshot 2026-08-21

Safety signals

◆ Fires
4 → 4
◆ Injuries
6 → 6