2001 BMW 330I — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 113 complaints · 8 recalls
Most-reported system: AIR BAGS (28 complaints · 24.8%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 1
  • Fires 3
  • Injuries 5
  • Deaths 0
Compare all model years →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution AIR BAGS appears in 28 of 113 owner complaints (24.8%) in this vehicle snapshot. AIR BAGS: 28 complaints, 24.8% of reports AIR BAGS 28 · 24.8% POWER TRAIN: 21 complaints, 18.6% of reports POWER TRAIN 21 · 18.6% ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 12 complaints, 10.6% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 12 · 10.6% FUEL SYSTEM: 7 complaints, 6.2% of reports FUEL SYSTEM 7 · 6.2% ENGINE: 6 complaints, 5.3% of reports ENGINE 6 · 5.3% · 1 fire reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING: 6 complaints, 5.3% of reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING 6 · 5.3% · 1 fire reports TIRES: 5 complaints, 4.4% of reports TIRES 5 · 4.4% VISIBILITY: 5 complaints, 4.4% of reports VISIBILITY 5 · 4.4% · 1 fire reports STRUCTURE: 4 complaints, 3.5% of reports STRUCTURE 4 · 3.5% UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 59 complaints, 52.2% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 59 · 52.2% · 1 fire reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
AIR BAGS 28 24.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
POWER TRAIN 21 18.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 12 10.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
FUEL SYSTEM 7 6.2% 0 crashes · 0 fires
ENGINE 6 5.3% 0 crashes · 1 fires
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 6 5.3% 0 crashes · 1 fires
TIRES 5 4.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
VISIBILITY 5 4.4% 0 crashes · 1 fires
STRUCTURE 4 3.5% 0 crashes · 0 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 59 52.2% 0 crashes · 1 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jan 2001; the first recall shown was reported in Nov 2000. 2001-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2001-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2001-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2001-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2002-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2003-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2003-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2003-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2003-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2004-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2004-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2004-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2005-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2005-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2005-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2006-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2006-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2007-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2007-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2008-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2009-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2009-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2010-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2010-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2011-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2012-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2012-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2014-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2014-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2015-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2015-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2016-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2017-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2025-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Nov 2000 Jan 2026 Recall campaign 00V383000 ◆ Recall campaign 00V383000 Recall campaign 01V206000 ◆ Recall campaign 01V206000 Recall campaign 02V138000 ◆ Recall campaign 02V138000 Recall campaign 07E023000 ◆ Recall campaign 07E023000 Recall campaign 14V428000 ◆ Recall campaign 14V428000 Recall campaign 19V853000 ◆ Recall campaign 19V853000 Recall campaign 20V018000 ◆ Recall campaign 20V018000 Recall campaign 21V401000 ◆ Recall campaign 21V401000
  • Campaign 02V138000 was reported 323 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 07E023000 was reported 1,505 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 19V853000 was reported 6,887 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 20V018000 was reported 6,937 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 21V401000 was reported 7,435 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2001-Q1 Owner reports 3
2001-Q2 Owner reports 3
2001-Q3 Owner reports 4
2001-Q4 Owner reports 2
2002-Q1 Owner reports 4
2003-Q1 Owner reports 5
2003-Q2 Owner reports 1
2003-Q3 Owner reports 1
2003-Q4 Owner reports 1
2004-Q2 Owner reports 3
2004-Q3 Owner reports 1
2004-Q4 Owner reports 1
2005-Q2 Owner reports 1
2005-Q3 Owner reports 1
2005-Q4 Owner reports 1
2006-Q1 Owner reports 1
2006-Q2 Owner reports 3
2007-Q3 Owner reports 1
2007-Q4 Owner reports 1
2008-Q2 Owner reports 1
2009-Q1 Owner reports 3
2009-Q2 Owner reports 2
2009-Q3 Owner reports 6
2010-Q1 Owner reports 1
2010-Q2 Owner reports 4
2010-Q3 Owner reports 1
2010-Q4 Owner reports 2
2011-Q1 Owner reports 4
2011-Q2 Owner reports 2
2011-Q3 Owner reports 1
2011-Q4 Owner reports 3
2012-Q1 Owner reports 1
2012-Q2 Owner reports 1
2012-Q3 Owner reports 3
2012-Q4 Owner reports 1
2013-Q1 Owner reports 2
2014-Q1 Owner reports 1
2014-Q2 Owner reports 1
2014-Q3 Owner reports 2
2014-Q4 Owner reports 2
2015-Q1 Owner reports 9
2015-Q2 Owner reports 3
2016-Q1 Owner reports 1
2016-Q2 Owner reports 1
2016-Q3 Owner reports 1
2016-Q4 Owner reports 1
2017-Q1 Owner reports 1
2017-Q2 Owner reports 2
2017-Q3 Owner reports 3
2017-Q4 Owner reports 1
2018-Q3 Owner reports 1
2018-Q4 Owner reports 1
2020-Q1 Owner reports 1
2021-Q4 Owner reports 1
2022-Q1 Owner reports 2
2025-Q3 Owner reports 1
2026-Q1 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 00V383000
Recall campaign 1 01V206000
Recall campaign 1 02V138000
Recall campaign 1 07E023000
Recall campaign 1 14V428000
Recall campaign 1 19V853000
Recall campaign 1 20V018000
Recall campaign 1 21V401000
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (8)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 00V383000

    Report date
    Component:
    WHEELS
    Consequence:
    THIS COULD LEAD TO A SUDDEN LOSS OF AIR FROM THE TIRE AFFECTING HANDLING AND VEHICLE CONTROL.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE FIVE WHEELS FOR POSSIBLE DAMAGE. IF DAMAGE FROM THE MOUNTING MACHINE IS FOUND ON ANY WHEEL, ALL FIVE WHEELS WILL BE REPLACED.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 01V206000

    Report date
    Component:
    ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
    Consequence:
    IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR, ENGINE OVERHEATING AND SUBSEQUENT ENGINE DAMAGE COULD RESULT. IN ADDITION, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE FAILURE OF THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUITRY TO CAUSE A FIRE IN THE FAN CONTROL UNIT LOCATED IN THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FAN. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN SEPTEMBER 28, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-831-1117.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 02V138000

    Report date
    Component:
    ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
    Consequence:
    IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR, ENGINE OVERHEATING AND SUBSEQUENT ENGINE DAMAGE COULD RESULT. IN ADDITION, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE FAILURE OF THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUITRY TO CAUSE A FIRE IN THE FAN CONTROL UNIT LOCATED IN THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FAN. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN SEPTEMBER 28, 2001. THIS IS A SUPPLEMENT TO A RECALL THAT BEGAN DURING SEPTEMBER 2001 (SEE RECALL CAMPAIGN 01V206). OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-831-1117.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 07E023000

    Report date
    Component:
    SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
    Consequence:
    LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID CAN RESULT IN POOR BRAKING PERFORMANCE, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    CARDONE WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE ANY DEFECTIVE MASTER CYLINDERS. THE RECALL BEGAN DURING APRIL 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT CARDONE AT 1-800-777-4780.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 14V428000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure could cause rupturing of the inflator resulting in metal fragments striking and potentially seriously injuring the passenger seat occupant or other occupants.
    Remedy:
    Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until they have been repaired. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger side frontal air bag, free of charge. An interim notice was mailed to owners in September 2014. A second notice was mailed when an adequate supply of parts became available, on December 1, 2014. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  6. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 19V853000

    Report date
    Component:
    AIR BAGS
    Consequence:
    In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, an inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants. An underinflated air bag may not properly protect the occupant. These scenarios increase the risk of serious injury or death.
    Remedy:
    BMW notified owners, and Dealers will replace the driver air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began November 10, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  7. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 20V018000

    Report date
    Component:
    AIR BAGS
    Consequence:
    An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
    Remedy:
    BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger's front air bag, free of charge. The recall began February 13, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  8. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 21V401000

    Report date
    Component:
    AIR BAGS
    Consequence:
    The inflator could explode during air bag deployment, resulting in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants. An underinflated air bag may not properly protect the occupant. These scenarios increase the risk of serious injury or death.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will replace the driver-side air bag inflator with a newly designed inflator, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 12, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 113 complaints · page 1 of 5

No complaints match the current filters.
EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources