2002 BMW 330XI Problems: Airbags (18 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2002 BMW 330XI is Airbags (44% of 18 owner reports). There are 5 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Airbags — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 18 complaints · 5 recalls

What problems show up on the 2002 BMW 330XI?

8 of 18 filings named Airbags (44% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Electrical (3 reports).

There are 5 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Lights and Airbags. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2001 has 8 reports on file; this year has 18. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2002 BMW 330XI

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 5 campaigns on file below.
  2. Airbags. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed.
  3. Electrical. Have a shop scan for stored codes and check battery, charging and any warning lights that stay on.
  4. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Airbags. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Airbags 8 complaints · 44.4% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 0
  • Fires 3
  • Injuries 0
  • Deaths 1
All BMW 330XI years →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 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.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Airbags (AIR BAGS) appears in 8 of 18 owner complaints (44.4%) in this vehicle snapshot. Airbags (AIR BAGS): 8 complaints, 44.4% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 8 · 44.4% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 3 complaints, 16.7% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 1 fire reports 3 · 16.7% Engine (ENGINE): 3 complaints, 16.7% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 1 fire reports 3 · 16.7% Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING): 1 complaints, 5.6% of reports Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 1 · 5.6% Suspension (SUSPENSION): 1 complaints, 5.6% of reports Suspension (SUSPENSION) 1 · 5.6% Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY): 1 complaints, 5.6% of reports Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 1 · 5.6% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 4 complaints, 22.2% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 2 fire reports 4 · 22.2% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 8 44.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 3 16.7% 0 crashes · 1 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 3 16.7% 0 crashes · 1 fires
Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 1 5.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Suspension (SUSPENSION) 1 5.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 1 5.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 4 22.2% 0 crashes · 2 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

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

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jan 2009; the first recall shown was reported in Aug 2011. 2009-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jan 2009 Jul 2020 Recall campaign 11V438000 ◆ Recall campaign 11V438000 Recall campaign 13V172000 ◆ Recall campaign 13V172000 Recall campaign 15V318000 ◆ Recall campaign 15V318000 Recall campaign 14V428000 ◆ Recall campaign 14V428000 Recall campaign 20V018000 ◆ Recall campaign 20V018000 Investigation DP09002 ● Investigation DP09002 Investigation PE09036 ● Investigation PE09036 Investigation EA09019 ● Investigation EA09019
  • Campaign 11V438000 was reported 564 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 20V018000 was reported 1,566 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2009-Q1 Owner reports 1
2009-Q4 Owner reports 1
2010-Q1 Owner reports 1
2010-Q4 Owner reports 2
2011-Q2 Owner reports 1
2012-Q2 Owner reports 1
2015-Q4 Owner reports 2
2016-Q1 Owner reports 2
2016-Q2 Owner reports 1
2016-Q3 Owner reports 2
2017-Q1 Owner reports 1
2019-Q1 Owner reports 1
2020-Q1 Owner reports 1
2020-Q3 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 11V438000
Recall campaign 1 13V172000
Recall campaign 1 15V318000
Recall campaign 1 14V428000
Recall campaign 1 20V018000
Defect investigation 1 DP09002
Defect investigation 1 PE09036
Defect investigation 1 EA09019
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (5)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Lights and Airbags.

  1. Recall campaign 11V438000

    Lights

    Report date
    Component:
    Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)
    Consequence:
    INTERMITTENT LIGHT OPERATION REDUCES THE ABILITY TO WARN OTHER MOTORISTS OF THE DRIVER'S INTENTIONS. THIS COULD CAUSE A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
    Remedy:
    BMW WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE VEHICLES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 15, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND SERVICES AT 1-800-525-7417.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 13V172000

    Safety recall 13V172000

    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, the inflator could rupture with 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 intends to issue initial notifications to owners informing them of the safety defect in June 2013. Once replacement parts are available, estimated for July, BMW will notify owners again to contact their dealers and schedule a replacement of the passenger air bag, free of charge. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 14V428000

    Safety recall 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 →

  4. Recall campaign 15V318000

    Airbags

    Report date
    Component:
    Airbags (AIR BAGS)
    Consequence:
    In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
    Remedy:
    Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the vehicle has been remedied. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front driver air bag module, free of charge. The recall began Aug 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Note: This recall supersedes recall 14V-348 in its entirety. Additionally, vehicles that have had their driver side frontal air bag replaced previously as part of a recall remedy need to have their air bag replaced under this recall as well. Note: On December 17, 2015 BMW removed the model year 2004 X5 3.0i and 4.4i Sports Activity vehicle from this recall. Those vehicles were mistakenly identified as including the air bags that are subject to this recall.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Recall campaign 20V018000

    Airbags

    Report date
    Component:
    Airbags (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 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

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

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 8 of 18 complaints · page 1 of 1
2020-08-24Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11350918
CrashFireInjuryDeath
AFTER READING MANY FORUM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS MY VEHICLE PROBLEM IS THE GM5 MODULE. THIS MODULE CONTROLS A WIDE SELECTION OF ELECTRICAL FUNCTION ON THIS CAR. THE FUNCTION THAT IS AT ISSUE IS THE CENTRAL LOCKING/UNLOCKING FUNCTION INITIATED BY THE KEY, KEY FOB OR LOCKING CONTROL BUTTON ON THE CONSOLE. BY RESEARCHING ONLINE IT IS APPARENT THAT THE BMW E46 MODEL HAS HAD A LONG PERIOD THAT THIS MODULE HAS BEEN A PROBLEM AND THEY HAVE NOT DONE ANYTHING TO REMEDY THE ISSUE. THIS FAULTY MODULE (GM-5) WILL LEAVE YOU LOCKED OUT OF YOUR CAR AND OR ONCE INSIDE NOT ALLOW ANY OTHER DOORS TO OPEN BY ANY MEANS. THIS CAN BE A VERY DANGEROUS IF YOU MAY BE THREATENING SITUATION. THE MANUFACTURER KNOW THIS IS A PROBLEM AS IT SPANS YEARS OF PRODUCTION. I AM JUST REPORTING THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT, THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM. WE HAPPEN TO KEEP OUR CARS ALONG TIME AND THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE AND FRUSTRATING PROBLEM.
2020-02-16Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11309563
CrashFireInjuryDeath
KEEPS LEAKING ENGINE OIL EVEN AFTER MULTIPLE CHANGES. (CITY STREET, CHICAGO ILLINOIS) STATIONARY MOST OF THE TIME. HASN'T BEEN MOVED SINCE LEAKING OIL. (TOO WORRIED)
2019-01-07Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11164893
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE SMELL OF ELECTIRCAL FIRE AND THICK BLACK SMOKE POORED OUT THE LEFT SIDE OF MY STEARING COLUM. FLAMES STARTED TO SHOOT OUT AND ENGUFFED MY BMW TO NOTHING!
2017-03-23Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 10968000
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW 330XI. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 13V172000 (AIR BAGS) AND 15V318000 (AIR BAGS). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.
2016-09-05Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 10903623
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TAKATO RECALL - I RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE IN JULY 2015 AND EVEN WITH REPEATED CALLS TO BMW DEALER, NO REPAIR HAS BEEN DONE. I REFRAIN FROM DRIVING THE CAR AND HAVE LESS THAN 400 MILES IN THE LAST YEAR, BUT STILL HAVE TO PAY FOR INSURANCE, INSPECTION, LICENSE. I HAVE BEEN POSTPONING REPAIRS, BUT I DON'T WANT TO SPEND MORE MONEY ON A CAR THAT I SHOULDN'T DRIVE.
2016-07-27Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 10888902
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW 330XI. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V318000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.
2016-06-25Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 10876549
CrashFireInjuryDeath
DATE COMPLAINT FILED: 03/22/2016DATE OF INCIDENT: 05/04/2015COMPONENT(S): AIR BAGSNHTSA ID NUMBER: 10850988CONSUMER LOCATION: CHAPPAQUA, NY ALL PRODUCTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS COMPLAINT EXPAND DETAILS CLOSE HELP 0 AVAILABLE DOCUMENTS CRASH:NO FIRE:NO NUMBER OF INJURIES:0 NUMBER OF DEATHS:0 MANUFACTURER: BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NO. (VIN): NOT AVAILABLE SUMMARY: TAKATA RECALL- I ASSUME THAT YOU ARE ENABLING TAKATA TO BE OFF THE HOOK FROM THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO REPLACE DEFECTIVE AIRBAGS BECAUSE IT COSTS THEM TIME AND MONEY TO MANUFACTURE REPLACEMENTS AROUND THE CLOCK. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WOULD RATHER WATCH DEATHS FOR TAKING MONEY FROM TAKATA AS PER OBAMA'S ORDERS.I WAS NOTIFIED A LONG TIME AGO THAT THE AIRBAG IN MY 2002 BMW 330XI WAS DANGEROUSLY DEFECTIVE. I HAVE CALLED BMW AND HAVE YET TO RECEIVE AN APPOINTMENT TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE DEADLY AIRBAG. THE CAR NEEDS TO BE DRIVEN OVER 2 HOURS PER DAY TO COMMUTE TO WORK AND BACK. IF ANYTHING HAPPENS AS A NEGLIGENT RESULT FOR NOT REPLACING THE AIRBAG, I WILL COMMENCE LEGAL ACTION AND MY NEGLIGENCE ATTORNEY WILL RUB HIS HANDS FOR YOU BUYING HIM A BIGGER HOME, WITH THE AIRBAG MANUFACTURER, BMW, AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR NOT ENFORCING THE AIRBAG RECALL. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
2016-03-22Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 10850988
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TAKATA RECALL- I ASSUME THAT YOU RAE ENABLING TAKATA TO BE OFF THE HOOK FROM RESPONSIBILIITY TO REPLACE DEFECTIVE AIRBAGS BECUASE IT COSTS THEM TIME AND MONEY TO MANUFACTURE REPLACEMENTS AROUND THE CLOCK. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WOULD RATHER WATCH DEATHS FOR TAKING MONEY FROM TAKATA AS PER OBAMAS ORDERS.I WAS NOTIFIED A LONG TIME AGO THAT THE AIRBAG IN MY 2002 BMW 330XI WAS DANGEROUSLY DEFECTIVE. I HAVE CALLED BMW AND HAVE YET TO RECEIVE AN APPOINTMENT TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE DEADLY AIRBAG. THE CAR NEEDS TO BE DRIVEN OVER 2 HOURS PER DAY TO COMMUTE TO WORK AND BACK. IF ANYTHING HAPPENS AS A NEGLIGENT RESULT FOR NOT REPLACING THE AIRBAG, I WILL COMMENCE LEGAL ACTION WITH THE AIRBAG MANUFACTURER, BMW, AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR NOT ENFORCING THE AIRBAG RECALL.[XXX] 'INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *BF

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2002 BMW 330XI?

Owners named Airbags most often — 8 of 18 reports (44%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2002 BMW 330XI?

NHTSA lists 5 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Lights and Airbags. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 2002 BMW 330XI?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

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 2026-09-07 Open source record

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

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources