Faulty air bag sensor. The passenger side air bag warning light stays on.
The worst 1996 BMW 3 Series problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Airbags1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Airbags1
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Technical service bulletins for the 1996 BMW 3 Series 23
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.
- Bmw: vehicle does not start: loose ground Z6000 4B
- Bmw: dsc warning light is on
- Bmw: the high-voltage (HV) battery cells could be damaged if the vehicle is prevented from entering sleep...
- Bmw: the left or right rear light in the side panel has condensation concerning vehicles produced up to...
- Bmw service campaign: the airbag warning lamp (AWL) is illuminated, together with the passenger airbag...
- Bmw: E36
- Bmw: a software problem is causing one or both of the seat belt assistants to not extend fully or may not...
- Bmw: the end of the seatbelt assistant breaks/falls off when retracting
- Bmw: the airbag warning lamp is illuminated due to a software error
1996 BMW 3 Series fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.9L 4‑cyl | RWD | 19-20 | 28-29 | 22-23 |
| 2.8L 6‑cyl | RWD | 18 | 24-26 | 20-21 |
What 1996 BMW 3 Series owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Car sitting in drive at a fence enclosure and it surged ahead on its own, driving into the fence. No action possible to stop the car from going forward into the electronic fence. Sustained damage to the front grill and driver door panels. Second time the car had done this. Dealership stated the brakes had seized also, and would not have stopped the car anyways.
Compare the 1996 BMW 3 Series
Other model years
19941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013
Questions about the 1996 BMW 3 Series
Is the 1996 BMW 3 Series reliable?
Owners have filed 2 complaints about the 1996 BMW 3 Series, fewer than a typical 3 Series model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1996 BMW 3 Series?
Airbags, with 1 complaint.
How many recalls does the 1996 BMW 3 Series have?
No recalls on record.
What year does the BMW 3 Series have bad airbags?
The BMW 3 Series model years with the most airbags complaints are 2006 (101 complaints), 2007 (35 complaints) and 2003 (21 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 1996 BMW 3 Series get?
Official estimates for the 1996 BMW 3 Series range from 20 to 23 mpg combined. The most efficient version (1.9L 4-cyl, RWD) gets 19-20 city and 28-29 highway.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 1996 BMW 3 Series?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history