I was driving home at 10:15 pm and the passenger side door mounted and passenger side head protection air bags deployed. I called bmw the following morning to report it and see what I should do. I was told I would get a return call within 1-3 business days. I have left 2 messages and bmw still has not called me back.
The worst 1999 BMW 3 Series problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Airbags3
- Body1
- Electrical1
- Fuel system1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Airbags3
- Body1
- Electrical1
- Fuel system1
Recalls 1
Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2000-2001 BMW 3 Series (323Ci, 325Ci, 328Ci and 330Ci), 1999-2001 323i, 328i, 330i, 330xi, and 2000 323i, 328i stationwagon vehicles equipped with Non-Azide Driver air bag Inflators (NADI) manufactured by Takata. These vehicles are equipped with driver-side air bag inflators that were previously inspected, but not replaced under recall numbers 19V‑851, 19V852, or 19V‑853. Due to a manufacturing issue, the NADI inflator may absorb moisture, causing the inflator to explode or the air bag cushion to underinflate.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 21V401000 · Recall details
See all 1 recalls for the 1999 BMW 3 Series
Defect investigations
Inadvertent side-impact air bag deployme
The subject vehicle's air bag electronic control module contains programmable logic for deploying the side-impact air bags.bmw revised the module several times over the span of the model years 1999 through 2002 (identified as mrs2.ca, mrs2.bb, mrs3, mrs3+ and mrs4).although model year 1999.5 vehicles with version mrs2.bb had 6.5% of the subject population, it accounted for 29% of the total reports received.the mrs2.bb exposure adjusted report rate was almost 4 times higher than other 3 series air bag module versions.in august 2002, bmw initiated a recall campaign for 20,500 model 323i and 328i vehicles with version mrs2.bb (the federal safety agency recall # 02v223000).in addition to experiencing a lower rate of non-crash deployments, most of the non-recalled vehicles also showed evidence of significant pothole/curb impact with some having additional undercarriage contact/scrape or suspension damage.see additional information
EA02012
Inadvertent side air bag deployments
Alleged that the driver's or front passenger's side air bags may deploy without a vehicle crash
PE99017
Technical service bulletins for the 1999 BMW 3 Series 27
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: 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 vehicle: rear bulb failure. the bulb out warning shows in the instrument cluster. diagnosis shows a...
- Bmw vehicle: front safety belt does not retract smoothly or jams
1999 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 | 20 | 29-30 | 23-24 |
| 2.5L 6‑cyl | RWD | 17-18 | 25-28 | 20-22 |
| 2.8L 6‑cyl | RWD | 18 | 25-27 | 20-21 |
What 1999 BMW 3 Series owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The bmw 323i ( bmw e46 ) fuel tank strap, which holds the fuel tank in place, detached from the car body. This is a strap holding the fuel tank in place. The 4 spot welds that hold the strap to the car body failed. Note, the fuel tank is held in place by this strap.
I brought the vehicle into brecht dealership in escondido to address seatbelt safety/airbag sensor light warning. The vehicle has been in for repair a total of eight (8) times for the same issue. Today the seatbelt airbag warning devise came on with the loaner provided bydealer with a screen statement: warning danger keep your seatbelt on and return to shop for repair. This is a 20014 vehicle. I believe this entire issue of seatbelt airbag safety is a manufacturer defect and warrants full investigation before a grandchild seated in the passenger seat is killed from an airbag improperly ejecting or even worse nothing no airbag or seat belt protection in an accident.
All doors lock on their own and the windows and sunroof close leaving you locked inside the car.
Tl*the contact owns a 1999 bmw 3 series. While driving, the air bag warning light illuminated. The dealer stated that a faulty seat belt clip caused the failure and they made the replacement. Approximately one year later, the air bag warning light illuminated again. The dealer replaced the seat belt clip once more. One year later, the failure recurred. The dealer stated that the wiring harness was defective. The dealer replaced the cable connector and strap, a shrink tube, and the lower belt. Four months later, the air bag warning illuminated for the fourth time. The dealer stated that the driver side door air bag had failed. They recommended that the driver side door air bag wiring harness be replaced. The replacement has not been made. The current mileage is 100,000 and failure mileage was 3,916 updated 0310/08. *lj the consumer had a recall notice which addresses an air bag issue.
(1) in everyday driving, I heard a creaking noise in the rear end of my 1999 bmw 328i. (2) I found that the left rear subframe has started to shear away from the chassis making the car only drivable for only short distances, if at all. (3) I brought it to the dealer to see if they would cover the cost of repair as a goodwill gesture and they said no. I then appealed to bmw north america and they sent out a body technician who also denied the repair. The car was approx. One year and 10000 miles over warranty. No parts were replaced nor any repairs made. This is a defect in the workmanship of the car and it is documented on the web forum www.bimmer.roadfly.org.
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Questions about the 1999 BMW 3 Series
Is the 1999 BMW 3 Series reliable?
Owners have filed 6 complaints about the 1999 BMW 3 Series, fewer than a typical 3 Series model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1999 BMW 3 Series?
Airbags, with 3 complaints. Next is body (1).
How many recalls does the 1999 BMW 3 Series have?
1 recall, covering air bags.
Was there a recall on the 1999 BMW 3 Series airbags?
Yes, 1 recall: 21V401000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
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 1999 BMW 3 Series get?
Official estimates for the 1999 BMW 3 Series range from 20 to 24 mpg combined. The most efficient version (1.9L 4-cyl, RWD) gets 20 city and 29-30 highway.
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