KnownCarProblems2000 BMW 3 Series Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 88 complaints with NHTSA about the 2000 BMW 3 Series, most often about the transmission (40% of complaints, typically around 99,500 miles). It is the 3rd most complained-about 3 Series model year since 2000 and has 1 recall.
Most common 2000 BMW 3 Series problems
Transmission
35 complaints · 40%Half of these problems showed up before 99,500 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission, axle assembly, driveline.
Reverse gear of transmission went out around 100,000 miles. No issues prior to failure. Transmission was replaced by dealer at consumer's cost.
Tl contact owns a 2000 BMW 325ci. While turning the vehicle on and shifting in reverse the vehicle would not drive in reverse when the accelerator pedal was engaged. She had to push the vehicle out of the parking space so that she could shift into drive gear. The dealer was contacted and stated that they never heard…
Body and structure
30 complaints · 34%Half of these problems showed up before 94,000 miles. Parts named most often: frame and members, body.
There was a clunking noise coming from the back. After taking the wheel off to investigate I saw where the rear suspension mounts to the frame it had pulled through. I have just found out about this and will e contacting BMW about this shortly. An internet search will find that this is not a rare occurrence and I…
The rear subframe of my car used a thin metal to hold it and I was draiving my car in it cracked. Any further use would result in the collapse of the rear part of the car. I have it welded and reinforced.
Air bags
11 complaints · 13%Half of these problems showed up before 102,000 miles. Parts named most often: side/window.
The airbag icon on the instrument panel stays on. My machanic told me this means that a passenger sitting in the front seat does not activate the sensor in the seat and, as a result, the air bag would not deploy in case of a collision. So I asked them to repair it, after paying about $700, about 8 months later it…
Airbag warning light with a takata recall notice. My 2000 323i has a airbag seatbelt warning light that will not go away. The vehicle was damage from the rear end passenger side. Repair work was done to correct the damages.
Engine
9 complaints · 10%Half of these problems showed up before 107,500 miles. Parts named most often: cooling system.
The car transmission will not go in reverse. The issue happens suddenly with no warning, and acts exactly as if you were in neutral gear. There is a dedicated site called http://www.noreverse.org that documents thousands of cases from BMW owners that have the same problem. BMW north america has acknowledged that its…
The contact owns a 2000 BMW 323ci. The contact stated the vehicle had been parked for approximately twenty minutes when he was informed there was yellow smoke pouring through the interior of the vehicle. Suddenly, the vehicle erupted into twenty foot flames from the dashboard area. The fire department was able to…
Visibility and wipers
4 complaints · 5%Parts named most often: power window devices and controls, sun/moon roof assembly.
The window regulator (I.e., the mechanical mechanism in the doors which raises and lowers the windows) appears to be faulty. I have replaced the regulators 6 times since 2000. These are repeated failures: the right front window regulator has failed twice (2003 and 2009); the left front regulator has failed twice (2003…
Suspension
4 complaints · 5%Parts named most often: rear.
While driving on a smooth road, the rear wheels locked up - without any warning. Car came to a sudden unexpected halt - on it's own. This situation would certainly have resulted in injury/death, had it occured on a highway or other heavily traveled road. Dealer advises that the suspension ripped clear off the frame of…
I heard a squeaking noise coming from the rear end, took it to my mechanic, and was told the subframe has torn off of the rear suspension. He checked to see if there is a recall, but none has been found. He did notice online that this has been an ongoing problem, with many complaints, and that a class action lawsuit…
Electrical
4 complaints · 5%I experienced a typical problem with my 2000 BMW 323ci , as the subframe began to tear after only 57000 miles of use. After some complaining, I was able to get BMW to "goodwill" the repairs. But as soon as I picked up the car after the repairs were completed, the emergency brake parking light began to malfunction. It…
I have a 2000 BMW 323 ci convertible and have problems with the remote trunk release. Neither the key fob nor the release button function; the only way to get into the trunk is with the key in the lock. I did some online research learned two things. 1. This is a very common problem. (type 'BMW trunk release problem'…
Brakes
3 complaints · 3%I experienced a typical problem with my 2000 BMW 323ci , as the subframe began to tear after only 57000 miles of use. After some complaining, I was able to get BMW to "goodwill" the repairs. But as soon as I picked up the car after the repairs were completed, the emergency brake parking light began to malfunction. It…
I'm just concern if there is a recall to be fixed on my car (2000 BMW x3 2.5i) I've noticed 2x already that while driving on the freeway my gas pedal accelerates speed. In december 2010 while driving on a slight snow, the car won't stop for a second when applying brakes; my front rotor and brakes were being replaced…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2000 BMW 3 Series recalls
Air bags: inflator module
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.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Inadvertent side-impact air bag deployme
Summary
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 (NHTSA recall # 02v223000).in addition to experiencing a lower rate o
Inadvertent side-impact air bag
Questions about the 2000 BMW 3 Series
- What are the most common problems with the 2000 BMW 3 Series?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: transmission (35 complaints, typically around 99,500 miles); body and structure (30 complaints, typically around 94,000 miles); air bags (11 complaints, typically around 102,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2000 BMW 3 Series have?
- 1 recall listed by NHTSA, the latest from May 27, 2021 (air bags). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2000 a bad year for the BMW 3 Series?
- It is the 3rd most complained-about 3 Series model year since 2000, with 88 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.