IllustrationREVERSE GEAR OF TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AROUND 100,000 MILES. NO ISSUES PRIOR TO FAILURE. TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED BY DEALER AT CONSUMER'S COST. *TR
2000 BMW 3 Series
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2000 BMW 3 Series do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 23.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 3 Series years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
10–25K
425–50K
1150–75K
2575–100K
24100–150K
9150K+
74 reports with mileage · 14 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 35 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 30 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
3 crash reports2 fire reports3 injury reports
What owners actually said
88 reportsWHILE DRIVING I HEARD A SQUEAKING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR. I TOOK THE CAR TO GET AN OIL CHANGE AT BMW DEALERSHIP AND THEY THEN INFORMED ME OF THE SUBFRAME TEARING AWAY. NO WAY THE SHOULD HAPPEN SO MANY TIMES TO ANY VEHICLE. DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY BY BMWNA. *TR
MY 2000 323 CI BMW "NO REVERSE ". WITH ONLY 69,000 MILES ON IT PROPERLY MAINTAINED AND SERVICED, ON APRIL 5 2009 THE CARS REVERSE GEAR WON'T ENGAGE ,ITS LIKE PUTTING IT IN NEUTRAL BUT IS ACTUALLY IN REVERSE, THE CAR DRIVES FORWARD WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS. BROUGHT IT TO BMW DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. TRANSMIS…
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MY 2000 323 CI BMW "NO REVERSE ". WITH ONLY 69,000 MILES ON IT PROPERLY MAINTAINED AND SERVICED, ON APRIL 5 2009 THE CARS REVERSE GEAR WON'T ENGAGE ,ITS LIKE PUTTING IT IN NEUTRAL BUT IS ACTUALLY IN REVERSE, THE CAR DRIVES FORWARD WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS. BROUGHT IT TO BMW DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. TRANSMISSION FAILURE RATES OF THE ABOVE CAR IS VERY HIGH THAT THEY HAVE A SPECIAL WEBSITE FOR SUCH TRANY FAILURE WWW.NOREVERSE.ORG. BMW NEEDS TO ADDRESS THESE COMPLAINTS AND MAYBE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR DEFECTS OF THE ABOVE TRANSMISSION. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BMW 323CI. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 40-45 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE EXPLODED. THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND ENDED UP ON THE MEDIAN. SHORTLY AFTER, THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE EXPLODED. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STILL ON THE MEDIAN, THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE DR…
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BMW 323CI. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 40-45 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE EXPLODED. THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND ENDED UP ON THE MEDIAN. SHORTLY AFTER, THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE EXPLODED. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STILL ON THE MEDIAN, THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE DRIVER WAS THE ONLY OCCUPANT IN THE VEHICLE AND WAS NOT INJURED. SHE PUSHED THE VEHICLE HALF OF THE DISTANCE TOWARDS HER RESIDENCE AND THE TOW TRUCK TOOK IT TO THE SERVICE CENTER. THE INSURANCE COMPANY INFORMED HER TO FILE A COMPLAINT ON THE AIR BAGS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000.
I WENT TO BACK MY 2000 BMW 323CI INTO A PARKING SPOT AND IT ACTED AS IF IT WAS IN NEUTRAL. *TR
I DROVE FROM NORTH CAROLINA TO CALIFORNIA PRIOR TO PCSING OVERSEAS. HALFWAY I NOTICED A CREAKING SOUND. UPON ARRIVAL TO CALIFORNIA I TOOK IT TO A SHOP ONLY TO FIND OUT THE REAR SUBFRAME WAS TEARING FROM ITS MOUNTS. INSURANCE CLAIMS IT AS A WEAR AND TEAR ISSUE AND REFUSES TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS THE TE…
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I DROVE FROM NORTH CAROLINA TO CALIFORNIA PRIOR TO PCSING OVERSEAS. HALFWAY I NOTICED A CREAKING SOUND. UPON ARRIVAL TO CALIFORNIA I TOOK IT TO A SHOP ONLY TO FIND OUT THE REAR SUBFRAME WAS TEARING FROM ITS MOUNTS. INSURANCE CLAIMS IT AS A WEAR AND TEAR ISSUE AND REFUSES TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS THE TEARING OF THE SUBFRAME DOES NOT SEEM POSSIBLE. I TOOK IT TO A BMW DEALER WHERE THEY ARE NOW RIPPING APART THE REAREND TO ONLY SPOT WELD THE REPAIR I DO NOT EVEN BELIEVE IS A PROPER REPAIR. NOW WITH INSURANCE REFUSING TO COVER IT I'M STUCK WITH AN 8,000 DOLLAR REPAIR THAT SHOULD NOT EVEN EXIST. *TR
2000 BMW 323 CI WILL NOT GO INTO REVERSE. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BMW 325I. SPORADICALLY, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR WOULD ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL, WHICH INDICATED THAT THE AIR BAGS WERE INOPERATIVE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 107,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 110,000.
NO WRECK, NO PREVIOUS PROBLEM. JUST NO REVERSE!!!! *TR
2000 BMW 323I NO REVERSE GEAR...WENT TO BMW DEALER AND THEY DIDN'T WANT TO CHECK WHAT'S WRONG, ALL THEY WANTED IS TO CHANGE THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION FOR $5500...I LOOKED ON INTERNET AND IT SEEMS THAT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVING SAME ISSUE WITH THIS CAR...HOPE SOMETHING CAN BE DONE AND BMW WILL CALL OUR CARS FOR RECALL...I THING THE…
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2000 BMW 323I NO REVERSE GEAR...WENT TO BMW DEALER AND THEY DIDN'T WANT TO CHECK WHAT'S WRONG, ALL THEY WANTED IS TO CHANGE THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION FOR $5500...I LOOKED ON INTERNET AND IT SEEMS THAT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVING SAME ISSUE WITH THIS CAR...HOPE SOMETHING CAN BE DONE AND BMW WILL CALL OUR CARS FOR RECALL...I THING THEY SHOULD REPAIR IT AT NO COST SINCE IT IS THERE PURE REVERSE CLUTCH ENGINEERING. THANK YOU *TR
Official recalls
121V401000 · Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module
May 27, 2021
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.
Consequence & remedy
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.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2EA02012 · Inadvertent SIDE-IMPACT Air Bag Deployme
Opened Jul 15, 2002 · Closed Jun 24, 2003
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags:side/window
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 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
PE02011 · Inadvertent SIDE-IMPACT Air Bag
Opened Jan 31, 2002 · Closed Jul 15, 2002
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags:side/window
No summary supplied.