IllustrationCAR LOST POWER DUE TO PROBLEM WITH TRANSMISSION. CAR HAS 120,000 MILES AND NEW TRANSMISSION WAS ALSO REQUIRED AT 55,000 IN 2000. BMW 3 SERIES TRANSMISSIONS SEEM TO BE DEFECTIVE. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF TRANSMISSIONS SUDDENLY FAILING IN 3 SERIES. *TR
1994 BMW 325
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 325 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
Limited mileage data: 2 of 25 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
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.
- Air Bags. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
4 crash reports0 fire reports2 injury reports
What owners actually said
25 reportsTHE VEHICLE'S ENGINE FAILED AT 80,000 MILES. *NM THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT HIS ENGINE WAS NOT REPAIRABLE BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT HOLD OIL . *TC THE ENGINE HAD BEEN WELL MAINTAINED. THE CONSUMER WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT A NEW WATER PUMP WAS NEEDED. *SC *JB
TIRE AT APPROXIMATELY 60 % TREAD REMAINING ON TIRE, THE TREAD PEALED OFF THE CASING AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO UNDER FENDER AND TO RIM OF CAR WHEN TIRE BLEW AND RAN ON RIM OFF ROAD-NO PERSONAL INJURIES. *AK
BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH WAS REPAIRED ONCE UNDER RECALL. CONSUMER STATED THAT THERE WAS A LIGHT COMING ON THAT SAID CHECK BRAKE LIGHT CIRCUIT. CONSUMER STATED THIS LIGHT CONSTANTLY CAME ON. *AK CONSUMER FEELS THE BRAKE SWITCH IS ALSO FAULTY, HOWEVER DEALER WILL NOT REPLACE IT. *SLC
AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON. TOOK TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID AIRBAG CONTROL UNIT FAILED. AIRBAG WON'T DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK *SLC
ON CERTAIN STRETCHES OF CALIFORNIA FREEWAYS HAVING A LONG DOWNGRADE WITH CAR TRAVELLING AT 55 MPH, BRAKES FADE, EMIT A SMELL, AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO SLOW OR STOP CAR UNLESS 2 FEET ARE USED ON THE PEDAL. THIS HAPPENED TWICE AT TWO LOCATIONS (I5 GRAPEVINE @ BAKERSFIELD HEADING NORTH, AND I580 NEAR LIVERMORE HEADING EAST).*AK
ALL FOUR DOORS AND DRIVER SEAT RATTLE CONSTANTLY. AFTER NUMEROUS VISITS TO THE DEALER, THE BMW AREA REP FINALLY ORDERED THAT TAPE BE PLACED AROUND THE DOORS. THIS TOOK 4 YEARS TO ACHIEVE AND CURED THE DOOR RATTLES FOR ONE DAY, UPON WHICH THEY RETURNED. BY THE TIME THE AREA REP RETURNED, THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. I HAD TO MOVE…
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ALL FOUR DOORS AND DRIVER SEAT RATTLE CONSTANTLY. AFTER NUMEROUS VISITS TO THE DEALER, THE BMW AREA REP FINALLY ORDERED THAT TAPE BE PLACED AROUND THE DOORS. THIS TOOK 4 YEARS TO ACHIEVE AND CURED THE DOOR RATTLES FOR ONE DAY, UPON WHICH THEY RETURNED. BY THE TIME THE AREA REP RETURNED, THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. I HAD TO MOVE AWAY FOR A JOB CHANGE. THE NEXT STEP WOULD HAVE BEEN TO REPLACE RUBBER DOOR SEALS. THE DEALER ALSO DAMAGED THE DRIVER SEAT, CAUSING IT TO RATTLE AND SQUEAK, THE FIRST VISIT TO REPAIR THE DOOR PROBLEM. NEITHER THE DOOR OR SEAT RATTLES HAVE BEEN FIXED TO THIS DAY.*AK
UNABLE TO UNLOCK STEERING WHEEL AND GEAR SHIFT LEVER WITH KEY UNLESS STEERING WHEEL IS VIOLENTLY PULLED. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THIS PROBLEM MANY TIMES SINCE CAR WAS NEW BUT DID NOT/COULD NOT CORRECT IT.*AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
RECALL #98V-178.000/BMW/COOLANT SYSTEM: RADIATOR CAP MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THREE HOSES TO BLOW. ALSO, HEATER CONTROL VALVE FAILED AND CAUSED STEAM TO ENTER INTO VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. APPROXIMATELY A WEEK OR LESS LATER , A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL NOTICE RECEIVED. NOTIFIED MANUFACTURER, AND WAS INFORMED THAT COOLANT SYSTEM, RA…
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RECALL #98V-178.000/BMW/COOLANT SYSTEM: RADIATOR CAP MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THREE HOSES TO BLOW. ALSO, HEATER CONTROL VALVE FAILED AND CAUSED STEAM TO ENTER INTO VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. APPROXIMATELY A WEEK OR LESS LATER , A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL NOTICE RECEIVED. NOTIFIED MANUFACTURER, AND WAS INFORMED THAT COOLANT SYSTEM, RADIATOR CAP MALFUCTIONING WAS NOT THE CAUSE OF VEHICLE PROBLEM. SEEKING HELP IN THIS MATTER FROM NHTSA. *AK
Official recalls
194V151000 · Seat Belts:front:anchorage
Aug 10, 1994
IN A FMVSS NO. 208 30 MILES-PER-HOUR COMPLIANCE TEST, AN UNBELTED TEST DRIVER DUMMY'S CHEST MAXIMUM RESULTANT ACCELERATION WAS 70.8 G'S, WHICH EXCEEDS THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE VALUE OF 60 G'S. ALSO, THE UNBELTED PASSENGER DUMMY'S LEFT FEMUR MAXIMUM LOAD WAS 2361 LBS, WHICH EXCEEDS MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE VALUE OF 2250 LBS. THE VEHICLES DO NOT COMPLY WITH FMVSS NO. 208, "OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: CONSEQUENCE OF NON-COMPLIANCE: IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT, THE OCCUPANT WILL BE SUBJECTED TO AN INCREASED RISK OF INJURY.
Remedy: ON AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION MODELS ONLY, THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION SUPPORT CROSSMEMBER WITH A CROSSMEMBER USED ON THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION MODEL. ALSO, THE TRANSMISSION REAR BUSHING SUPPORTS WILL BE REPLACED WITH BUSHING HAVING DIFFERENT PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS. THE STEERING COLUMN FRONT SUPPORT BEARING AT THE FIREWALL WILL BE REPLACED WITH A MODIFIED PART USING A TEFLON INNER SURFACE AND TEFLON SPRAY WILL BE APPLIED TO THE COLUMN HOUSING IN THE AREA OF THE BEARING. A BRACE WILL BE ADDED BETWEEN THE KNEE BOLSTER SUPPORT AND THE STEERING COLUMN.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.