IllustrationTHE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ONLY STAYS AT OVERDRIVE WHICH MAKES ENTERING THE FREEWAY DANGEROUS. *AK
1995 BMW 325I
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 325I 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: 5 of 31 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.
- Power Train. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 3 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 reports1 injury reports
What owners actually said
31 reportsI HAVE CALLED SEVERAL DEALERSHIPS AROUND THE COUNTRY AND THEY ADMITTED IT'S A PROBLEM, YET BMW IS REFUSING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT! THIS WILL BE THE 2ND REPLACEMENT SINCE OWNING THE CAR (I'M THE ORIGINAL OWNER), IN THIS SITUATION I HAD TOTAL BRAKE LIGHT FAILURE. THE FIRST TIME I HAD IT REPLACED, MY BRAKE LIGHTS WERE FINE. THE…
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I HAVE CALLED SEVERAL DEALERSHIPS AROUND THE COUNTRY AND THEY ADMITTED IT'S A PROBLEM, YET BMW IS REFUSING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT! THIS WILL BE THE 2ND REPLACEMENT SINCE OWNING THE CAR (I'M THE ORIGINAL OWNER), IN THIS SITUATION I HAD TOTAL BRAKE LIGHT FAILURE. THE FIRST TIME I HAD IT REPLACED, MY BRAKE LIGHTS WERE FINE. THE PART IS DEFECTIVE AND THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP & BMW REFUSES TO EXTEND AFTER WARRANTY ASSISTANCE FOR REPLACEMENT ( IT IS 6 MONTHS OUTSIDE THE WARRANTY.) I CONTACTED BMW CUSTOMER SERVICE AS WELL AND JUST GOT THE RUN AROUND AND WAS TOLD THE ONLY WAY TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER WAS IN WRITING BECAUSE "SHE DOESN'T INTERACT WITH CUSTOMERS." THE CAR ONLY HAS 65,000 MILES ON IT AND SHOULD NOT NEED THIS TYPE OF REPLACEMENT. IN SEVERAL DEALERSHIPS WORDS "YEH, IT HAS A TENDANCY TO WEAR OUT AND BESIDES IT'S ONLY $50". I'M ALSO CONTACTING MY INSURANCE COMPANY AND HOPEFULLY BETWEEN NHTSA AND THEM SOMETHING CAN BE DONE. HOPEFULLY, IT'S DOESN'T GET TO THE POINT WHERE SOMEONE IS CRITICALLY INJURED BEFORE A RECALL CAN BE ISSUED. *AK
AIRBAG SENSOR LIGHT HAS BEEN ON THE DASHBOARD FOR THE LAST THREE MONTHS. SEVERAL COMPUTERS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED, NONE HAVE WORKED. *AK *ML
IN A FRONTAL IMPACT WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 60-65 MPH, DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY WHICH DID NOT PROTECT THE OCCUPANT IN THIS CRASH. ALSO, INANOTHER FRONTAL IMPACT ON FEB 24, 1999, DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT A SPEED OF 60 MPH THE HOOD ON THE VEHICLE FLEW UP CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY WHICH RESULTED IN A CRACKED WINDSHIELD. *YC
NO SUMMARY
I WAS DRIVING TO MONTERREY, CA, WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR, AND WOULD NOT WORK ANYMORE. IT WAS TOWED TO MY BMW IN SEASIDE, CA, WHERE THEY DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MECHANICS ALL SAID THIS SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED WITH A BMW. THEY ALL SAID THE FIRST SERVICE REQU…
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I WAS DRIVING TO MONTERREY, CA, WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR, AND WOULD NOT WORK ANYMORE. IT WAS TOWED TO MY BMW IN SEASIDE, CA, WHERE THEY DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MECHANICS ALL SAID THIS SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED WITH A BMW. THEY ALL SAID THE FIRST SERVICE REQUIRED ON A BMW WAS AT 100,000 MILES, AND THAT ALL THEY DO IS CHANGE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID.
VEHICLE HAS AN EGG SMELL. WHEN THE CAR STOPPED THE SMELL IS STRONGER. THE VEHICLE IS ALSO LOSING POWER, RPM READS BETWEEN 5 AND 6, DEALER CONTACTED TWO TIMES, DIAGNOSTICS TESTS RAN AND CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
ROTORS HAVE WORN DOWN PREMATURELY , BUT THE BRAKE PADS HAVE NOT BEEN WORN OUT. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
BRAKE PEDAL DESIGN IS POOR, CONSUMER HAS ENGAGED THE ACCELERTATOR PEDAL BY ACCIDENT DUE TO DESIGN.
Official recalls
298V178000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:cooling System
Aug 4, 1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. A MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE OF A COOLANT SYSTEM COMPONENT, SUCH AS A THERMOSTAT, WATER PUMP, OR FAN BELT, CAN RESULT IN SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED COOLANT TEMPERATURE AND SYSTEM PRESSURE. IF THE INDICATIONS OF A CRITICAL OVERHEATING CONDITION IS NOT NOTICED BY THE DRIVER, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT DAMAGE TO, OR FAILURE OF, A COOLANT SYSTEM COMPONENT COULD OCCUR.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF A CRACK WERE TO FORM OR A SEAM WERE TO SEPARATE IN THE HEATER CORE END PIECE, HOT COOLANT COULD SUDDENLY BE EXPELLED, INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY TO A VEHICLE OCCUPANT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW DESIGN RADIATOR CAP TO CONTROL PRESSURE AND PROVIDE GREATER COOLANT OVERFLOW IN THE EVENT OF OVERHEATING.
97V131000 · Vehicle Speed Control
Aug 19, 1997
THE CRUISE CONTROL AND THROTTLE CABLES ARE ATTACHED TO THE SAME THROTTLE VALVE ACTUATING LEVER AT THE THROTTLE HOUSING. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE PLASTIC BUSHING ON EITHER CABLE COULD BREAK DUE TO ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES COUPLED WITH VIBRATION. IF THE BUSHING BREAKS, THE OUTER CABLE HOUSING CAN SEPARATE FROM THE BUSHING. IN THIS CASE, DURING APPLICATION OF THE THROTTLE PEDAL WITHOUT CRUISE CONTROL BEING ENGAGED, THE OUTER TUBE COULD CATCH ON THE EDGE OF THE BROKEN BUSHING.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS COULD CAUSE THE THROTTLE VALVE TO REMAIN PARTIALLY OPEN. IT HIS WERE TO OCCUR, THE CAR MIGHT NOT DECELERATE AS EXPECTED INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A SPRING STEEL CLIP ON THE OUTER TUBE OF EACH CABLE IN THE AREA OF THE ADJUSTING SCREW AND PLASTIC BUSHING. THE CLIP IS DESIGNED TO PREVENT THE OUTER TUBE FROM DISLODGING FROM THE BUSHING.
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.