1994 Bmw 325: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
16 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
100,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1994 model year. Data snapshot: . 2 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Air Bags:Frontal is the most frequently named component, appearing in 2 of 16 complaints (12.5%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 2 | 12.5% |
| Transmission and shifting | 1 | 6.3% |
| Steering behavior | 1 | 6.3% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Air Bags:Frontal | 2 |
| Air Bags | 1 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | 1 |
| Exterior Lighting:Brake Lights:Switch | 1 |
| Power Train:Automatic Transmission | 1 |
| Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Gear Position Indication (Prndl) | 1 |
| Seat Belts:Front:Anchorage | 1 |
Air Bags:Frontal: 2; Air Bags: 1; Engine And Engine Cooling: 1; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 1; Exterior Lighting:Brake Lights:Switch: 1; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 1; Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Gear Position Indication (Prndl): 1; Seat Belts:Front:Anchorage: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 1 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 1 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 1; 100,000 to 149,999: 1; 150,000 and above: 0
75,000 to 99,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (1). 14 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 7 |
| 1996 | 1 |
| 2000 | 3 |
| 2001 | 2 |
| 2002 | 1 |
| 2005 | 1 |
| 2011 | 1 |
1995: 7; 1996: 1; 2000: 3; 2001: 2; 2002: 1; 2005: 1; 2011: 1
Pattern summary
Air Bags:Frontal leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 2 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 1 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10101132 · 2005-01-26 (January 26, 2005)
THE 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
Owner-reported narrative. 80,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10101132 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10405370 · 2011-06-06 (June 6, 2011)
CAR 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
Owner-reported narrative. 120,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10405370 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 477644 · 1995-01-05 (January 5, 1995)
PROBLEM W/ROOF. *SD
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 477644 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 483785 · 1995-09-05 (September 5, 1995)
VEHICLE VIBRATION. *TW
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 483785 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 507613 · 1996-08-16 (August 16, 1996)
REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM BROKE, CAUSING TEMPORARY LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 507613 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 601119 · 1995-11-17 (November 17, 1995)
TRUNK HYDRAULIC LOCKING MECHANISM FAILED 3 TIMES. *TT
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 601119 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 735418 · 2000-10-30 (October 30, 2000)
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
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 735418 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 735419 · 2000-10-30 (October 30, 2000)
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 O…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 735419 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
1 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
94V151000 · Seat Belts:Front:Anchorage
Reported: 1994-08-10 (August 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: 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.
NHTSA campaign record ↗