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2002 BMW 330iProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 45 owner complaints about the 2002 BMW 330i, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 6 safety recalls, and for recall 14V-428 the manufacturer reports only 29% of affected cars repaired.

54
CarFlaw IndexSolid year15% below the 330i median · #8 of 11 years by complaints
Safety recalls6Lowest repair rate 29%Owner complaints459 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage143kAir bags, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through January 21, 2021. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2002 BMW 330i has problems

45 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Air bags132
Exterior lighting100
Electrical system71
Power train41
Equipment42
Tires30
Engine and engine cooling20
Seats21
Steering21
9 other systems92

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

6 recalls

2002 BMW 330i recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

42%repaired · 2021 Q2

Passenger side: inflator module

Do not drive

Recall 20V-018 · Jan 15, 2020 · 292,948 vehicles · 123,637 repaired

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

29%repaired · 2016 Q1

Air bags

Do not drive

Recall 14V-428 · Jun 11, 2018 · 574,007 vehicles · 163,619 repaired

Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure could cause rupturing of the inflator…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

32%repaired · 2017 Q4

Driver side: inflator module

Do not drive

Recall 15V-318 · May 28, 2015 · 419,235 vehicles · 133,934 repaired

Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Air bags

Do not drive

Recall 13V-172 · May 2, 2013 · 43,204 vehicles

Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking and potentially…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 2 more recalls
–no report yet

Exterior lighting: brake lights

Recall 11V-438 · Aug 26, 2011 · 241,000 vehicles

Risk. INTERMITTENT LIGHT OPERATION REDUCES THE ABILITY TO WARN OTHER MOTORISTS OF THE DRIVER'S INTENTIONS.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with BMW.

Best & worst years

2002 vs. every other 330i year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the 330i median. How we score

'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
3 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2002 BMW 330i, and the recalls they led to.

  1. REAR LAMP ILLUMINATIONDP09002 · closed Aug 6, 2009
    No recall
  2. Rear Lamp IlluminationEA09019 · closed Sep 28, 2011
    Led to recall 11V-438
  3. REAR LAMP ILLUMINATIONPE09036 · closed Dec 22, 2009
    Led to recall 11V-438
In owners' words

What 330i owners report

Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

TAKATA RECALL I RECEIVED A NOTICE THAT MY DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG WAS TO BE REPLACED UNDER THE TAKATA RECALL IN JUNE 2015. I HAVE MADE OVER A DOZEN REQUESTS WITH MY LOCAL BMW DEALER TO HAVE THE RECALL PERFORMED BUT EACH TIME I HAVE BEEN TOLD THERE ARE NO AIRBAGS AVAILABLE. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT I DRIVE…
Complaint 10919773 · Oct 28, 2016
TAKATA RECALL - I HAVE CALLED ALL THE BMW CENTERS IN MY LOCAL AREA AND NONE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REPLACE THE DRIVERS SIDE AIRBAG. THEY HAVE NO CLUE WHEN AND ACT AS IF IT IS NOT A REAL SAFETY ISSUE.
Complaint 10899482 · Aug 30, 2016
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW 330I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V318000 (AIR BAGS) AND STATED THAT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME FRAME TO SCHEDULE THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT CALLED TWO DEALERS AND THEY DID NOT GIVE A…
Complaint 10899332 · Aug 29, 2016

Own a 2002 330i?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.