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2003 BMW 330iProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 77 owner complaints about the 2003 BMW 330i, most often about the exterior lighting. It is covered by 6 safety recalls, and for recall 14V-428 the manufacturer reports only 29% of affected cars repaired.

44
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.3× the 330i median · #5 of 11 years by complaints
Safety recalls6Lowest repair rate 29%Owner complaints779 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage87kExterior lighting, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through June 7, 2020. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2003 BMW 330i has problems

77 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
Exterior lighting283
Air bags243
Electrical system100
Engine and engine cooling80
Tires40
Power train31
Latches/locks/linkages30
Structure31
Wheels20
3 other systems30

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

6 recalls

2003 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.

Mileage at failure

When do exterior lighting problems start?

87kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 26 exterior lighting complaints. 62% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
0under 30k miles16under 100k miles10100k miles or more
Best & worst years

2003 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 2003 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 exterior lighting complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 330I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 11V438000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING), 14V428000 (AIR BAGS), AND 15V318000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PARTS FOR THE RECALL REPAIRS WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER…
Complaint 11006308 · Jul 19, 2017 · 150,000 miles
THE LOW BEAM REFLECTORS ON 2003-2004 ZKW HID HEADLIGHTS WERE MADE OF SOME MATERIAL THAT DEGRADED WHEN SUBJECTED TO THE HEAT PRODUCED BY OEM XENON BULBS. THIS RESULTS IN A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN LIGHT OUTPUT AS THE REFLECTOR BECAME SCORCHED. I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT INS AND OUTS, BUT I WOULD IMAGINE…
Complaint 10790344 · Nov 13, 2015 · 100,000 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 330I. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT CAUGHT FIRE. THE CONTACT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HEADLIGHT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE…
Complaint 10781104 · Oct 9, 2015 · 150,000 miles

Own a 2003 330i?

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