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2005 BMW 330iProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 28 owner complaints about the 2005 BMW 330i, most often about the exterior lighting. It is covered by 4 safety recalls, and for recall 14V-428 the manufacturer reports only 29% of affected cars repaired.

2005 BMW 330i
68
CarFlaw IndexOne of the best years54% below the 330i median · #11 of 11 years by complaints
Safety recalls4Lowest repair rate 29%Owner complaints283 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage85kExterior lighting, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through January 15, 2020. Updated daily. Photo: TrippinBimmer, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2005 BMW 330i has problems

28 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 lighting172
Air bags51
Electrical system30
Suspension30
Steering30
Seat belts20
Service brakes, hydraulic20
Power train10
Engine10
1 other systems10

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

4 recalls

2005 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

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

2005 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
5 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2005 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. Air Bag Inflator RuptureEA15001 · still open
    Led to recall 14V-668
  4. REAR LAMP ILLUMINATIONPE09036 · closed Dec 22, 2009
    Led to recall 11V-438
  5. Air Bag Inflator RupturePE14016 · closed Mar 2, 2015
    Led to recall 13V-172
In owners' words

What 330i owners report

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

THE OEM FACTORY ZKW HEADLIGHT REFLECTOR BOWL IS CHEAPLY MADE AND IS KNOWN TO BURN OUT. THE CHEAP PLASTIC USED CANNOT HANDLE THE HEAT OF THE BULB AND THE METALLIC REFLECTOR FILM EVENTUALLY STARTS TO GO BAD CAUSING VERY POOR HEADLIGHT VISIBILITY. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND CONCERN. BMW NEEDS TO BE…
Complaint 11281259 · Nov 20, 2019
OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, THE LIGHT INTENSITY HAS STEADILY DECLINED IN BOTH HEADLIGHTS OF MY CAR, TO THE POINT WHERE THEY NO LONGER FUNCTION. MY MECHANIC HAS LOOKED INSIDE THE HEADLIGHTS AND FOUND THAT THE PROJECTOR BOWL REFLECTOR HAS PREMATURELY WORN OUT -- IT HAS LOST ITS REFLECTIVE ABILITY.…
Complaint 11176532 · Feb 12, 2019 · 130,000 miles
I PRESENTED THIS PROBLEM TO THE DEALER A FEW YEARS AGO THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHT KEPT TELLING ME A BULB WAS OUT AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT ALL THE BULBS WERE WORKING. I HAVE REPLACE THE REAR TAILLIGHT ASSEMBLY DUE TO THE PRONG WHERE STARTING TO MELT. SO I CALL BMWNA AND THEY TOO IGNORED MY FIRST…
Complaint 10966610 · Mar 17, 2017

Own a 2005 330i?

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