repaired · 2026 Q2
Air bags: frontal
Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
2006 BMW 330iProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 219 owner complaints about the 2006 BMW 330i, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 7 safety recalls, and for recall 24V-513 the manufacturer reports only 19% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through August 18, 2025. Updated daily.
Complaints by system
Where the 2006 BMW 330i has problems
219 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
133Air bags3 crash/fire/injury
34Electrical system5 crash/fire/injury
24Seat belts
20Steering
20Seats1 crash/fire/injury
16Engine
14Latches/locks/linkages
11Engine and engine cooling
3Fuel/propulsion system
128 other systems
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 133 | 3 |
| Electrical system | 34 | 5 |
| Seat belts | 24 | 0 |
| Steering | 20 | 0 |
| Seats | 20 | 1 |
| Engine | 16 | 4 |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 14 | 0 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 11 | 3 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 3 | 0 |
| 8 other systems | 12 | 3 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
7 recalls
2006 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.
repaired · 2021 Q2
Driver side: inflator module
Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
repaired · 2020 Q3
Emission control: crankcase (pcv)
Risk. An electrical short can cause the parts within the PCV valve to melt, increasing the risk of a fire, even when the vehicle is not in use.
repaired · 2016 Q1
Air bags
Do not driveRisk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure could cause rupturing of the inflator…
Show 3 more recalls
repaired · 2019 Q3
Electrical system: wiring
Risk. Wiring that overheats could cause the electrical connectors to melt, and increase the risk of a fire, even when the vehicle is unattended.
repaired · 2018 Q4
Sensor: occupant classification
Risk. Should the system fail, in the event of a crash, the front passenger air bag would be deactivated, increasing the risk of personal injury.
repaired · 2015 Q3
Sensor: occupant classification
Risk. Should the system fail, in the event of a crash, the front passenger air bag would be deactivated, increasing the risk of personal injury.
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 air bags problems start?
86kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 104 air bags complaints. 63% were reported before 100,000 miles.
3under 30k miles66under 100k miles38100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Air bags
9 owners mentioned a cost$1,199median
Middle half: $987 – $1,200
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2006 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
2 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2006 BMW 330i, and the recalls they led to.
- Air Bag Inflator RuptureLed to recall 14V-668
- Air Bag Inflator RuptureLed to recall 13V-172
In owners' words
What 330i owners report
Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
I was getting ready to leave my home and both front airbags deployed on me, which also resulted in my windshield breaking. I did not hit anything with the vehicle. I then looked up the VIN and noticed the 2 open recalls one is for the airbags, I contacted BMW left the service manager numerous…
My airbag light is on. I checked the website, and realize that there is a recall for Takata airbags, however, when I input my VIN#, my vehicle does not show the active recall. There is an alert on the website that says "DO NOT DRIVE"....I cannot get any assistance from Takata when I call; they keep…
Passénger seat occupancy seat mat has failed and passenger air bag system does not work. Diagnosed recently- repair scheduled soon for cost of $1588.35 It looks like there may have been a recall in 2017 but I don’t have any record of being notified or having it fixed.
Own a 2006 330i?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.