- Vehicles
- 66,600
- Built between
- Sep 1976 – Jul 1979
- Models
- 1
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 4 November 1980
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between September 1976 and July 1979. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1977-1979 BMW 320IBuilt September 1976 to July 1979
What the defect is
When subjected to the extremely high temperatures that can occur in the engine compartment, the damper sleeves which cover the return springs of the accelerator control system can deform and prevent their returning the throttle to idle position after release of the accelerator pedal.
What gets fixed
DEALER WILL REPLACE THE THROTTLE RETURN DAMPER SLEEVES WITH NEW SLEEVES OF HIGH TEMPERATURE-RESISTANT PLASTIC MATERIAL.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtSeptember 1976 to July 1979
- Recall reported to NHTSA19 June 1980
- Owners notified4 November 1980
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 19 June 1980.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Official source
- Recalling manufacturer
- BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE
- Recall initiated by
- MFR
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Additional notes
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles.system: throttle control; accelerator; control return spring.consequences of defect: this could result in an unusually excessive (high) idlespeed which could cause loss of vehicle control and an accident.note: if vehicle must be driven prior to repair, moderate speed and increasethe following distances.
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.