- Vehicles
- 57,000
- Built between
- Sep 1992 – Aug 1994
- Models
- 2
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA compliance test
- Owners notified
- 2 December 1994
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between September 1992 and August 1994. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1993-1994 BMW 325Built September 1992 to August 1994
- 1995 BMW M3Built September 1992 to August 1994
What the defect is
In a FMVSS no. 208 30 miles-per-hour compliance test, an unbelted test driver dummy's chest maximum resultant acceleration was 70.8 g's, which exceeds the maximum allowable value of 60 g's. Also, the unbelted passenger dummy's left femur maximum load was 2361 lbs, which exceeds maximum allowable value of 2250 lbs. The vehicles do not comply with FMVSS no. 208, "occupant crash protection."
What could happen
Consequence of non-compliance: in the event of an accident, the occupant will be subjected to an increased risk of injury.
What gets fixed
ON AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION MODELS ONLY, THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION SUPPORT CROSSMEMBER WITH A CROSSMEMBER USED ON THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION MODEL. ALSO, THE TRANSMISSION REAR BUSHING SUPPORTS WILL BE REPLACED WITH BUSHING HAVING DIFFERENT PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS. THE STEERING COLUMN FRONT SUPPORT BEARING AT THE FIREWALL WILL BE REPLACED WITH A MODIFIED PART USING A TEFLON INNER SURFACE AND TEFLON SPRAY WILL BE APPLIED TO THE COLUMN HOUSING IN THE AREA OF THE BEARING. A BRACE WILL BE ADDED BETWEEN THE KNEE BOLSTER SUPPORT AND THE STEERING COLUMN.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtSeptember 1992 to August 1994
- Recall reported to NHTSA10 August 1994
- Owners notified2 December 1994
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 10 August 1994.
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
- Safety standard
- FMVSS 208
- Recall initiated by
- OVSC
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
System: interior systems; passive restraints; air bag; driver; FMVSS N0. 208.VEHICLE description: passenger cars, models 325I, 325IA, 325IS, 325SA, and M3.NOTE: if your vehicle is presented to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and the remedy is not provided free of charge within a reasonable time or the remedy does not correct the noncompliance, please contact BMW service center at 1-800-831-1117. Also, contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-800-424-9393.
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.