- Vehicles
- 180,000
- Built between
- Jan 1990 – Mar 1994
- Models
- 15
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 30 September 1996
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between January 1990 and March 1994. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1992-1994 BMW 325IBuilt January 1990 to March 1994
- 1994 BMW 325ICBuilt January 1990 to March 1994
- 1992-1994 BMW 325ISBuilt January 1990 to March 1994
- 1990-1994 BMW 525IBuilt January 1990 to March 1994
- 1992-1994 BMW 525ITBuilt January 1990 to March 1994
- 1994 BMW 530IBuilt January 1990 to March 1994
- 1994 BMW 530ITBuilt January 1990 to March 1994
- 1990-1992 BMW 535IBuilt January 1990 to March 1994
- 1994 BMW 540IBuilt January 1990 to March 1994
- 1990-1992 BMW 735IBuilt January 1990 to March 1994
- 1990-1992 BMW 735ILBuilt January 1990 to March 1994
- 1993-1994 BMW 740IBuilt January 1990 to March 1994
- 1993-1994 BMW 740ILBuilt January 1990 to March 1994
- 1990-1992 BMW 750IBuilt January 1990 to March 1994
- 1995 BMW M3Built January 1990 to March 1994
What the defect is
The brake light switch can fail allowing the switch to remain in the "brake lights off" position or in the "brake lights on" position.
What could happen
If this happens, the brake lights either will not operate or will be continuously on, regardless of brake pedal position. Following drivers would not be able to determine whether the vehicle is stopping, increasing the potential for a vehicle accident.
What gets fixed
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE EXISTING BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED SWITCH.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtJanuary 1990 to March 1994
- Recall reported to NHTSA1 July 1996
- Owners notified30 September 1996
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 1 July 1996.
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
System: brakes; hydraulic; switch; brake light. Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Owner notification: owner notification is expected to begin august 5, 1996. Note: owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact BMW 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.