Latches, locks and linkagesPart report

2001 BMW 325I Latches, locks and linkages Problems

Complaints: 5about this part
Share: 3%of 151 total for the year
Median mileage: 101,800miles
Trend: Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 5 complaints about the latches, locks and linkages of the 2001 BMW 325I, 3% of the 151 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 101,800 miles.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“I have a 2001 Bmw 325I sedan (production date 10/2000) and I'm having a issue with my door locks. Today when going to pick up my child from school, I was unable to exit my vehicle. I always lock my doors once I begin driving for my own comfort and safety. So after parking my car and removing my key, normally I would be able to pull the interior handle to the drivers door and the door would unlock, it didn't. I don't have an alarm on the car so I didn't understand what was going on. I pushed the lock/unlock button inside the car to attempt to unlock the door with no success. …”

NHTSA complaint #10339093, filed 2010-06, 127,000 miles

“Bmw 325I e46 model has door locking issues. The doors will lock and not unlock trapping passengers inside the car. The only way to get out of the car is to crawl out the window and disconnect the battery which fixes the issue but only temporarily. This is a known problem and Bmw should fix the issue through a recall. It is a huge safety issue that people cannot get out of the car, what if they were in an accident and could not escape the vehicle?”

NHTSA complaint #10355669, filed 2010-09

Latches, locks and linkages: other model years

Year	Complaints	Share of year
2006	47	9%
2005	1	1%
2004	5	3%
2003	13	7%
2002	3	2%
2001	5	3%
1994	1	6%
1992	2	5%

Other parts of the 2001 BMW 325I

Air bags
46 complaints Exterior lighting
23 complaints Electrical system
18 complaints Engine cooling
17 complaints Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
13 complaints Transmission and drivetrain
12 complaints Brakes
8 complaints Engine
6 complaints Body and structure
6 complaints Equipment
5 complaints Vehicle speed control
5 complaints Other or unknown
4 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2001 BMW 325I

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology