1999 BMW 328I Problems

What owners report

Owners of this 1999 model year most often write about the driver-side airbag recall, where repair parts were reported unavailable in 2020, and about the rear subframe or differential mounts separating from the car. Door locks that fail to unlock, sometimes in hot or humid weather, and reverse gear that does not engage also appear often. Reverse complaints in the sample were reported between about 90,000 and 157,000 miles, while the other problems appear across a wider range of mileage.

1. 1
   Air bags

   Driver-side airbag recall repair parts not available

   • 16 complaints (16%)
   • median 122,000 mi at 21.1 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2004–2020

   Owners describe receiving a recall notice for the driver-side air bag inflator, then being told by the dealer that the repair part was not available. Some report the car was kept at the dealer, or that they were offered a buy-back option or referred to the manufacturer. Many of these complaints say the owner had not experienced a failure, and some say they waited months with no date for the parts. These complaints were filed in 2020, most do not list mileage, and the entry that does lists about 119,000 miles.

   Recall 19V851000 · DO NOT DRIVERecall 19V8520002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Enter the VIN on the NHTSA recall lookup and ask a dealer whether the driver-side inflator remedy is now available for any open campaign. A related campaign carries a do-not-drive notice in the recall data, so confirm the current status before driving.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I received a notice that the driver's air bag inflator was recalled in january 2020. No remedy is available. I have been waiting and calling Bmw and Bmw dealerships for 6 months.”

   NHTSA complaint #11330058, filed 2020-06, 119,000 miles

   “Takata recall. The contact owns a 1999 Bmw 328I. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 19v851000 (air bags) however, the part needed for the repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was contacted made aware of the issue and informed the contact that the parts were not available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.”

   NHTSA complaint #11306370, filed 2020-01
2. 2
   Body and structure

   Rear subframe or differential mount separation

   • 11 complaints (11%)
   • median 100,000 mi at 6.4 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2003–2017

   Owners describe the rear subframe cracking or pulling away from the body, and in some cases the differential mounts tearing away from the frame. Reported symptoms include a clunk when shifting into gear, noisy or misaligned rear suspension parts, and in some cases the rear wheel assembly separating from the car. Some complaints say the manufacturer agreed to pay for part or all of the repair, and a few mention similar problems discussed on owner forums. Where mileage is given, reports range from about 40,000 to 190,000 miles, mostly between 40,000 and 130,000.

   What to check: Have a mechanic check the rear subframe and differential mounts for cracks, sagging or torn rubber. Ask the seller whether any subframe or differential mount repair was done and request the records.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Under normal driving I started to hear and feel a 'clunk' type noise when engaging the car into gear. Took the car to my mechanic to inspect and he found some cracks in the rear subframe along with the differential mounts being pratically torn off.”

   NHTSA complaint #10091075, filed 2004-09, 70,500 miles

   “Bmw 328I year 1999. I have had vehicle inspected by a reputable technician who informed me that my car has problem with rear sub-fram seperation and cracking. He mentioned this is a dangerous issue, which could cause the vehcile to lose control. He also mentioned that this year and model have ongoing problem. After additional research on web, there are hundreds, if not thousands of complaints on the same problem with same model year(s) 1999-2002 3 series Bmw cars. I have over 200 names myself, of logged complaints on a Bmw blog site. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10321555, filed 2010-03, 107,800 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Doors fail to unlock from fob or inside

   • 7 complaints (7%)
   • median 80,000 mi at 12.0 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2009–2022

   Owners describe power door locks that do not unlock from the key fob or the console switch, and in some cases the doors cannot be opened from inside. Some complaints name the GM5 door control module, and some say the driver door is the only one that can be unlocked with the physical key. Some owners also describe the alarm sounding at random or the windows closing while they were still inside. Some reports mention hot, humid or temperature changes, and the mileage given ranges from about 24,000 to 153,000.

   What to check: Test each door from the fob, the console switch and the inside handle, ideally on a warm or humid day. Ask the seller whether the door lock control module has ever been repaired or replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a 1999 Bmw 328I (e46 body). Within the past couple of years, I have had recurring issues, usually on hot or cold days, where the door locks and windows will not function properly. In addition, when locked, the car alarm will go off at random intervals. I've even had one instance where the windows rolled up automatically and the doors locked while I was still in the car and the only way I could get out was by unlocking the doors with the electric key fob. Neither opening the door handle or unlocking from the center console worked. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10359940, filed 2010-10, 61,000 miles

   “Gm5 control module door lock failure. Intermittent failure, usually in hot or humid weather, causes door unlocking to fail using either the key fob or the console button. When this occurs, the doors cannot be unlocked from the inside. Only the driver door can be unlocked using the physical key inserted from the outside of the door! …”

   NHTSA complaint #10533518, filed 2013-08, 24,000 miles
4. 4
   Brakes

   Brake pulsation or weak braking

   • 8 complaints (8%)
   • median 30,000 mi at 5.2 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1999–2011

   Owners describe pulsing or vibration when braking, sometimes felt through the steering wheel, and some describe brakes that do not engage until very hard pressure is applied. Some complaints mention rear brake discs that became very hot after pulsing, and some describe the car not slowing as expected, including a collision with a garage wall. A dealer reportedly identified a brake booster clip as the problem, and that owner was told the car was not included in a recall; a separate complaint says the dealer recommended new lower control arm bushings for steering vibration under braking. Mileage given ranges from about 12,000 to 105,000, and some reports describe the symptom at highway speeds.

   Recall 99V100000

   What to check: Have a technician check pedal feel, the rear discs and pads, and ask whether the brake booster clip recall work has been completed. Test the brakes at moderate and highway speed on a test drive, watching for pulsing or a pedal that needs hard pressure to engage.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While backing out of the garage, when I hit the brakes to stop the car, the car did not stop. In order to avoid hitting the car behind me, I put the car in drive and again hit the brakes. The car did not stop and only stopped when I hit the garage wall, causing over $3000.00 damage to the car.”

   NHTSA complaint #10049506, filed 2003-12, 12,000 miles

   “The right rear brakes pulsate while driving without the brakes being applied by the driver. This occurs on an intermittent basis (once or twice a week) and stops when the car is shut off and restarted. When the failure has occurred while driving on the highway (e.g. At speeds of 55mph) the right rear disc will glow red hot upon examination after gently stopping the vehicle without applying the brakes. Only the right rear disc glows.”

   NHTSA complaint #10036889, filed 2003-08, 30,000 miles
5. 5
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Reverse not engaging or wrong gear selected

   • 8 complaints (8%)
   • median 136,940 mi at 11.5 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2006–2012

   Owners describe the car not going into reverse, or the engine revving with no movement even though the dashboard shows R. In a separate complaint the car rolled backward while in drive, and some owners had to push the car to get it moving. Dealers reportedly said a new transmission or a new gear shifter was needed. Reported between about 90,000 and 157,000 miles, and some describe it happening intermittently or after the car had been parked.

   What to check: Shift through reverse several times on a test drive, including after the car has been parked for a while. Ask the seller for any transmission or gear shifter repair records.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 1999 nmw 328I wont go into reverse on occasions. The first time this happened I was in a dark parking area alone. The car gave me no warning. I had driven the car all the day and nothing happened. I got into the car later to go home and it wouldn't go into reverse. I was able to push the car so that I could go into drive which works fine. I took my car to the Bmw place at 10,000 miles to get transmission serviced and they said that there was no need because it was a lifetime transmission fluid. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10435564, filed 2011-11, 140,000 miles

   “I went to back out of my garage and my 1999 Bmw 328I would not go into reverse. The shift lever seemed to be working. The indicator on the dash said r . But the engine just revved. I pushed it out of the driveway and drove to my auto mechanic. When I got there, it was working perfectly. I drove it around for about a week, and then it did it again. After driving it for 10 minutes I checked again and it was working. I called two Bmw dealers and all they would say is you need a new transmission and it will cost 5 grand .”

   NHTSA complaint #10355072, filed 2010-09, 156,600 miles

Buying note. Before buying, check the VIN against NHTSA recall records and ask whether the driver-side airbag inflator repair has been completed. Also have the rear subframe and differential mounts inspected, and test reverse, the door locks and the brakes on a test drive.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.