BMW 320i

Where it stands out against its peers

• Engine and engine cooling: more complaints than 93% of 2016 cars — 13% of its 93 complaints, where an ordinary 2016 car has 3%.

Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.

Crash test

Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.

Specification

Recalls

Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.

43% of 2015 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 3. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.

• 13V454000

  A failure of the brake vacuum pump results in a reduction in braking power that could increase the risk of a crash.

  BMW will notify owners, and dealers will modify the vehicles to prevent insufficient vacuum pump lubrication, free of charge. The safety recall began on January 31, 2014. Owners may contact BMW customer relations at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.

• 14V627000

  A failure of the brake vacuum pump results in a reduction in braking power that could increase the risk of a crash.

  BMW will notify owners, and dealers will install a locking ring in the camshaft to retain the camshaft seal disk in the proper location, free of charge. The recall began on December 2, 2014. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

• 15V189000

  If the fuel pump fails, the vehicle may stall without warning, increasing the risk of a crash.

  BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. Owners were mailed interim notices on May 28, 2015. The recall began on July 6, 2015. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

• 15V520000

  If the side marker lights do not illuminate, the vehicle may be less visible at night, increasing the risk of a crash.

  BMW will notify owners, and dealers will upload revised software to correct the issue, free of charge. The recall began on October 7, 2015. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or by email at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.

• 24V288000

  An inflator that ruptures may cause sharp metal fragments to enter or exit the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury. Additionally, an inflator that leaks gas may only partially inflate during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

  Dealers will replace the head air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 4, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

• 24V527000

  An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, increasing the risk of injury or death.

  The driver's front air bag will be replaced, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

• 25V871000

  An inflator that ruptures may cause sharp metal fragments to enter or exit the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury. Additionally, an inflator that leaks gas may only partially inflate during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

  Dealers will replace the head air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 12, 2026. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Regulator investigations

Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.

• Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

  Engineering analysis, opened September 2021, still open.

• Loss of power assist braking

  Preliminary evaluation, opened September 2013, closed October 2013.

  Became recall 13V454000.

What the maker told its dealers

Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.

BMW filed 94 bulletins about the 2018 320i.

• Equipment: 29
• Electrical system: 19
• Engine and engine cooling: 19
• Steering: 4
• Equipment adaptive/mobility: 3
• Power train: 3
• Communication: 2
• Fuel system, gasoline: 2
• Latches/locks/linkages: 2
• Seats: 2
• Other: 9

• The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met. · February 2024
• The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. This has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. This document covers… · February 2024
• Check Control message (CCM) indicates: (ID 213): Stop, exercising due care. Voltage supply The Service Engine Soon light is on with the following DME Fault Code: 21B209 - Starter alternator / belt… · December 2023
• Pressure control valve (pcv) extended ltd wty 15 years/150,000 miles · December 2023
• Diesel fuel injectors: ltd wty extension to 10 years/120,000 miles · December 2023
• After programming the head unit (HU-H2), activating the FSC (German word Freischaltcode) Enabling Codes repeatedly fails. · June 2023
• The 3G network in the US has been shut down. This means that only the 4G network will be available. In the 4G network, voice calls will be transferred via the Voice over LTE (VoLTE) function. For… · May 2023
• Exterior rear lights do not work. · May 2023

86 more.

Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.