2005 BMW M3
3 recall campaigns and 12 complaints are on NHTSA's register for the 2005 BMW M3; the recalls concern air bags.
The component named most often is air bags: 333.3 of every 1,000 component mentions for this year, above the 85 per 1,000 across all 2005 model-year vehicles and against 192.4 per 1,000 for the BMW M3 line as a whole.
That is about the same as the average of 11.6 complaints per model year across the 33 BMW M3 model years on this register.
Complaints were received in the largest number in 2011 (4); the most recent in the file is dated 13 Jun 2018.
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation has opened 4 investigations naming this model year.
NHTSA carries a "do not drive" advisory on at least one of these campaigns.
Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA. Recall text is the manufacturer's Part 573 report as filed with NHTSA. Complaint file through 15 May 2019; recall file through 29 Sep 2026.
Recalls by model year:
Recall campaigns
Do not drive advisory
Defect, as filed: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2000-2005 323iT, 325iT, 325xiT, 320i, 323i, 325i, 325xi, 328i, 330i and 330xi and 2000-2006 323Ci, 325Ci, 328Ci, 330Ci, M3 Coupe, 323Cic, 325Cic, 330Cic, and M3 Convertible vehicles equipped with non-desiccated frontal Takata PSAN inflators and PSPI passenger frontal air bag inflators containing phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant that were used as interim remedy parts for previous Takata recalls. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger's front air bag, free of charge. The recall began February 13, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Filed by BMW of North America, LLC.
Do not drive advisory
Defect, as filed: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2000 323i sedans, coupes, convertibles, and Sports Wagons; 2000 328i sedans and coupes; 2001-2005 325i sedans, coupes, convertibles, and Sport Wagons; 2001-2005 325xi sedans and Sports Wagons; 2006 325i coupes and convertibles; 2001-2006 330i sedans, coupes, and convertibles; 2001-2005 330xi sedans; and 2001-2006 M3 coupes and convertibles to address a safety defect in the passenger side frontal air bag which may produce excessive internal pressure that could cause the air bag inflator to rupture upon deployment of the air bag.
Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure could cause rupturing of the inflator resulting in metal fragments striking and potentially seriously injuring the passenger seat occupant or other occupants.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until they have been repaired. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger side frontal air bag, free of charge. An interim notice was mailed to owners in September 2014. A second notice was mailed when an adequate supply of parts became available, on December 1, 2014. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.
Filed by BMW of North America, LLC.
Do not drive advisory
Defect, as filed: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2002-2005 325i, 325xi, 330i, and 330xi Sedans, and 325xi and 325i Sportswagons, 2002-2006 330Ci, 325Ci, and M3 Convertibles and 325i, 330i, and M3 Coupes, 2002-2003 M5, 540i, 525i Sedan, and 530i Sedans, and 540i and 525i Sportswagons, and 2003 X5 3.0i and 4.4i Sports Activity Vehicles. Please note that the 5-series and X5 vehicles are only included if they are equipped with the optional sports steering wheel. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.
Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the vehicle has been remedied. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front driver air bag module, free of charge. The recall began Aug 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Note: This recall supersedes recall 14V-348 in its entirety. Additionally, vehicles that have had their driver side frontal air bag replaced previously as part of a recall remedy need to have their air bag replaced under this recall as well. Note: On December 17, 2015 BMW removed the model year 2004 X5 3.0i and 4.4i Sports Activity vehicle from this recall. Those vehicles were mistakenly identified as including the air bags that are subject to this recall.
Filed by BMW of North America, LLC.
Each entry links to the NHTSA record. NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are free of charge at an authorised dealer; check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Complaints by component
Component mentions per 1,000 for the 2005 BMW M3 (black) against all 2005 model-year vehicles in the file (yellow). A complaint can name more than one component.
| Per 1,000 component mentions | 2005 | M3 line | All 2005 vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 333.3 | 192.4 | 85 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 250 | 69.8 | 58.1 |
| Visibility | 166.7 | 48.6 | 22.9 |
| Power Train | 166.7 | 236.8 | 117.3 |
| Unknown or Other | 83.3 | 19 | 23.7 |
| Component | Mentions | Per 1,000 | Line | All 2005 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 4 | 333.3 | 192.4 | 85 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 250 | 69.8 | 58.1 |
| Visibility | 2 | 166.7 | 48.6 | 22.9 |
| Power Train | 2 | 166.7 | 236.8 | 117.3 |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 83.3 | 19 | 23.7 |
12 unique complaints, 12 component mentions; 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported by complainants. Complaint narratives are not republished.
Complaints by year received
Investigations
| Action | Type | Subject | Component | Opened | Closed | Recall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EA15001 | Engineering analysis | Air Bag Inflator Rupture | air bags:frontal | 24 Feb 2015 | open | 14V668 |
| PE14016 | Preliminary evaluation | Air Bag Inflator Rupture | air bags:frontal | 11 Jun 2014 | 2 Mar 2015 | 13V172000 |
| PE09036 | Preliminary evaluation | REAR LAMP ILLUMINATION | exterior lighting | 7 Aug 2009 | 22 Dec 2009 | 11V438000 |
| DP09002 | Defect petition | REAR LAMP ILLUMINATION | exterior lighting:back up lights | 8 Apr 2009 | 6 Aug 2009 | — |
Other BMW M3 model years
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints | Units in campaigns |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 NHTSA | 1 | 2 | 375,000 |
| 1989 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 375,000 |
| 1990 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 375,000 |
| 1991 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 375,000 |
| 1992 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 340,000 |
| 1993 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 340,000 |
| 1994 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 340,000 |
| 1995 | 4 | 11 | 987,000 |
| 1996 NHTSA | 1 | 1 | 410,000 |
| 1997 | 2 | 19 | 426,749 |
| 1998 NHTSA | 1 | 14 | 16,749 |
| 1999 NHTSA | 1 | 11 | 16,749 |
| 2000 | 2 | 0 | 523,065 |
| 2001 | 4 | 14 | 1,099,510 |
| 2002 | 5 | 36 | 1,559,511 |
| 2003 | 5 | 49 | 1,342,494 |
| 2004 | 3 | 29 | 1,286,190 |
| 2005 | 3 | 12 | 1,286,190 |
| 2006 | 5 | 13 | 2,049,120 |
| 2007 | 3 | 0 | 1,602,930 |
| 2008 | 5 | 77 | 1,622,071 |
| 2009 | 5 | 43 | 1,622,071 |
| 2010 | 4 | 14 | 1,619,571 |
| 2011 | 4 | 22 | 1,619,571 |
| 2012 | 3 | 5 | 916,606 |
| 2013 | 2 | 10 | 899,965 |
| 2014 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 5,761 |
| 2015 | 3 | 0 | 5,999 |
| 2016 | 3 | 1 | 2,899 |
| 2017 | 2 | 0 | 2,857 |
| 2018 NHTSA | 0 | 1 | — |
| 2021 | 3 | 0 | 22,442 |
| 2023 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 120 |
Model years with a single campaign and fewer than 25 complaints have no page here; the NHTSA link opens the agency's record for that year.
All BMW M3 model years · BMW: 250 model lines
Questions and answers
How many recalls does the 2005 BMW M3 have?
3 NHTSA recall campaigns name this model year; the most recent, 20V018000, was reported to NHTSA on 15 Jan 2020 and concerns air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module. Across all model years the BMW M3 line has 26 campaigns.
Is there an open NHTSA investigation into the 2005 BMW M3?
NHTSA's investigation file lists 4 actions naming this model year; the table above shows each action's opening and closing dates. An action with no closing date was still open when the file was produced.
What component do owners of the 2005 BMW M3 complain about most?
Air Bags: 4 of 12 component mentions (333.3 per 1,000). Next is engine and engine cooling with 3. Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA.
How do I get a recall repaired?
NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are performed free of charge by the manufacturer's authorised dealers. Each campaign's remedy text above is the manufacturer's statement as filed with NHTSA. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
Where does this data come from?
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation recall, complaint and investigation flat files, public domain, downloaded 29 Sep 2026. Complaint counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; component figures count each component a complaint names. The NHTSA record linked from each campaign is authoritative.
Provenance
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Defects Investigation flat files (recalls, complaints, investigations), public domain, files dated 29 Sep 2026 (recalls) and 15 May 2019 (complaints). Complaints since 1 Jan 1995. Counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; per-1,000 rates divide a component's mentions by all mentions for the same group. Errors in processing are corrected at the next daily build; see corrections and the methodology.