Is your car affected?
Check by VIN to confirm the
exact model and see every recall for it.
Recalls are issued for a make, model and model year. Whether the repair has already been done on one specific car is known only to its manufacturer and dealers. Check your vehicle's official status at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a dealer.
US recalls (0)
No US recalls found for the 2005 BMW 3 Series.
Canadian recalls (5)
Show 5 Canadian recalls
Do not driveAirbag
2015-05-27 · campaign 2015-230
Issue:
2023 Update - BMW has updated this recall and issued a do not drive advisory for all vehicles that that not yet been repaired.
Long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, may eventually degrade the propellant contained in the driver-front airbag. This could cause the airbag to deploy with more force than normal. If the airbag inflator ruptures, fragments could be propelled toward vehicle occupants or cause damage to the airbag assembly, preventing its proper function.
Note: This recall supersedes special service campaign 2014-587. Correction: Dealers will replace the airbag module.
Safety Risk:
If the vehicle is involved in a crash requiring an airbag deployment, the airbag inflator could rupture and create a risk of injury.
Corrective Actions:
BMW advises not to drive your vehicle unless this recall repair has been completed. BMW will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to inspect the driver-front airbag inflator. The driver-front airbag module or inflator will be replaced as necessary.
To learn if your vehicle requires repair, owners may:
• Visit https://www.bmw.ca/en/ssl/VehicleRecall.html
• Contact your preferred or local BMW Retailer
• Call BMW Customer Relations Recall Services at 1-855-217-3002
Airbag
2020-01-15 · campaign 2020-009
Issue:
This recall is for certain vehicles that had an airbag inflator replaced as a part of an earlier recall campaign. This recall provides a final repair.
Long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, may eventually degrade the propellant contained in the passenger-front airbag. This could cause the airbag to deploy with more force than normal. If the airbag inflator ruptures, fragments could be propelled toward vehicle occupants or cause damage to the airbag assembly, preventing its proper function.
Safety Risk:
If the vehicle is involved in a crash requiring an airbag deployment, the airbag inflator could rupture and create a risk of injury.
Corrective Actions:
Owners will be notified by mail and instructed to take their vehicle to a dealer to inspect the passenger-front airbag module. The passenger-front airbag module will be replaced as necessary. Note: The Canadian climate results in the propellant degrading slowly. This recall is being conducted as a precaution to address future risk. It is expected that all airbag inflators will be replaced before their function would be affected.
Airbag
2014-12-22 · campaign 2014-587
BMW Canada is conducting a voluntary Safety Improvement Campaign concerning the driver's airbag inflator on certain vehicles equipped with Takata airbags. BMW will replace the driver's inflator on affected vehicles. This action is not being conducted under the requirements of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act. Note: This special service campaign was replaced by recall 2015230. Please see recall 2015230 for more information:
<a href="http://wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/Saf-Sec-Sur/7/VRDB-BDRV/search-recherche/detail.aspx?lang=eng&&rn=2015230">Click here for more information</a>
Airbag
2014-07-16 · campaign 2014-299
On certain vehicles, the passenger (frontal) airbag inflator could produce excessive internal pressure during airbag deployment. Increased pressure may cause the inflator to rupture, which could allow fragments to be propelled toward vehicle occupants, increasing the risk of injury. This could also damage the airbag module, which could prevent proper deployment during a crash where deployment is warranted, increasing the risk of personal injury to the seat occupant. Correction: Dealers will replace the passenger airbag. Note: This is an expansion of recall 2013148.
Lights and instruments
2011-08-26 · campaign 2011-322
Certain vehicles may experience the loss of one or more rear lamp functions (tail, brake, turn signal) on the portion of the rear lamp assemblies that are mounted in the body (the portion of the lamps mounted on the trunk are not affected). Failure of any rear lamp function may result in the following road users being unaware of the driver's intentions, as well as reducing vehicle conspicuity during hours of darkness, which could increase the risk of a crash causing property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will install an additional electrical ground connection to the rear lamp circuitry. Rear lamp function will be checked and, if necessary, further electrical repair may be necessary, including the replacement of the 8-pin connector housing.
Owner complaints (25)
Owners filed 25 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005 BMW 3 Series (1 crashes, 1 fires, 3 injuries reported). Among 21 model years of this model, it ranks #11 for the most complaints (median 25).
| Most-reported problem | Complaints | |
|---|
| Air bags | 16 | |
| Exterior lighting | 4 | |
| Electrical system | 2 | |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | |
| Unknown or other | 2 | |
| Structure | 1 | |
| Service brakes | 1 | |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | |
Crash test ratings
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2005 BMW 3 Series.
| Version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|
| 2005 BMW 3 Series 2-DR w/SAB | – | – | – | – |
| 2005 BMW 3 Series 4-DR. w/SAB | – | – | – | – |
Fuel economy
EPA ratings for each 2005 BMW 3 Series version.
| Version | City MPG | Highway MPG | Combined | Yearly fuel cost |
|---|
| 325ci 2.5 L Manual 5-spd | 18 | 27 | 21 | $3,900 |
| 325ci 2.5 L Automatic (S5) | 17 | 25 | 20 | $4,100 |
| 325ci Convertible 2.5 L Manual 5-spd | 17 | 25 | 20 | $4,100 |
| 325ci Convertible 2.5 L Automatic (S5) | 16 | 24 | 19 | $4,350 |
| 325i 2.5 L Manual 5-spd | 18 | 27 | 21 | $3,900 |
| 325i 2.5 L Automatic (S5) | 17 | 25 | 20 | $4,100 |
| 325i 2.5 L Automatic (S6) | 19 | 28 | 22 | $3,750 |
| 325i Sport Wagon 2.5 L Manual 5-spd | 18 | 27 | 21 | $3,900 |
| 325i Sport Wagon 2.5 L Automatic (S5) | 17 | 25 | 20 | $4,100 |
| 325xi 2.5 L Manual 5-spd | 17 | 25 | 20 | $4,100 |
| 325xi 2.5 L Automatic (S5) | 17 | 24 | 20 | $4,100 |
| 325xi Sport Wagon 2.5 L Manual 5-spd | 17 | 24 | 20 | $4,100 |
Need this data in your app?
Recalls, complaints, crash ratings and fuel economy as a JSON API. Decode up to 50 VINs per call and get a daily feed of new recalls.
Explore the API →Sources: NHTSA recalls, complaints and 5-Star Safety Ratings, US EPA fuel economy and Transport
Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database (contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada).
Recalls updated 2026-10-30.