IllustrationTHEY HAVE NOT HAD ANY PARTS TO SERVICE THE RECALL ANY TIME I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR IN FOR REPAIRS OR HAVE CALLED ABOUT THE RECALL.
1998 BMW 3 Series
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 3 Series years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 1 of 3 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Air Bags. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
0 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports
Air Bags complaints
2 reportsAT APPROXIMATELY 4:45 P.M. CT ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2016, I WAS DRIVING MY 1998 BMW M3 CONVERTIBLE HOME FROM WORK. I WAS ON STATE HIGHWAY 75 IN TULSA, OKLAHOMA, HEADING SOUTH. I DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC RECOLLECTION OF MY SPEED AT THAT EXACT MOMENT, BUT WOULD ESTIMATE IT TO BE IN THE AREA OF 55-60 MILES AN HOUR, AS THERE WAS S…
Read full complaint
AT APPROXIMATELY 4:45 P.M. CT ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2016, I WAS DRIVING MY 1998 BMW M3 CONVERTIBLE HOME FROM WORK. I WAS ON STATE HIGHWAY 75 IN TULSA, OKLAHOMA, HEADING SOUTH. I DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC RECOLLECTION OF MY SPEED AT THAT EXACT MOMENT, BUT WOULD ESTIMATE IT TO BE IN THE AREA OF 55-60 MILES AN HOUR, AS THERE WAS SOME TRAFFIC, BUT IT WAS NOT HEAVY. I WAS IN THE RIGHT-HAND LANE ON A PART OF THE HIGHWAY WHERE THERE IS NO CURB. I DID NOT SWERVE OFF THE SHOULDER. TULSA ROADS ARE NOTORIOUSLY BAD, BUT THIS PARTICULAR STRETCH OF HIGHWAY WAS REPAVED RELATIVELY RECENTLY. MY PASSENGER DOOR AIRBAG DEPLOYED SPONTANEOUSLY. I WAS NOT INVOLVED IN A COLLISION. I DID NOT HAVE A FLAT TIRE. BMW OF NORTH AMERICA HAS ASSURED ME THAT THE AIRBAG OPERATED APPROPRIATELY AND THERE MUST HAVE BEEN SOME STIMULUS TO CAUSE ITS DETONATION. I STRUGGLE TO ACCEPT THAT THERE WAS ANY STIMULUS AT THAT SPEED THAT WOULD CAUSE DETONATION OF JUST ONE AIRBAG WITHOUT CAUSING SOME DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE.
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.