2015 BMW 320I

The defect

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2015 6 Series Gran Coupe, 2014 5 Series Gran Turismo, 2014 5 Series Sedan, 2015 6 Series Convertible, 2015 6 Series Coupe, 2014 X5, 2013-2014 X3, 2014-2015 3 Series Sedan, 2014 4 Series Coupe, 2014 4 Series Convertible, 2014 3 Series Gran Turismo, and 2015 4 Series Gran Coupe vehicles. Please see the recall report for the complete list of models. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.

The risk

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

The remedy

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.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 1,145 vehicles across all model years covered

The defect

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2014-2015 2 Series Coupe (228i, 228i xDrive, M235i), 3 Series Sedan (320i, 320i xDrive, 328i, 328i xDrive, 335i, 335i xDrive, M3, 328d, 328d xDrive), 4 Series Coupe (428i, 428i xDrive, 435i, 435i xDrive, M4), and 2015 4 Series Gran Coupe (428i, 428i xDrive, 435i, 435i xDrive) vehicles. The head air bag inflator may fail at the weld joint, which can cause gas to leak from the inflator or result in an inflator rupture.

The risk

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.

The remedy

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.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 5,761 vehicles across all model years covered

The defect

BMW North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 320i, 320xi, 328i, 328xi, 335i, 335xi, and ActiveHybrid3 vehicles manufactured October 20, 2011, to June 22, 2015, 2014-2015 328xi Sports Wagon vehicles manufactured March 21, 2013, to March 17, 2015, 2014-2015 328d, 328xd vehicles manufactured June 28, 2013, to April 21, 2015, and 2014-2015 328xd Sports Wagon vehicles manufactured July 5, 2013, to April 21, 2015. The affected vehicles may have been programmed with new software that inadvertently makes the front side marker lights inoperative in conjunction with the parking lights or the headlights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

The risk

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

The remedy

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.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 7,727 vehicles across all model years covered

Still open engineering analysis · opened September 17, 2021

the air bags

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.

towed · 78,000 miles

The contact owns a 2015 BMW 320I. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the front driver's side airbags and passenger side airbags deployed unintendedly, causing the driver to lose control of the steering wheel and drive over the curb. The contact stated that there was no crash to cause the airbags to deploy. During the failure, the rear driver’s side and passenger’s side tires became deflated. The vehicle was later towed away from the scene. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not contacted. The failure mileage was 78,000.

NHTSA complaint 11562032. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

The fuel system was causing my engine to shut down, and I got it replaced at a mechanic. About some time later, after fixing the fuel system, I received a letter from BMW telling me that they had extended the warranty on the Fuel tank, but when I took it in, they said that there was no such extended warranty. The letter is from April 2022, but I just recently found it.

NHTSA complaint 11730837. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

My 2015 BMW 320 is having a performance issue. After I diagnosed this is due to corrosion on the wastegate actuator and has failed. The bushing and part corroded and the rod is dangling. This should be covered by the extended warranty on the part as it’s a known defect failure by BMW

NHTSA complaint 11698420. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Vehicle continues to have lighting and electrical issues. Particularly, the left rear turn signal. I’ve repaired it 5 times and it burns out immediately. Dealer assured me they would find issue. Still burned out next day again. Notified dealership and they just want you to keep bringing it back but won’t issue a recall despite the plethora of complaints online about the same issue.

NHTSA complaint 11695627. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

The gas tank on my BMW 320i 4 door sedan is leaking gas. Yes; it is available for inspection upon request. I had picked up my son from school and ran an errand. We stopped for gas when we noticed the gas was leaking as soon as we filled up the tank. We were around the corner from our home and drove home very slow. We were prepared to stop and pull over if necessary as we were afraid of the vehicle catching fire. I have an appointment with Niello BMW at 8am on 9/22/25 in Sacramento, CA on Fulton Ave. There were no warning lamps/messages or other symptoms prior to the issue. I never received any recall notification.

NHTSA complaint 11688784. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

I have barely driven this BMW 320i from 2015. It is a well taken car parked in the garage. It has 33,000 miles on it. The check engine light came on so I brought it in for a diagnostic. The error is N63R Engine - Replace Wastegate Actuators and Program the Vehicle. The mechanic told me most BMW's in 2015 had a recall for this issue and this car should have a recall. So, I called BMW and they said it does not have a recall. I checked on the NHTSA site and the car does not have a recall. However, after some research, I found that many models from this year have a recall for this exact issue. This BMW320i from 2015 should also have this recall! There is no coincidence that the Wastegate failed …

NHTSA complaint 11641147, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

145,000 miles

The contact owns a 2015 BMW 320I. The contact stated that after his wife had refueled the vehicle, he noticed that the vehicle was leaking fuel on the driver's side rear. There was a puddle of fuel on the ground. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called an independent mechanic who stated that the failure was due to the pressurized fuel system. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that there were no recalls on the VIN. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.

NHTSA complaint 11618829. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.