NHTSA vehicle safety data

1995 BMW E46 Recalls & Complaints

The 1995 BMW E46 has 1 NHTSA recall campaign and 6 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized BMW dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 1995 BMW E46. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

1995 BMW E46 owner complaints

Owners have filed 6 complaints with NHTSA about the 1995 BMW E46, describing incidents dated February 12, 2005 to September 9, 2007.

Most-cited components

Engine 2 complaints
Electrical System 1 complaint
Fuel/Propulsion System 1 complaint
Tires 1 complaint
Visibility/Wiper 1 complaint

Newest complaints

ODI #10211507 · Filed December 11, 2007
MY FUEL TANK SUCKED ITSELF INWARD DUE TO A DEFECTIVE VENT HOSE. BMW KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND ISSUED A SERVICE FLASH IN 1998. (16 04 97) THE VENT HOSE IS CONNECTED TO THE CHARCOAL EMISSIONS CANISTER. PRESENTLY, MY TANKS CAPACITY IS REDUCED BY A FACTOR OF OVER . FURTHERMORE, MY TANK LEAKS GASOLINE…
ODI #10199466 · Filed August 13, 2007
ON 8/13/07, I WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 70 MILES PER HOUR ON NC HWY 52 NORTHBOUND (A 4 LANE DIVIDED HIGHWAY) WHEN I HAD A SUDDEN MASSIVE BLOW OUT OF A MICHELIN TIRE ON THE LEFT REAR OF MY VEHICLE, A 1995 BMW 325 IS. THERE WAS NO WARNING. THE TIRE WAS NOT LOW ON AIR PRESSURE AND DID NOT HAVE ANY…
ODI #10189610 · Filed May 3, 2007
IN 1995 I PURCHASED A BMW 318TI. I HAVE JUST LEARNED THAT THERE HAD BEEN THREE RECALLS ON THIS BMW MODEL. I DID NOT RECEIVE ANY OF THE RECALL NOTICES. NOT ONE NOTICE FROM BMW. THE FIRST RECALL HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEM. THE HEATER HAS NOT WORKED FOR 8 YEARS AND THE A/C…

Read all 6 complaints

FMVSS 108/AMBER SIDE REFLEX REFLECTOR

NHTSA #06E040000 · Exterior Lighting · NHTSA notice

Reported May 15, 2006 · E SPEED RACING

Potentially affected: 1,648 vehicles

Owners notified May 10, 2006

Defect description

CERTAIN E SPEED RACING COMBINATION LAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

Safety consequence

WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Manufacturer remedy

E SPEED RACING WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN MAY 10, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT E SPEED RACING 909-923-3636.

Notes

THIS RECALL ONLY PERTAINS TO E SPEED RACING AFTERMARKET COMBINATION LAMPS AND HAS NO RELATION TO ANY ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT INSTALLED ON THE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES.FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE LAMP MODEL NUMBERS, CLICK ON DOCUMENT SEARCH AND VIEW DOCUMENT TITLED "LAMP MODEL NUMBERS."CUSTOMERS MAY CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153); OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV.

try.vin has no NCAP crash-test rating on file for the 1995 BMW E46. NHTSA rates some vehicles by body style — pickups by cab, vans by roof height — so check nhtsa.gov/ratings.

6 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 1995 BMW E46.

Fuel System, Gasoline

ODI #10211507

Incident: September 9, 2007 · Filed: December 11, 2007

MY FUEL TANK SUCKED ITSELF INWARD DUE TO A DEFECTIVE VENT HOSE. BMW KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND ISSUED A SERVICE FLASH IN 1998. (16 04 97) THE VENT HOSE IS CONNECTED TO THE CHARCOAL EMISSIONS CANISTER. PRESENTLY, MY TANKS CAPACITY IS REDUCED BY A FACTOR OF OVER . FURTHERMORE, MY TANK LEAKS GASOLINE FROM A CREASE IN THE DENT, WHICH RESULTED FROM THE INWARD COLLAPSE. I HAVE PERSONALLY READ THE STORIES OF AT LEAST 30 OTHER BMW MODEL E38 OWNERS, WHO HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED THIS. IN SOME CASES, THEIR FUEL TANKS RUPTURED WITHOUT WARNING, SPILLING GASOLINE ALL AROUND THEIR VEHICLES WHILE DRIVING. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD NOT BE IGNORED BY BMW ANY LONGER. *TR

Tires

ODI #10199466

Incident: August 13, 2007 · Filed: August 13, 2007

ON 8/13/07, I WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 70 MILES PER HOUR ON NC HWY 52 NORTHBOUND (A 4 LANE DIVIDED HIGHWAY) WHEN I HAD A SUDDEN MASSIVE BLOW OUT OF A MICHELIN TIRE ON THE LEFT REAR OF MY VEHICLE, A 1995 BMW 325 IS. THERE WAS NO WARNING. THE TIRE WAS NOT LOW ON AIR PRESSURE AND DID NOT HAVE ANY PUNCTURE AS VERIFIED BY THE TIRE DEALERSHIP OWNER. THE TIRE IS A MICHELIN ENERGY PLUS MXV4, SIZE 205/60R15. IT HAS THE FOLLOWING LETTERING ON IT: DOT APTM W17X 2306. THE DEALER SAID THAT THE 2306 INDICATES THE WEEK OF MANUFACTURE. THE TIRE HAD 12,000 MILES ON IT. THERE WAS A COMPLETE SEPARATION OF THE OUTSIDE SIDE WALL FROM THE REST OF THE TIRE. WITH SOME STRUGGLE, I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO VEHICLE BESIDE OF ME AS I HAD TO UTILIZE BOTH OF THE LANES IN MY DIRECTION TO REGAIN CONTROL. ON THE SAME DAY, I SHOWED THE TIRE TO THE OWNER OF C&C TIRE IN ASHEBORO, NC (336-629-6634) WHERE THE FOUR NEW MICHILEN TIRES WERE PURCHASED AND INSTALLED ON 4/14/07. NO DAMAGE OCCURRED TO MY VEHICLE AND NO PERSONAL INJURY WAS INCURRED. I AM AWAITING A CALL FROM THE MICHELIN REPRESENTATIVE TO DISCUSS REPLACEMENT OF THE TIRE. I WISH TO REPORT THIS INCIDENT ONLY SO THAT IT CAN BE INVESTIGATED WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM THAT IS WIDE SPREAD. *JB

Engine and Engine Cooling

ODI #10189610

Incident: May 3, 2007 · Filed: May 3, 2007

IN 1995 I PURCHASED A BMW 318TI. I HAVE JUST LEARNED THAT THERE HAD BEEN THREE RECALLS ON THIS BMW MODEL. I DID NOT RECEIVE ANY OF THE RECALL NOTICES. NOT ONE NOTICE FROM BMW. THE FIRST RECALL HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEM. THE HEATER HAS NOT WORKED FOR 8 YEARS AND THE A/C HAS PROBLEMS ALSO. SINCE LEARNING OF THESE RECALLS I REALLY DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS WITH MY CAR. *TR

Visibility

ODI #10183959

Incident: February 12, 2005 · Filed: March 1, 2007

THE DELAMINATION OF THE SECURITY GLASS ON MY BMW 750IL. THIS HAS BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE WITH OTHER OWNERS AS WELL. MY SIDE AND REAR WINDOWS HAVE BECOME SO CLOUDY THAT THEY LOOK LIKE MAGNIFYING GLASS. I LITERALLY HAVE TO LET MY WINDOWS DOWN WHEN APPROACHING TRAFFIC TO ENSURE MY PATH IS CLEAR. *NM

Electrical System

ODI #10168130

Incident: August 19, 2006 · Filed: September 13, 2006

FAULT IN THE CONTACTS ON LIGHTING. A CONTINUING FAULT ON THE BRAKE CIRCUIT CAUSES THE WARNING LIGHTS TO COME ON AT DIFFERENT INTERVALS DURING THE DRIVING EXPERIENCE. AFTER CHANGING 4 SET OF REAR TAIL LIGHT BULBS DURING THE COURSE OF THE YEAR I HAD MY MECHANIC CLEAN THE CONTACTS. WITHIN 3 MONTHS ON CLEANING, THE FAULT LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. AFTER A DAY OR SO THE LIGHT WENT OUT AND HAS NOT RETURNED. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM AS MY BULBS WERE CHANGED 3 TIMES LAST YEAR ON FRONT AND REAR LIGHTS. *JB

Engine and Engine Cooling

ODI #10166453

Incident: April 20, 2006 · Filed: August 24, 2006

PROBLEMS RUNNING THE VEHICLE AND WAS TOLD HAD OIL LEAK DUE TO FAILURE OF HEAD GASKET REQUIRING $ 3000 REPAIR. *JB

Other BMW E46 model years

Check your 1995 BMW E46 VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your BMW E46 at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

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