AI Damage1991 BMW 325I: common problems
Owners of the 1991 BMW 325I filed 4 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 4
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 25% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 25% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 25% of all complaints
- 4 Tires 25% of all complaints
- Air bags: 1 complaints (25% of all).
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (25% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 1 complaints (25% of all).
- Tires: 1 complaints (25% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 4 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Vehicle surged forward immedialtely upon engagement into forward gear and could not be stopped before hitting concrete platform.
While sitting at a traffic light the air bag exploded. Loud explosion and a puff of white smoky powder filled the car cabin. If I were driving, there would have been an accident as my visibility was zero. Without inspecting, a bmw service rep said a sensor had to have set the bag off.
Dt: the tires only have 50 to 60 miles on them, two blow outs. The manufacturer/dealer said this was caused by road hazard. While driving on the freeway at speeds of 60 mph the right rear tire and the drivers side front tire blew. Out. The manufacturer said they would not replace them.
When applying brakes, steering wheel shakes vigorously which may cause a loss of steering control and result in an accident. Please provide further information and vin#.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 15,521 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 42% most complained about).
On average one model year of the 325I has 66 complaints (21 years in the data). This year has 4, below average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1991 BMW 325I?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, powertrain, service brakes. Total complaints: 4. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: steering or power steering problems (25%), unintended acceleration (25%), vibration (25%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1991 BMW 325I?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1991 BMW 325I from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1991 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.