AI Damage1999 BMW M3: common problems
Owners of the 1999 BMW M3 filed 11 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 11
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 45% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 18% of all complaints
- 3 Tires 18% of all complaints
- 4 Engine and cooling 9% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 9% of all complaints
- 6 Steering 9% of all complaints
- 7 Structure 9% of all complaints
- Air bags: 5 complaints (45% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 2 complaints (18% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Tires: 2 complaints (18% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (9% of all).
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (9% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.2 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 5-speed
- manual, 5-speednamed in 1 complaints
Drive: RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 11 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 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The distance between the brake pedal and the gas pedal is too close and poses a danger when moving from the gas pedal to the brake. Your foot can become entangled under the brake pedal.
Sept 00 abs dash light on, took to dealer for repair, parts ordered, continued to drive with light on, repaired oct 00, abs dash light again on, took to dealer, told the abs was repaired-abs light on due to gas cap, may 2001 car out of control as if wheels locked, narrowly missed going in canal and hitting oncoming…
Impact was on the front driverside tire. The tire suffered minor damage and no other damage to body
Air bag warning light is on. Diagnosis: passenger air bag electronics are faulty and need to be replaced. Cost to repair is over $500 per dealer. Bmw should have a recall for this but they do not show this with my vin. Please help. Thank you.
Tl * - the contact owns a 1999 bmw m3. The vehicle was purchased on january 21, 2007, with 2 bald rear tires. The dealer has not agreed to replace the tires. Bridgestone, potenza , dot # emh8cka. The contact thought the size was 18. The contact has not experienced any failures at this time.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving, the oil light came on and the engine made a grinding noise. The contact pulled over and checked the oil. The oil was full. The vehicle was taken to the dealership who determined an oil pan nut fell off into the oil pan causing an oil pump failure which burn the engine.
Airbag light come up with no reason; potentially, airbig won't deploy if any accident happen. Vin [xxx]. Updated 07/30/2012 information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)
The manual transmission on my bmw m3 has a defect. It involves the transmission sticking in 5th gear, especially when the weather is cold. This is a dangerous situation, because it compromises control of the car when shifting, leaving the operator wtihout full control of the car.
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 10,520 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 29% most complained about).
On average one model year of the M3 has 15 complaints (29 years in the data). This year has 11, below average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Other years of this model
- M3 199512 sources
- M3 199719 sources
- M3 199814 sources
- M3 200114 sources
- M3 200240 sources
- M3 200354 sources
- M3 200431 sources
- M3 200512 sources
- M3 200614 sources
- M3 200882 sources
- M3 200945 sources
- M3 201015 sources
- M3 201131 sources
- M3 20126 sources
- M3 201313 sources
- M3 20154 sources
- M3 201649 sources
- M3 201740 sources
- M3 201847 sources
- M3 202169 sources
- M3 202248 sources
- M3 202326 sources
- M3 202418 sources
- M3 202512 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1999 BMW M3?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, service brakes, tires. Total complaints: 11. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbag warning light (18%), warning lights, check engine (18%), knocking, grinding or other noise (9%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1999 BMW M3?
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 1999 BMW M3 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 1999 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.