Most common 2006 BMW 325xi problems
Share of the 110 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
BMW 325xi complaints by model year
2006 BMW 325xi recalls (6)
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2006-2011 3 Series Sedan (324i, 325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi), 2006-2012 3 Series Sportswagon (325xi, 328i, 328xi), and 2009-2011 3 Series Sedan (335d) vehicles.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the driver's air bag module as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 30, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2013 128i and 135i Convertibles, 128i, 135i, and M Coupes, 2007-2010 X3 30si and X3 xDrive30i, 2013-2015 X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i and X1 xDrive35i, 2007-2013 328i, 328i xDrive, 335i, 335is, 335i xDrive and M3 Coupes, 2006-2011 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 325i, 325xi,…
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver air bag. On X5 and X6 vehicles, only the inflator will be replaced. All repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 11, 2020.
Engine and engine cooling › Exhaust system › Emission control › Crankcase (pcv)
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2006 525i, 525xi, 530i, 530xi, 530xi Sports Wagon, 325i, 325xi, 325xi Sports Wagon, 330i, 330xi, Z4 3.0i and Z4 3.0si vehicles. The heater for the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve may short circuit.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the PCV valve heater, free of charge. The recall began May 30, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Electrical system › Wiring
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2006-2011 323i, 325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi and M3, 2007-2011 328i xDrive, 335i xDrive and 335is and 2009-2011 335d vehicles.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the wiring and electrical connectors, free of charge. Interim letters were mailed on November 27, 2017.
Air bags › Sensor › Occupant classification
BMW of North America, Inc. (BMW) is recalling certain 2006 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi, 525i, 525xi, 530i, 530xi, and 550i vehicles equipped with the Sport Seat option and certain 2006 525i, 525xi, 530i, 530xi, 550i vehicles with standard seats.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will repair the occupant detection mat to eliminate the possibility that it may crack, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began September 1, 2017.
Air bags › Sensor › Occupant classification
BMW of North America LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2006 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi sedans and 325xi sports wagons, model year 2007 328i, 328xi, 335i, 335xi sedans and 328i and 328xi sports wagons, model year 2006-2007 525i, 525xi, 530i, 530xi, 550i sedans and 530xi sports wagons, model year 2006 760i sedans, model…
Remedy: BMW will notify owners with an interim notification letter in January 2014 since parts are not currently available. When parts are available, BMW sent a second letter in August and dealers will repair the occupant…
What 2006 BMW 325xi owners say
Air bags all 64 →
[redacted] . I have a 2006 BMW e91, but mine is not listed for recall above in the link. Currently have a fault for occupant detection malfunction. I also have sports seats listed in the above document. The sensor will say active when no one is sitting in the seat which is a safety concern.
The contact owned a 2006 BMW 325XI. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V513000 (Air Bags) and 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) would like to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted.
Steering
While driving car will intermittently and briefly experience full electronic outage causing the instrument cluster, vehicle lights, and electronic steering column lock to engage. As soon as the electronic power returns service lights display on the dashboard until I stop, fully power off the vehicle with the ignition button and restart the car. This has all happened at driving speeds ranging between 15 and 70 MPH, fortunately while driving straight. If I or anyone else would happen to be in a turn and the electronic steering wheel lock engage the results could potentially be life threatening. This vehicle is a prior dealer lease then sold to a rental company then purchased by me. The vehicle remains unmodified and has beeb maintained and serviced with all OEM or equivalent parts.
This past week a yellow padlock popped up on my dashboard when I went to start my car. Upon future research I discovered that this it is a fault with the electric wheel lock. I have yet to find out what the route cause yet but from what I have seen, this issue is wide spread and many cases lead to the car not starting or the wheels locking up. This could cost upwards of $1500 to replace the steering wheel column. I am afraid if there is an issue with the steering wheel column, it could not only prevent my car from starting (as it has with many other cases), but could cause my steering to lock up while I am driving. This is something I can barely afford to fix, but absolutely can't afford not to. Please look into this.
Electrical system
Intermittently on startup/ignition, car electrical shuts completely down. No power to anything and key fob becomes locked in the ignition. After a few minutes the electrical comes back on on its own. This usually only happens in park on startup, however on one occasion, the electrical shut off for about 5 seconds as I was driving 70 MPH on the highway. Car went totally dark and I was fortunately able to control the wheel until power came back.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 BMW 325xi. When the air conditioner was activated, smoke filled the cabin of the vehicle. Flames appeared and the vehicle exploded. The fire department extinguished the fire and filed a report. The passenger sustained burns to the hand, which required medical attention. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 95,000.
2006 BMW 325xi engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 6-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 17 / 26 / 20 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 18 / 25 / 20 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2006 BMW 325xi a good car?
Based on 110 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2006 325xi rates avoid: 37.5× as many complaints as a typical year of the 325xi at the same age. It is one of the 325xi years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2006 BMW 325xi?
The air bags — 64 complaints, 58% of all complaints for this model year, most often about frontal. Next are the steering (14) and electrical system (12).
How many recalls does the 2006 BMW 325xi have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2006 BMW 325xi, the most recent from July 3, 2024 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the BMW 325xi?
Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2006, 2004 and 2002. See the full BMW 325xi years comparison.
At what mileage do 2006 BMW 325xi problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 80,000 miles; 17% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.