Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2000 BMW 328i owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
May of 2019 my driver door airbag, driver side front to rear pillar airbag bursted open while driving 30mph on a flat smooth road. Took to BMW dealer and they informed me that there was a recall and they'd look into it. Days later picked up my car and they said they went off from aftermarket items on my car. Which is absurdly inaccurate. I'm an auto mechanic of 10 years and nothing I've done to my car has any effect on the airbag or safety systems of my car period. They were extremely rude, didn't want to fix the over $5000 of damage that was done to my interior. Treated me like I was some idiot. And didn't offer me a loaner vehicle for the 3 days they had my car either like they guarantee they do in the event of recalls.
Tl* the contact owned a 2000 BMW 328i. While driving 65 MPH, the contact's vehicle crashed into a wall to avoid being struck by another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained injuries to the neck and back, which did not require medical attention. The vehicle was destroyed and towed. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified. The failure mileage was approximately 184,000.
"Takata recall" I was hit by a driver going approx 100mph on highway 50e from behind and after being severally hit my tekata airbag damaged my chest, hurt my face, burned my clothes, arms, and made it impossible to breathe. This wouldn't have happened if BMW had more availability to inform, replace and fix such a horrific event.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 BMW 328i. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed him that the failure May be linked to a recall. The contact then received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 19V853000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. BMW of rochester hills (45550 dequindre rd, shelby charter twp, mi 48317) was contacted and confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer had not been notified of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 BMW 328i. While driving 35 MPH, the contact drove over a pothole and the front passenger side curtain and headliner air bags partially deployed inadvertently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the passenger side air bag head liner module, passenger side door air bag module, front passenger side door trim panel, battery, and battery cable needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact was aware of NHTSA campaign number: 02V223000 (air bags), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000.
I recieved a notice about this recall about 2 years ago and had it checked at BMW santa maria (ca). Tyhey said they wo0uld order the parts and call when they came in. Hearing nothing for a period of time I was told BMW wasn't willing to do the replacement at that time. That the believed my car was not at risk. When I recieced a 2nd notice I called them again and was told the repairs had been made. I asked to show me proof of this and they have not. I do not know what to do next.
I was driving the vehicle in the early morning still dark on a state road and raining very hard could not see out the windshield. I believe I hit a pot hole. That's when the side curtain deployed on the right side causing damage to the headliner and a pillar post. Unknown why it went off. I know there's a recall for the front airbags and some forums stated this has happened to them as well. I inspected the vehicle and I could not see any other damage to the vehicle.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 BMW 328i. While driving at approximately 60 MPH, the driver side window door air bag deployed without warning, and the engine stalled. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 182,300. The VIN was not available.
Tl contact owns a 2000 BMW 328i. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the frontal driver side air bag deployed. The contact had to maneuver to the side of the road to complete stop. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.
Takata recall my airbag in the steering wheel deploy. It had been parked for a week or so getting fluids changed. Went to go pick it up and the airbag in the steering wheel had deploy. Vehicle was parked time of incident.
Related recalls
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2000-2001 BMW 3 Series (323Ci, 325Ci, 328Ci and 330Ci), 1999-2001 323i, 328i, 330i, 330xi, and 2000 323i, 328i stationwagon vehicles equipped with Non-Azide Driver air bag Inflators (NADI) manufactured by Takata.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver-side air bag inflator with a newly designed inflator, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 12, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2000-2005 323iT, 325iT, 325xiT, 320i, 323i, 325i, 325xi, 328i, 330i and 330xi and 2000-2006 323Ci, 325Ci, 328Ci, 330Ci, M3 Coupe, 323Cic, 325Cic, 330Cic, and M3 Convertible vehicles equipped with non-desiccated frontal Takata PSAN inflators and PSPI passenger frontal air bag…
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger's front air bag, free of charge. The recall began February 13, 2020. 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 1999-2001 323i, 325i, 328i and 330i and 2000-2001 323Ci, 325Ci, 328Ci, 330Ci, 323iT, and 325iT vehicles equipped with Non-Azide Driver air bag Inflators (NADI) manufactured by Takata. These vehicles may have received a replacement driver air bag as part of a vehicle repair.
Remedy: BMW notified owners, and Dealers will replace the driver air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began November 10, 2020. 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 1999-2000 323i and 328i and 2000 323Ci and 328Ci vehicles equipped with Non-Azide Driver air bag Inflators (NADI) manufactured by Takata. These inflators do not contain phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant.
Remedy: BMW will mail interim notices informing owners of the safety risk on January 17, 2020. Owners will receive a second notice when the remedy becomes available.
Show 2 more recalls
Air bags
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2000 323i sedans, coupes, convertibles, and Sports Wagons; 2000 328i sedans and coupes; 2001-2005 325i sedans, coupes, convertibles, and Sport Wagons; 2001-2005 325xi sedans and Sports Wagons; 2006 325i coupes and convertibles; 2001-2006 330i sedans, coupes, and…
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until they have been repaired. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger side frontal air bag, free of charge.
Air bags › Side/window
On certain 4-door passenger vehicles, the side air bag system could deploy in certain non-crash impacts, such as when contacting large potholes or curbs at substantial speeds.
Remedy: Dealers will recalibrate the central air bag control module to reduce the possibility of such a non-crash deployment. Owner notification began October 25, 2002.
Airbag complaints in other 328i years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2000 BMW 328i?
NHTSA has 35 complaints about the air bags of the 2000 BMW 328i, 31% of the model year's 112 complaints. The component named most often is side/window (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 BMW 328i airbag problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 21V-401 (inflator module, May 27, 2021); NHTSA recall 20V-018 (inflator module, Jan 15, 2020); NHTSA recall 19V-853 (inflator module, Nov 26, 2019). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2000 BMW 328i airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 96,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 1 fire and 7 injuries to air bags problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.