FaultScore

Worst years for a BMW 330I

Owners have filed 1,076 complaints about the BMW 330I with NHTSA across model years 2001 to 2025. More of them are about the airbags than anything else.

Avoid

2006 BMW 330I

303 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly airbags.

Cleanest on record

2005 BMW 330I

42 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every BMW 330I year, graded

The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded
Year Grade Complaints Crashes Fires Median miles Most reported
2025 4 0 1 Electrical System
2024 9 5 0 Other & Unspecified
2023 4 2 0 Electrical System
2022 6 0 0 Tires
2021 D 44 3 6 32,270 Electrical System
2020 D 67 4 2 34,000 Engine & Cooling
2019 D 56 3 7 15,000 Engine & Cooling
2018 C 39 0 4 36,500 Engine & Cooling
2017 B 55 0 0 33,400 Engine & Cooling
2006 D 303 6 14 87,621 Airbags
2005 B 42 0 2 67,250 Lights
2004 C 139 7 5 99,000 Lights
2003 C 92 5 6 81,500 Lights
2002 C 57 5 1 79,000 Airbags
2001 C 159 2 4 90,726 Airbags

What breaks on a BMW 330I

Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.

Airbags 259 24.1%

Worst in 2006

Lights 162 15.1%

Worst in 2004

Electrical System 131 12.2%

Worst in 2006

Engine & Cooling 130 12.1%

Worst in 2006

Worst in 2017

Worst in 2001

Worst in 2004

Steering 32 3.0%

Worst in 2006

Seat Belts 32 3.0%

Worst in 2006

Seats 24 2.2%

Worst in 2006

Fuel & Propulsion 23 2.1%

Worst in 2001

Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance 22 2.0%

Worst in 2019

Doors, Latches & Locks 21 2.0%

Worst in 2006

Tires 19 1.8%

Worst in 2001

Exactly what failed on a BMW 330I

The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.

Frontal 19 17.8%
Side/Window 18 16.8%
Automatic Transmission 17 15.9%
Body 13 12.1%
Power Window Devices AND Controls 10 9.3%
Headlights 9 8.4%
Engine 8 7.5%
Warnings 5 4.7%
Warning 4 3.7%
Automatic Emergency Braking 4 3.7%

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every BMW 330I, by the month it reached NHTSA.

Feb 2001 peak 21 Aug 2026

BMW 330I problems by state

Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.

Compare the BMW 330I

Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.