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This file gathers the known defects of the BMW M3 (E36), written and sourced by the community. Anyone can read; a free account lets you contribute. A defect earns the seal once enough reputable contributors have validated it.
12 owners in the United States reported problems with the airbags of this car to NHTSA (model years 1995–1999), typically at around 95,000 miles. Most often named: frontal (33%). Reported consequences: 5 crashes, 2 injuries.
The inflator of the driver's airbag may malfunction due to long-term degradation. In this case, if the airbag is deployed in an accident, the internal pressure in the inflator may be too high. The inflator could burst. Metal fragments may cause injury.
The propellant in the passenger airbag can deteriorate due to large variations in humidity and temperature. In the event of an accident in which the airbag deploys, it could result in fragments of the inflator casing detaching and injuring the vehicle's occupants.
Vehicle description: Passenger vehicles. These vehicles are built with a side air bag system consisting of door-mounted thorax air bags (rear door air bags are optional), a central electronic sensor and diagnostic system, left and right satellite impact sensors, and associated wiring. This system is unduly sensitive to certain non-crash impacts, such as contacting large potholes or curbs at substantial speed.
This bulletin contains information on new vehicle preparation and maintenance requirements for various models. *tt
Information on new airbags. *yc
Subject on retrofit of motorsport head restraints. *yc
Sources: NHTSA (United States, public domain), Transport Canada (Open Government Licence – Canada), DVSA (United Kingdom, Open Government Licence v3.0), RappelConso and EU Safety Gate (France, Licence Ouverte 2.0).