2006 BMW 3 SERIES Complaints

BMW DOOR LOCKS RANDOMLY AND AUTOMATICALLY ENGAGED. THIS IS ONE WEEK AFTER A SERVICE PERFORMED AT THE DEALER FOR AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE. LOCKS WOULD NOT DISENGAGE EXCEPT MANUALLY WITH EMERGENCY KEY (FROM OUTSIDE). DRIVER'S DOOR IS THE ONLY DOOR THAT WILL OPEN - OTHERS ARE INOPERABLE. FUEL FILLER CAP WILL ALSO NOT OPEN. HAVE RESEARCHED AND FOUND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. THIS SHOULD BE RESEARCHED BY BMW AND REMEDIED AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER - THIS IS DEFINITELY AN INCONVENIENCE AND COULD BE DANGEROUS OR POTENTIALLY FATAL. *TR

FAILURE OF DOOR LOCK ACTUATORS IN 2006 BMW 330I. INSIDE LOCK/UNLOCK BUTTON WOULD NOT FUNCTION, REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY WOULD NOT UNLOCK ANY DOORS, KEY WOULD UNLOCK DRIVER FRONT DOOR, GAS DOOR COULD NOT OPEN, NO WAY TO UNLOCK/OPEN PASSENGER FRONT/REAR OR DRIVER REAR DOORS EVEN USING INSIDE HANDLES. CHILDREN WERE IN THE CAR AND HAD TO EXIT EITHER THROUGH THE DRIVER FRONT DOOR OR THROUGH AN OPEN WINDOW. SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE PREVENTING OR DELAYING EGRESS OF PASSENGERS. *TR

2006 BMW 328I REPEATEDLY HESITATES WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS PRESSED. THE CAR HAS BEEN RETURNED TO THE DEALER ON 5 DIFFERENT INSTANCES TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. TO DATE BMW CLAIMS IN "CANNOT REPLICATE CUSTOMERS PROBLEM". IN ONE INSTANCE VEHICLE ACTUALLY STALLED WHEN AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO PULL INTO TRAFFIC. APPEARS TO BE A FREQUENT PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL AS IT WAS ADDRESSED IN A CAR AND DRIVER TEST DRIVE ARTICLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 330XI. WHILE DRIVING 24 MPH THERE WAS A CLANKING NOISE AND THE ALUMINUM BOLT THAT WAS HOLDING THE CYLINDER HEAD IN PLACE BROKE. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE CYLINDER HEAD TO CRACK THE CYLINDER HEAD AND CAUSED A MASSIVE OIL LEAK INTO THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THEY REPLACED THE ALUMINUM BOLT. THE DEALER REPLACED ONE DEFECTIVE PART WITH ANOTHER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE 25,774. THE CONSUMER STATED THE REPAIRS WERE ALMOST $4,000 AND IT TOOK MORE THAN A WEEK TO COMPLETE THE REPAIRS. UPDATED 03/12/10 UPDATED 03/30/10 *BF UPDATED 07/26/10.*JB

WHILE DRIVING AT FREEWAY SPEED DURING A TORRENTIAL DOWNPOUR, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS CEASED TO OPERATE. THIS CAUSED AN IMMEDIATE DANGEROUS SITUATION, WHEREIN VISIBILITY WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. NOT ONLY WAS THERE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WATER BLOCKING MY VIEW, BUT THE WIPERS THEMSELVES HAD STOPPED IN A SLIGHTLY VERTICAL POSITION, ALSO BLOCKING MY VIEW. THIS SITUATION CONTINUED FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES, AS WE CAREFULLY AND CAUTIOUSLY ATTEMPTED TO GET OFF OF THE FREEWAY AND AWAY FROM OTHER TRAFFIC. AFTER SITTING AT REST IN THE CAR, ENGINE RUNNING, FOR UP TO 15 MINUTES, THE WIPERS FINALLY CAME BACK ON AGAIN. I HAD TRIED TO MANUALLY ENGAGE THE WIPERS BY ACTIVATING THE CONTROL STALK, WITH NO EFFECT. I ALSO TRIED TURNING OFF THE ENGINE AND RESTARTING, WITH NO EFFECT. I SCHEDULED AN EMERGENCY APPOINTMENT AT THE BMW DEALER THE NEXT DAY. THEY PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC, CONFIRMING THAT THERE HAD BEEN A FAULT IN THE ELECTRICAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS. THE ELECTRICAL CONTROL UNIT WAS REPLACED. THEY ALSO REPLACED THE MECHANICAL LINKAGE FROM THE MOTOR TO THE WIPERS, EVEN THOUGH THE DIAGNOSTIC HAD BEEN INCONCLUSIVE ON THE LINKAGE. *TR

PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON NOTING PASSENGER RESTRAINT MALFUNCTION. BMW ISSUED A VOLUNTARY RECALLS ON THE 2006 3 SERIES BUT WHEN I CALL TO VERIFY, THEY SAID THAT MY VEHICLE IS NOT COVERED IN THE RECALL. I THINK THAT MY VEHICLE SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL SINCE IT IS THE SAME MODEL YEAR AND HAS THE SAME SYMPTONS NOTED IN THE RECALL.*CW

WHEN AN ADULT IS SEATED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OF THE VEHICLE, THE AIR BAG SERVICE INDICATOR, NO SEATBELT INDICATOR, AND "PASSENGER AIRBAG IS DISABLED" INDICATOR ARE ALL ILLUMINATED. WHEN TAKING MY VEHICLE IN TO THE LOCAL BMW SERVICE CENTER TO DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE, I WAS TOLD THE CAUSE WAS A FAULTY PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR MAT (HAVE DOCUMENTATION), WHICH IS MEANT TO DETECT WHEN A PASSENGER IS PRESENT. IN ADDITION, I WAS TOLD IN MY VEHICLES CURRENT STATE, IF I WERE TO GET IN AN ACCIDENT WITH A PASSENGER PRESENT, THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WOULD NOT DEPLOY. WHILE PERFORMING INDEPENDENT RESEARCH, I FOUND THAT BMW HAS RELEASED AN OFFICIAL RECALL (#08V384000) WHICH DESCRIBES THESE SAME SYMPTOMS, CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR MAT. IN THE RECALL DETAILS, THE MAKE, MODEL, YEAR AND SEAT TYPE ALL MATCH THE SPECIFICATIONS OF MY VEHICLE. AFTER DISCOVERING THE RECALL INFORMATION, I CONTACTED BMW OF NORTH AMERICA REPRESENTATIVE BY TELEPHONE. I WAS TOLD THAT BECAUSE MY VEHICLE VIN IS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST, THE REPAIR MUST BE DONE AT AN OUT OF POCKET EXPENSE. I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT BECAUSE THE DEFECTIVE SEAT SENSOR REDUCES THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE PASSENGERS, AS WELL AS VIOLATES AIR BAG REGULATIONS ESTABLISHED BY THE NHTSA. SINCE THIS IS A DEFECT, THE COST SHOULD BE COVERED 100% BY THE MANUFACTURER, BMW. *TR

THE DRIVER DOOR LOCK DOES NOT OPEN USING THE REMOTE. BMW IS ASKING TO PAY THEM FOR DIAGNOSIS AND EVENTUAL REPAIR. I DO BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND THE COST SHOULD BE ON BMW. *TR

CAN'T RECALL THE EXACT SEQUENCE OF BUTTON PUSHING THAT RESULTED IN MY BEING LOCKED INSIDE THE VEHICLE. NOT EVEN THE DOUBLE HANDLE PULL THAT USUALLY RELEASES THE LOCK FROM THE INSIDE WORKED. HAD TO ROLL DOWN THE WINDOW AND USE MANUAL KEY FROM THE OUTSIDE TO UNLOCK. DIAGNOSED AS A BLOWN FUSE. FUSE WAS REPLACED. NOW LOCKS ARE INTERMITTENT AGAIN AFTER 2 MONTHS OF WORKING OK. THE CAR HAS HAD THE ACTUATOR REPLACED BEFORE, NOW IT APPEARS TO BE BROKEN AGAIN. WILL NOT ELECTRICALLY LOCK OR UNLOCK NOW. THIS SEAMS LIKE A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 3 SERIES. ON JULY 24, 2009, THE CONTACT STARTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE FRONTAL AIR BAG LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT HER VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V384000 (AIR BAGS: FRONTAL); THEREFORE, SHE WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COST. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 70,000.