2001 BMW 3 SERIES Complaints

1) CAR WOULD NOT START, FUSE BLOWN ON FUEL PUMP. (NO. 1 ORIGINAL) TOWED TO MECHANIC. 2) MECHANIC REPLACES FUEL PUMP. (NO.2) 3) RETURN CAR TO DRIVEWAY WHERE IT SITS OVER NIGHT. CAR WON'T START. TOWED IT TO MECHANIC. REPLACED FUEL PUMP, AND HE ALLOWS IT TO SIT IN HIS GARAGE OVER NIGHT. (NO.3) 4) CAR WON'T START. HE THOROUGHLY CHECKS THE CAR FOR PROBLEMS, REPLACES THE FUEL PUMP, EMPTYING FUEL TANK, REPLACING WITH NEW GASOLINE. (NO.4) MECHANIC CUT OPENED THE ORIGINAL FUEL PUMP AND FOUND THAT THE IMPELLER HAD SWOLLEN. THIS SUGGESTED TO HIM THAT THE HIGH ETHANOL CONTENT FUEL WAS SWELLING THE IMPELLER. HE TRIED USING BOTH BMW PARTS AND AFTER MARKET PARTS. THIS ISN'T NOT AN ISSUE WITH THE AGE OF THE CAR. HE SAVED THE FUEL PUMP AND A GASOLINE SAMPLE. *TR

THE DOORS WILL NOT UNLOCK WITH THE REMOTE KEY. THE DRIVER'S DOOR WILL UNLOCK WITH THE KEY INSERTED, BUT ONCE INSIDE THE CAR, THE PASSENGER DOORS WILL STILL NOT UNLOCK WITH THE INSIDE BUTTON OR BY PULLING THE UNLOCK LEVER ON EACH DOOR. THE LEVERS DO NOT WORK BY PULLING TWICE EITHER. VERY DANGEROUS!!! I'VE HAD PASSENGERS WHO HAD TO CLIMB IN AND OUT OVER THE CONSOLE AND INTO THE BACK SEATS. *TR

RECENTLY MY REAR TAILLIGHTS WERE NOTICEABLY DARKER AND LESS RESPONSIVE. TAKING MY BMW TO MY AUTHORIZED BMW DEALERSHIP/SERVICE CENTER, RESULTED IN A DIAGNOSIS THAT THE REAR WIRE HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF ~$300. FOLLOWING THE VISIT TO THE DEALERSHIP/SERVICE CENTER, RESULTED IN THE REAR LIGHT FAILING COMPLETELY. RESEARCHING THIS INCIDENT ONLINE PRODUCED MANY SIMILAR PROBLEMS W/OTHER 330I MODELS AND I ALSO DISCOVERED THAT NHTSA HAD ISSUED A RECALL OF BMW 3-SERIES FROM MY 02-06. MY BMW IS A 01. IT IS APPARENT, FROM THE MANY POSTINGS ON BMW BOARDS AND WEBSITES, THAT THIS DEFECT ALSO OCCURS IN OLDER BMWS OF THE SAME E46 SERIES EARLIER THAN MODEL YR 2002. I ASK THAT NHTSA EXTEND THE PREVIOUS RECALL TO EARLIER MODEL YEARS OF THE E46 SERIES OF BMWS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW 330I . THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT THEN PULLED OVER AND NOTICED THAT THE REAR RIGHT WHEEL CAME APART. WHEN REMOVING THE WHEEL THE CONTACT ALSO NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A HUGE CRACK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RIM. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THEY COULD NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THE CRACK DEVELOPED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 00V383000 ( WHEELS:RIM ). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED . THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 180,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 181,000.

THE LEFT REAR BRAKE LIGHT STARTED TO DIM AND TRIGGERED A WARNING INDICATOR BUT WENT AWAY. AFTER A MONTH OR TWO, ALL THE LIGHTS ON REAR LEFT HAS FAILED. NO BRAKE LIGHTS, TURN SIGNAL, OR REVERSE LIGHT ON THE LEFT SIDE. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS LOOKS LIKES NHTSA ACTION NUMBER : EA09019. I CURRENTLY SEE THE BURN HARNESS AND LIGHTBULB CARRIER BURNT AS WELL. AFTER THE LIGHTS GOING OUT IT HAS CAUSED THE HEADLIGHTS TO FLICKER. THE RECALL ISN'T JUST SEDANS, 2001 COUPES SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE LIST. CURRENTLY I HAVE NO REAR TAIL LIGHTS AND STROBBING HEADLIGHTS. *TR

DROVE THROUGH A PARKING LOT EARLIER TODAY WHEN I HEARD SOMETHING THAT SOUNDED LIKE SCRAPING METAL COMING FROM THE REAR OF MY CAR. PULLED OVER AND FOUND THE PASSENGER SIDE GAS TANK STRAP HANGING DOWN TOUCHING THE GROUND. *TR

FOR BMW E46 2001, REAR TURN SIGNAL LIGHT BROWN GROUNDING WIRE ARCHES AND DAMAGES THE SOCKET CAUSING THE LIGHT TO FLICKER ON OCCASION. THIS PROBLEM IS ALSO EVIDENT IN LATER MODELS OF BMW E46 AND AN RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED ON E46 2002-2006 MODELS. IT'S PROBLEMATIC THAT THEY ALSO DIDN'T ADDRESS THIS ON E46 2001 MODELS BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO OCCUR IN THE EARLIER MODEL AS WELL AS EVIDENT WITH MY CAR. *TR

I WAS TRYING TO PARK AND WHEN I PUT THE CAR INTO REVERSE, THE CAR DID NOT MOVE BACKWARDS. MY CAR ROLLED FORWARD AS IF IT WAS IN NEUTRAL. AFTER RESEARCHING THE ISSUE, THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 3 SERIES. *TR

FUEL TANK SENDING UNIT BEHIND DRIVER'S SEAT LEAKING FUEL IN A STREAM ONLY WHEN TANK IS FULL. WHEN VIEWED FROM THE TOP, THERE IS AN ENCLOSED PLASTIC COLUMN, APPROXIMATELY 3/4 OF AN INCH IN DIAMETER THAT IS LEAKING AT A "SEAM" THROUGH PINHOLES. *TR

EXTERIOR LIGHTING: TAIL LIGHT. LEFT REAR TAIL LIGHT EIGHT-PIN CONNECTOR HAS MELTED AT PIN NUMBER 5 AND HAS CAUSED FAILURE OF THE TAIL LIGHT, BRAKE LIGHT AND TURN INDICATOR. *TR