2006 BMW 3 SERIES Complaints

MY LIGHTS COMES ON FOR AIRBAG PASSENGER SEAT. I SAW THAT NHTSA HAS CAMPAIGN # 08V-384 FOR THIS MATTER. IF THE DEALER REFUSE TO HONOR IT, HOW I PROCEED AFTER THAT. THE AIR BAGS DON'T WORKS WITH THAT LIGHT ON. I HAVE MY DAUGHTER WITH ME ALL THE TIME,TO AND FROM THE SCHOOL. THANKS. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY IN THE LEFT LANE, TRYING TO PASS A CAR IN THE MIDDLE LANE. AFTER GETTING IN FRONT OF THE CAR IN THE MIDDLE LANE, I TRIED TO ACCELERATE SO I COULD RE-ENTER THE MIDDLE LANE, BUT THE CAR ACTED AS IF IT SLIPPED INTO NEUTRAL AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE ENGINE GROWLED AS IF IT WERE IN NEUTRAL. IT KEPT DRIVING, BUT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE, DESPITE ME STEPPING HARDER ON THE GAS. THIS WAS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS AS THERE WAS A CAR IMMEDIATELY BEHIND ME, WHICH COULD HAVE REAR ENDED ME AT OVER 60MPH, AND THE CAR IN THE MIDDLE LANE THAT I WAS TRYING TO PASS COULD HAVE ALSO HIT ME ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF MY CAR. IN RESEARCHING THIS, MANY BMW OWNERS HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS, AND YET BMW HAS NOT ISSUED AN INVESTIGATION OR RECALL: HTTP://WWW.CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM/AUTOMOTIVE/BMW_TRANS.HTML THERE ARE 650 COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS PROBLEM AT THE ABOVE LINK. PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE HAVING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS LIKE THIS UNDER 75K MILES. *TR

RECEIVED YELLOW STEERING WHEEL AND LOCK ICON WHEN TRYING TO START THE CAR. ATTEMPTED USING DIFFERENT KEYS, BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT START AND THE STEERING WHEEL REMAINED IMMOBILE. I EXITED THE CAR AND WAITED ABOUT 30 MINUTES TO TRY AGAIN, BUT RECEIVED YELLOW STEERING WHEEL WITH LOCK ICON AGAIN WHEN PUTTING THE KEY FOB INTO THE VEHICLE. WHEN I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP, I WAS QUOTED ABOUT $1200 AS SOON AS I DESCRIBED THE YELLOW STEERING WHEEL AND LOCK, WITHOUT THEM HAVING SEEN THE VEHICLE. THE SA ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE NEWER MODELS DON'T EVEN HAVE THIS FEATURE AT ALL. I WAS ALSO ADVISED THAT IT IS NOT A BMW RESPONSIBILITY OR DEFECT, AND THAT I WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL SHOP REPAIRS AND TIME. DOING RESEARCH ABOUT THIS ISSUE, I FOUND THIS IS A VERY WELL DOCUMENTED AND KNOWN ISSUE. THIS SEEMS TO BE DUE TO POOR DESIGN BY THE AUTO MANUFACTURER, SO MUCH SO THAT THE "FEATURE" ISN'T EVEN INCLUDED ON NEWER MODELS OF THE VEHICLE AT ALL. *TR

I HAVE A 2006 BMW 325I THE VEHICLE IS LEAKING FUEL AND FROM WHAT I THINK IT IS THE BREATHER PIPE. I AM VERY CONCERNED THIS WILL GENERATE A SERIOUS PROBLEM LIKE EXPLODING OR ANY TYPE OF FIRE PROBLEM. THERE IS A PUDDLE OF FUEL EVERY TIME I PARK MY CAR. THE FUEL LEAK IS ON THE LEFT REAR SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE SMELL IS ASCENDING. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND A DESIGN FLAW,AND EVEN THOUGH MY WARRANTY IS EXPIRED THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD AND MUST COVER THIS SAFETY CONCERN BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. *TR

SINCE SEPT 2011, WHILE DRIVING WITH OR WITHOUT A PASSENGER, THE AIRBAG WARNING LAMP AND THE PASSENGER AIR BAG ON-OFF LAMP ARE ILLUMINATED. IT GOES OFF ON ITS OWN, BUT RETURNS SPONTANEOUSLY. AT FIRST OUR DEALERSHIP SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG, THEN WHEN IT KEPT HAPPENING THEY SAID WE COULD GET IT REPAIRED. PER SAFER.GOV WEBSITE A RECALL WAS GIVEN IN JULY 2009 WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. ACCORDING TO MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND THE BMW OF NO AMERICA, OUR CAR WAS NOT AMONG THE CARS RECALLED. YET WE HAVE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM OCCURRING AS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL. THEY WANT TO CHARGE US OVER $1100 TO FIX THE PROBLEM, YET THERE WAS A RECALL OUT ON "SOME SERIES 3 MODELS". HOW CAN I BE SURE SOME OTHER 2006 SERIES 3 MODELS ARE NOT OVER LOOKED? THIS MAKES ME FEEL UNSAFE TO DRIVE WITH PASSENGERS AND I DON'T FEEL IF SOME ARE DEFECTIVE, THAT OTHERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE ARE CONSIDERED THE OWNERS RESPONSIBILITY. I THINK THEY SHOULD ALSO BE UNDER THE SAME RECALL GUIDELINES WHEN THE SAME EXACT ISSUE HAS BEEN SITED AND IS HAPPENING IN OTHER CARS. *TR

MY VEHICLE (BMW 330I ? 2006), HAS AN AIRBAG/SEAT BELT LIGHT ELIMINATED ON THE DASH. BMW HAS DIAGNOSED IT AS A FAILED PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR. 2006 330I SPORTS SEATS WERE RECALLED FOR THIS ITEM IN 2008. MY VEHICLE WHICH HAS SPORTS SEATS WAS NEVER CALLED FOR THE RECALL. THEY STATED MY VEHICLE'S VIN 'DOES NOT QUALIFY' FOR THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER HAS ALSO EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR 10 YEARS ON ALL 3 SERIES MODELS WITH OUT THE SPORTS SEAT OPTION FOR THIS SENSOR. I HAVE TALKED A DEALER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE AND BMW DIRECTLY. THEY SAID MY ONLY OPTION WOULD BE TO FILE A COMPLAINT AND THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE TO WARRANT A RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE AND COMBINATION OF OPTIONS. BMW RECALL ID # 57362 - AIR BAGS: FRONTAL RECALL DATE AUG 05, 2008 RECALL DATE: AUG 05, 2008 MODEL AFFECTED: 2006 BMW 3-SERIES SUMMARY: BMW IS RECALLING 200,000 MY 2006 3 SERIES SPORT SEAT, MY 2004-2006 5 SERIES STANDARD AND SPORT SEAT, AND MY 2004-2006 X3 PASSENGER VEHICLES. DEPENDING ON THE MANNER AND FREQUENCY OF THE FRONT PASSENGER'S ENTRY AND EXIT, SMALL CRACKS HAVE DEVELOPED IN THE MAT. IF THIS OCCURS, THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAGS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE HEAD PROTECTION SYSTEM, WILL BE DEACTIVATED AND THE AIR BAG WARNING LAMP AS WELL AS THE PASSENGER AIR BAG "ON-OFF" LAMP WILL BE ILLUMINATED. CONSEQUENCES: IN THIS SITUATION THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY EVEN IF A SUFFICIENTLY SEVERE ACCIDENT WOULD OCCUR AND OCCUPANT PROTECTION PROVIDED BY THE SYSTEM WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE. REMEDY: DEALERS WILL REWORK THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR MAT SO THAT EXTERNAL FORCE APPLICATION TO THE SEAT DOES NOT CAUSE A CRACK TO THE MAT. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 6, 2008. BMW WILL ALSO EXTEND THE WARRANTY ON THESE VEHICLES TO 10 YEARS FROM FIRST REGISTRATION WITHOUT ANY MILEAGE LIMIT. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-525-7417. POTENTIAL UNITS AFFECTED: 200000 NOTES: BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC. UPDATED 07/30/13*LJ

STEERING WHEEL LOCK MALFUNCTIONED AS EVIDENCED BY WARNING LIGHT. VEHICLE WAS IMMOBILE AND REQUIRED TOWING. COST FOR REPAIR = $1100.00. REPAIR SHOP SAID THERE WAS A CORE CHARGE FOR THE REPLACED UPPER STEERING COLUMN. THIS MEANS THAT BMW IS BUYING BACK THE MALFUNCTIONED UNITS TO EITHER DIAGNOSE, OR THEY'RE REBUILDING THEM AND MAKING MORE MONEY. EITHER WAY, IT'S AN KNOWN PROBLEM AND BMW ISN'T TAKING THE PROPER ACTION TO ENSURE OWNERS SAFETY. *TR

THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT/AIR BAG LIGHT WENT ON INTERMITTENTLY FOR MONTHS, FINALLY THE DEALERSHIP WAS ABLE TO GET THE ERROR CODE. IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THIS AND BMW HAS KNOWN ABOUT IT SINCE 2008. PER THEIR WEBSITE THEY WERE GOING TO SEND OUT RECALL NOTICES TO OWNERS, WE NEVER RECIEVED ANYTHING. BMW NEEDS TO MAKE THIS RIGHT AND FIX THE PROBLEM AT NO COST TO OWNERS. *TR

PASSENGER SAT IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. WARNING LIGHT APPEARED ON DASHBOARD INDICATING THE AIRBAG HAS BEEN TURNED OFF. THIS ISSUE IS SIMILAR TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 08V384000. HOWEVER, ALTHOUGH SAME MODEL AND YEAR, MY VEHICLE IS NOT COVERED UNDER THIS CAMPAIGN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 3 SERIES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE BATTERY CABLE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. *TR UPDATED 07/09/13*LJ UPDATED 07/11/2013 *JS