1999 BMW 323I Complaints

THE REAR DRIVER SIDE SUB FRAME MOUNT TEAR/RIPPED FROM THE BODY. NOW IT SQUEAKS VERY LOUD, VIBRATES AND MOVES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 BMW 323I. WHILE DRIVING, THE DRIVERS SIDE (DOOR PANEL AND CURTAIN) AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED AND THE MANUFACTURER MADE THE CONTACT AWARE OF THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 02V223000 (AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW) RECALL, BUT THE VIN WAS NOT A PART OF THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,970 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 141,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 BMW 323I. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED THE GEAR SHIFT SLIPPED INTO REVERSE ON ITS OWN AND THE RPMS INCREASED. THE GEAR SHIFT INDICATOR LIGHTS WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO ENGAGE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE IN ORDER TO AVOID A CRASH AND STATED SHE LOOKED AT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL TO SEE WHAT GEAR THE VEHICLE WAS IN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 BMW 323I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS HE NOTICED A SQUEAKING NOISE COMING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THEY ADVISED HIM THAT THE SUB-FRAME WAS NOT ATTACHED TO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WOULD INSTALL A FRAME. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED NOT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE WITHOUT THE SUB FRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED TO PAY A PORTION OF THE REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 8/29/11 *CN UPDATED 10/03/11

1999 BMW 323I DOORS WILL NOT UNLOCK WITH KEYLESS ENTRY REMOTE OR UNLOCK BUTTON INSIDE THE CAR. PASSENGERS (90% OF THE TIME) AND SOMETIMES DRIVERS SIDE DOOR (10%) WILL NOT UNLOCK TRAPPING OCCUPANTS INSIDE. PROBLEM USUALLY OCCURS WHEN TEMPERATURES ARE ABOVE 75 DEGREES. AFTER RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM I WILL BE REPLACING THE GENERAL MODULE 5. IF PROBLEM IS NOT RECOGNIZED BY CAR OWNERS, OCCUPANTS OF THE CAR MAY BE TRAPPED INSIDE DURING AN ACCIDENT RESULTING IN POSSIBLE INJURY OR DEATH. *TR

WE WERE DRIVING DOWN SEPULVEDA BLVD. IN LOS ANGELES, CA AT 7:30 PM. WE BELIEVE WE HIT A POTHOLE AT 35 MPH. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE TIRES OR WHEELS, BUT THE SIDE IMPACT CURTAIN AIRBAG ON OUR 1999 BMW 323I SUDDENLY DEPLOYED. WE RESEARCHED RECALLS ON OUR VEHICLE. WE FOUND THE FOLLOWING: NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 02V223000 SUMMARY: ON CERTAIN 4-DOOR PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE SIDE AIR BAG SYSTEM COULD DEPLOY IN CERTAIN NON-CRASH IMPACTS, SUCH AS WHEN CONTACTING LARGE POTHOLES OR CURBS AT SUBSTANTIAL SPEEDS. CONSEQUENCE: THIS COULD CAUSE THE SIDE AIR BAG AND HEAD PROTECTION SYSTEM TO DEPLOY WITHOUT AN ACTUAL SIDE CRASH OR IMPACT SEVERE ENOUGH TO CAUSE SIGNIFICANT VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. UNEXPECTED DEPLOYMENT OF THE SIDE AIR BAG COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY IF THE OCCUPANT'S HEAD IS RESTING NEAR THE SIDE AIR BAG. REMEDY: DEALERS WILL RECALIBRATE THE CENTRAL AIR BAG CONTROL MODULE TO REDUCE THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH A NON-CRASH DEPLOYMENT. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN OCTOBER 25, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-831-1117. WE CONTACTED BMW AT THE ABOVE 800 NUMBER. WE WERE TOLD THAT BASED ON OUR VIN # THAT WE WERE NOT A PART OF THE RECALL. BEING THAT OUR CAR IS THE SAME YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL OF THE CAR IN THE RECALL, AND THAT THE EXACT CONSEQUENCE DID OCCUR, IT SEEMS ODD THAT BMW IS SAYING THAT WE ARE NOT A PART OF THE RECALL. NOW, BMW WANTS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO FIX THE PROBLEM, WHICH IN ALL APPEARANCES IS A MANUFACTURER FAULT. *TR

SPORADICALLY AND WITHOUT WARNING SINCE I HAVE OWNED THE CAR, NEW, THE REVERSE GEAR FAILS IN MY 1999 BMW 323I. IN ADDITION, THE CAR SEEMS TO, INTERMITTENTLY AND WITHOUT WARNING, RAPIDLY ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN. WHEN THE CAR ACCELERATES, I HAVE TO APPLY ALL THE PRESSURE I CAN TO THE BRAKE PEDAL, AND EVEN WITH THAT I CAN FEEL THE ACCELERATION FOR A FEW MINUTES BEFORE IT STOPS. AS FOR THE REVERSE GEAR FAILURE, I HAVE TO SHIFT TO EACH GEAR ONCE OR TWICE BEFORE I CAN GET THE CAR INTO REVERSE, AND/OR I JUST HAVE TO TAKE THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION AND WAIT FOR A WHILE BEFORE TRYING AGAIN, AND/OR I HAVE TO SHIFT TO AND FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE SEVERAL TIMES WHILE IN A PARKING LOT, STREET, ETC., HOLDING UP DRIVERS BEHIND ME. IN 11 YEARS, NO MECHANIC HAS EVER BEEN ABLE TO DETERMINE WHY THE CAR HAS THESE ISSUES, AND MOST MECHANICS HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEMS WHILE DRIVING THE CAR. THUS, NOTHING HAS BEEN REPAIRED AND THE ISSUES REMAIN. *TR

TL*THE DRIVER OWNED A 1999 BMW 323I. THE CONTACT WAS REPRESENTING A LAW FIRM FOR THE DRIVER WHO WAS KILLED IN A CRASH THREE DAYS AGO. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SWERVE, TURN COUNTER CLOCKWISE AND IT CRASHED INTO A GUARD RAIL ON THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE TO SPLIT IN TWO CUTTING OFF BOTH OF HER LEGS. THE TRAFFIC HOMICIDE INVESTIGATORS STATED THAT THE TIRE TREAD SEPARATED CAUSING HER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE TIRE BRAND WAS PEP BOYS, TIRE LINE COOPER CORNELL 1000, SIZE P205/55R16 WITH DOT #3DT2XH40106. ROUTINE MAINTENANCE WAS PERFORMED ON HER VEHICLE AND THE TIRES WERE ROTATED TWO MONTHS PRIOR TO THE CRASH. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO OTHER OCCUPANTS IN THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE WEATHER WAS NOT A FACTOR. THE LOCATION OF THE TIRE, ESTIMATED MILEAGE, TREAD DEPTH, AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN. UPDATED 03/02/11 *BF UPDATED 12/14/11 *CN

OWNER OF A 1999 BMW 323I AND THE REVERSE GEAR FAILED. IT OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY AND CONTINUES. NO ACTION OR ACCOUNTABILITY IS BEING TAKEN BY BMW TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN FOR OWNERS FACED WITH THIS SITUATION. *TR

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 1999 BMW 323I, PURCHASED NEW AND WHICH TODAY HAS A LITTLE MORE THAN 72,000 MILES ON IT. 1. NO SPECIFIC EVENT(S) OTHER THAN NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS SEEM TO LEAD UP TO THE FAILURE; 2. THE FAILURE IS THAT THE RIGHT REAR TAIL LIGHT BULB REPEATEDLY BURNS OUT, REQUIRING REPLACEMENT, A FAILURE THAT HAS OCCURRED AT LEAST TWICE EACH YEAR OVER THE LAST 11 YEARS. THE CONSEQUENCES ARE THAT I HAVE BEEN RECEIVED WARNINGS AND/OR CITATIONS, SOME COSTLY, WHEN I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO HAVE THE BULB IMMEDIATELY REPLACED. OTHER CONSEQUENCES OF A FINANCIAL NATURE INCLUDE PAYING MUCH MORE THAN I SHOULD HAVE OVER THE YEARS TO REPEATEDLY HAVE THE BULB REPLACED. IN ADDITION, I HAVE ACTUALLY PURCHASED THIS SPECIFIC TYPE OF BULB, WHICH I KEEP IN MY CAR IN THE EVENT A REPAIR SHOP DOESN'T HAVE ONE ON HAND; AND, 3. WHAT WAS DONE TO, TEMPORARILY (SINCE, FOR THE PAST 3 DAYS, THE BULB IS BURNED OUT AGAIN), CORRECT THE FAILURE: THE TAIL LIGHT BULB HAS BEEN REPLACED COUNTLESS TIMES OVER THE YEARS, AT LEAST TWICE A YEAR, BY DIFFERENT MECHANICS INCLUDING THOSE AT THE BMW DEALERSHIP. I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT IN THE LAST 11 YEARS, NOT ONE OF THE OTHER BULBS HAS EVER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AND THAT WHERE ASKED FOR "APPROXIMATE INCIDENT DATE", I AM LISTING THIS YEAR'S DATE RATHER THAN THE FIRST YEAR I OWNED THE CAR SINCE THIS IS THE TIME OF THE REPORT. *TR