2001 BMW 325CI Complaints

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET I BEGIN HEARING A NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING DRAGGING FROM THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. I PULLED THE CAR OVER AND OBSERVED THAT THE STRAP THAT HOLDS THE GAS TANK UP, WAS HANGING DOWN FROM ONE END. I THEN DROVE APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE TO AN AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR SHOP AND UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE WELD ON THE FRONT BRACKET OF THE GAS TANK STRAP HAD BROKEN AND DETACHED FROM THE FRAME. THIS CAUSED THE GAS TANK TO SAG TO WITHIN ABOUT 4 INCHES FROM THE GROUND. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE AND HAVE MAINTAINED IT WELL. I HAVE READ NUMEROUS BMW OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS EXACT PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW 325 CI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE TAIL LIGHT FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE TAIL LIGHT WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED DURING THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT CONFIRMED THAT THE BULB WIRE CONNECTOR WAS MELTED. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT THE FAILURE WAS SIMILAR TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER:11V438000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 167,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 170,000.

VARIOUS TIMES I HAVE EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT ISSUES WITH MY TAIL LIGHTS. I GET WARNINGS ON MY INSTRUMENT PANEL BUT WHEN I CHECK THE BULBS THEY ARE NOT BURNED OUT. ON OCTOBER 17, 2011, LOS ANGELES POLICE PULLED ME OVER NOTIFYING ME THAT MY TAIL LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING. WE CHECKED THE BULBS AND FUSES BUT THEY WERE OK. WE FOUND THAT WHEN YOU SLIGHTLY TOUCH THE HARNESS OF THE TAILLIGHT SOCKET THAT IS INSIDE THE BODY PANEL, THE LIGHTS GO ON AND OFF. I DID SOME ONLINE RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL CAR, BMW E46. ON SATURDAY JANUARY 21 I WENT TO SANTA MONICA BMW. THEY SAID IT WAS NOT A COMMON ISSUE. TODAY I JUST LEARNED ABOUT RECENT NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 11V438000. THIS RECALL ADDRESSES THE ISSUES I HAVE BEEN HAVING. HOWEVER, IT IS ONLY FOR MODELS MANUFACTURED AFTER SEPTEMBER 2001. MY VEHICLE WAS BUILT IN JULY 2001 BUT USES THE SAME HARNESS AND BODY PANEL ASSEMBLY THAT HAS PROMPTED THE RECALL FOR MODELS BUILT IN SEPTEMBER 2001. THUS, I BELIEVE MY VEHICLE SHOULD BE RECALLED AS WELL. PLEASE ADVISE. THANKS IN ADVANCE. *TR

SEVERE DAMAGE TO FRONT BUMPER OF CAR AND DAMAGE TO 2 TIRES. RESULTING IN AN UNNECESSARY PURCHASE OF NEW TIRES. *TR

2001 BMW 325 CI WAS BEING DRIVEN BY MY WIFE WHEN THE GAS TANK STRAP ON PASSENGER SIDE BROKE OFF FROM THE REAR SECTION. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT, BUMPS OR OTHER ISSUES THAT CAUSED THIS INCIDENT. THE GAS TANK HUNG DOWN A FEW INCHES FROM THE ROAD. WE GOT THE CAR TO THE MECHANIC AND LEARNED THAT WE NEEDED BOTH A GAS TANK STRAP AND A BRACKET FOR THE UNDERBODY. REGARDING THE BRACKET, BMW HAS NO SUCH PART LISTED IN THEIR SPECS. THE ONLY OPTION APPEARS TO BE RIGGING THE STRAP AND WELDING IT TO ANOTHER PART OF THE UNDERBODY. I HAVE RESEARCHED THE ISSUE AND FOUND THAT A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE. THIS COULD BE A CATASTROPHIC DANGER IF THE TANK WERE TO LOOSEN, DRAG ON THE GROUND AND ULTIMATELY CATCH FIRE. FORTUNATELY FOR MY WIFE, SHE WAS LESS THAN A MILE FROM OUR HOME WHEN IT OCCURRED. I'M SHOCKED THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL GIVEN THE COMMON REPORTING OF THE EXACT FAILURE. I WOULD BE SCARED TO DRIVE THE CAR WITH A LESS THAN EXACT REPAIR. THANK YOU. *TR

2001 BMW 325CI, PASSENGER SIDE FUEL TANK STRAP FAILURE AT FRONT WELD SITE CAUSING FUEL TANK TO HANG FROM THE UNDER BODY ONLY SEVERAL INCHES OFF THE GROUND. THE REAR FUEL TANK STRAP REMAINED BOLTED DOWN SO STRAP REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE VEHICLE, DRAGGING ON THE ROAD SURFACE CAUSING A LOUD METALLIC POPPING AND SCRATCHING SOUND WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION THUS ALERTING DRIVER. THE FAILURE SPONTANEOUSLY OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING ON RESIDENTIAL ROADWAY WITHOUT ANY OBVIOUS COLLISION FROM DEBRIS, SIGNS OF EXTERNAL DAMAGE OR EXCESSIVE RUST. THE FRONT WELD SITE AT THE UNDERCARRIAGE APPEARED TO BE TORN OR SHEARED OFF. OLD PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE AND THE STRAP HAD TO BE REPAIRED BY WELDING TO A DIFFERENT POINT OF THE UNDERCARRIAGE. *TR

2001 BMW 325CIC FAILS TO GO INTO REVERSE GEAR. CONSEQUENCE IS THE PROSPECT OF UP TO $5-6000 IN REPAIRS TO REPLACE. *TR

2001 BMW 325CI DRIVING ON INTERSTATE AT 70MPH ONE OF THE FRONT BREAKS LOCKS UP DUE TO THE TRACTION CONTROLS SYSTEM VIOLENTLY TURNING ON FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THE RESULT WAS THE CAR SWERVING INSTANTLY ABOUT 6 FEET INTO THE EMERGENCY LANE BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO FULLY REGAIN CONTROL AND THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM WENT IN TO ERROR STATE. MY MECHANIC STATED THIS IS A YAW SENSOR PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL BMW AND HE AS SEEN IT ON SEVERAL OTHER VEHICLE. THIS IS AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. IT WILL BE ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE I CAN PUT THIS IN THE SHOP TO REPAIR. *TR

2001 BMW 325CI AUTOMATIC, WILL NOT WORK IN REVERSE, BUT WORKS FORWARD. APPARENTLY, THIS IS SO WIDESPREAD A SAFETY ISSUE THAT ENTIRE WEBSITES ARE DEDICATED TO IT EXCLUSIVELY, AND I CAN'T IMAGINE (OTHER THAN GREED) BY BMW ISN'T RECALLING THESE TRANSMISSIONS TO TAKE CARE OF THEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW 325CI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE CONSTANTLY EXPERIENCED FAILURE WITH THE FAN MOTOR. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUITRY OF THE FAN CONTROL UNIT TO OVERLOAD AND FAIL, WHICH CAUSED THE FAN TO STOP OPERATING. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN SMOKING ALONG WITH A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN TEMPERATURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED BECAUSE THE FAILURE IS NOT COVERED UNDER HER WARRANTY. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 82,000.