2001 BMW 325CI Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW 325CI. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER ON SEPTEMBER 17, 2008 AND HAS NOT YET BEEN DIAGNOSED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 84,100.

I PURCHASED A USED BMW 325CI 18 MONTHS AGO. IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF DRIVING THE CAR THE AC/HEATER WORKED FINE. HOWEVER, OVER TIME THE BLOWER HAS BECOME INTERMITTENT AND NOW CEASES TO WORK COMPLETELY ON HOT DAYS. SEARCHING ONLINE I FOUND THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS COMMON TO MANY BMW DRIVERS OF SIMILAR MAKES AND MODELS. MECHANICS POSTING ONLINE HAVE ATTRIBUTED IT TO A FAULTY FINAL STAGE RESISTOR FOR THE BLOWER MODULE. THEY STATE THAT THE METAL WAS MADE OF INFERIOR QUALITY. I INTEND TO ATTEMPT TO REPAIR THIS MYSELF OR TAKE IT TO A MECHANIC BUT THE ESTIMATES I HAVE RECEIVED SO FAR ARE ABOUT $300 FOR TOTAL REPAIRS. LAST WINTER MY CAR BROKE DOWN WHEN IT WAS VERY COLD OUTSIDE AND I HAD TO WAIT FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF FOR A TOW TRUCK TO ARRIVE, DURING THIS TIME I TRIED TO TURN ON MY HEATER ONLY TO HAVE IT CEASE TO WORK AFTER ABOUT 5 MINUTES. FORTUNATELY I HAD EMERGENCY CLOTHING IN THE CAR, BUT EVEN WITH THAT MY FINGERS WERE NUMB BY THE TIME THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED. I THINK BMW SHOULD OFFER TO REPLACE THIS PART FOR FREE. *TR

CAR DIES IN INTERSECTIONS ON "COLD STARTS" OCCURS ON ALL COLD STARTS AND WHEN BACKING OUT GARAGE. *TR

DOOR LOCKS MALFUNCTIONING. TYPICALLY INCONVENIENT WHEN KEYLESS ENTRY WILL NOT UNLOCK DRIVER DOOR (UNLOCKS ALL OTHER DOORS). ONE INCIDENT WHERE, WHILE INSIDE THE CAR, DRIVER'S DOOR UNLOCKED, BUT PASSENGER DOOR DID NOT UNLOCK. IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION OR OTHER EMERGENCY WHERE PASSENGERS INSIDE CAR, ALL PASSENGERS WOULD HAVE TO EXIT DRIVER'S DOOR AS PASSENGER DOOR WOULD NOT UNLOCK. *TR

MY 2001 BMW 325 CI CONVERTIBLE STOPPED GOING IN REVERSE TODAY UNEXPECTEDLY. IT ONLY AS 59000 MILES ON IT. THIS IS REDICULOUS. THE CAR BARELY HAS ANY MILES ON IT. THE CAR IS VERY WELL MAINTAINED.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW 325CI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S TAG LIGHTS FAILED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS A SHORT IN THE WIRING. THE TRUNK SENSOR FAILED WHICH PREVENTED THE CONTACT FROM KNOWING WHETHER OR NOT THE TRUNK WAS CLOSED PROPERLY. THE CONTACT FOUND THAT THE WIRE HARNESS IN THE TRUNK WAS BEGINNING TO FAIL DUE TO CONSTANTLY BEING RUBBED EACH TIME THE TRUNK OPENED AND CLOSED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 93,000.

I LOST AND ESTIMATED 97% OF BRAKE PRESSURE WHILE COMING TO A STOP FROM APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH TO STOP AT A HIGHWAY RAMP TRAFFIC CONTROL STOP LIGHT. THE BRAKE PEDAL TOUCHED THE FLOOR AND I PUMPED THE BRAKES SEVERAL TIMES WITH ONLY A MINIMAL RETURN OF BRAKE PRESSURE. I USED THE MANUAL GEAR SHIFT MODE TO PERFORM ENGINE BRAKING TO SLOW THE CAR TO A STOP WITH THE VERY MINIMAL BRAKE PRESSURE AVAILABLE BUT SURPASSED THE STOP LIGHT BY ONE CAR LENGTH. THERE WAS FORTUNATELY NO ONE IN FRONT OF ME AT THE TIME. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE A YELLOW DSC (DYNAMIC STABILITY CONTROL) AND YELLOW BRAKE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASH CONSOLE. THE BMW AUTHORIZED SERVICE FACILITY REPORTS THAT A "DSC SENSOR FAILED". THIS PART WILL BE REPLACED TO CORRECT THE SITUATION. THERE WAS NO BACK UP MECHANICAL INTERVENTION IN THIS CASE IN THE EVENT THAT A SIMPLE SENSOR FAILED WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED UN-MEASURABLE DAMAGE, CRASH, INJURIES, OR DEATHS. IN THE EVEN OF PARTS FAILURE UNDER WARRANTY AND IN ORDER TO REPAIR THE CAR UNDER WARRANTY, THE DEALER STATES THAT DEFECTIVE PARTS WILL BE HELD AND PROVIDED TO THE MANUFACTURER. *JB

2001 BMW 325CI; TRANSMISSION IS LEAKING. DEALER SAYS TRANSMISSION MUST BE REPLACED. VEHICLE ABRUPTLY STOPPED ON FREEWAY. I NOTE THAT 1999 BMW MODELS HAD TRANSMISSION LEAKAGE PROBLEM. *NM

DT: ON MAY 20, 2005 AT ABOUT 5 PM EASTERN TIME THE CONTACT REPORTED THE FOLLOWING PROBLEM WITH 2001 BMW 325 , VIN [XXX]. VEHICLE HAD 25, 000 MILES AND WAS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. WHILE DRIVING HOME VEHICLE STALLED THREE TIMES ON A RESIDENTIAL ROAD IN CAMBRIDGE, MA., AFTER STALLING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND AFTER WAITING ABOUT 10 MINUTES THE VEHICLE STARTED. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAKE ITS WAY HOME. AN INDEPENDENT BMW MECHANIC USED COMPUTER ANALYZER TO DIAGNOSE PROBLEM AND FOUND THAT IT WAS DEFECTIVE CAM SHAFT SENSORS. MECHANIC REPLACED INTAKE AND EXHAUST SENSORS. THE COST FOR REPAIR WAS $300. MECHANIC STATED THAT THESE CABLES FAIL OFTEN. SINCE REPAIR WAS DONE. THERE HAS BEEN NO OTHER PROBLEM WITH STALLING. VEHICLE WAS REGULARLY SERVICED. IT SEEMED STRANGE AND DANGEROUS THAT A SIMPLE CABLE WOULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO STALL AND NOT START UP RIGHT AWAY.*AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE ENTIRE NAVIGATION SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS AS WELL AS THE AIR CONDITIONER. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TO THE DEALER. OWNER THINKS THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE IS TOO LOW TO THE GROUND CAUSING THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM TO MALFUNCTION. *MR WHEN THE CONSUMER PULLED INTO A PARKING SPACE WITH A STANDARD 6 INCH HIGH CONCRETE BLOCK, HE HEARD A SLIGHT NOISE AT THE FRONT OF THE CAR. ONCE HE STARTED DRIVING THE CAR HE NOTICED THAT THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM FAILED ALONG WITH THE AIR CONDITIONING, SPEEDOMETER, DASH LIGHTS AND DASHBOARD GEAR INDICATOR. UPON INSPECTION THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE UNDERSIDE OF THE FRONT BUMPER HAD CAUGHT ON THE BLOCK PULLING AND BENDING THE FRONT BUMPER. THE CONSUMER ALSO NOTICED A DEVICE CALLED THE AMBIENT AIR SENSOR LOCATED UNDER THE BUMPER WAS DRAGGING ON THE GROUND, THE WIRES WERE EXPOSED AND ONE OF THE WIRES WAS BROKEN. ONCE THE CONSUMER RECONNECTED THE WIRES THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM CAME BACK IN OPERATION. *NM