2001 BMW 325I Complaints

I JUST READ THAT YOUR AGENCY HAVE ASKED BMW TO RECALL 2006 3 SERIES FOR A DEFECT IN THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG SENSOR. I CURRENTLY HAVE A 2001, BMW 325I. AND MY PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG SENSOR IS NOT WORKING, AND LAST YEAR WAS REPAIRED BY THE DEALER. THIS LATEST OCCURRENCE HAPPENED AFTER MY 12 YEAR OLD NEPHEW MOVED THE SEAT. THE SENSOR WARNING LIGHT IS ON IN THE DASHBOARD. *TR

MY 2001 BMW 325I LOST REVERSE SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY THIS PAST NOVEMBER. THE CAR HAD 64,000 MILES ON IT AND IS IN PERFECT CONDITION. BMW NORTHWEST WANTED TO $5,200 ORIGINALLY TO FIX THE PROBLEM BUT I WAS ABLE TO TALK THEM DOWN TO 4,000. EITHER WAY THIS WAS A BMW PROBLEM NOT A CONSUMER PROBLEM AND BMW SHOULD HAVE PAID TO HAVE THIS FIXED. VERY FRUSTRATING EXPERIENCE AND I WOULD LOVE TO BE COMPENSATED FOR MY DUMB INVESTMENT OF A BMW 325I. *TR

I AM WRITING YOU REGARDING AN EVENT THAT OCCURRED WITH MY DAUGHTER'S 2001 BMW 325I. HER CAR HAS ABOUT 118,000 MILES ON IT. RECENTLY IT DEVELOPED AN OIL LEAK SO MY WIFE TRADED CARS WITH HER ONE EVENING ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO AND WE TOOK THE CAR TO OUR FAVORITE MECHANIC. I DISCUSSED THE SERVICES WE THOUGHT WERE NECESSARY WITH THE CAR WITH THE MECHANIC ' AN OIL LEAK, SOME INTERMITTENT MIS-FIRING AND ALSO THAT MY DAUGHTER HAD TOLD ME THAT RECENTLY SOMETIMES THE BRAKES WOULD COME ON WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING. I HAD ASKED HER WHAT SHE MEANT AND SHE SAID 'THE BRAKES WOULD GRAB WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING AND THAT IT MADE IT HARD TO STEER'. THE MECHANIC ASKED IF I THOUGHT SHE WAS INADVERTENTLY TAPPING THE BRAKES. I TOLD HIM NO, SHE WAS VERY CLEAR ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON. THE MECHANIC FOUND A LEAKING HEAD COVER GASKET AND CRANK SEAL THAT NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE REPAIRS WERE ACCOMPLISHED FOR THESE ITEMS FIRST. THEN THE TECHNICIAN TEST DROVE THE CAR TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH THE BRAKES. HE RELATED TO ME THAT AT 60 MPH THE LEFT FRONT BRAKE GRABBED AND THEN RELEASED AS THE ABS SYSTEM TOOK OVER. THE CAR SWERVED DRASTICALLY TO THE LEFT AND THE TECHNICIAN ALMOST STRUCK THE CONCRETE BARRIER WALL ALONGSIDE AS HE CORRECTED THE STEERING. HE TOLD ME HAD NOT EXPECTED SUCH A DRAMATIC LOSS OF CONTROL AND HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED NOR HEARD OF ANOTHER CAR BEHAVING IN THIS MANNER. OUR MECHANIC AND HIS TECHNICIAN WENT THROUGH A NUMBER OF DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURES WHICH LED TO THE REPLACEMENT OF THE YAW AND STEERING WHEEL SENSORS. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE SAN ANTONIO BMW DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOR REQUIRED COMPUTER CODING AND RETURNED TO ME AS REPAIRED. HAS THIS EVENT OCCURRED IN ANY OTHER CARS THAT YOU ARE AWARE OF? THE TECHNICIAN TOLD ME THERE IS AN ON-LINE NETWORK THAT MECHANICS CAN SHARE NOTES WITH THAT MENTIONS THIS PROBLEM SEVERAL INSTANCES. *TR

THE STRAP ON THE CAR SEAT THAT TIGHTENS THE HARNESS IS FRAYING VERY QUICKLY. OVER HALF OF THE STRAP IS FRAYED. WE HAVE ONLY HAD THE CAR SEAT FOR 9 MONTHS. (RELATED VEHICLE INFORMATION: MODEL YEAR=2001, MAKE=BMW, MODEL=325I). *TR

DUE TO THE MALFUNCTIONING OF THE ELECTRONIC FOR DOOR LOCKS, THE DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK USING THE KEY PAD AND FROM THE CENTRAL CONSOLE LOCK BOTTOM FROM INSIDE THE CAR AND ALSO WITH THE MANUAL LOCK LEVER FROM INSIDE. BUT THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR WILL UNLOCK USING THE KEY MANUALLY FROM OUTSIDE. ONCE THE CAR IS AUTO LOCKED AFTER IT STARTS MOVING, THE DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK AND OPEN FROM INSIDE WITH THE MANUAL LEVER, EXCEPT THE DRIVER SIDE. THE CENTER COSOLE SWITCH WILL NOT UNLOCK ANY DOORS EXCEPT THE CARGO HATCH. MAIN SAFETY ISSUE IS AS FOLLOW: THE REAR SEAT AND FRONT RIGHT SIDE PASSENGERS CANNOT UNLOCK THEIR DOORS USING THE MANUAL LEVER ON THE DOOR. THIS CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. THIS FAILURE LOCKS THE OCCUPANTS OF THE CAR UNLESS THEY CRAWL TO THE DRIVER SIDE OR TO THE BACK CARGO DOOR. I HAVE NOT YET TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP. BUT I THOUGHT BMW NEEDS TO FIX THIS ON ALL CARS BEFORE SOME ONE GETS TRAPPED IN THE CAR AND CANNOT GET OUT TO SAFETY OR ESCAPE FROM THE CAR, IF THEY NEED TO. THANKS SINCERELY AMIT R PATEL *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW 330XI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE FAN DOES NOT SHUT OFF AND HAS DRAINED THE BATTERY. THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED, BUT THE FAN STILL DOES NOT SHUT OFF WHEN THE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF AND THE KEY IS REMOVED. HE TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND REMOVED THE KEY, BUT THE ENGINE FAN WAS STILL RUNNING AN HOUR LATER. THE CONTACT CURRENTLY DISCONNECTS THE FAN WHEN HE PARKS AND PLUGS IT BACK UP WHEN HE IS READY TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 01V206000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING: COOLING SYSTEM FAN) DOES NOT APPLY TO HIS VIN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 105,300. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. HE NOTICED SMOJE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. UPDATED 09/26/07. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW 325I. DURING SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE, THE MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THE REAR COIL SPRINGS HAD FAILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE PREVIOUSLY HEARD A POPPING NOISE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 73,784.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW 325I. WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE, THE VEHICLE AUTOMATICALLY BEGAN TO BRAKE. THE TRAVEL SPEED WAS NOT A FACTOR. THE DSC/ADB LIGHTS (AUTOMATIC DIFFERENTIAL BRAKING) WERE THE ONLY WARNING INDICATORS. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT HAS SINCE TURNED OFF THE DSC/ADB LIGHTS. THE ENGINE SIZE, PURCHASE DATE, AND CORRECT VIN WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 46,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW 325I. SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED, THE WINDOWS HAVE FAILED AND WERE REPLACED ON SIX OCCASIONS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ONLY WARNING INDICATOR WAS THAT THE WINDOWS WOULD ROLL UP AND DOWN VERY SLOWLY. THE SECOND ISSUE IS THAT THE WINDOW GOES INTO THE DOORFRAME DURING THE FAILURE. THE VIN, ENGINE SIZE, AND TRANSMISSION TYPE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 77,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

A TOTAL OF MORE THAN 10 WINDOWS REGULATOR HAS BEEN REPLACED ON THE CAR (ALL WINDOW SIDES AT LEAST 2 EACH). THIS IS ON A CAR WITH < 60000 MILES. I HAVE SPENT >1000 DOLLARS REPLACING THESE REGULATORS AND EVEN THE DEALERS ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE REGULATORS FAIL OFTEN. *JB