2002 BMW 325I Complaints

2002 BMW 325I, TURN SIGNAL FAILURE RESULTING IN SMALL FIRE. 1- SYMPTOMS: CAR TURN SIGNAL FAILURE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. 2- UPON REMOVAL OF HOUSING I NOTED THAT THE LIGHT OPERATED INTERMITTENTLY WHICH CAUSED ME TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER. UPON REMOVAL OF THE PLUG OR WIRING HARNESS I NOTED THAT THE BROWN WIRE SHOWED EVIDENCE OF MELTING OF BOTH WIRE AND METAL MALE PLUG END WITH BLACK RESIDUE. A SIMPLE INTERNET SEARCH REVEALED THAT BMW ISSUED SIB NUMBER 63 03 06 TO MECHANICS. I HAVE NOT FOUND A RECALL FOR THIS HAZARDOUS FAILURE, HOWEVER, DID FIND A FORUM WHERE SEVERAL OWNERS NOTED THE SAME FAILURE. INTERNET ADDRESS TO THIS FORUM IS: HTTP://WWW.ABOUTAUTOMOBILE.COM/COMPLAINT/2002/BMW/325I/EXTERIOR+LIGHTING 3- I HAVE NOT CORRECTED THE FAILURE BUT PLAN ON INVESTIGATING THE PROCEDURE TO REPLACE THE HARNESS. PER THE INFORMATION I FOUND I HAVE NOTED THAT IT SEEMS THAT A FAULTY GROUND WIRE IS THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM. BELIEVE THAT BMW SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPAIRING POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS FAULTS. *TR

IN A MATTER OF TWO HOURS MY 325I WAS RUNNING FINE TO NOT GOING IN REVERSE AT ALL. I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM AND IT SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING IN A LOT OF CARS MY YEAR AND TYPE. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE THERE IS NO WARNING, ONE MINUTE YOU CAN BACK UP NEXT IT IS JUST STALLED IN REVERSE. BMW NEEDS TO STAND UP AND SEE THAT THEIR PRODUCT HAS A DEFECT AND POTENTIALLY CAN CAUSE INJURIES. THE DEALERSHIP I CALLED SAID IT'S IS THE TRANSMISSION, LET'S SET UP AN APPT AND BRING IT IN. IT STILL GOES NO PROBLEM AT ALL IN DRIVE. SOMEONE PLEASE HELP!!!! *TR

WHILE UNDERGOING A COMPLIMENTARY SERVICE REVIEW ON MY 2002 BMW 325I, I WAS INFORMED THAT THERE IS A KNOWN DEFECT WITH THE TAIL LIGHTS. APPARENTLY, THE LIGHTS ARE NOT PROPERLY GROUNDED AND THERE IS A RISK OF OVERHEATING AND FIRE. ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE IS EIGHT YEARS OLD AND HAS OVER 76,000 MILES, I HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED ANY PROBLEMS. THE DEALER REPRESENTATIVE ADMITTED THAT THE PROBLEM IS A DESIGN DEFECT, BUT BMW HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL. THE DEALER WANTS TO CHARGE ME $400 TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW 325I. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE SPEEDOMETER STOPPED FUNCTIONING. THE CONTACT TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND RESTARTED IT. AFTER RESTARTING THE VEHICLE, THE LIGHT WAS STILL ILLUMINATED AND THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING HOME. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP WHERE THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO REPLACE THE ABS MODULE BUT THE CONTACT REFUSED THAT REPAIR. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 113,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 112,970.

CAR WAS DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 50 MILES AND PARKED IN A RESTAURANT PARKING LOT. WEATHER WAS WET AND RAINY, THE DEFROSTER WAS RUNNING ON THE CAR FOR MOST OF THE TRIP. AFTER SITTING 25-30 MINUTES A RESIDENT NEAR THE RESTAURANT CALLED TO NOTIFY THAT THE CAR WAS ON FIRE. EMPLOYEES OF THE RESTAURANT ATTEMPTED TO PUT OUT THE FIRE WITH HAND HELD EXTINGUISHER BUT WAS UNABLE TO COMPLETELY DO SO. EMERGENCY PERSONNEL SHOWED UP ON THE SCENE A SHORT TIME LATER TO UNPOWER THE CAR AND PUT OUT THE FLAME. POLICE AND FIRE TEAMS WERE ON THE SCENE. THE FIRE SEEMS TO HAVE ORIGINATED FROM THE AUXILIARY A/C FAN IN FRONT OF THE CONDENSER AS THAT IS WHERE THE HEAVIEST DAMAGE IS. *TR

I'VE READ SEVERAL SAME COMPLAINTS RE: WINDOW REGULATOR FAILURE, SO AM ADDING THIS REPORT FOR RECORD: I HAVE REPLACED TWO RARELY USED REAR WINDOW REGULATORS THAT WERE DIAGNOSED AS FAULTY (BOTH REAR DOOR PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE) ON MY LOW MILEAGE 325I 2002 -- EACH WAS AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRED (DATES: 7/07 AND 9/09). THE WINDOW MECHANISM SIMPLY STOPPED RESPONDING/WORKING, PRODUCED A GRINDING NOISE WHEN DEPLOYED, AND WOULD NOT RAISE BACK UP FROM A PREVIOUSLY WORKING DOWN POSITION. DEALER GAVE ME A 10% LABOR DISCOUNT FIRST TIME AND THEN A 10% EACH PARTS AND LABOR DISCOUNT ON SECOND OCCURRENCE. COST AVERAGED AT $330+ PARTS AND LABOR. *TR

TRANSMISSION FAILS TO OPERATE WHEN PLACED IN REVERSE VEHICLE HAS 60,000 MILES. *TR

ON MY 325I, I HAVE HAD THREE TO FIX THE POWER WINDOW REGULATOR THREE TIMES FOR TWO DIFFERENT WINDOWS, TODAY I TOOK IT IN TO FIX THE PROBLEM A FOURTH TIME AND FOR THE THIRD WINDOW. THREE OF THE FIXES HAVE BEEN UNDER WARRANTY ' UNFORTUNATELY THE LATEST ONE IS NOT COVERED. EVEN UNDER WARRANTY, IT IS INCONVENIENT AND THIS TIME WHEN IT HAPPENED I WAS FOUR HOURS AWAY FROM HOME AND I HAD TO DRIVE WITH THE WINDOW DOWN ' IN THE COLD ' TO GET HOME. THANK GOODNESS IT WAS NOT RAINING. *TR

APPROX TEN MONTHS AGO THE PASSENGER SIDE TAIL LIGHT STARTED MALFUNCTIONING INTERMITTENTLY. TOOK CAR TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY REPLACED ALL OF THE LIGHT BULBS...WITHIN TWO DAYS THE ENTIRE LIGHT FIXTURE STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY AND HAS NOT WORKED SINCE. THE DRIVER SIDE TAIL LIGHT STOPPED FUNCTIONING FOUR MONTHS LATER. BOTH LIGHT FIXTURES HAVE NOT WORKED (TURN SIGNAL, TAIL LIGHT AND BRAKE LIGHT) SINCE SEPTEMBER 2009. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP IN NOVEMBER AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT IN THE LIGHT FIXTURES. THE ESTIMATED COST TO FIX BOTH TAIL LIGHTS WAS $450.00. I WAS TOLD EVENTHOUGH THE DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE THE PROBLEM WAS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT THERE WAS NO RECALL ISSUED SO I WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FULL COST OF THE REPAIR. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNWILLING TO NEGOTIATE THE COST ESTIMATE. I REQUESTED A WRITTEN ESTIMATE, WHICH THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAND WROTE ON A PIECE OF PAPER (DEALERSHIP USUALLY PRINTS OFF COMPUTER). I KEEP THIS IN THE GLOVE BOX TO SHOW LAW ENFORCEMENT WHENEVER THEY PULL ME OVER FOR INOPERABLE REAR LIGHTS. I READ THAT BMW ISSUED A TECHNICAL BULLETIN TO ADD GROUND WIRES TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. I FEEL THAT $450 IS AN UNREASONABLE FEE TO BE CHARGED TO ADD GROUND WIRES TO AN EASILY ACCESSIBLE LOCATION IN THE TRUNK OF THE CAR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW 325I. HE STATED THAT THE ELECTRONIC WINDOWS BROKE INSIDE OF THE DOOR THREE TIMES. ON TWO OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE. THE THIRD AND MOST RECENT FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN SO THAT THEY COULD DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 76000.