2003 BMW 325I Complaints

THE OIL FILTER HOUSING GASKET FAILS ON BMW CARS. IT IS A MESH GASKET BETWEEN THE ENGINE AND THE BLOCK WHERE THE OIL ENTERS/EXITS THE FILTER. THE REPAIR IS ABOUT $600 AND FAILS FREQUENTLY ON THESE CARS. IT CAUSES OIL TO LEAK ONTO THE BLOCK AND GIVES A STRONG BURNING OIL SMELL. OIL CAN ACCUMULATE ON TOP OF THE ENGINE DEPENDING ON THE SEVERITY OF THE LEAK. OIL BLOWS AND COVERS THE OIL FILTER HOUSING AND THE INSIDE OF THE HOOD WITH A SPRAY OF STICKY OIL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR TAIL LIGHT FAILED. THE CONTACT EXAMINED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE REAR TAIL LIGHT WIRES WERE BURNED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 11V438000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 161,000.

XENON HEADLIGHT REFLECTORS ARE MELTING/BURNING CAUSING A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN LIGHT OUTPUT. VERY SIMPLE PROBLEM FOR WHICH THERE IS NO FIX OTHER THAN TO PURCHASE NEW HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLES FOR $2,000. SEEMS TO AFFECT ALL XENON HEADLIGHTS PRODUCED BY ZWK FOR THE 2002-2004 3 SERIES BMW. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 20 MPH WHEN THE TURN SIGNAL FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THE TURN SIGNAL WIRING AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS BURNED OUT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHERE THEY ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE QUALIFIED FOR REPAIRS UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 11V438000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING: TAIL LIGHTS), BUT THE CONNECTOR WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 110,000.

MY 2003 BMW 325I WILL NOT UNLOCK. I CANT GET INTO THE CAR. I HAVE TRIED THE KEY AND THE FOB AND THE DOORS WILL NOT UNLOCK. I HAD TO BREAK THE WINDOW TO GET INTO THE CAR ONLY TO FIND OUT THE DOORS STILL WILL NOT UNLOCK. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE YOU CANT UNLOCK THE DOORS FROM THE INSIDE OR THE OUTSIDE. THIS IS EXTREMELY CONCERNING AND A TRUE SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

DOORS WILL NOT OPEN BECAUSE DOOR LOCKS WILL NOT UNLOCK. KEY FOB BUTTON WILL NOT UNLOCK ANY DOORS 90% OF THE TIME. MOST OF THE TIME I CAN ONLY GET IN CAR ON DRIVERS SIDE WITH MANUAL OPERATION OF DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR LOCK (STICKING KEY IN LOCK AND TURNING). ONCE IN CAR, 90% OF TIME I STILL CANNOT UNLOCK ANY OTHER DOORS, EVEN BY PULLING ON DOOR HANDLE (WHICH WOULD ORDINARILY UNLOCK THE DOOR). THE INTERIOR BUTTON TO UNLOCK THE DOORS WILL NOT WORK. ON FRIDAY, 12/9/11, I COULD NOT EVEN GET OUT OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WHEN I ARRIVED AT MY DESTINATION. (CAR IS SET TO AUTOMATICALLY ENGAGE ALL LOCKS ONCE I START DRIVING) I HAD TO ROLL WINDOW DOWN AND REACH OUT AND UNLOCK DOOR WITH KEY. WHEN MY SON AND DAUGHTER DRIVE WITH ME, THEY HAVE TO GET IN AND OUT OF CAR EITHER BY CRAWLING ACROSS DRIVER'S SEAT OR GO THROUGH A WINDOW OPENING. MY WIFE CANNOT RIDE IN THIS CAR NOW BECAUSE SHE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET OUT. DUE TO THIS DEFECT, PASSENGERS ARE TRAPPED IN CAR. ALSO, ENTRY INTO VEHICLE IS DELAYED (BECAUSE FOB WILL NOT UNLOCK DOORS) WHICH ALSO POSES SAFETY RISKS WHEN PARKED AT NIGHT IN DOWNTOWN PARKING GARAGES. THERE ARE FIVE OTHER COMPLAINTS ON NHTSA WEBSITE ON THIS EXACT SAME ISSUE. RECALL SHOULD BE INITIATED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 325I. WHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 11V438000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING: TURN SIGNAL) BUT WAS ADVISED BY THE MANUFACTURER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,600.

RIGHT TAILLAMP FAILURE AND LEFT TAILLAMP INTERMITTENT OPERATION. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM REPAIR: RIGHT REAR TAILLAMP CONNECTOR AND BULB CARRIER CORRODED. DEALER REPLACED PIGTAIL HARNESS AND BULB CARRIER WITH UPDATED DESIGN: SOCKET HOUSING, TERMINAL, CONTACT, CABLE CONNECTOR, HOSE, INSULATION HOUSING, FLAT CONTACT, CABLE SOCKET AND BULB SOCKET. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH AND WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ENGAGED, THE DRIVER SIDE TAIL LIGHT INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL INTERMITTENTLY CAUSING THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TAIL LIGHT TO BECOME INOPERABLE. THERE WAS A RECALL RELATED TO THE SIMILAR DEFECT UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 11V438000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING: TAIL LIGHTS). THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT BOTH REAR TAIL LIGHTS FAILED. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED OF A RECALL UNDER NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 11V438000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING: TAIL LIGHTS) BY HIS MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE VEHICLE WAS 90,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.