2002 BMW 325I Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW 325I PURCHASED NEW IN 2002. THE TAIL LIGHTS AND THE DRIVER- SIDE HEADLIGHT ON THE VEHICLE FAILED INTERMITTENTLY. A TECHNICIAN FROM THE DEALER NOTICED THAT THE WIRE FOR THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY AND THE GROUND WIRE HAD BURNED. THE DEALER ADVISED REPLACING THE ENTIRE HEAD LIGHT ASSEMBLY AT AN EXPENSE OF $600. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE UNDER 70,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

BRAKE LIGHT FAILURE CAME ON IN MY 2002 BMW325I. I WENT OUT TO LOOK FOR THE FAILED BULB, BUT THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE ALL WORKING. I NOTICED THAT THE LEFT SIDE, REAR LIGHTS WERE MUCH DIMMER THAN THE RIGHT SIDE. I WENT TO THE MECHANIC AND HE SHOWED ME A BURNT WIRE AND MOLTEN PLASTIC CONNECTOR FROM THE REAR LIGHT CLUSTER. HE SAID THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR BECAUSE BMW DID NOT PROVIDE ENOUGH GROUND TO THE CLUSTER AND OVERTIME THE EXTRA HEAT GENERATED BY THE CURRENT WILL BURN THE WIRE AND CONNECTOR. AT OTHER TIMES, HE SAID, THE CONNECTOR WILL SHORT THE GND PIN TO THE PINS AROUND IT AND CAUSES SMALL FIRES. BMW HAS A SIB NUMBER 63 03 06 OUT FOR THIS PROBLEM AND THEY HAVE THE GUTS TO CHARGE CUSTOMERS $400 TO REPAIR THEIR OWN MISTAKE. I THINK THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY VIOLATION AND I BELIEVE THAT BMW SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE BY FIXING ALL THE CARS OUT THERE WITH THIS KNOWN DEFECT. TODAY, I SAW THE SAME THING HAPPENING TO A 2008 BMW 550 AT THIS LINK: HTTP://FORUMS.5SERIES.NET/INDEX.PHP?SHOWTOPIC=90746&ST=0&P=1073957&#ENTRY1073957 PLEASE INVESTIGATE AND KEEP PEOPLE SAFE. THANK YOU.*TR

BMW 2002 325I WITH 135K MILES ON IT REVERSE GEAR DOES NOT WORK. I STARTED MY CAR LET IT IDLE FOR 3-5 MINUTES SINCE THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE WAS COLD. I SHIFTED INTO REVERSE GEAR, AND NOTHING HAPPENED. I HAD JUST PARKED THE CAR APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS EARLIER. THERE WAS NO INDICATION PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. ON THE NEXT MORNING I CALLED THE LOCAL BMW DEALERSHIP AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THEY STATED THAT I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. HOW CAN YOU DETERMINE THAT FROM A PHONE CONVERSATION, I WONDERED. I PUSHED THE CAR OUT OF MY GARAGE AND PROCEEDED TO A MECHANIC. WHEN I COMPLETED MY DIALOGUE OF WHAT HAD OCCURRED HE RESPONDED THAT I WAS NUMBER 4 FOR HIM THIS YEAR. A REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION COST BETWEEN $3K - $5K. I RETURNED HOME AND BEGAN MY UNOFFICIAL INTERNET RESEARCH...I AM NOT ALONE AND BMW OF NA IS DOING NOTHING TO ADDRESS THE MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. I CONSIDER THIS A SAFETY ISSUE. SUPPOSE I WAS 100S OF MILES AWAY OR IF I WAS IN A POSITION WHERE I NEED TO USE REVERSE TO GET OUT OF HARMS WAY AND IT DID NOT WORK. AS OTHER BMW OWNERS HAVE STATED, AT LEAST MY CHEVY OR FORD USED TO TELL ME THAT IT WAS SICK AND NEEDED SOME ATTENTION. BMW HAS NO MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENT FOR THIS TRANSMISSION. I AM ASSUMING THAT THEY THINK IT IS REPLACE UPON FAILURE. UNACCEPTABLE, THE PART THAT FAILED IS CALLED THE DRUM. A BAND BREAKS AND THE REVERSE GEAR IS BROKEN. THEY HAVE MODIFIED THE MATERIALS IN THE NEWER DRUMS TO ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM . THAT TELLS ME THAT THEY ARE AWARE THAT THE MATERIAL THEY INSTALLED IN MY VEHICLE WAS INADEQUATE. I HAVE NOT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE AT THIS TIME STILL SHOPPING AROUND FOR OPTIONS. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND A RECALL IS WARRANTED. *TR

2002 BMW 325I REAR TAILLIGHTS HAVE FAILED ON BOTH SIDES DUE TO THE WIRING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE HARNESS HAVE EITHER MELTED AND GROUND TO THE OTHER WIRES OR MELTED THE TABS OFF OF THE MALE PLUG. *TR

REAR TAIL BRAKE LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY WORKS ON AND OFF, HAVE REPLACED THE LIGHT AND THIS DIDN'T FIX IT. HAVEN'T HAD AN ACCIDENT YET, BUT ARE TAKING IT IN TO THE DEALER TO BE REPAIRED ASAP . SAW THAT BMW HAS A SERVICE BULLETIN OUT REGARDING THIS PROBLEM. *TR STARTED FAILING 2 MONTHS AGO AND EACH TIME I OPEN TRUNK AND REMOVE BULB -IT SEEMS TO WORK FOR A WHILE THEN OUT AGAIN. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR WHEN I SAW SMOKE FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE CAR WAS NOT OVERHEATING AND I PULLED OVER, OPENED THE HOOD AND THE WIRES CONNECTING TO THE COOLING FAN HAD CAUSED THE PLASTIC TO START ON FIRE. LUCKILY I WAS PAYING ATTENTION AND HAD ACCESS TO A FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND WAS ABLE TO PUT OUT THE FLAMES. *TR

REAR WINDOW REGULATOR FAILED. VEHICLE WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED AND WINDOW WAS REPAIRED AT DEALER. OPPOSITE REAR WINDOW REGULATOR FAILED SEVERAL WEEKS LATER. FRONT WINDOW OPERATORS MOVE THE WINDOW SLOWLY AND WINDOWS NEED MANUAL ASSISTANCE (PUSH ON GLASS) TO CLOSE. INVESTIGATED WHETHER NEW WINDOW REGULATOR DESIGN HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED. DETERMINED THAT REPLACEMENT WINDOW REGULATORS ARE IDENTICAL TO ORIGINAL. THE DESIGN PROBLEM STEMS FROM THE ATTACHMENT OF THE WINDOW REGULATOR CABLE ENDS INTO PLASTIC RETAINERS. OBVIOUSLY, DURING THE CYCLES OF WINDOW OPERATION, THE PLASTIC IS OVER-STRESSED AND FAILS. PLACED WRITTEN COMPLAINT WITH BMW USA TO NO AVAIL AS THE VEHICLE IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. FIRST WINDOW FAILURE WAS AROUND 50K MILES. REMAINING WINDOW FAILURES WERE AROUND 90K MILES. *TR

BMW 325 2002 UNDER 100K MILES WITH TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. JMK SPRINGFIELD BMW SAID HEY COULD FIX FOR $500 I AGREED TO GO AHEAD. AFTER THE WORK COMPLETION THEY CALLED ME BACK TO TELL ME PROBLEM STILL EXISTS BUT THEY STILL CHARGED ME $540. THEY SAY I NEED TO PAY ANOTHER $700 TO TRY THE NEXT 'GEAR SELECTION SWITCH CHANGE' SUGGESTION. AND IF THAT FAILS THEY'LL CHANGE THE GEAR BOX FOR $5K. I THINK THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL. GEARBOX SHOULD NOT FAIL ON ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE UNDER 100K MILES. *TR

BRAKE LIGHT GROUND WIRE HAS BURNED UP AND IS NO LONGER WORKING DUE TO A FACTORY DEFECT. THIS HAS ALSO MELTED THE PLASTIC BRAKE LIGHT BULB HOUSING AND BURNED OUT THE BRAKE LIGHT. THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE FIRES AND/OR WRECKS TO OCCUR. BMW IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT IS NOT WILLING TO FIX THE ISSUE. PLEASE SEE THE LINK TO THE BMW TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN BELOW. HTTP://WWW.BMWTIS.COM/TSB/BULLETINS/BULLETIN_GRAPHIC_TEMP/B630306G.HTM. *TR

REAR LIGHTS ARE INOPERATIVE DUE TO THE CONNECTORS SHORTING OUT. I READ ONLINE THAT IT IS A BMW DESIGN DEFECT AND IS GROUND WIRE PROBLEM COMMON TO E46 MODEL BMWS. *TR