2003 BMW 325I Complaints

THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN EITHER WITH THE KEYLESS REMOTE OR BY PULLING ON THE DOOR HANDLE INSIDE THE CAR (THE WINDOWS WERE DOWN SO I COULD REACH INSIDE) I HAD TO OPEN THE PASSENGER DOOR AND CLIMB ACROSS THE SEAT TO GET INTO THE DRIVER'S SEAT. THE BUTTON BETWEEN THE SEATS TO UNLOCK ALL OF THE DOORS ALSO FAILED TO OPEN ANY OF THE LOCKS. THE HAZARD LIGHT SWITCH BESIDE IT STILL WORKED, SO I KNOW THE PROBLEM ISN'T DUE TO THAT FAULTY SWITCH. THIS DOOR LOCKS RETURNED TO NORMAL AFTER DRIVING THE CAR ABOUT 30 MINUTES AND IT HASN'T YET RETURNED IN THE FIVE DAYS SINCE. *TR

OUR 2003 BMW 325I HAS HAD REPEATED STALLING EVENTS OCCURRING AT INCREASING FREQUENCY. WHILE IDLING AT STOP LIGHTS OR AT HIGHWAY SPEED WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD (EML, HAZARD AND BRAKE) LIGHT AND THE ENGINE LOSES POWER, AND RPM'S DROP. AFTER THE FIRST OCCURRENCE, THE BMW WAS TAKEN TO ADVANTAGE MIDTOWN BMW IN HOUSTON, TX FOR DIAGNOSIS/REPAIR. BMW REPLACED THE THROTTLE CONTROLLER WHICH THEY SAID WAS DEFECTIVE. 1-2 MONTHS LATER THE PROBLEM BEGAN OCCURRING AGAIN WITH INCREASING FREQUENCY. THE CAR STALLED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT WITH THE SAME WARNING LIGHTS/SYMPTOMS. THE CAR WAS RETURNED TO ADVANTAGE BMW AND LEFT FOR SEVERAL DAYS. INITIALLY THE SERVICE STAFF AT ADVANTAGE BMW TOLD US THAT THE COMPUTER HAD FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND WAS UNDER WARRANTY. HOWEVER, AFTER DISCUSSIONS WITH THE BMW CORPORATE OFFICE, ADVANTAGE BMW DID NOT REPLACE THE COMPUTER INSTEAD STATING THE THAT THE PROBLEM MAY BE DUE TO LOW VOLTAGE IN THE SYSTEM. I ASKED THEM WHAT WOULD CAUSE THIS SINCE I DID NOT WANT TO DRIVE THE CAR WHEN IT INTERMITTENTLY COULD STALL. ADVANTAGE KEPT THE CAR A FEW MORE DAYS AND THEN RETURNED IT TO US WITH THE EXPLANATION THAT THE LOW VOLTAGE WAS DUE TO INSUFFICIENT CHARGE ON THE BATTERY. I WAS ADVISED TO PURCHASE A FLOAT CHARGER. SINCE THEN THE CAR HAS BEEN KEPT FULLY CHARGED VIA A CTEK FLOAT CHARGER. HOWEVER LAST WEEKEND THE ENGINE STALLED REPEATEDLY WHILE MY FAMILY AND I WERE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 10 AT FREEWAY SPEEDS. THIS FORCED ME TO PULL TO THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY AND DRIVE WITH REDUCED POWER. AFTER STOPPING THE CAR AND RESTARTING, THE ENGINE RESET AND FUNCTIONED AGAIN FOR A WHILE. SINCE THIS TIME THE PROBLEM HAS REPEATED ITSELF 5 TIMES IN 1 WEEK. I FEEL THAT BMW RETURNING THE CAR TO ME IN THE CONDITION WHERE INTERMITTENT STALLING IS OCCURRING IS UNSAFE - I STATED THIS TO ADVANTAGE BMW WHEN I HAD IT IN FOR SERVICE DURING THE SECOND INSTANCE OF THESE PROBLEMS. I HAVE SERVICE SCHEDULED AGAIN AT ADVANTAGE BMW FOR AUGUST 14, 2010. *TR

THE ZKW BRAND OF HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE (HID) HEADLIGHTS EQUIPPED IN THE 2003-2004 E46 MODEL 3 SERIES BMW SEDAN HAVE A PLASTIC REFLECTOR BOWL IN THE PROJECTOR THAT HAS THE TENDENCY TO HAVE THE CHROME REFLECTIVE PLATING BURNT OFF RENDERING THE HEADLIGHTS ALL BUT USELESS. THIS MAKES IT DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AT NIGHT BECAUSE YOU CAN BARELY SEE THE ROAD. THE ONLY REMEDY TO THIS IS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES FOR $1200 PER SIDE, WHICH IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR NON WEAR ITEM TO OCCUR WHEN THE VEHICLE IS BETWEEN 5 TO 7 YEARS OLD, AVERAGING 50K TO 90K MILES. *TR

2003 BMW 325I 4-DOOR SEDAN. DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR LOCK WILL NOT UNLOCK. HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. STARTED ABOUT A YEAR AGO. I HAVE GONE ONLINE AND FOUND MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SAME PROBLEM. SEEMS TO ME TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE. IF I CAN'T GET OUT OF THE CAR. *TR

I PURCHASED MY BMW 325I IN AUGUST OF 2006. SINCE THAT PURCHASE I HAVE ONLY DRIVEN IT APPROXIMATELY 9-12 MONTHS COLLECTIVELY. THE CAR WAS PURCHASED WITH 37500 MILES AND NOW HAS 70,000 MILES. THE PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WHICH CAUSES THE LIGHTS TO TURN OFF AND ON WHEN THEY FEEL LIKE IT. THIS CAR HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY FOR THE PAST 9 MONTHS BECAUSE IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION. I HAVE HAD IT TO NUMEROUS BMW DEALERSHIPS, THEY CAN NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. ALL THE ISSUES SEEM TO BE ELECTRICAL IN NATURE AND ARE VERY HARD TO ACCURATELY DIAGNOSE. THE BOTTOM LINE IS I AM CHARGED THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO REPAIR THE CAR BUT CAR IS STILL NOT SAFE. THE REAR LIGHTS HAVE BURNED OUT AND THE RIGHT FRONT LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF AT WILL. THE LAST INCIDENT OCCURRED IN DEC 2009 WHEN THE CAR LIT UP LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE (THE ONLY TIME ALL OF THE LIGHTS WORKED.) HOWEVER, WHEN YOU TURN THE CAR ON, THE LIGHTS WENT OFF AGAIN. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE SHOP WHERE IT REMAINED UNTIL JANUARY 2010. I WAS CHARGED $2700 AND STILL CAN'T GET THIS BEAST INSPECTED. THIS HAS GONE BEYOND THE POINT OF LUDICROUS. I AM COMPLETELY DISGUSTED WITH THE "ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE". IN ESSENCE I AM PAYING 650 DOLLARS A MONTH FOR NOTHING. THE LAST MECHANIC THAT LOOKED AT THE CAR RECOMMENDED THAT WE SHOULD REPLACE THE FRONT LIGHTING SYSTEM BECAUSE THE CURRENT SYSTEM THAT IS FAULTY IS NOT MEANT TO BE REPLACED, SO REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE. IN THEORY THE LIGHTS SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE CAR. THIS IS NOT THE CASE WITH MY CAR AND TO REPLACE THE XENON LIGHTS WITH THE MORE COMMON HALOGEN LIGHTS IT WILL COST AN ESTIMATED 2,000 DOLLARS. THIS IS NOT FEASIBLE WITH A CAR PAYMENT AND UNTIL THE CAR IS PAID OFF IN 2012. IT WILL SIT IN THE DRIVEWAY, A WASTE OF A PERFECT CAR, MY RETIREMENT CAR. *TR

WE OWN A BMW 325I SERIES 2003 SEDAN. WHILE MY DAUGHTER STARTED THE CAR SHE NOTED THE LEFT HEADLIGHT WENT OUT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE CAR. SHE WAS ONLY AROUND 4 BLOCKS AWAY SO PROCEEDED TO DRIVE HOME AND DURING THE DRIVE SHE EXPERIENCED HER BRAKES GRABBING AND STEERING DIFFICULTIES. ALL THE DASHBOARD INDICATOR LIGHTS CAME ON. WE TOOK THE CAR THAT NIGHT TO BMW TO DROP OFF FOR EVALUATION. THE SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT THE XENON HEADLIGHT FAILED AND TOOK AT THE STEERING SYSTEM PANEL AND HAD TO BE ALL REWIRED. HE SAID THEY HAD NEVER SEEN THIS HAPPEN BEFORE. I AM CONCERNED THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN IN THE WIRING OF THE XENON HEADLIGHT TO EFFECT A STEERING PANEL WHEN THE HEADLIGHT GOES OUT. THE EFFECT ON THE STEERING PANEL IS IMMEDIATE AND GIVES NO TIME TO REPLACE THE HEADLIGHT WITHOUT FURTHER DAMAGE TO THE CAR. THE COST TO REPAIR WAS 1800.00. THIS IS VERY CONCERNING. 2 MONTHS LATER THE BLINKER HEADLIGHT NEXT TO THE XENON HEADLIGHT FELL COMPLETELY OUT OF THE CAR HELD BY A WIRE WHILE MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. IT SEEMS LIKE THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE BMW 325I SERIES HEADLIGHTS THAT TO ME IS A GREAT SAFETY CONCERN FOR THOSE DRIVING. I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR FOLLOW UP TO THE MAKE AND MODEL. I WOULD BE GLAD TO PROVIDE MY NAME FOR YOU TO OBTAIN COPIES OF THE SERVICE RECORDS ON THESE EVENTS FROM OUR BMW DEALERSHIP. THANK YOU. *TR

FAULTY PIN CONNECTORS IN REAR BRAKELIGHT ASSEMBLIES, CAUSING PREMATURE FAILURE OF BRAKE LIGHTING HARNESS, VERY DANGEROUS. *TR

3/26/2010 - OLNEY, MD - 2003 325XI RIGHT AND LEFT REAR LIGHT ASSEMBLY SYSTEM FAILING AT TIMES, (TURN SIGNAL AND BRAKE LIGHT WORKS INTERMITTENLY). BMW ACKNOWLEDGED "GROUND" PROBLEM IN ASSEMLY IN TBS:630306, FEBRUARY 1 2007 LOCAL DEALER IN SILVER SPRING MD, TISHER BMW CORRECT THE PROBLEM ONLY ON THE RIGHT SIDE AND COMPLETELY IGNORE MULTIPPLE OFFICE VISIT FOR THE SAME ISSUE ON BOTH SIDES AND REFUSE TO CORRECT PROBLEM ON THE LEFT ASSEMBLY. AT THE SAME TIME BMW CORPORATE OFFICE CUSTOMER SUPORT REFUSED TO OFFER OUT OF WARRANTY FREE REPAIR OR TO INITIATE RECALL ON PREVIOSLY ACKNOWLEDGED "GROUND" PROBLEM. I BELIVE THIS ISSUE IS THE SAFTY HAZARD BECAUSE THE "GROUND" RED WIRE IS BURNING IN THE CONNECTOR OF TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY. ALSO PEOPLE AND OTHER DRIVERS CAN'T SEE WHEN YOU "BRAKING"

I HAVE ENCOUNTERED THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS MANY TIMES SINCE PURCHASING THE CAR. THE PROBLEMS STARTED AT MILEAGE OF ABOUT 2000. THE STEERING LOST FUNCTION AT LOW SPEED WHEN MAKING TURN (CAN'T MAKE TURN). THE ENGINE ALSO DIED AT VERY LOW SPEED. WE HAVE TO RESTART THE ENGINE EVERY TIME SUCH PROBLEMS HAPPENS. I REPORTED TO LOCAL DEALERS AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO IDENTIFY THE UNDERLYING PROBLEMS. *TR

THE RIGHT FRONT HEADLIGHT WILL GO OFF SPORADICALLY AND RIGHT REAR TAIL LIGHT GOES OFF. THE DEALER COULD NOT CORRECT THE HEADLIGHT PROBLEM. THE TAIL LIGHT PROBLEM BEGAN WHILE CAR WAS IN WARRANTY. NOW TO CORRECT TAILLIGHT PROBLEM THERE IS UPDATE KIT WHICH THEY WANT ME TO PAY. SINCE TAILLIGHT PROBLEM BEGAN IN WARRANTY BMW SHOULD COVER COST. *TR