2003 BMW 325I Complaints

THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY KEEPS FAILING. AND I LOOSE THE TAIL LIGHTS. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED WAS IN 2005 ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE AND NOW IT HAPPENED ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE. *TR

I HAVE A FORMERLY PRISTINE BMW 325I 2003 WITH 70KMI THAT HAD A SUDDEN, CATASTROPHIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE FOR UNIDENTIFIABLE REASONS WHILE BEING DRIVEN NEAR SACRAMENTO. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A BMW DEALER IN SACRAMENTO WHO CLAIMED THEY HAD "NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT", YET CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM HAS OVER 20 PAGES OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SPECIFIC PROBLEM. UNFORTUNATELY, THOUGH WE WERE ABLE TO LOCATE A USED TRANSMISSION, THE DEALER REFUSED TO INSTALL ANYTHING OTHER THAN A BRAND NEW UNIT AT THE COST OF $6,000. CLEARLY THERE IS SOMETHING DEFECTIVE IN THESE TRANSMISSIONS. IT APPEARS THAT BMW OF NORTH AMERICAN HAS REFUSED TO ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 325I. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DECELERATE TO AN UNKNOWN SPEED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE ONLY OCCURRED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS WARM. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE WIRES FOR THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL MALFUNCTIONED AND THE PEDAL AND ASSOCIATED COMPONENTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 71,500 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 72,000. UPDATED 03-04-08 *BF UPDATED 03/04/08 *TR

FOUR TIMES SINCE I BUY A 2003 BMW 325I , I HAVE TO GET THE AUTO TO GUARANTEE SERVICE FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE STRUCT FRONT BUSHING, NOW , AFTER REPLACE THEM AT 32,000 MILES ABOUT FOUR MONTH AGO, MY CAR AT 37,000 MILES REQUEST A NEW BUSHINGS. THEY SAID ME THAT BMW WAS NO LONGER REPLACE THEM BY GUARANTEE BECAUSE OF THE ROAD CONDITIONS IN PUERTO RICO. WHEN I BUY THE CAR I PAID FOR A GUARANTEE AND I THINK THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE THAT A CAR LIKE THIS , THE ULTIMATE DRIVE MACHINE REQUIRE EVERY FOUR MONTH TO REPLACE THAT PARTS. THEY SHOULD INSTALL A GOOD REINFORCED GENUINE PARTS AND NOT A REMANUFACTURED. I ALWAYS TRY TO AVOID THE HOLES, BUT I ASK WHEN IT'S RAINING IT START A RED LIGHT THAT INDICATED " PLEASE AVOID THIS HOLE" . *TR THE DEALER STATED REPLACED LENS AND COVER DISC FOR BOTH HEADLIGHTS, NOISES COMING FROM BOTH REAR SHOCK ABSORBERS, REPLACING ALTERNATOR DRIVE BELT TENSIONER, TENSIONER AND PULLEYS, AND REMOVING AND INSTALLING LEFT OR RIGHT RUBBER STRIP. UPDATED 10/24/07 *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND IT WAS REPAIRED. HOWEVER, THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW IS NOW MAKING THE SAME NOISE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 47,800 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS FOR BOTH TAIL LIGHTS HAVE SHORTENED OUT AND MELTED. SHE IS CONCERNED THAT THIS FAILURE COULD CAUSE HER VEHICLE TO CATCH FIRE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE AMONG THE 2001-2003 MODELS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 57,200.

WHILE DRIVING, THE AIR BAGS ON THE DRIVER SIDE DEPLOYED; ABOVE THE WINDOW AND ABOVE THE ARM REST. I DID NOT GO OVER ANY BUMPS OR HOLES. THERE WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT OR IMPACT NOR ANY HISTORY OF. NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. THE AIRBAGS SPONTANEOUSLY DEPLOYED WHILE DRIVING! MY LEFT ELBOW, LEFT ARM, AND LEFT EAR WERE INJURED. I PANICKED AND CROSSED OVER TO THE MEDIAN ON MY LEFT WITHOUT LOOKING FOR ONCOMING TRAFFIC; ALSO, THE AIRBAGS WERE OBSTRUCTING MY VIEW. THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF, I GOT OUT OF MY CAR, AND RAN DOWN THE ACCESS ROAD ALONGSIDE THE HIGHWAY THINKING MY CAR WAS GOING TO EXPLODE. I CALLED ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE. THE TOWING COMPANY TOOK 1 HOUR AND 45 MINUTES. THE MAN WAS VERY RUDE AND UNWILLING TO TOW THE CAR. MY FRIEND AND I FOLLOWED THE TOW TRUCK TO THE BMW DEALERSHIP. THE TOWER REFUSED TO LET ME TAKE PICTURES OF MY CAR. I WAS ABLE TO TAKE PICTURES OF THE CAR THE NEXT DAY UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF A SERVICE ADVISOR. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT "THE AIR BAGS WERE NOT ON MY WARRANTY" AND "I WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH MY INSURANCE TO REPAIR THE CAR". WHEN I ASKED FOR A COURTESY CAR IN THE MEANTIME, THEY STATED "YOUR WARRANTY COVERS RENTAL CARS BUT WE DO NOT GIVE OUT CARS FOR THIS PROBLEM. YOU WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH YOUR INSURANCE." I GOT A RENTAL CAR THROUGH MY INSURANCE. THE ADJUSTER WAS SENT TO INSPECT MY CAR. HE AND BMW TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS "SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE" ON THE LEFT UNDERSIDE OF THE CAR THAT CAUSED A PART OF THE CAR TO COME "LOOSE" AND TRIGGER THE SENSOR DEPLOYING THE AIR BAGS. BMW CLAIMS DAMAGE TO A PART OF THE CAR I COULD NOT TAKE PICTURES OF. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD THE ADJUSTER THAT THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED IN MY DRIVEWAY. BMW CORPORATE OFFICE WAS NOTIFIED. YET, THERE WAS NO SOLUTION. I REQUESTED THAT MY CAR BE TOWED TO THE NEXT CITY. THE CLAIM WAS CLOSED. THE CHARGES OF THE RENTAL CAR WERE TRANSFERRED TO ME. I ALSO HAVE TO PAY FOR THE DOCTOR VISITS. BMW STILL HAS NOT DONE ANYTHING TO CORRECT THE FAILURE!!! *NM

LTR FM (MA) CONCERNED ABOUT THE STALLING TENDENCES IN MODEL YEARS 2001-2004 BMW 325I AND 323I PASSENGER CARS. *TS THE STALLING PROBLEM WAS ELEMINATED BY INSTALLING AN UPDATE RELEASED ABOUT JULY 2004 BY BMW AG HEADQUARTERS IN MUNICH. AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR FACILITY DOWNLOADED THE UPDATE FROM THE BMW-SIEMENS WEBSITE IN THE U.K. AND INSTALLED IT IN THE CONSUMER'S BMW. SINCE THE SOFTWARE HAS BEEN UPDATED THE VEHICLE HAS ONLY STALLED TWICE SINCE UPDATED, ONCE WHEN IN THE WRONG GEAR, AND ONCE WHEN THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS SET. *NM

MY WIFE WAS IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT ON 07/07/06. HER 2003 325I BMW WAS HIT ON THE DRIVERS SIDE BY A SUV THAT JUMPED OVER THE MEDIAN, TOTALING THE CAR. WE CONTACTED BMW OF NORTH AMERICA AND REPORTED THAT NONE OF THE AIR-BAGS DEPLOYED. WE ARE VERY CONCERNED. WE ALSO TO THIS DATE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY INFORMATION FROM BMW. *NM

2003 BMW 325I STALLS FREQUENTLY BECAUSE OF INSTABILITY. *KB THE VEHICLE STALLED ABOUT SEVEN TIMES AFTER BEING DRIVEN OFF THE LOT ON THE DATE IF PURCHASE. FROM DEC 2003 TO JUNE 2005 THE VEHICLE HAD ONLY BEEN DRIVE 11,000 BECAUSE THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO ALLEVIATE THE STALLING CONDITION. THE DEALER BELIEVED THE STALLING WAS DUE TO DRIVER ERROR. THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THE STALLING IS DUE TO INSTABILITY AND THAT THIS PROBLEM COULD BE EASY FIXED BY UPDATING SOFTWARE. AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR FACILITY DOWNLOADED THE UPDATE FROM THE BMW-SIEMENS WEBSITE IN THE U.K. AND INSTALLED IT. SINCE THE SOFTWARE HAS BEEN UPDATED THE VEHICLE HAS ONLY STALLED TWICE SINCE UPDATED, ONCE WHEN IN THE WRONG GEAR, AND ONCE WHEN THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS SET. *NM