2006 BMW 325I Complaints

OUR VEHICLE FAILS TO DETECT PASSENGERS AND THE AIRBAG TURNS OFF. WE WERE TOLD BY BMW INITIALLY THAT OUR PASSENGERS WERE TOO LIGHT, HOWEVER, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS ITEM HAS BEEN RECALLED SEVERAL YEARS AGO, BECAUSE THE SEAT SHOULD DETECT PASSENGERS OVER 90 LBS, I WEIGH 115 LBS. ANYWAY, WHEN I CALLED THE MANUFACTURER THEY SAID OUR VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. NHTSA RELIES ON THE MANUFACTURER TO INCLUDE VIN'S IN THE RECALL, HOWEVER, THIS IS AN OBVIOUS PROBLEM THAT MY VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE RECALL WHICH IS SO WELL DOCUMENTED. WE ARE THE ORIGINAL OWNERS AND HAVE NOT SOLD THE VEHICLE. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325I. WHILE PARKED,THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC. THE CONTACT DID NOT EXPERIENCE A FAILURE WITH THE STEERING WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000.

THE PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT STARTED GOING ON AND OFF WHEN A PASSENGER IS AND IS NOT SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THE DEFECT IS CLEARLY THE SEAT WEIGHT SENSOR THAT MANY OTHERS HAVE CITED. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE. I CALLED THE DEALER, AND LIKE MANY OTHERS, I WAS TOLD MY VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 08V384000. THE DEALER WANTED TO CHARGE $125 FOR THE DIAGNOSIS AND $1500-1700 (ESTIMATE) TO REPLACE THE SEAT MAT. ALL THE COST IS WAS GOING TO BE THE OWNER'S RESPONSIBILITY. MILEAGE IS CURRENTLY 71K. I'M HOPEFUL THIS COMPLIANT HELPS PUSH THE NHTSA AND BMW TO EXTEND THE RECALL TO ALL 2006 325I MODELS SO OWNERS DON'T HAVE TO ABSORB THE HIGH COST OF A SERIOUS SAFETY AND DESIGN DEFECT THAT COULD LEAD TO A SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED AT 76 MPH. AN ABNORMAL NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE VEHICLE AS THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS FAILED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO ADVISED THAT THE BATTERY SAFETY TERMINAL FAILED. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE A CAUSE FOR THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED WHO ADVISED THAT THEY WOULD SEND A REPRESENTATIVE TO FURTHER INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING FURTHER DIAGNOSIS OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WOULD SHUT OFF WHETHER THE SEAT WAS OCCUPIED, OR NOT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 08V384000 (AIR BAGS:FRONTAL). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 118,000.

NUMBER OF DEATHS? NONE YET, BUT TBD FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS EXTREMELY UNSAFE CONDITION. 2006 BMW 325I DOORS LOCKS FAIL TO OPEN, AND ALL INTERIOR DOOR LATCHES ARE INOPERATIVE. ALL DOORS ARE INOPERATIVE IF ONE FUSE (#57) FAILS OR IF THE BATTERY FAILS. THIS IS A SERIOUS CONCERN ABOUT SAFETY. IF THERE IS A CRASH OR FIRE, PEOPLE CAN DIE INSIDE THE VEHICLE IF THE DOORS CANNOT BE OPENED. WHEN THIS FUSE FAILS, INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLES DON'T FUNCTION. THE ONLY WAY TO GET PEOPLE OUT OF THE VEHICLE IS TO REMOVE THE HIDDEN KEY FROM THE FOB, OPEN THE DRIVER'S WINDOW AND UNLOCK THE DRIVER'S DOOR. THAT WILL ALLOW THE DRIVER'S DOOR TO OPEN BUT NONE OF THE OTHER DOORS WILL OPEN. IS THIS ALLOWABLE UNDER NHTSA SAFETY REGULATIONS? I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT IT IS. THIS IS NOT AN OBSCURE OCCURRENCE EITHER. IT HAS HAPPENED TO MY CAR A FEW TIMES AND HAS BEEN REPORTED BY MANY OTHER PEOPLE ON BMW OWNER'S FORUMS AND ON NHTSA COMPLAINT FORMS. LINKS BELOW: HTTP://WWW.ARFC.ORG/COMPLAINTS/2006/BMW/3_SERIES/LATCHES_LOCKS_LINKAGES/PROBLEM.ASPX HTTP://WWW.BIMMERFEST.COM/FORUMS/ARCHIVE/INDEX.PHP/T-342620.HTML *JS

WATER PUMP AND THERMOSTAT BOTH QUIT WORKING AT THE SAME TIME. CAUSING ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING ON THE VEHICLE UNTIL IT STARTED OVERHEATING AND SMOKING WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. COULD OF CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. NEEDED TO IMMEDIATELY PULL TO SHOULDER. NOTE: CAR HAS NO OIL TEMPERATURE GAUGE. *TR

ENGINE BOLTS HAVE SHEERED OFF AT THREE DIFFERENT MILEAGES: 71,369, 115,162 AND 134,835. ALL TIMES THEY HAVE CREATED OIL LEAKS AND POSSIBLE ENGINE OVERHEATING. ALSO THE SHEERED BOLTS COULD OF GOTTEN LODGED IN THE DRIVE BELT CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING (ALTHOUGH LUCKILY DID NOT HAPPEN). ALL SHEERED BOLTS COST UPWARDS OF $1000 PER REPAIR TO REPLACE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING OIL THROUGH THE HEAD GASKET. IN ADDITION, THE SUN ROOF CLOTH DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE STEPTRONIC TRANSMISSION GEARS WOULD NOT ENGAGE IN DS OR MANUAL, ONLY DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE, CAUSING THE AIR BAG TO DEACTIVATE WITH A PASSENGER OCCUPYING THE SEAT. THE DEALER REPAIRED THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR MAT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 08V384000 (AIR BAGS:FRONTAL) RECALL RANGE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 58,105. UPDATED 06/06/2012 *JS