2006 BMW 325I Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT STATED THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD LOCK AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE DEALER STATED THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE ARE NO RECALLS OR WARRANTIES RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

THE KEY FOB FAILS TO LOCK/UNLOCK THE DOORS. THE CENTRAL LOCK/UNLOCK SWITCH FAILS TO LOCK/UNLOCK THE DOORS TO ALLOW THE DRIVER TO COME OUT OF THE CAR. *TR THE DOOR LATCH INSIDE THE CAR DOES NOT OPEN THE DOOR EITHER. THEY ONLY WAY TO OPEN THE DOOR IS TO USE THE KEY TO UNLOCK THE DOOR FROM OUTSIDE.

WHEN AN ADULT IS SEATED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OF THE VEHICLE, THE AIR BAG SERVICE INDICATOR, NO SEATBELT INDICATOR, AND "PASSENGER AIRBAG IS DISABLED" INDICATOR ARE ALL ILLUMINATED. WHEN TAKING MY VEHICLE IN TO THE LOCAL BMW SERVICE CENTER TO DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE, I WAS TOLD THE CAUSE WAS A FAULTY PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR MAT (HAVE DOCUMENTATION), WHICH IS MEANT TO DETECT WHEN A PASSENGER IS PRESENT. IN ADDITION, I WAS TOLD IN MY VEHICLES CURRENT STATE, IF I WERE TO GET IN AN ACCIDENT WITH A PASSENGER PRESENT, THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WOULD NOT DEPLOY. WHILE PERFORMING INDEPENDENT RESEARCH, I FOUND THAT BMW HAS RELEASED AN OFFICIAL RECALL (#08V384000) WHICH DESCRIBES THESE SAME SYMPTOMS, CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR MAT. IN THE RECALL DETAILS, THE MAKE, MODEL, YEAR AND SEAT TYPE ALL MATCH THE SPECIFICATIONS OF MY VEHICLE. AFTER DISCOVERING THE RECALL INFORMATION, I CONTACTED BMW OF NORTH AMERICA REPRESENTATIVE BY TELEPHONE. I WAS TOLD THAT BECAUSE MY VEHICLE VIN IS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST, THE REPAIR MUST BE DONE AT AN OUT OF POCKET EXPENSE. I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT BECAUSE THE DEFECTIVE SEAT SENSOR REDUCES THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE PASSENGERS, AS WELL AS VIOLATES AIR BAG REGULATIONS ESTABLISHED BY THE NHTSA. SINCE THIS IS A DEFECT, THE COST SHOULD BE COVERED 100% BY THE MANUFACTURER, BMW. *TR

ALL THE DOOR LOCKS WOULD NOT WORK WHETHER I USED THE KEY FOB OR THE CENTRAL UNLOCK BUTTON. COULD NOT EVEN OPEN UP DOORS FROM INSIDE. IF I WOULD HAVE HAD KIDS IN MY CAR AND AN EMERGENCY EXISTED THEN I WOULD HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO GET THEM OUT THE DOOR LET ALONE GETTING MYSELF OUT. I REPLACED THE FUSE AND THE DOORS WORKED FOR A FEW WEEKS AND NOW THE DOOR LOCK ISSUE HAS RESURFACED. I GOOGLED THE PROBLEM AND IT TURNS OUT THAT BMW HAS HAD THIS DOOR LOCK FUSE/DOOR ACTUATOR ISSUE FOR A LONG LONG TIME, AND THERE HASN'T BEEN A RECALL. THIS IS DANGEROUS (LIFE THREATENING) AND DESERVES A RECALL. BMW ONLY WANTS TO REPLACE THE 15A FUSE WITH A 20A FUSE FOR A FIX, BUT DOING THIS DOESN'T FIX THE ROOT PROBLEM. *TR

SRS LIGHTS ACTIVATE WHILE DRIVING. IT DEACTIVATE THE PASSENGER AIRBAG SYSTEM. PASSENGER SRS LIGHT ACTIVATED DUE TO FAULTY OCCUPANCY SEAT SENSOR. THE OCCUPANCY SENSOR MUST BE REPLACED TO CORRECT THE ERROR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325I. UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE WITH A PASSENGER SEATED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT, THE AIR BAG LIGHT BEGAN ILLUMINATING ON THE DASHBOARD. THE FAILURE RECURRED WHENEVER A PASSENGER WAS SEATED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 08V384000 (AIR BAGS:FRONTAL). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 65,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. UPDATED 05/12/11 *BF UPDATED 07/11/11

I DRIVE A 2006 BMW 325I. PARKED MY CAR AND GOT OUT JUST FINE HOWEVER MY 3 PASSENGERS WERE UNABLE TO OPEN THERE DOORS. THE CENTRAL UNLOCKING BUTTON ON THE CAR'S DASH WOULDN'T UNLOCK THE DOORS AND THE KEYLESS ENTRY BUTTON WOULDN'T UNLOCK THE DOOR EITHER. ALL THE PASSENGERS HAD TO CLIMB OUT THE WINDOWS. AFTER DOING SOME QUICK RESEARCH THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM IN THE 3 SERIES HOWEVER IT'S A PROBLEM THAT BMW REFUSES TO FIX UNLESS THE CAR IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. HAVING PASSENGERS BECOME UNEXPECTEDLY TRAPPED INSIDE THEIR CAR DUE TO A COMMON DEFECT IS MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND IT'S A PROBLEM BMW SHOULD BE FORCED TO FIX REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE CAR IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. *TR

WHEN A PASSENGER SITS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, THE AIRBAG LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE ON THE DASH. BMW SAYS THERE WAS A RECALL AND EXTENDED WARRANTY ISSUED, BUT NOT FOR MY VIN NUMBER. I FEAR THAT THEY DID NOT RECALL ALL OF THE CARS THAT WOULD BE AFFECTED BY THE FAULTY AIRBAG SENSOR MAT. I HAVE NO OTHER OPTION THAN TO PAY $2,000 TO HAVE THE MAT REPLACED. THE SERVICE ASSISTANT EVEN TOLD ME THAT IT WAS THE SAME ISSUE THAT THE RECALLED/EXTENDED WARRANTY CARS WERE HAVING WITH THE SEAT MAT. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THEY WOULD NOT RECALL ALL OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLES. IT IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE.

CENTRAL DOOR LOCKING SYSTEM FAILED PREVENTING ANY OF THE 4 DOORS AND FUEL DOOR FROM OPENING. PASSENGERS COULDN'T OPEN THEIR DOORS AND HAD TO CRAWL UP FRONT TO EXIT THROUGH THE DRIVERS DOOR. THERE WAS NO OTHER WAY FOR THEM TO EXIT THE CAR, THE DOORS WERE COMPLETELY INOPERABLE. REPLACED 15A FUSE WITH 20A FUSE AS RECOMMENDED BY BMW DEALER WHICH WORKED FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS. PROBLEM RESURFACED SO I INSPECTED THE FUSE PREVIOUSLY REPLACED TO DISCOVER IT WAS BLOWN AGAIN. NOW ALL POWER DOOR LOCKS WORK EXCEPT FRONT PASSENGER. THIS ISSUE REALLY NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED SOON. WHEN THERE IS A DOOR UNLOCKING FAILURE, WHICH ACCORDING TO MANY PAGES OF COMPLAINTS ONLINE IS A VERY COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH THESE CARS, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY FOR PASSENGERS TO EXIT - ESPECIALLY IF THEY NEEDED TO EXIT QUICKLY. IT'S VERY DANGEROUS. *TR

MY VEHICLE HAS THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM THAT BMW RECALLED IN THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN# 08V384000. THE PROBLEM IS WITH MY FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG SEAT MAT HAS CRACKED. *TR THIS DEFECT HAS ALREADY BEEN VERIFIED BY AN AUTHORIZED BMW DEALER AT MY OWN COST. BUT FOR SOME REASON, MY VEHICLE IN NOT ONE OF THE 200,000 VEHICLES IN THE OFFICIAL RECALL. SO BMW REFUSES TO TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH BMW NA BUT THEY WILL NOT COVER THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE MY PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG IS NOW DISABLED PERMANENTLY BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT.