2006 BMW 325I Complaints

2006 BMW 325I MILES: 5K ON JULY 19TH, 2006 APPROX 9:00 AM, WHILE I WAS PARKING AT MY OFFICE PARKING LOT GOING ABOUT 5 TO 10 MPH, AFTER I ENTERED THE PARKING STALL, I STARTED TO APPLY THE BRAKE. THE BRAKE PEDAL FELT SOFT (NORMALLY THE PEDAL IS STIFF), AND IT WASN'T STOPPING, SO I PRESSED IT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. THE CAR FELT LIKE IT SPED UP A BIT AND HIT THE VEHICLE DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME. LUCKILY, NO ONE WAS IN THE CAR AND THE DAMAGE WAS MINOR FRONT BUMPER DAMAGE, BOTH TO MINE AND THE OTHER VEHICLE. AFTER I HIT OTHER VEHICLE, I PUT IT IN REVERSE TO PULL AWAY, THEN MY BRAKE PEDAL FELT NORMAL AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS IN AN ACCIDENT, HITTING A DEER WHICH CAUSED INJURIES TO CONTACT'S NECK. AFTER DURING THE ACCIDENT, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE ACCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY. ON THE SECOND DAY AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED, THE SEATBELT LIGHT ILLUMINATED.

WHILE WASHING CAR IN HOT SUN THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED WHEN HIT WITH COLD WATER FROM HOSE. DEALER CLAIMS IT WAS AN IMPACT BREAK CAUSED BY WINDSHIELD WIPER BEING PULLED UP AND DROPPED ONTO WINDSHIELD. IF WINDSHIELD WIPER BROKE WINDSHIELD (WHICH GIVEN THE LENGTH OF THE SOFT RUBBER WIPER WE FIND IT HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT IMPACT OF A DROPPED WIPER BLADE COULD OR SHOULD BE EXPECTED TO BREAK A WINDSHIELD THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE DESIGNED TO WITHSTAND MUCH MORE SEVERE ROAD HAZARD IMPACT OR IF IT WAS DONE BY COLD WATER ON AN EXTREMELY HOT SUN HEATED WINDSHIELD....EITHER WAY THIS WINDSHIELD COULD NOT POSSIBLY BE STRONG AND MADE TO SAFETY STANDARDS. THE WINDSHIELD IS SURROUNDED BY A BLACK BACKING ON THE OUTER EDGES AND IT GETS VERY HOT WHEN THE SUN IS AT THE PROPER ANGLE SHINING DOWN ON THE CAR. WE DISCOVERED THESE INTENSELY HOT EDGES OF THE WINDSHIELD WHEN WASHING THE CAR. WHEN WE HIT THE WINDSHIELD WITH COLD WATER IT SHATTERED AND CRACKED. THERE WERE TWO OF US WASHING THE CAR AND WE KNOW HOW IT HAPPENED DESPITE THE DEALERS CLAIM OF IMPACT DAMAGE FROM A "DROPPED WIPER". WE HAVE SAVED THE DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELD FOR NHTSA SHOULD YOU DECIDE TO INVESTIGATE THIS COMPLAINT. THE DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELD IS IN OUR GARAGE AND WE WILL KEEP IT THERE FOR THE NEXT 90 DAYS. IF WE DO NOT HEAR FROM YOU REGARDING YOUR NEED FOR THE DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELD THEN WE WILL PUT IT OUT FOR TRASH COLLECTION. THANKS. *NM

PURCHASED NEW 330I FROM DEALER IN 9-05. ON 4-06 AT 12,500 MILES CALLED DEALER TO REQUEST SERVICE SINCE VEHICLE HAD BEEN MAKING A "ROARING & WA-WA" SOUND WHEN APPLYING BRAKES. THIS HAD BEEN GOING ON FOR SOME TIME & SINCE DRIVER WAS WAITING FOR COMPUTER TO INDICATE SERVICE NEEDED KEPT ON DRIVING. DEALER AGREED TO SEE CAR AND UPON INSPECTION CALLED DRIVER & INFORMED THAT TIRES WERE WORN ERRATICALLY & NEEDED TO BE REPLACED (EST AT $1500). SINCE DRIVER QUESTIONED NEED FOR NEW TIRES AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE, DEALER FINALLY SUGGESTED TO CALL CORPORATE BMW. CORPORATE BMW STATED THERE WAS A PROCESS DRIVER WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH IN ORDER TO CONFIRM TIRE DEFECT SINCE TIRES WERE NOT PART OF WARRANTY DRIVER WOULD HAVE TO PROCESS CLAIM THROUGH TIRE MANUFACTURER WITH ASSISTANCE FROM CORPORATE BMW. DRIVER HAD TO THEN GO TO TIRE MANUFACTURER TO HAVE THE TIRES INSPECTED & REQUEST A REPORT BE GENERATED FROM INSPECTION. TIRE MANUFACTURER STATED TIRE WEAR WAS DUE TO LACK OF MAINTENANCE (SINCE TIRES WERE NEVER ROTATED) & NOT TIRE DEFECTS. DEALER STATED TIRES DO NOT HAVE TO BE ROTATED BUT TIRE MANUFACTURER STATED THEY SHOULD. DEALER FINALLY AGREED TO REPLACE ALL 4 TIRES FOR FREE. DURING CALL WITH DEALER TO SCHEDULE TIRE REPLACEMENT, DEALER INFORMED DRIVER THAT BMW WOULD REPLACE ALL 4 TIRES DUE TO BMW'S ASSUMPTION OF A BAD BATCH OF TIRES BUT THAT NEW TIRES WOULD HAVE TO BE RUN FLATS. ALL TIRES WERE REPLACED 4-24-06. DEALER STATED THAT ALTHOUGH BMW DOES NOT RECOMMEND TIRE ROTATION THAT DRIVER NEEDED TO DO SO TO EXTEND LIFE OF NEW TIRES. AT 3,500 MILES DRIVER HAD TIRES ROTATED & WAS INFORMED THAT TIRES WERE ALREADY "CUPPING". CALLED DEALER & INFORMED OF CUPPING TIRES & REQUESTED SERVICE. DRIVER SEEMS TO BELIEVE ISSUE IS EITHER WITH RUN FLAT TIRES OR WITH VEHICLE SUSPENSION. WILL SEE WHAT DEALER SAYS. FOR ANYONE WITH THIS PROBLEM PLEASE FILE A COMPLAINT SO CORPORATE BMW WILL HAVE TO CORRECT. *JB

WHILE DRIVING MY 2006 BMW 325I ON THE FREEWAY AT ABOUT 50 MPH A SMALL OBJECT SUCH AS A BOTTLED WATER BOTTLE OR SOMETHING SIMILAR HIT THE FRONT BUMPER OF MY CAR AND ROLLED UNDERNEATH THE CAR WHERE I DROVE OVER IT. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE EXTERIOR OF MY CAR YET THE SEAT BELT LIGHT AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON THE DASHBOARD. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE BMW DEALER WHERE I WAS TOLD THAT THE "ACCIDENT INDICATORS" HAD FIRED AND I WOULD HAVE TO HAVE THE RECEIVER OF MY SEAT BELT REPLACED AT A COST OF $350 DESPITE THERE BEING NO DAMAGE TO THE CAR AND THIS BEING WHAT I CONSIDER A COMMON DRIVING OCCURRENCE. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED AFTER TRAVELING 20 MPH AND BECOMING IMMOBILED AT TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE RPM SURGED. THIS OCCURRED AT EVERY TRAFFIC LIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO DETERMINED AS A NEW VEHICLE THE COMPUTER MODULE HAS TO LEARN THE DRIVERS HABITS. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED THE DIAGNOSIS UNACCEPTABLE.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED UPON PURCHASE, THE SEAT BELT LIGHT FLASHED INTERMITTENTLY, WHEN THE SEAT BELT WAS LATCHED. THEN, WHILE TRAVELING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE STRUCK A DEER. THE SEAT BELT DID NOT RESTRAIN THE DRIVER AND NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE GRILL AREA, THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN AWAY FROM THE SCENE AND HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY A MECHANIC. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. UPDATED 8/14/2006 - *NM

I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2006 BMW 330I WITH OEM BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE050A RUNFLAT TIRES. THE TIRES BUCKLED ON THE SIDE WALL AFTER LESS THAN 8000K MILES. OUT OF CURIOSITY I CHECKED THE BIMMERFEST -HTTP://WWW.BIMMERFEST.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=146728 FORUM AND DISCOVERED THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM AMONG BMW OWNERS. *NM

SEAT BELT FAILED TO PREVENT ME FROM HITTING STEERING WHEEL AFTER ANOTHER CAR HIT MINE FROM THE REAR WHILE AT A STOP SIGN. *NM

I RECENTLY BOUGHT A 2006 BMW 330 XI WITH A MANUAL GEAR SHIFT. THE DESIGN OF THE CLUTCH AND BRAKE PEDALS IS SUCH THAT ONE CAN ACCIDENTALLY STEP ON BOTH THE CLUTCH PEDAL AND THE ARM OF THE BREAK PEDAL WHILE DEPRESSING THE CLUTCH, THIS CAUSES THE CAR TO STOP SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY. IT HAS OCCURRED TO ME WHEN CROSSING INTERSECTIONS AND MOST RECENTLY, WHILE MY WIFE WAS MERGING INTO EXPRESSWAY TRAFFIC, THIS IS A SERIOUS ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. THE CAR WAS REVIEWED BY THE DEALER AND I SPOKE TO A REPRESENTATIVE FROM BMW, THEY INSIST THAT THIS IS THE WAY THE CAR WAS DESIGNED AND THEY CANNOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. ALSO, WHEN YOU DEPRESS THE CLUTCH WITH THE MIDDLE OF YOUR FOOT, THE END OF YOUR TOE CAN SLIDE BETWEEN THE CLUTCH AND BRAKE ARMS, THIS INTERFERES WITH THE ACTION OF THE BREAK PEDAL. MY WIFE AN I ARE EXPERIENCED STICK SHIFT DRIVERS, WE HAVE BEEN DRIVING MANUAL STICK SHIFT CARS FOR 40 YEARS, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENS TO US; WE HAVE HAD FOUR CLOSE CALLS IN A MONTH. *NM