2005 BMW 325XI Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW 325XI. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 14V428000 (AIR BAGS) AND STATED THAT THE PART NEEDED WAS UNAVAILABLE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO SPECIFY WHEN THE PART WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

MY WIFE PARKED THE CAR IN THE DOCTORS OFFICE PARKING LOT. IT WAS 58 DEGREES AND RAINING. SHE LEFT OUR FAMILY PET IN THE CAR. WHEN SHE CAME OUT OF THE DOCTORS OFFICE SHE SAW THAT THE CAR WAS FULL OF SMOKE. THE KEY FOB WOULD NOT OPEN THE LOCKS. THE DOORS WOULD NOT OPEN. THE GLASS IN THE WINDOWS WOULD NOT BREAK UNDER HER STRENGTH EVEN WITH A GLASS HAMMER THAT SOMEONE MANAGED TO RETRIEVE FOR HER. SHE FINALLY REMEMBERED THE KEY AND WAS ABLE TO OPEN THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR. OUR DOG WAS LIFELESS, FIRE AND RESCUE TRIED TO REVIVE HER TO NO AVAIL. THE FIRE APPARENTLY STARTED SOME WHERE AROUND THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH OR BEHIND THE VENT WHERE THE CABLES FOR THE DOOR PANEL AIRBAG PASS. IT CAUSED THE DOOR AIRBAG AND THE STEERING WHEEL AIRBAG TO DEPLOY. THE FIRE REACHED THE ROOF PANEL BEFORE APPARENTLY SELF EXTINGUISHING DUE TO LACK OF OXYGEN. I ARRIVED ABOUT AN HOUR LATER. ALTHOUGH THE LOSS OF MY DOG IS A TRAGEDY THE REALLY HORRIBLE PART IS FINDING THAT I COULD NOT OPEN THE PASSENGER DOORS. THE KEY FOB WILL NOT OPEN THE LOCKS. I CLIMBED ACROSS THE DRIVERS SEAT AND COULD NOT OPEN THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR FROM THE INSIDE. I REACHED BACK AND COULD NOT OPEN THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR DOOR FROM THE INSIDE EITHER. IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THERE IS A DEFECT IN WHICH PASSENGERS CAN NOT EXTRACT THEMSELVES FROM A BURNING AUTOMOBILE? WITH ALL OF THE SAFETY FEATURES OF MODERN AUTOMOBILES WAS EGRESS OVERLOOKED? I CERTAINLY HOPE THAT THE NHTSA LOOKS INTO THIS AND ENSURES THAT IT ISN'T CHILDREN THAT ARE TRAPPED IN THE FUTURE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW 325XI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TAIL LIGHT WIRES BECAME LOOSE, CAUSING THEM TO FAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE OPEN/CLOSE CONTROLS FOR THE REAR PASSENGER'S WINDOW WOULD NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000. UPDATED 2/4/13 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED SIMILAR VEHICLES WERE RECALLED BECAUSE OF THE TAIL LIGHT FAILURE. THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT BECAUSE THE DEALERS IN GERMANY ARE UNDER SOFA AGREEMENT. UPDATED 02/20/2013 *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW 325XI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR COILS WERE FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO ADVISED THAT THE REAR COIL SPRINGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, THE HAND BRAKE LIGHT WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE TO INDICATE IF THE HAND BRAKE WAS ON OR NOT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,000.

I HAVE A 2005 BMW 325XI WITH 65,000 MILES ON IT. I AM TOLD BOTH REAR SPRINGS ARE BROKEN. I WAS ALSO TOLD BY THE REPAIR SHOP THAT THIS IS A MUCH TOO FREQUENT PROBLEM SEEN ON 3 SERIES BMW'S. IN 40 YEARS OF OWNING AUTOMOBILES, I HAVE NEVER BEFORE HAD ONE WITH A BROKEN SPRING. THIS SEEMS LIKE AN UNUSUAL PROBLEM AND ONE THAT WOULD BE CAUSED BY FAULTY EQUIPMENT. *TR

I HAD A WELL DOCUMENTED EPISODE OF UNINTENDED ACCELERATION (FOOT ON BRAKE, CAR REVVED SUDDENLY, THEN I FLIPPED IT INTO NEUTRAL). THIS OCCURRED ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO. NO ONE WAS INJURED. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP WHICH IDENTIFIED A PROBLEM IN THE COMPUTER SYSTEM. I HAVE A COPY OF THE RECORDS. I THOUGHT THAT THIS MIGHT BE USEFUL IN OTHER INVESTIGATIONS OF SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. *TR

EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY STARTING MY 2005 BMW 325 XI ON TWO CONSECUTIVE MORNINGS, ON THE THIRD THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. ON THE PRECEDING DAYS AFTER IT DID START THE CAR RAN NORMALLY THE REST OF THE DAY AND WOULD START WITHOUT HESITATION WITHIN THE SAME DAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AFTER NOT STARTING ON THE THIRD DAY. THE DEALERSHIP SAID I HAD "CONTAMINATED FUEL" AND THAT THE FOLLOWING PARTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED: FUEL TANK, FUEL PUMP, & FUEL FILTER. THEIR INITIAL REASON FOR THE FAILURE WAS THAT I PURCHASED CONTAMINATED FUEL FROM A FUEL RETAILER. THEIR STORY CHANGED WHEN PRESSED THAT ETHANOL IN THE FUEL ABSORBS CONTAMINATES AND FOULS FUEL SYSTEM. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION IT SEEMS THAT A COATING ON THE INSIDE OF THE FUEL TANK REACTS WITH THE FUEL, POSSIBLY BREAKS DOWN AND FOULS THE FUEL SYSTEM. BMW CORPORATE WOULD ACCEPT NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ISSUE SO I GOT MY AUTO INSURANCE COMPANY STATE FARM INVOLVED. STATE FARM IS INVESTIGATING BUT AS OF TODAY I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE $1802.81 REPAIR BILL. I ASKED HOW TO AVOID THIS OCCURRING AGAIN AND WAS TOLD THAT "...IT PROBABLY WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. THE FUEL YOU USED TO PURCHASE CONTAINED MBTE AND THAT ADDITIVE WAS ABSORBED INTO THE TANK. WHEN THE MBTE WAS REPLACED BY ETHANOL THE ETHANOL REACTED WITH THE MBTE AND CONTAMINATED THE FUEL. SINCE MBTE IS NO LONGER USED THE ISSUE SHOULD NOT ARISE AGAIN. AS I PULLED BEHIND THE DEALERSHIP AFTER PICKING UP THE CAR I COUNTED ELEVEN FUEL TANKS STACKED BEHIND THE BUILDING. *NM