2001 BMW 330CI Complaints

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) I WAS REAR ENDED WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT IN DECEMBER OF 2009. MY DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG AS WELL AS THE DOOR MOUNTED SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT ENGAGE. THE INSURANCE CARRIER TOTALED MY VEHICLE, A 2001 BMW 330CI - VIN # [XXX] . *TR

AN ACCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. THE METAL STRAP THAT SUPPORTS THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE FUEL TANK FAILED; THE BRACKET TO WHICH THE FORWARD END OF THIS STRAP MOUNTS TO, HAS BROKEN FREE FROM THE UNDERBODY. THE STRAP AND BRACKET SEEM TO BE IN GOOD SHAPE BUT IT'S THE WELDS THAT HOLD THE BRACKET TO THE UNDERBODY HAS BROKEN. WHEN THE BRACKET BROKE FREE FROM THE UNDERBODY, IT DROPPED TO THE GROUND WHILE STILL ATTACHED TO THE STRAP AND DRAGGED ON THE ROAD MAKING A VERY LOUD METAL-DRAGGING-ON-ROAD SCREECHING NOISE. THE FUEL TANK NOW HAS DROPPED ABOUT 3 INCHES DOWN ALMOST TOUCHING THE GROUND, THE FUEL TANK COULD BREAK INTO TWO IF IT DROPS ALL THE WAY TO THE GROUND AND SPARK A FIRE. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE, WELDS FOR FUEL TANK STRAPS JUST DO NOT RANDOMLY POP OFF FROM THE CAR, WHAT IF I WERE IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE FUEL TANK BROKE FREE AND BECAME PUNCTURED, I WOULD BE FRIED TO A CRISP. *TR

WHILE DRIVING DOWN A LOCAL ROAD, THE FUEL TANK STRAP OF MY 2001 BMW 330CI SUDDENLY BROKE OFF. IT FAILED AT THE WELD POINTS. THE FUEL TANK DID REMAIN IN TACT. I BROUGHT IT TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND BMW REPAIRED IT. PLEASE NOTE THAT OTHER SIMILAR INCIDENTS HAVE BEEN REPORTED ON BMW INTERNET FORUMS.

2:00 PM I LEFT GREENWOOD VILLAGE, CO TO GO TO A MEETING AT 49TH AND NOME STREET. I ARRIVED AT MY MEETING IN MY BMW AT APPROXIMATELY AT 2:30 WITH NO PROBLEMS OR INDICATIONS OF PROBLEMS. 4:00 PM I LEFT THE MEETING. THEN I SMELLED SOMETHING WITH A DISTINCT ODOR 4:08 PM I DROVE ONTO EAST BOUND I-70 AND CONTINUED ON I-70 UNTIL THE RAMP TO SOUTHBOUND I-225, APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE OR SO. I WAS GOING ABOUT 55 MPH AND THERE WAS NOT MUCH TRAFFIC AT THIS TIME. MY WINDOWS WERE ROLLED UP AND I HAD THE RADIO ON. I DID NOT HAVE ANY OTHER ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT ON INSIDE THE CAR. THE ODOR GOT A LOT WORSE AS I ENTERED ONTO THE RAMP. SMOKE STARTED TO COME OUT OF THE BMW FRONT VENTS AND THEN A FLAME CAME FROM UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL. I WAS NOW ON I-225 HEADING SOUTHBOUND AT ABOUT 55 MILES PER HOUR IN THE LEFT HAND LANE. AS I WAS MOVING OVER TO THE RIGHT HAND LANE THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIT UP. A LOT OF SMOKE CAME OUT FROM ALL OF THE FRONT VENTS, AND ESPECIALLY THE FRONT DEFROSTER. I LOOKED AT THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE LIGHT AND IT WAS NORMAL. THE AUTOMOBILE WAS RUNNING FINE. I TURNED THE CAR OFF. THEN MORE SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT OF THE VENTS. THEN, FLAMES STARTED COMING OUT OF THE VENTS AND FRONT DEFROSTER. 4:10 PM THE ENGINE WAS STILL TURNED OFF. I GOT OUT OF THE CAR. FLAMES AND BLACK SMOKE WENT THROUGH THE CONVERTIBLE ROOF STRAIGHT UP. 4:20 PM THE AURORA FIRE DEPARTMENT AND MORE AURORA POLICE CAME.. THEY TOWED THE CAR AWAY TO THE IMPOUND LOT. THE INVESTIGATOR SAID MAYBE HEADLIGHT CONTROL MODULE IS THE PROBLEM. ALL WORK HAS BEEN DONE AT BMW SERVICE AND NOTHING RECENT. CAR IS TOTALED. NO AFTERMARKET ACCESSORIES. *TR

FUEL GAUGE READS 1/4 TANK OFF FROM THE CORRECT LEVEL. THIS CAUSE DRIVERS TO ASSUME THAT THEY STILL HAVE GAS BUT THEY REALLY EMPTY AND IF HAPPENS ON HIGHWAY CAN CAUSE ACCIDENTS AND KILL PEOPLE. IT HAPPENED TO ME GOING TO THE GROCERY STORE SO IT WAS ON LOW SPEED SO THE CAR STOPPED AND LUCKILY THE CAR BEHIND KEPT DISTANCE AND COULD STOP WITHOUT ANY ACCIDENTS. CONTACT THE DEALER AND INDEPENDENT BMW SERVICE REVEAL THAT IT IS A COMMON ISSUE ON THOSE YEARS DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE FUEL GAGE FLOATERS ( THERE ARE 2 OF THEM) BUT BMW DECIDED NOT TO RECALL THEM AND FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

2001 BMW 330CI POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILS BMW HAS SEVERAL THAT SHAFT BREAKS AT ANY TIME ANY SPEED RENDERING THE CAR INOPERABLE IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER ESPECIALLY PEOPLE WITH ARTHRITIS(WIFE) ; REVERSING OUT OF DRIVE WAY 4 MPG. *TR

HELLO, I AM THE OWNER OF A 2001 BMW 330CIC. YESTERDAY, MY CAR LOST THE ABILITY TO DRIVE IN "REVERSE" ONCE THE CAR IS SHIFTED INTO THAT GEAR. WHILE SEARCHING THE INTERNET, I FOUND THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON FAILURE FOR THIS TRANSMISSION MODEL, AND WAS THUS LED TO THIS WEBSITE TO FILE A COMPLAINT. MY CAR IS EQUIPPED WITH A "ZF-5HP19" MODEL TRANSMISSION. FROM WHAT I GATHER THIS TRANSMISSION COMMONLY HAS THIS FAILURE . 1. NO EVENTS LEADING UP TO FAILURE. 2. MY CAR SUDDENLY LOST THE ABILITY TO DRIVE IN "REVERSE" 3. SINCE THIS HAPPENED YESTERDAY, I A SEARCHING FOR SOLUTIONS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW 330CI. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITONS; THE PASSENGER AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THERE WERE OCCUPANTS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CONTACT IS AWARE OF THE SAFETY RISK. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 73,000. UPDATED 06/08/09 *BF UPDATED 06/18/09.*JB

I WAS NOTIFIED BY A MECHANIC THAT MY CAR'S COOLING SYSTEM HAS A RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH IT ... FOR SEVERAL YEARS I HAVE HAD A PROBLEM WITH MY CAR OVERHEATING AND WOULD SIMPLY PUT ANTIFREEZE IN IT AND PROCEED. WELL MY COOLING SYSTEM FINALLY DIED ON JAN 23, 2009 ON ME AND MY MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT I AM ELIGIBLE TO HAVE MY CAR REPAIRED BY THE DEALER SINCE THEY HAD A RECALL SEVERAL YEARS AGO FOR MY CAR'S MAKE/MODEL. I CONTACTED BMW TO INQUIRE ABOUT RECALL AND CITEDFOR THEM THE ISSUE THAT I AM HAVING AS WELL AS THE RECALL NUMBERS ASSOCIATED WITH IT. I WAS TOLD THEY WOULDNT' FIX MY CAR AND THAT I WAS INELIGIBLE FOR THE RECALL (THE RECALL #'S ARE: 02V138000 AND 01V206000). *TR

REVERSE GEAR DOES NOT WORK. I STARTED MY CAR LET IT IDLE FOR 3-5 MINUTES SINCE THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE WAS COLD. I SHIFTED INTO REVERSE GEAR, AND NOTHING HAPPENED. I HAD JUST PARKED THE CAR APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS EARLIER. THERE WAS NO INDICATION PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. ON THE NEXT MORNING I CALLED THE LOCAL BMW DEALERSHIP AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THEY STATED THAT I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. HOW CAN YOU DETERMINE THAT FROM A PHONE CONVERSATION, I WONDERED. I PUSHED THE CAR OUT OF MY GARAGE AND PROCEEDED TO A MECHANIC. WHEN I COMPLETED MY DIALOGUE OF WHAT HAD OCCURRED HE RESPONDED THAT I WAS NUMBER 4 FOR HIM THIS YEAR. A REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION COST BETWEEN $3K - $5K. I RETURNED HOME AND BEGAN MY UNOFFICIAL INTERNET RESEARCH...I AM NOT ALONE AND BMW OF NA IS DOING NOTHING TO ADDRESS THE MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. I CONSIDER THIS A SAFETY ISSUE. SUPPOSE I WAS 100S OF MILES AWAY OR IF I WAS IN A POSITION WHERE I NEED TO USE REVERSE TO GET OUT OF HARMS WAY AND IT DID NOT WORK. AS OTHER BMW OWNERS HAVE STATED, AT LEAST MY CHEVY OR FORD USED TO TELL ME THAT IT WAS SICK AND NEEDED SOME ATTENTION. BMW HAS NO MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENT FOR THIS TRANSMISSION. I AM ASSUMING THAT THEY THINK IT IS REPLACE UPON FAILURE. UNACCEPTABLE, THE PART THAT FAILED IS CALLED THE DRUM. A BAND BEAKS AND THE REVERSE GEAR IS BROKEN. THEY HAVE MODIFIED THE MATERIALS IN THE NEWER DRUMS TO ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM . THAT TELLS ME THAT THEY ARE AWARE THAT THE MATERIAL THEY INSTALLED IN MY VEHICLE WAS INADEQUATE. I HAVE NOT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE AT THIS TIME STILL SHOPPING AROUND FOR OPTIONS. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND A RECALL IS WARRANTED. *TR