2002 BMW 330I Complaints

THE DRIVERS SEAT BELT DOES NOT RETRACT. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE AND IT IS A CHRONIC ISSUE AMONG BMW OWNERS. IF I DO NOT MANUALLY PUSH THE SEAT BELT BACK, IT WILL REMAIN LOOSE ENOUGH THAT I CAN LEAN FORWARD TO TOUCH THE STEERING WHEEL. I HAVE CONTACTED BMW AND THEIR OWN RESPONSE IS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE BELT UNIT, WHICH IS QUITE EXPENSIVE. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. IT WILL ALSO AT TIMES GET STUCK IN THE DRIVERS DOOR WHEN CLOSING WHICH COULD DAMAGE THE BELT EVEN MORE. *TR

THE BATTERY OF THE CAR DRAINS OUT EVERY MORNING AND I NEED TO JUMP START MY CAR EVERYDAY IN THE MORNING. I HAVE GOT THE BATTERY, ALTERNATOR AND THE CHARGING CIRCUIT CHECKED AND THERE ARE NO FAULTS WITH THOSE. THE BATTERY IS ONLY AN YEAR OLD. I SUSPECT THAT SOMETHING IS RUNNING IN THE BACKGROUND AFTER ENGINE STOP OR THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A SHORT CIRCUIT WHICH IS DRAINING OUT THE BATTERY. *TR

AFTER THE RECALL, NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: EA09019 , I BROUGHT IN MY CAR AND THEY ADDED A GROUND WIRE THAT WAS TO FIX THE ISSUE WITH AN INTERMITTENT LIGHTS-OUT WARNING AT THE DASHBOARD. AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS, THE ISSUE WAS STILL THERE. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE BACK TO BMW AND THEY SAID THAT THEY ALREADY ADDED THE GROUND CABLE AND THAT'S ALL THEY COULD DO. THE SAME ISSUE STILL EXISTS. UPON READING FURTHER REGARDING THIS ISSUE, IT APPEARS THE WIRING HARNESSES HAD "MELTED" DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT CREATED BY A FAULTY GROUND CABLE. THE DAMAGE HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE AND BMW REFUSED TO FIX THE ISSUES CAUSED BY THIS FAULTY DESIGN. THEY QUOTED ME OVER $800 TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE HARNESS AND CHARGED ME 1 HOUR OF LABOR @$195/HR TO FIND THAT OUT. THE FAULTY GROUND CABLE CREATED THE EXCESSIVE HEAT CREATING ISSUES WITH THE WIRING HARNESS TO THE REAR OF THE CAR LIGHTS. BMW SHOULD PAY NOT JUST TO PREVENT ISSUES BUT TO PAY FOR ISSUES ALREADY CREATED BY THIS FAULTY DESIGN. *TR

LEFT TAILLIGHT ASSEMBLY SHORTED OUT, AND THE DASH INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON. I FIXED IT WITH ELECTRICIAN'S TAPE. TODAY, WENT IN TO HAVE THE FIX PRESCRIBED BY RECALL CAMPAIGN 11V-438000, WHICH EXACTLY ADDRESSED MY ISSUE. BMW'S RECALL LETTER DATED DECEMBER, 2011 INCLUDES "THE LAMPS WILL ALSO BE CHECKED FOR PROPER FUNCTIONALITY. IF THEY ARE NOT OPERATING PROPERLY, THEN THEY WILL BE REPAIRED WHICH COULD INCLUDE REPLACEMENT OF THE LAMP'S 8-PIN CONNECTOR HOUSING, IF NECESSARY". THUS, BMW IS COGNIZANT OF THE INESCAPABLE NEXUS BETWEEN A SHORT CIRCUIT OF THE CONNECTOR AND DAMAGE TO THE HOUSING. WELL, ACCORDING TO THE DEALER, ONLY THE FIXING OF THE GROUND CONNECTION IS COVERED BY THE RECALL AND BMW WOULD NOT PAY FOR REPLACING THE RUINED HOUSING (AND WITH THE WARRANTY "FIX", MY LIGHTS WOULD NO LONGER WORK BECAUSE MY REPAIR HAD BEEN ELIMINATED, PRESUMABLY BY THE INSTALLATION OF A NEW CONNECTOR WHICH WOULD NO LONGER INTERFACE WITH THE DAMAGED HOUSING). WHILE AT THE DEALER, CALLED BMW CUSTOMER SERVICE, AND ULTIMATELY SPOKE TO "BOBBY". SHE VERIFIED WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT HE HAD GONE UP THE CHAIN OF COMMAND AS APPROPRIATE, GOTTEN THE DENIAL, AND TOLD ME THAT I WAS OUT OF RECOURSE WITH RESPECT TO BMW: BMW WOULD NOT BE LIABLE. HAVING GIVEN THEM THEIR SHOT TO DO THE RIGHT THING, AM NOW TAKING THE NEXT STEP (NOTIFYING YOU). SINCE I COULDN'T DRIVE AROUND W/O PROPER FUNCTIONING REAR SIGNAL LIGHTS, I PAID FOR THE NEW HOUSING. THE DEALER ATE SOME OF THE COST SO ONLY CHARGED ME $39.32, FOR $41.68 WITH TAX. UPON GETTING HOME, GOOGLED THE PART # AND GOT A PRICE OF ~$28. SO, THIS IS NOT HUGE DOLLARS (AND FOR ME ITS JUST A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE) BUT BMW SHOULD BE TOLD TO BEHAVE LOGICALLY AND FAIRLY, ADHERE TO THEIR OWN WORDS IN THEIR LETTER, AND REPLACE ANY HOUSINGS DAMAGED BY THE ISSUE CAUSING THE RECALL. *TR

TAILLIGHT ELECTRICAL FAILURE. BRAKE AND TAILLIGHT FAILED AS A RESULT OF MALFUNCTIONING GROUND. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW 330I. HE EXPERIENCED A RECURRING FAILURE IN WHICH THE EXTERIOR LIGHTS FAILED. THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE EXTERIOR LIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY FAILED TO FUNCTION UNTIL HE REMOVED THE REAR LIGHTING COVER IN ORDER TO SHIFT THE WIRES. HE ALSO INTERMITTENTLY RECEIVED A MESSAGE INDICATING THAT THE TURN SIGNAL BULBS WERE BLOWN OUT. WHEN HE EXAMINED THE BULBS HE WOULD NOTICED THAT THEY WERE FUNCTIONING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NEVER REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 92,000.

BMW 2002 330I 4 DOOR SEDAN. THE RAIN GUTTERS SURROUNDING BOTH THE REAR PASSENGER DOORS HAVE COME LOOSE AND PREVENT THE DOORS FROM CLOSING TIGHT. THE WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASH COMES ON BECAUSE THE DOORS WILL NOT FULLY CLOSE. BMW SERVICE CONFIRMS THAT THE ADHESIVE HOLD THE GUTTER CLIPS IN PLACE FAILS AS DO THE CLIPS THEMSELVES. IN A CONVERSATION WITH BMW THEY CALL THIS WEAR AND TEAR AND REFUSE TO REPAIR THE GUTTERS! IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE WHEN THE REAR DOORS CAN NOT BE PROPERLY CLOSED. NO DEATH OR INJURY YET BUT THE POTENTIAL IS CERTAINLY THERE. BMW SUGGESTED REPLACING THE GUTTERS FOR $450. WHICH ACCORDING TO THEM IS THE ONLY "CURE" FOR THE FAILURE. THIS SAFETY FAILURE SHOULD BE A RECALL. *TR

CONSUMER IS INQUIRING ON THE STATUS OF THE MARK PETERS DEFECT PETITION DP09002. *NJ THE CONSUMER STATED HE EXPERIENCED MULTIPLE REAR LAMP EXTERIOR LIGHTING FAILURES. HE ALSO STATED THAT A REAR LAMP WIRING HARNESS AND CONNECTOR MAY OVERHEAT LEADING TO REAR LAMP BULB FAILURES.*JB

SAFETY RELATED DEFECT WITH BMW E46 MODELS; PETITION FOR FORMAL INVESTIGATION PURSUANT TO 49 U.S.C. 30162 AND 49 CFR PART 552 *NJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE E46 MODELS AS WELL AS HIS 2002 330I HAD PROBLEMS WITH TAILLIGHTS, BRAKE LIGHTS AND/OR TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS.

FAILURE OF THE TURN SIGNALS, BRAKE LIGHTS AND REAR PARKING LAMPS OF THE 1999-2005 BMW 3 SERIES ("E46"). ALSO NOTED ARE FORWARD TURN SIGNAL LIGHTING FAILURES. THE PROBLEM MAY INVOLVE TWO UNRELATED COMPONENT FAILURES: CHRONICALLY OVERHEATING/PARTIALLY MELTED 7-PIN WIRING CONNECTORS (AT THE REAR LAMP CLUSTER) AND CORRODED BULB SOCKETS (AT THE FRONT TURN SIGNALS). (THE FIRST PROBLEM MAY BE MORE COMMON IN WARM WEATHER STATES.) BY WAY OF BACKGROUND, I HAVE OWNED THREE E46 MODEL BMW'S, ALL PURCHASED NEW. ALL HAVE HAD REPEATED, YET INTERMITTENT TURN SIGNAL AND EXTERIOR LIGHTING PROBLEMS. MOST RECENTLY I NOTED ANOTHER INTERMITTENT FAILURE OF ALL THE LIGHTS IN THE LEFT REAR LAMP CLUSTER OF MY 2002 BMW 330I WITH ~48,000 MILES. AFTER ANOTHER CAREFUL INSPECTION, TO INCLUDE REMOVING EACH BULB AND CHECKING ITS FILAMENT, RESISTANCE AND CONNECTION CLEANLINESS, I FOUND SOMETHING I HAD NOT PREVIOUSLY NOTED--THE 7-PIN WIRING CONNECTOR WAS MELTED AT TERMINAL #2, THE TERMINAL THAT APPEARS TO BE THE COMMON GROUND FOR ALL THE LAMPS IN THE CLUSTER. THE CAR'S WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR (FEMALE) AND THE MALE PIN (#2) BOTH SHOW EXCESSIVE RESISTANCE/HEAT DAMAGE. I HAVE REMOVED IT FROM MY CAR AND TAKEN SOME PHOTOGRAPHS FOR SUBMISSION VIA AN EMAIL ACCOUNT TO MR. AJIT ALKONDON AT DOT. THE PART AS INSTALLED IN MY CAR HAS THE FOLLOWING IDENTIFICATION: 63.21-6 907 935 DATE CODE: 19.9.01 (FOR SEPTEMBER 19TH, 2001) TIME CODE: 15:54 AS AN ASIDE, A LOCAL BMW DEALERSHIP HAS PREVIOUSLY REPLACED THE REAR BULB CARRIER ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR. WHILE IT HAS HELPED, I AM STILL LEFT WITH CHRONIC, YET HIGHLY INTERMITTENT, LAMP FAILURES, (AS INDICATED BY THE CAR'S WARNING SYSTEM) FOR _BOTH_ REAR LAMP ASSEMBLIES. AT THE FRONT OF THE CAR, ALL THREE E46'S I OWNED HAVE HAD FORWARD TURN SIGNAL SOCKETS REPLACED FOR CORROSION, USUALLY WITHIN THE FIRST FEW YEARS OR MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP. *TR