2005 BMW 330XI Complaints

The contact owned a 2005 BMW 330XI. The contact received a recall notification letter for NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V018000 ( air bags) which they took the vehicle to a local dealer who performed the recall repair on the vehicle. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed the contact was making a U-turn when another driver t- bone and crashed into the rear passenger side door. The air bags did not deploy. There was no medical treatment at the scene however the next day the contact and her grandson went to the hospital. The contact sustained an injury to their back while her grandson injured his neck and back. A police report was filed. The contact had the vehicle towed to a towed yard where it was later deemed a total loss. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 164,000.

LETTER FROM SENATOR KING JR ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT REGARDING THE RECALL OF AIRBAGS IN HIS 2005 BMW 330XI (ATTN: KATIE FELLOWS). *SMD THE CONSUMER REQUESTED TO HAVE THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DEACTIVATED, UNTIL THE PARTS BECOME AVAILABLE.. *JB

TAKATA RECALL: DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG. WE HAVE RECEIVED 2 NOTICES OF DEFECTIVE AIR BAGS SEPTEMBER 2014 AND MAY 2015. WE HAD THE PASSENGER REPLACED BUT HAVE WAITED ON THE DRIVERS SIDE FOR OVER A YEAR. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BUY ONE MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR THAT IF WE DIDN'T FEEL SAFE DON'T DRIVE IT. I HAVE ALSO BEEN TOLD WE CAN HAVE IT DISCONNECTED. I JUST WANT THE PROBLEM FIXED AND MY WIFE TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE HER CAR SAFELY. RIGHT NOW HER LIFE IS IN DANGER EVERY TIME SHE DRIVES HER CAR. CAN YOU HELP US WITH THIS ISSUE?

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW 330XI. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 14V428000 (AIR BAG) AND 15V318000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIRS WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT. UPDATED 02/05/16*LJ *TR

BLOWER MOTOR AND RESISTOR WENT OUT. HAVE DONE AMPLE RESEARCH, AND THIS IS A WELL KNOWN ISSUE OF THE ABOVE VEHICLE. FAULTY EQUIPMENT IN SUCH HIGH NUMBERS WARRANTS EXPLANATION/REMEDIES IN MY OPINION. *TR

I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG IN MY ONLY CAR IS DEFECTIVE. I CALLED THE BMW DEALERSHIP IN GREENWOOD INDIANA TO SCHEDULE THE REPLACEMENT OF THIS PART. I WAS INFORMED THAT I WOULD BE PLACED ON A WAITING LIST SINCE THIS PART IS "BACK ORDERED". THEY PROMISED TO CALL ME AS SOON AS THE PART WAS AVAILABLE BUT COULD NOT STATE WHEN THAT CALL WOULD OCCUR. I TOLD THE GENTLEMAN THAT I MUST DRIVE A LONG DISTANCE EVERY WEEK FOR BUSINESS WITH MY STANDARD POODLE SITTING IN THE FRONT SEAT. MY DOG PROVIDES SECURITY ON THESE LONG DRIVES. THE SALESMAN STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WOULD DEPLOY ONLY IF THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT. I FURTHER INFORM HIM THAT THE WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF HUNTING SEASON AND THE HIGHWAY I DRIVE ON HAS FREQUENT ACCIDENTS WITH DEER RUNNING OUT ACROSS THE HIGHWAY. HE ONCE AGAIN STATED THAT THE CAR WAS SAFE TO DRIVE AS LONG AS THERE ARE NO ACCIDENTS. THE IDEA OF THIS AIR BAG RUPTURING WHILE I AM DRIVING OR IF AN ACCIDENT OCCURS DOES NOT MAKE ME FEEL SAFE. I ALSO AM CONCERNED THAT BMW HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS DEFECT FOR YEARS AND DID NOT SEND ME RECALL NOTICE UNTIL A MONTH AGO. BUT THE LAST INSULT IS THAT I HAVE TO WAIT AN INDEFINITE TIME TO HAVE MY ONLY CAR REPAIRED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW 330XI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL THE DOORS AUTOMATICALLY LOCKED AND WOULD NOT UNLOCK. WHENEVER THE ENGINE WAS STARTED, THE DOORS WOULD LOCK BUT WHILE EXITING THE VEHICLE THE DOORS WOULD NOT UNLOCK. THE DOORS WOULD NOT UNLOCK WHEN USING THE KEY FOB OR MANUALLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED ONCE MORE, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NEVER TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000.

IN AUGUST 2011 I GOT A WARNING INDICATOR THAT THERE MAY BE A PROBLEM WITH MY RIGHT TAILLIGHT. IN NOVEMBER 2011 (IN FOR ROUTINE SERVICE AND OTHER WORK) BMW MECHANICS AT MY AREA DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT MY TAILLIGHT SUFFERED FROM THE SAME PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED IN THE CURRENT RECALL FOR 2003-2005 3 SERIES TAILLIGHTS THAT MAY CAUSE A FIRE. BMW TOLD ME MY VIN "DID NOT APPEAR" TO BE LISTED ON THEIR RECALL LIST AND THAT DESPITE THE ASSESSMENT OF THEIR CERTIFIED MECHANICS, I WOULD HAVE TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH NHTSA IN ORDER TO GET YOU TO TELL BMW TO ADD MY CAR TO THE LIST SO THAT MY DEALERSHIP WILL FIX IT. PLEASE DO SO. *TR

ON THIS DATE MY WIFE COMPLAINED TO ME ABOUT A "BUBBLE" IN HER INSIDE REAR VIEW MIRROR. I LOOKED AT IT AND IT IS INDEED A BUBBLE OF AIR IN HER MIRROR. THE VEHICLE IS A 2005 BMW 330XI WITH AN AUTO-DIMMING INSIDE REAR VIEW MIRROR. TODAY I CALLED BMW CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 800-831-1117 AND SPOKE TO A REPRESENTATIVE WHO TOLD ME THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THEREFORE BMW FELT NO RESPONSIBILITY TO REPAIR, REPLACE, OR HELP IN ANY WAY WITH THIS PROBLEM. THE PART COST FROM MY LOCAL BMW DEALER IS OVER $500.00 NOT INCLUDING LABOR FOR INSTALLATION. THIS COST IS FOR THE ENTIRE MIRROR ASSEMBLY, WHICH INCLUDES THE HOUSING THE ELECTRONICS MOUNTED ON THE HOUSING AND OF COURSE THE MIRROR ITSELF. THE SERVICE WRITER AT THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT HE HAS SEEN MORE THAN A FEW MIRRORS COME IN LIKE THAT, AND THAT ONE WAS EVEN LEAKING THE FLUID INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR. APPARENTLY THERE IS A SEAL IN THE MIRROR THAT HAS RUPTURED AND IS NOW LEAKING AIR INTO THE SPACE BETWEEN THE GLASS PLATE AND THE MIRROR SURFACE ITSELF. THE RESULT OF THE "BUBBLE" IS THAT NOW THE MIRROR REFRACT AND REFLECTS BRIGHT LIGHT POINTS (HEADLIGHTS AT NIGHT OR SUN GLARE FROM WINDSHIELDS FOR EXAMPLE) INTO MULTIPLE SPOTS SO AS TO MAKE THE MIRROR NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO USE UNDER THESE CONDITIONS. I FEEL THAT BMW KNOWS THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT THEY HAVE WITH THEIR MIRRORS AND THAT THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE WITH MY WIFE'S CAR NOW. I BELIEVE THAT IF JUST THE GLASS PORTION OF THE MIRROR WERE REPLACEABLE THIS WOULD SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE THE COST OF REPAIR TO THE CONSUMER. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY IT HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE SEATBELT LATCH. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED WHO SENT OUT A TECHNICIAN TO OBSERVED THE VEHICLE. THE TECHNICIAN CONFIRMED PROBLMS WITH THE LATCH AND SUGGESTED THAT THE VEHICLE BE TAKEN TO DEALERS WITH A SERVICE WAIVER SIGNED OFF FOR REPAIRS TO THE VEHCILE. WHILE VEHICLE WAS BEING TAKEN TO THE DEALER, A COLLISION WITH A DEER WAS AVOIDED BY SLAMMING ON THE BRAKES. THIS INCIDENT RESULTED IN INJURIES TO THE DRIVER'S NECK. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERS THEY DETERMINED THAT A PIECE OF PLASTIC WAS LODGED IN THE SEATBELT CAUSING THE SEATBELT TO NOT BE ABLE TO LATCH. THE DEALER OFFERED TO SEND THE VEHICLE INTO THE MANUFACTURER FOR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT TRADED THE VEHICLE INSTEAD.