2005 BMW 3 Series Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

Incident: December 28, 2018 · Filed: December 29, 2018

I WAS GOING DOWN THE ROAD DOING ABOUT 45 MPH, AT NIGHT ON A BACK ROAD WHEN MY FRONT HEADLIGHT ON THE DRIVE SIDE WITHOUT. ON THE DISHBOARD OF THE CAR THE CHECK BULB LIGHT CAME ON. I GOT HOME THE NEXT DAY WHEN TK THE PART PLACE TO GET A BULB TO FIND OUT THE WIRES WHERE BARE THERE WAS ONLY METAL NO PLASTIC. THEG TOLD ME YOU HAD TO REPLACE THE HOLE THING WITCH COST OVER 1000 DOLLARS FOR. I WENT HOME RESEARCH IT ONLINE, AND FOUND OUT IT HAPPENS A LOT ON BMW, AND THEY NEVER RECALL THEM. THAT THEY HAVE EVEN BEEN ON FIRE DUE TO THIS. I CALLED BMW AND THEY TOLD ME THEY KNOW OF THE ISSUE, AND THEY HAVE YET TO RECALL THEN AND AFTER YOU FIT IT IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN AND ABOUT FIVE YEARS DUE TO HEAT.

Incident: June 5, 2017 · Filed: June 6, 2017

THE INCIDENT OCCURRED 6-5-2017. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND ON IGNITION START, THE CAR'S ENGINE WAS UNUSUALLY LOUD AND REVVED UP. UPON SHIFTING THE AUTOMATIC GEAR TO REVERSE, THE CAR SELF-ACCELERATED IN REVERSE WITHOUT PRESSING THE GAS. ATTEMPTS TO REPEATEDLY BREAK DID NOT WORK, SO GEAR WAS SHIFTED TO DRIVE TO MOVE FORWARD AND AVOID A COLLISION INTO A NEIGHBORHOOD HOME THAT WAS BEHIND THE PARKED CAR. UPON CHANGING GEAR TO DRIVE, THE CAR CONTINUED TO SELF-ACCELERATE FORWARD, AND AGAIN BRAKES DID NOT WORK. IN FORWARD MOTION, AT HIGH SPEED THE CAR WENT OVER THE CURB AND HILLY GROUND. ATTEMPT TO SHIFT NOW TO PARK ALONG WITH BRAKE DID NOT WORK. TO AVOID MASSIVE ACCIDENT AND COLLISION WITH PARKED CARS AHEAD, THE DRIVER TURNED THE WHEELS TOWARD A UTILITY POLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CAR STOPPED ONLY AFTER A COLLISION WITH THE UTILITY POLE. THE CAR WAS SMOKING IN THE BACK AND WAS STILL REVVING WHEN STOPPED. ACCORDING TO THE DRIVER, CAR WAS MOVING AT SPEED 60 MPH. NO FLOOR MATS WERE MISPLACED NEAR DRIVER PEDALS. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO GET HELP, AT WHICH POINT 911 CALL WAS MADE. DRIVER WAS TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE TO FAIRFAX HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM. DRIVER SUFFERED FRACTURED NOSE AND TEARS IN FACE THAT REQUIRED SURGICAL REPAIR AND SUTURES. EVENT REPORTED TO BMW NORTH AMERICA, 6-6-2017. MOST PEOPLE WILL TRY TO CONCLUDE THAT THIS WAS DRIVER ERROR. HOWEVER, VARIOUS MALFUNCTIONING SELF-ACCELERATION ISSUES WITH BMWS HAVE BEEN REPORTED ONLINE; INCLUDING E46 GENERATION BMWS, WHICH IS THE MODEL OF MY CAR. IN CASES WHERE THE PROBLEM WAS SUCCESSFULLY SOLVED (FOR BMWS), REPLACING EITHER THE VANOS SOLENOID SENSORS OR WHEEL SPEED SENSORS DID THE TRICK. IN UNSUCCESSFUL CASES, THE DRIVERS SIMPLY SOLD/REPLACED THE ENTIRE CAR BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIPS WERE UNABLE TO DETECT OR RECREATE THE ISSUE USING THE SOFTWARE AND TECHNIQUES THEY HAD.

Incident: March 10, 2013 · Filed: April 8, 2017

PASSENGER HEADLIGHT LOW BEAM REFLECTOR IS BURNT OUT DUE TO FAULTY MATERIAL BEING USED. REFLECTOR IS MADE OUT OF PLASTIC AND NORMAL HEAT FROM BULB MELTS THE PLASTIC. THIS MAKES IT VERY UNSAFE AND DIFFICULT TO SEE AT NIGHT. THIS SEEMS TO BE EXTREMELY COMMON ON THE INTERNET. THE SOLUTION IS VERY EXPENSIVE AND DUE TO THIS COST,MOST PEOPLE WILL NOT FIX AND DRIVE UNDER THIS UNSAFE SITUATION. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS AND HOLD BMW RESPONSIBLE.

Incident: July 27, 2015 · Filed: December 9, 2016

TAKATA INFLATORS, HAS BEEN OVER A YEAR AND BMW DEALERSHIP STILL HAS NO ANSWER

Incident: October 14, 2016 · Filed: November 27, 2016

TAKATA RECALL PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. ORIGINAL APPOINTMENT ATTEMPTED FOR 10/27/16. PETER PAN BMW CANCELED APPOINTMENT AND NOTIFIED ME THE PARTS WERE NOT IN STOCK AND THERE WAS NO ESTIMATE FOR DELIVERY. 30 DAYS HAVE PASSED WITH NO UPDATES FROM THE DEALERSHIP. BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIRBAGS ARE AFFECTED BY THE RECALL.

Incident: July 1, 2015 · Filed: November 14, 2016

TAKATA RECALL I RECEIVED A NOTICE ABOUT THE RECALL BACK ON JULY 2015 AND STILL HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED THAT I CAN HAVE THIS FIXED! I HAD A TOYOTA VEHICLE THAT WAS REMEDIED VERY QUICKLY! THIS RECALL SHOULD NOT TAKE OVER A YEAR TO HAVE IT FIXED. I AM DRIVING THIS CAR AND WANT THIS DOCUMENTED!

Incident: September 23, 2016 · Filed: September 23, 2016

I RECEIVED A PRINTED NOTIFICATION FROM BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC DATED JULY 2015 UNDER THE SUBJECT MATTER: "RECALL CAMPAIGN NO. 15V-318: DRIVER-SIDE FRONT AIR BAG MODULE." SINCE I RECEIVED THE NOTIFICATION, 13 MONTHS HAVE PASSED AND STILL I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY LETTER FROM CATONSVILLE BMW IN MARYLAND REGARDING REPLACEMENT OF THE AIRBAG. SINCE I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE CAR AND STILL OWNS IT, I AM DRIVING IT RISKING MY LIFE AND LIMB FOR MYSELF AND OTHER MEMBERS OF MY FAMILY. IT IS THEREFORE REQUESTED THAT NECESSARY ACTIONS BE TAKEN FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE DRIVER-SIDE AIRBAG OF MY 2005 BMW 325I BY CATONSVILLE BMW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO AVERT POTENTIAL DESTRUCTION OF LIFE AND LIMB OF MYSELF AND MY FAMILY. THANK YOU. *TR

Incident: August 29, 2016 · Filed: August 29, 2016

TAKATA RECALL - DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG HAS BEEN RECALLED FOR OVER 12 MONTHS - TODAY I RECEIVED THE SECOND NOTIFICATION FROM BMW. I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO HAVE BMW MAKE THE REPAIR IN OVER A YEAR DUE TO UNAVAILABILITY. WHAT IS "WITHIN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME" THAT THIS COMPLAINT SHOULD BE MADE?

Incident: July 11, 2016 · Filed: July 17, 2016

TAKATA RECALL: IN JULY 2015 RECEIVED NOTICE OF RECALL DUE TO DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEFICIT. HAVE CALLED 2 DEALERS SEVERAL TIMES IN ATTEMPT TO OBTAIN REPLACEMENT DURING THE PAST YEAR. HAVE CONSISTENTLY BEEN TOLD THAT I'M ON A WAIT LIST AND THAT REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE. ALTHOUGH THERE HAS BEEN NO INCIDENT OR FAILURE, ONE YEAR SEEMS AN EXCESSIVELY LONG TIME TO WAIT GIVEN THE SAFETY RISK. COMPLAINT ISSUED BY PHONE BUT VIN NOT AVAILABLE AT THE TIME.

Incident: July 11, 2016 · Filed: July 11, 2016

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW 3 SERIES. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V318000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.