2013 BMW 3 Series Recalls & Complaints

Incident: March 18, 2019 · Filed: March 26, 2019

THE DOOR LOCK ACTUATORS HAVE FAILED. THIS MAKES IT SO THAT THE DOORS DO NOT OPEN WHEN YOU ARE INSIDE THE VEHICLE ATTEMPTING TO GET OUT BY PULLING THE DOOR HANDLE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE NOT ALLOWING ME TO GET OUT OF MY VEHICLE. IF THIS ISSUE IS NOT RESOLVED BY PAYING THE $1500 TO FIX THE ISSUE THE DOORS WILL STOP OPENING COMPLETELY MAKING THIS EVEN MORE OF A SAFETY ISSUE OVER TIME. THIS ISSUE ONLY GETS WORSE AND IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE CAR. THIS DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR SHOULD BE RECALLED ON ALL VEHICLES BMW MAKES THAT ARE HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE. THIS IS A KNOWN LONG-STANDING ISSUE WITH THESE VEHICLES AND HAS YET TO BE RECALLED EVEN THOUGH IT IS ABSOLUTELY A SAFETY ISSUE. BMW SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO PROFIT OFF OF THEIR POOR SAFETY MANUFACTURING MISTAKES.

Incident: January 14, 2019 · Filed: January 14, 2019

DRIVER AND PASSENGER TRAPPED IN CAR AFTER PARKING AT AS GAS PUMP. DOORS WOULD UNLOCK BUT NOT OPEN RESULTING IN THE POTENTIAL OF KILLING ITS PASSENGERS IN A CRASH. THERE IS A VIDEO ON YOUTUBE OF A SIMILAR INCIDENT.

Incident: December 5, 2017 · Filed: January 16, 2018

TWO WHEEL RIMS CRACKED, ONLY 38,000 MILES ON VEHICLE. RIMS WON'T WITHSTAND NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS. THEY ARE A SAFETY HAZARD NEVER KNOW WHEN THEY WILL CRACK AND CAUSING LOOSING CONTROL WHILE DRIVING.

Incident: January 1, 2018 · Filed: January 8, 2018

WHEN I TRY TO OPEN THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR BY PULLING THE HANDLE IT DOES NOT UNLOCK AUTOMATICALLY. THE ONLY WAY TO EXIT THE VEHICLE IS THROUGH ANOTHER DOOR OR BY USING THE CENTRAL LOCK/UNLOCK BUTTON. MY FEAR IS THAT IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY OR ACCIDENT IF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS COMPROMISED I COULD POSSIBLY BE TRAPPED IN THE VEHICLE. I ATTEMPTED TO HAVE THIS REPAIRED AT THE BMW DEALERSHIP BUT THEY CLAIM THAT THE PROBLEM BEING MECHANICAL IS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. ON THE BMW INTERNET FORUMS THERE ARE MULTIPLE POSTS ACROSS VEHICLE MODELS COMPLAINING OF THE SAME FAULTY "DOOR ACTUATOR" AND BMW'S UNWILLINGNESS TO REPAIR IT FREE OF CHARGE. I WAS QUOTED OVER $950 TO REPLACE THE PART. THIS IS A SERIOUS LIFE SAFETY ISSUE I BELIEVE NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

Incident: March 1, 2016 · Filed: August 29, 2016

TAKATA RECALL: I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM BMW ON MARCH 2016 NOTIFYING ME OF THE DRIVER'S FRONT AIR BAG MODULE RECALL, CAMPAIGN NO. 16V-071. BMW DID NOT HAVE ANY PARTS AVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF NOTIFICATION AND INDICATED THEY WOULD NOTIFY ME AS SOON AS THEY ARE ABLE TO PERFORM THE RECALL ON MY VEHICLE. I AM CONCERNED FOR MY SAFETY AND I THINK WAITING FOR THE AIRBAG TO BE FIXED SINCE MARCH IS A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME, CONSIDERING THE SERIOUSNESS OF THIS MATTER. IF THERE IS ANYTHING I CAN DO TO SPEED UP THIS PROCESS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

Incident: February 1, 2016 · Filed: April 14, 2016

TAKATA RECALL. I HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTING TO WORK WITH BMW CORPORATE AND THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP IN RIDGEFIELD CT WHERE I LEASED THE VEHICLE FOR THE PAST 3 MONTHS AND I HAVE YET TO SUCCESSFULLY RESOLVE THE SITUATION. I HAVE 4 MONTHS LEFT ON MY LEASE AND I WANT BMW TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK EARLY AS IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I SURVIVED A TRAIN CRASH IN NY JUST OVER A YEAR AGO WHERE 5 PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN THE FRONT CAR I WAS SEATED IN AND I'M NOT GOING TO RISK GETTING KILLED BY A FAULTY AIRBAG.

Incident: June 6, 2015 · Filed: June 7, 2015

I WAS DRIVING DOWN I-5 SOUTH ON JUNE 6 AT ABOUT 6.30 PM WITH 2 OF MY FRIENDS. THERE WAS TRAFFIC ON THE HIGHWAY AND I APPLIED MY BRAKES AFTER SEEING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME SLOWING DOWN TO A COMPLETE STOP. MY CAR SLOWED DOWN BUT IT WOULD NOT COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. IT KEPT ROLLING. I PRESSED THE BRAKES HARD BUT I COULD FEEL A SQUEALING FEELING IN THE BRAKES AND IT JUST WOULD NOT STOP.IT KEPT ROLLING. I RELEASED PRESSURE ON THE BRAKES FOR A MOMENT AND APPLIED FULL PRESSURE AGAIN BUT STILL IT WOULD NOT STOP. I FELT LIKE SOMETHING WAS LEAKING AS I PRESSED DOWN ON THE BRAKES AND THE THE COMPLETE HOLD AND STOP THAT HAPPENS AFTER THE BRAKES ARE PUSHED TO THE FLOOR DID NOT HAPPEN THIS TIME. I PULLED THE HAND BRAKES BUT BY THAT TIME IT WAS TOO LATE. MY CAR THEN ROLLED ON BUMPED INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME WHICH MADE IT COME TO A STOP. I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED PREVIOUSLY IN THE PAST. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED I HAD SENT MY CAR TO BMW SEATTLE WHEN MY CAR SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL BY ITSELF BECAUSE OF AN ENGINE FAILURE AND AS IT WAS ROLLING DOWN I PRESSED THE BRAKES BUT COULD NOT PUSH IT DOWN. I HIT A PAVEMENT BY THE RIGHT TO MAKE IT STOP .BMW SEATTLE SAID THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY FAULT EVEN AFTER ME REPEATEDLY TELLING THEM THAT IT DID HAPPEN AND SOMETHING WAS WRONG. THIS ISSUE RESURFACED A FEW WEEKS BACK BUT LUCKILY THERE WAS NO ONE IN FRONT OF ME AND AFTER REPEATEDLY RELEASING THE BRAKES AND PRESSING IT HARD WITH FULL FORCE I MADE IT COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. UNFORTUNATELY THIS TIME I MET WITH AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. I AM NOW REALLY UNSURE OF DRIVING MY CAR ANYMORE.MOREOVER MY TRUST ON BMW IS COMPROMISED AS THEY TOLD ME THAT THIS ISSUE CANNOT AND DID NOT HAPPEN. IF THE SERVICE TEAM CANNOT FIND A GENUINE FAULT WITH THEIR SYSTEM THAT IS HAPPENING REPEATEDLY I DONT THINK THEY CAN BE TRUSTED WITH THE SAFETY OF THE CAR.

Incident: February 2, 2015 · Filed: March 3, 2015

WE HAVE HAD SOME SNOW HERE IN NEW YORK THIS PAST WINTER. IT SEEMS AS IF THERE MAY BE A DESIGN FLAW WITH THE WINDSHIELD WIPER. FOR WHATEVER REASON THE WINDSHIELD WIPER ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE POPPED. PER THE DEALER THIS OUTSIDE INFLUENCE VOIDED THE GUARANTEE AS THERE WAS ICE UNDER THE COWL WHERE THE ARM IS CONNECTED TO THE MOTOR. THE PHOTO IN THE ATTACHMENT SHOWS THE AREA IN QUESTION. WHAT GETS ME IS THE "ICE BUILDUP" THAT CAUSED THIS TO HAPPEN MOST LIKELY CAME FROM THE DEFROSTER. THE SNOW MELTS AND DRAINS DOWN INTO THE AREA IN QUESTION. I'M ENCLOSING A COPY OF MY CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE BMW DEALER. 1 ATTACHMENT (1307.1 KB) CLICK FOR OPTIONS VIEW SLIDE SHOW (1) DOWNLOAD AS ZIP ADD TO ONEDRIVE HI [XXX], HERE'S A PICTURE OF MY CAR. I'M LETTING MOTHER NATURE GET RID OF THE ICE. THE DESIGN MIGHT WORK IN FLORIDA. IT'S A DESIGN DEFECT THAT, IF YOU ASK ME, SHOULD BE COVERED! REGARDS, INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

Incident: June 11, 2014 · Filed: June 15, 2014

MY HUSBAND WAS REFUELING OUR 2013 BMW 335I AND I WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. DURING THAT PROCESS, A PICKUP TRUCK BACKED UP AND WAS CLOSE TO HITTING OUR CAR. FROM THE PASSENGER SEAT, I TRIED TO WARN THE OTHER DRIVER WITH OUR CAR'S HORN, BUT IT DID NOT WORK, SO I RESORTED TO SCREAMING AS LOUD AS POSSIBLE SINCE THE WINDOWS WERE ALSO CLOSED. FORTUNATELY, MY HUSBAND HEARD ME AND REALIZED WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND GOT THE TRUCKS ATTENTION AND PREVENTED A POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC COLLISION RIGHT NEXT TO A GAS PUMP. IT NEVER EVEN CROSSED OUR MINDS AT THE TIME THAT A HORN DID NOT OPERATE WHEN THE CAR'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS SWITCHED OFF WITH THE IGNITION KEY, WHICH ONE MUST DO FOR FIRE SAFETY REASONS WHEN REFUELING. NEVERTHELESS, AFTER WE GOT HOME WE TRIED THE BMW'S HORN WHEN THE CAR WAS OFF AND THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. WE TRIED OUR 2005 SUBARU OUTBACK'S HORN WITH ITS IGNITION SWITCHED OFF, AND ITS HORN WORKED JUST FINE. I SEARCHED ON '2013 BMW HORN DOES NOT WORK'S' ON THE INTERNET AND THE SYSTEM RETURNED 18,200 RESULTS. WHILE I DID NOT READ ALL OF THEM, I FOUND NUMEROUS POSTINGS ABOUT BMW HORNS NOT WORKING WHEN THE CAR IS OFF, AS FAR BACK AS 2006. SOME INTERNET POSTINGS ADVISED HAVING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. I PLACED THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND THE DASHBOARD DISPLAY AND I DRIVE SCREEN ACTIVATED, BUT THE HORN DID NOT. NEXT, I PUSHED THE START BUTTON, WITHOUT ENGAGING THE ENGINE, AND ONLY THEN DID THE HORN WORK. I CONTACTED BMW ASSIST FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND SPOKE TO A BMW CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE IN COLUMBUS, OH. HE CONFIRMED THAT THE HORN IS OPERATING AS DESIGNED. HE SAID HE WOULD ENTER MY CONCERN INTO THE CUSTOMER FEEDBACK DATABASE. WE THINK BEING UNABLE TO WARN DISTRACTED DRIVERS ABOUT TO CRASH INTO YOUR OCCUPIED BUT PARKED CAR IS A HAZARD AT LEAST WORTHY OF PROMINENT WARNINGS TO DRIVERS OF BMWS AND ANY OTHER VEHICLE WITH THIS "FEATURE". *JS

Incident: March 4, 2013 · Filed: March 14, 2014

THE CAR HAS DISPLAYED "DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION, DRIVE MODERATELY" TWICE NOW IN LESS THAN ONE YEAR OF OWNERSHIP. WHEN THIS DISPLAY HAS OCCURRED, THE CAR GOES INTO "LIMP MODE" AND CAN ONLY BE DRIVEN AT LOW SPEEDS OR WITH VERY SLUGGISH ACCELERATION. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD, AS IT BECOMES EASY TO BE REAR-ENDED BY ANOTHER DRIVER WHEN IT SLOWS SUBSTANTIALLY. *TR