This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
Car has automatic door locks, uses a fob. Parked the car, locked the doors with the fob. When I tried to unlock the doors with the fob, it only clicks - did not unlock. Used the key to unlock the drivers door, but found that once locked, no doors will unlock, not even manually from inside the car. The only door that will lock or unlock is the driver's door, and then only with the key from the outside. The post that pops up and down to indicate that the door is locked is impossible to pull up, and pulling the inside door handle does nothing. This is obviously very dangerous. At the very least, they should redesign the locks so that they can be opened from inside manually in case of an electrical failure!!!!
The car fails to unlock when using the central button in the car or the hand held device. Only the driver door can be opened mechanically and the locks are not accessible to pull up on the other 3 doors. My children had to climb out the drivers door or windows. Research on the web is indicating a bad fuse can cause this or actuators in the doors. Seems like a major safety hazard if everyone can't exit the car in an emergency because of a blown fuse?
Passenger doors would not unlock. All passengers needed to exit through the drivers door. This would be a safety issue if in an accident and passengers could not open door to exit vehicle.
The message 'steering wheel lock' came up and the car will not start. I had to pay to bring it home. BMW says 'it happens to some customers' and they asked me to bring the car to a service center for repair. I see a lot of discussions in forums about this issue. Apparently it is due to a defective lock mechanism.
I own a 2006 BMW 330xi. I'm having problems with the steering column lock which prevents the car from starting. The problem starts with a yellow warning light that indicates the steering column is locked. The starting problem is constant. We are concerned we may get stranded or as some have reported the steering may lock with little or no warning. From what I can find on the internet it appears BMW is aware of the problem. Comments are bad steering column. The problem started in Feb. Of 2012 when the car only had 9000 miles and my extended warranty had just expired. The car now has 11000 miles.the dealer has not been able to help and suggested on several occasions that I contact BMW direct. The problem appears to be common from the comments posted on line by BMW owners of 2006 on. I recently contacted BMW and they suggested I have the dealership perform a diagnostic test.the test result was defective steering column.the fee for this test was $145.91. The estimate they provided to replace the steering column is $1,467.86 plus diagnostic fee of $145.91. Total cost $1,613.77. Your investigation will show the defective steering column is a common problem. As the problem persist the safety concerns become greater. Is a recall coming as this is serious highway safety concern?
- Pleasant Valley, NY, USA
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The doors to the vehicle locked automatically and could not be opened from inside the vehicle. I had to open the driver side window and use the key from the ignition fob to open the driver door from outside. All other doors remained locked and could not be opened from inside or outside. I consider this a safety issue because vehicle occupants could be trapped in the car with no way to exit besides crawling through a window. I believe BMW should issue a safety recall to remedy this defect.
Driving with bag on passenger seat, "red airbag & red seatbelt" indicators light up. Upon taking to dealership, their code reader suggested "low battery voltage" caused lights. Cleared code. Months later, with work bag on passenger seat happens again. Cleared code. Suggested to buy a new battery. Bought a new BMW battery, and same thing, happens again. I take to another shop (BMW charges 100-150 to clear code each time...) and they clear code, still "low battery voltage" but suggested I look into this occupancy seat sensor recall. Go back to dealership and they say unless code reader says airbag fault, they will not warranty. Through the course of 2 years now, the light has come back on 4 times prior, and now today a 5th time. I have yet to take back to dealership again, but making my complaints. I am not a genius but somehow I think the occupancy sensor mat must be defective yet throws error codes of "low battery voltage". when I check the code manually through the drivers stalk, ccid-97 (from memory) which online referenced to air bag fault. Although I have owned vehicle for almost 4 years, it was a "certified" preowned from dealer, and I"M being told that the recall covers only 10 years after the original sale date. Which means October/November this year of 2014, I am out of luck. Hundreds wasted each time, incorrect diagnosing. And BMW refusing to take responsibility for this recall until a machine tells them otherwise. And until that day comes, they'll keep selling me new batteries and other false hopes to fix.
First the driver side door lock actuator would not unlock so I would have to use the key to unlock the driver door. Bought a new actuator and had it replaced. Not even one month later the back seat driver side door lock actuator went out as well. However there is no key hole for the back door and it cannot be opened from the inside. I was told by a BMW dealer that I would have to have the door torn off and replaced with a new door because there was no way to open the door. But wait there's more! both back window regulators went out as well! got the back seat passenger side fixed. But can't get the driver side done yet. This all happened within a year.
My airbag warning light illuminated indicating that my passenger airbag system was offline. I brought it into my mechanic and they informed me that my passenger side airbag sensor mat and possibly my passenger seat belt sensor had failed. They informed me that the cost to repair would be approximately $700-$800 dollars. I recently received a notification that my vehicle may be subject to a recall for this issue NHTSA campaign number: 13V564000. When I contacted my dealership and bmwna they informed me that they would not repair my vehicle until required to do so even though my airbag system has already failed and it is showing as offline. I'm registering this complaint to document that they are not actively resolving this issue.
I found vehicle recall via internet and consumer reports. I took my car to BMW of fairfax and explained that my BMW 330I 2006 had a defective front seat air bag sensor with dashboard warning light. After they examined the sensor they confirmed that I needed to replace the airbag sensor but that my vehicle was not affected by the recall. I was charged $150 dollars for the diagnosis and told that to repair the defect would cost $ 1200.
I have a 2006 BMW 330I which had a steering column malfunction and failure. It is safety problem and should be covered by a BMW customer satisfaction campaign. On January 7, 2014 the temp. Was minus 15 degrees F and the warning indicator in the instrument panel showed an icon of a steering wheel and a lock and the vehicle failed to start. The owners manual says "lights up in yellow: Electric steering wheel is jammed. Move the steering wheel before starting the engine." I moved the steering, but the vehicle would not start. If this had happened while I was away from home in these minus 15 degrees F cold temp. I could have frozen before I could have received assistance. The service manager at anderson BMW in Illinois told me that the 2006 BMW 330I has had problems with the steering column malfunctioning. I had to have the car towed to the dealership which took almost 2 full days due to the cold weather in Chicago and all the cars that wouldn't start from the cold. I contacted BMW customer service, explained my problem and was told they couldn't do anything to cover this unusual quality problem under warranty. I understand it is out of warranty, but I wouldn't expect a major steering, start and interlock system failure when it is only 10,600 miles over the warranty period. As an automotive engineer responsible for quality I deal with warranty issues quite often as well as recalls with NHTSA. While many times a quality issue with a product is safety related it does not require a NHTSA recall. However, it can be covered under a manufacturers customer satisfaction campaign. From the NHTSA website, there are many cases reported that there is a problem with the 2006 BMW 330I model. I am reporting this incident to NHTSA in hopes that BMW will do something for other owners as the repair bill was $938 and should have been covered by BMW, warranty or not.
Has an airbag/seat belt light eliminated on the dash. BMW has diagnosed it as a failed passenger seat sensor. 2006 330I sports seats were recalled for this item in 2008. BMW recall id # 57362 - air bags: Frontal recall date Aug 05, 2008 recall date: Aug 05, 2008 model affected: 2006 BMW 3-series summary: BMW is recalling 200,000 my 2006 3 series sport seat, my 2004-2006 5 series standard and sport seat, and my 2004-2006 X3 passenger vehicles. Depending on the manner and frequency of the front passenger's entry and exit, small cracks have developed in the mat. If this occurs, the front passenger air bags, with the exception of the head protection system, will be deactivated and the air bag warning lamp as well as the passenger air bag "on-off" lamp will be illuminated. Consequences: In this situation the front passenger air bags will not deploy even if a sufficiently severe accident would occur and occupant protection provided by the system would not be possible. Remedy: Dealers will rework the front passenger seat sensor mat so that external force application to the seat does not cause a crack to the mat. The recall began on November 6, 2008. BMW will also extend the warranty on these vehicles to 10 years from first registration without any mileage limit. Owners may contact BMW at 1-800-525-7417. Potential units affected: 200000 notes: BMW of North America, llc. Updated 07/30/13
Stopped in a parking lot and locked the door after getting out of the car. The door locks didn't open when trying to open with the remote. The door fuse and actuator blew up. Opened the door with the key and sat inside the car. The doors locked and then couldn't unlock the doors to get out. I was trapped in the car.
When my car reached ~75,000 miles, the passenger restraint system malfunction notification started to appear on the center console. The message seems to convey that the airbags will not deploy in an accident. After speaking with BMW and finding out that my car falls under the recall for this exact situation. BMW refused to fix it and states that my VIN is not listed under the recall, even though the recall states that it affects 2006 3-series with sport seats (which is exactly what I have).
I have a 2006 BMW 330xi sport and when a passenger sits in the car, I receive a passenger airbag malfunction light. I was told by park ave BMW in NJ that my vehicle does not qualify under the recall. Recall id # 57362 - air bags:frontal recall date Aug 05, 2008 recall date: Aug 05, 2008 model affected: 2006 BMW 3-series summary: BMW is recalling 200,000 my 2006 3 series sport seat, my 2004-2006 5 series standard and sport seat, and my 2004-2006 X3 passenger vehicles. Depending on the manner and frequency of the front passenger's entry and exit, small cracks have developed in the mat. If this occurs, the front passenger air bags, with the exception of the head protection system, will be deactivated and the air bag warning lamp as well as the passenger air bag "on-off" lamp will be illuminated. Consequences: In this situation the front passenger air bags will not deploy even if a sufficiently severe accident would occur and occupant protection provided by the system would not be possible. Remedy: Dealers will rework the front passenger seat sensor mat so that external force application to the seat does not cause a crack to the mat. The recall began on November 6, 2008. BMW will also extend the warranty on these vehicles to 10 years from first registration without any mileage limit. Owners may contact BMW at 1-800-525-7417. Potential units affected: 200000 notes: BMW of North America, llc.
My vehicle has an airbag/seatbelt light eliminated on the dash. BMW has diagnosed it as a failed passenger seat mat sensor. 2006 330I sports seats were recalled for this item in 2008. My vehicle which has sports seats was never called for the recall. The manufacturer has also extended warranty for 10 years on all 3 series models with out the sports seat option for this sensor, but for some reason they will not service my vehicle as warranty or recall work. I have talked to two separate dealerships and BMW directly. They said my only option would be to file a complaint and that the government would have to warrant a recall on this vehicle and combination of options. This does not make any sense! this is a safety concern, as of right now the vehicles airbag system on the passenger side will not function if in an accident.
The contact owns a 2006 BMW 330xi. The contact stated that while driving 30 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The failure was recurring and often times the contact was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle would require a jump start for times when it would not automatically restart. The contact replaced the battery and charged the replacement battery nightly. The vehicle would continue to stall when the battery was not charged. The manufacturer was made aware of failure and recommended the contact have a diagnostic test performed but offered no further assistance. The failure mileage was 100. The current mileage was 24,000.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Tallahassee, FL, USA