10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 0 / 4
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 1 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 87,966 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
« Read the previous 20 complaints
Security lock system failed to allow passengers to exit the vehicle. The doors would not unlock and the passengers had to climb out of the windows to exit. If there were an emergency (e.g. car drove into deep water) the windows would not function and there would have been no way to exit the car. Seem like a serious failure.
- Endicott, NY, USA
I received a letter from BMW ststing there was now a recall for the bad ground wire on the rear taillight assembly that caused the metling of the connector. I had already spent $400 for the fix, now they recall the part. BMW North America took too long to do this, and I am going into the delaership to see about getting a refund for the service I paid for that they would not cover.
- Dallas, TX, USA
I purchased my 2004 BMW 330I in Sept 2010, at least in part because it was advertised as having factory installed xenon lights and I have always wanted brighter headlights than other cars I have owned. Within 3 months I was so disgusted with the dimness of those xenon's that I purchased 2 new D2S bulbs and had them installed at the cost of about $400. (I was told that even xenon's "wear out" over time so I figured I would bite the bullet this one time) I found right away that these new bulbs were no better than I had before. As a matter of fact, the right side lights shined against a wall were actually dimmer than a D cell flashlight. I suffered though trying to drive with my passing lights on at night (you actually have to hold the high beam stick in to get these lights to stay on ) for a year before I decided to replace the whole headlight assembly but no-one sells a replacement for the xenon equipped cars. I then removed the assemblies myself and was shocked to see clear signs of burning or corrosion on the inside of the reflector bowls. No wonder the lights would not shine on the highway. It is so bad that every time I am passed on the highway at night I actually see my car's shadow directly in front of me from the headlights of the car 50-100 feet behind me. I now understand from further investigation this is an ongoing problem with zkw headlights on E46 BMW's. I do not have the technical expertise or extra cash to fix these defects. Can you help?? no accidents or injuries have occurred yet but I have seen many pedestrians or bikers as I pass them at night on the side of the road that I never saw until I was next to them.
- Mishawaka, IN, USA
2004 BMW 330I - tail light wiring failure. Tail light bulb socket (part number W0133-1663035 failed due to over heating and melting of connector. Results in loss of brake light function. Problem common to both driver and passenger side. Purchasing new part to try to correct problem however problem may also include failure of the connector (female) on the wiring harness which is not readily available. Over heating appears to be due to undersizing of connector/wire. This appears to be a common problem with E46 BMW's (3 series). Problem was brought to dealer's attention while under warranty, ...they did not fix it. Contacted corporate head quarters, ...they did not acknowledge this was a common problem. (ref. EA09-019).
- Kinnelon, NJ, USA
2004 BMW 330xi sedan (E46) rear tail light indicator light consistently comes on, even though there is no tail lamp failure. Online community forums report that this is likely due to ground wire short in the tail lamp assembly. Cost of repair at dealership estimated at $700. Currently being investigated by NHTSA as EA09-019, but I'm wary of being overcharged by dealership for what should be a recall.
- La, CA, USA
I want to report a problem with the ignition coils in the BMW 330xi model made in the year 2004 that results in reduced ignition firing power. The engine runs rough and the "service engine soon" light illuminates. BMW had a recall on ignition coils failure in 2005 and 2006 on some models but this problem now surface on other models as well. Please investigate.
- Falls Church, VA, USA
While driving at low speeds, the vehicle lost power. The dealer stated that the software malfunctioned. Power loss issue.
- New York, NY, USA
- Miami Springs, FL, USA