2001 BMW 3 Series

THE REAR PARKING LIGHT WENT OUT IN MY CAR, SO I PURCHASED MORE BULBS, BUT THE BULB NEVER WORKED. I TOOK MY CAR TO MY BMW DEALERSHIP FOR THE TAKATA RECALL, THEY CHECKED THE LIGHT TOO AND SAID THAT A PART IN THE HOUSING HAD BURNED ALL THE WAY DOWN . I RECENTLY CHECKED ON RECALLS, AND FOUND THAT THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH THE HOUSING THAT HOUSES THE BRAKE AND SIGNAL LIGHTS, BEGINNING WITH 2002 MODELS. MY CAR IS A 325I 2001, I FEEL THAT THIS YEAR SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN A RECENT RECALL, I RESEARCHED ONLINE, AND FOUND THAT THERE ARE MANY 2001 BMW 325IS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE THAT RECALL. THIS COULD POSSIBLY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I REALLY THINK THIS SHOULD BE INCLUDED IMMEDIATELY.

A RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM FOR CARS PRODUCED FROM 9/1/01 TO 02/01/05. [RECALL CAMPAIGN 11V-438: REPAIR GROUND CABLE FOR REAR LIGHT LAMPS (SIDE PANEL)]. ...UPDATED 09/22/15 *BF I HAVE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM ALTHOUGH MY CAR WAS PRODUCED APPROXIMATELY 14 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE VEHICLES AFFECTED BY THE RECALL. SITUATION ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING LIGHTS DOES NOT FUNCTION IN THE REAR LAMP ASSEMBLY, MOUNTED ON THE REAR QUARTER PANEL (REAR PARKING LIGHT, REAR TURN SIGNAL, AND REAR BRAKE LIGHT). CAUSE A POOR GROUND CONNECTION AT THE REAR LAMP ASSEMBLY (CONNECTORS X338 LEFT SIDE ? PIN # 2 AND X339 RIGHT SIDE ? PIN # 3) CAUSES A MALFUNCTION OF THE REAR TAIL LAMPS.

RECENTLY MY REAR TAILLIGHTS WERE NOTICEABLY DARKER AND LESS RESPONSIVE. TAKING MY BMW TO MY AUTHORIZED BMW DEALERSHIP/SERVICE CENTER, RESULTED IN A DIAGNOSIS THAT THE REAR WIRE HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF ~$300. FOLLOWING THE VISIT TO THE DEALERSHIP/SERVICE CENTER, RESULTED IN THE REAR LIGHT FAILING COMPLETELY. RESEARCHING THIS INCIDENT ONLINE PRODUCED MANY SIMILAR PROBLEMS W/OTHER 330I MODELS AND I ALSO DISCOVERED THAT NHTSA HAD ISSUED A RECALL OF BMW 3-SERIES FROM MY 02-06. MY BMW IS A 01. IT IS APPARENT, FROM THE MANY POSTINGS ON BMW BOARDS AND WEBSITES, THAT THIS DEFECT ALSO OCCURS IN OLDER BMWS OF THE SAME E46 SERIES EARLIER THAN MODEL YR 2002. I ASK THAT NHTSA EXTEND THE PREVIOUS RECALL TO EARLIER MODEL YEARS OF THE E46 SERIES OF BMWS. *TR

THE LEFT REAR BRAKE LIGHT STARTED TO DIM AND TRIGGERED A WARNING INDICATOR BUT WENT AWAY. AFTER A MONTH OR TWO, ALL THE LIGHTS ON REAR LEFT HAS FAILED. NO BRAKE LIGHTS, TURN SIGNAL, OR REVERSE LIGHT ON THE LEFT SIDE. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS LOOKS LIKES NHTSA ACTION NUMBER : EA09019. I CURRENTLY SEE THE BURN HARNESS AND LIGHTBULB CARRIER BURNT AS WELL. AFTER THE LIGHTS GOING OUT IT HAS CAUSED THE HEADLIGHTS TO FLICKER. THE RECALL ISN'T JUST SEDANS, 2001 COUPES SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE LIST. CURRENTLY I HAVE NO REAR TAIL LIGHTS AND STROBBING HEADLIGHTS. *TR

FOR BMW E46 2001, REAR TURN SIGNAL LIGHT BROWN GROUNDING WIRE ARCHES AND DAMAGES THE SOCKET CAUSING THE LIGHT TO FLICKER ON OCCASION. THIS PROBLEM IS ALSO EVIDENT IN LATER MODELS OF BMW E46 AND AN RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED ON E46 2002-2006 MODELS. IT'S PROBLEMATIC THAT THEY ALSO DIDN'T ADDRESS THIS ON E46 2001 MODELS BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO OCCUR IN THE EARLIER MODEL AS WELL AS EVIDENT WITH MY CAR. *TR