2006 BMW 3 Series

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!!!! *TR

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? *TR

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. *JS

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. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 3 SERIES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE BATTERY CABLE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. *TR UPDATED 07/09/13*LJ UPDATED 07/11/2013 *JS

YESTERDAY, THE DOORS ON MY 2006 325I WOULDN'T UNLOCK WITH THE KEY FOB. I USED THE ACTUAL KEY TO ENTER THE CAR AND THE CENTRAL LOCKING/UNLOCKING BUTTON DOES NOT UNLOCK THE DOORS. THE DOOR TO THE GAS TANK IS ALSO LOCKED. THERE IS NO WAY TO UNLOCK ANY OF THE PASSENGER DOORS WHICH POSES A SAFETY HAZARD. IN READING THROUGH ONLINE FORUMS, THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY BMW. THANK YOU. *TR

I WENT TO PICK UP MY DAUGHTER FROM MARCHING BAND PRACTICE ON A SATURDAY AFTERNOON. WHEN I PULLED INTO THE PARKING LOT AT HER HIGH SCHOOL AND GOT OUT, I WENT TO LOCK THE DOORS. I HEARD A STRANGE SOUND AND NOTICED THAT THE DRIVERS DOORS WERE LOCKED, THE PASSENGERS DOORS WERE UNLOCKED. THE KEY FOB WOULD NOT WORK ANYMORE ON ANY OF THE DOORS BUT WOULD WORK ON THE TRUNK. I GOT IN THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR AND CRAWLED OVER TO THE DRIVER SIDE AND TRIED THE DOOR AND IT WOULD NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE. THE CENTRAL LOCK BUTTON ALSO WOULD NOT WORK. I CRAWLED OUT AND TRIED THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR WITH THE KEY. IT DID UNLOCK WITH THE KEY. NONE OF THE OTHER DOORS WOULD RESPOND FROM THE INSIDE. AFTER I GOT THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR TO UNLOCK WITH THE KEY, MY KEY FOB WOULD WORK ON THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR ONLY. BECAUSE MY KIDS DECIDED TO "HELP MOM" BY PUSHING THE LOCKS DOWN MANUALLY - NOW ALL OF THE DOORS ARE LOCKED AND WON'T BUDGE EXCEPT THE DRIVERS SIDE. I EFFECTIVELY CAN'T USE THE CAR FOR ANYONE EXCEPT MYSELF BECAUSE NO ONE CAN ENTER - AND MORE IMPORTANTLY EXIT FROM THE CAR EXCEPT FOR CRAWLING OVER SEATS. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION. THERE SHOULD BE SOMEONE WAY TO OPEN THE DOORS MANUALLY. JUDGING BY THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS - BMW IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE BUT CHOOSES NOT TO ISSUE A RECALL. *TR