THE LEFT PASSENGER DOOR LOCK HAS CEASED TO OPERATE ON MY 2007 BMW 328I. IT DOES NOT UNLOCK WITH EITHER THE KEY FOB OR THE MAIN UNLOCK SWITCH. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS IF THERE WERE ANY KIND OF EMERGENCY INVOLVING THIS DOOR NEEDING TO BE OPENED. *TR
2007 BMW 3 Series
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most 3 Series years
Owner complaints for the 2007 BMW 3 Series are substantially higher than the model-year median of 23.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 3 Series years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
92 reports with mileage · 23 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Air Bags. Review the 35 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 31 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Latches/locks/linkages complaints
9 reportsMY WIFE WAS ATTEMPTING TO EXIT CAR WHEN SHE NOTICED THAT SHE WAS NOT ABLE TO OPEN ANY OF CAR DOORS - ALL THE LOCKS WOULD NOT OPERATE ! ALSO, THE DOOR HANDLES WOULD NOT OPEN THE DOORS FROM THE INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THIS ISSUE IS SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT ASAP. I WAS ABLE TO SEE ON LINE THAT NUMBER OF LIKE AND KI…
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MY WIFE WAS ATTEMPTING TO EXIT CAR WHEN SHE NOTICED THAT SHE WAS NOT ABLE TO OPEN ANY OF CAR DOORS - ALL THE LOCKS WOULD NOT OPERATE ! ALSO, THE DOOR HANDLES WOULD NOT OPEN THE DOORS FROM THE INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THIS ISSUE IS SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT ASAP. I WAS ABLE TO SEE ON LINE THAT NUMBER OF LIKE AND KIND COMPLAINTS WITH THE 2007 328 XI MODELS ... *TR
THE DOORS WILL NOT UNLOCK; FROM THE EXTERIOR, ONLY THE DRIVER'S DOOR CAN BE OPENED WITH THE KEY. FROM THE INTERIOR, ONLY THE DRIVER'S DOOR CAN BE OPENED; NONE OF THE OTHER 3 DOORS CAN BE OPENED MANUALLY OR BY USING THE UNLOCK BUTTONS EITHER ON THE DASH OR ON THE KEY. I THINK THAT THIS CREATES A VERY HAZARDOUS SITUATION-IF THIS…
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THE DOORS WILL NOT UNLOCK; FROM THE EXTERIOR, ONLY THE DRIVER'S DOOR CAN BE OPENED WITH THE KEY. FROM THE INTERIOR, ONLY THE DRIVER'S DOOR CAN BE OPENED; NONE OF THE OTHER 3 DOORS CAN BE OPENED MANUALLY OR BY USING THE UNLOCK BUTTONS EITHER ON THE DASH OR ON THE KEY. I THINK THAT THIS CREATES A VERY HAZARDOUS SITUATION-IF THIS FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS OCCUPIED, PASSENGERS WOULD ONLY BE ABLE TO EXIT THROUGH THE WINDOWS OR THROUGH THE DRIVER'S DOOR. THIS COULD RESULT IN INJURY OR LOSS OF LIFE IN SOME ACCIDENT SITUATIONS. I SPOKE TO BMW NORTH AMERICA ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND THEY SAID THAT THEY "PROBABLY WOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPAIRS" TO THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR
DOOR LOCKED IN POSITION, UNABLE TO GET OUT OF CAR. NO MANUAL WAY TO GET OUT OF CAR. HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. FINALLY ABLE TO UNLOCK USING KEY. WHEN SPEAKING TO BMW SERVICE CENTER (WALTERS OF RIVERSIDE) ABOUT ISSUE, THEY SAID IF KEY WOULD HAVE BEEN IN IGNITION THE CAR WOULD HAVE UNLOCKED. NOW EPISODE HAPPENED AGAIN, BUT UNABLE TO …
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DOOR LOCKED IN POSITION, UNABLE TO GET OUT OF CAR. NO MANUAL WAY TO GET OUT OF CAR. HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. FINALLY ABLE TO UNLOCK USING KEY. WHEN SPEAKING TO BMW SERVICE CENTER (WALTERS OF RIVERSIDE) ABOUT ISSUE, THEY SAID IF KEY WOULD HAVE BEEN IN IGNITION THE CAR WOULD HAVE UNLOCKED. NOW EPISODE HAPPENED AGAIN, BUT UNABLE TO GET OUT OF CAR. KEY DOES NOT WORK EVEN IF IN IGNITION. LUCKILY, THE PASSENGER DOOR WAS UNLOCK AND I WAS ABLE TO CRAWL OUT. NOW DOORS ARE LOCK SO I WILL HAVE TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED. I AM UNABLE TO GET INTO THE CAR. *TR
DOORS WILL NOT UNLOCK OR OPEN. I WAS LITERALLY TRAPPED INSIDE MY CAR IN A PARKING LOT. DROVE VEHICLE HOME, HAD TO PUT DOWN WINDOW AND HAVE SOMEONE USE VALET KEY AT MY HOUSE TO OPEN THE DRIVER DOOR. NONE OF THE OTHER THREE PASSENGER DOORS CAN BE UNLOCKED. LUCKILY NO PASSENGERS IN MY VEHICLE. WAS TOLD THERE IS A TSB RELATED …
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DOORS WILL NOT UNLOCK OR OPEN. I WAS LITERALLY TRAPPED INSIDE MY CAR IN A PARKING LOT. DROVE VEHICLE HOME, HAD TO PUT DOWN WINDOW AND HAVE SOMEONE USE VALET KEY AT MY HOUSE TO OPEN THE DRIVER DOOR. NONE OF THE OTHER THREE PASSENGER DOORS CAN BE UNLOCKED. LUCKILY NO PASSENGERS IN MY VEHICLE. WAS TOLD THERE IS A TSB RELATED TO THIS, HOWEVER IT IS NOT RECOGNIZED AS A SAFETY ISSUE. CANNOT UNDERSTAND HOW THIS IS CONSIDERED "SAFE" WHEN IF MY VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE AND I HAD MY CHILDREN IN THEIR CAR SEATS IN THE BACK SEAT, THERE WOULD BE NO WAY TO OPEN THE DOORS TO GET THEM OUT. BMW IS AWARE THAT THE ACTUATORS ARE PULLING TOO MUCH CURRENT THROUGH THE FUSES AND THAT THE ACTUATORS NEED REPLACED. THEY ARE MAKING TONS OF MONEY OFF OF CHARGING PEOPLE TO REPAIR THIS KNOWN PROBLEM AS THIS IS NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN AVOID HAVING REPAIRED UNLESS YOU ARE WILLING TO GAMBLE ON YOUR OWN LIFE OR THOSE OF FAMILY/FRIENDS WHO MAY BE IN YOUR VEHICLE WHEN THIS OCCURS. THERE REALLY NEEDS TO BE A SAFETY RECALL ON THIS ISSUE BEFORE SOMEONE LOSES THEIR LIFE AS A RESULT. I FIND IT QUITE ABSURD THAT THE NHTSA DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THIS. DOES SOMEONE NEED TO DIE FOR THIS TO BE REMEDIED? JUST BECAUSE I DRIVE A USED BMW DOES NOT MEAN I HAVE THE MONEY TO HAVE THIS REPAIRED, YET I'VE GOT TWO VERY YOUNG CHILDREN WHO RIDE IN THE BACKSEAT OF THIS CAR ON A DAILY BASIS. LOOKING AT THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN FILED, OBVIOUSLY IT APPEARS THAT NEITHER BMW NOR THE NHTSA SEEM TO CARE ABOUT MY SAFETY, MY FAMILY'S SAFETY OR THAT OF ANY OF THE OTHER THOUSANDS OF BMW OWNERS WHO ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. *TR
ELECTRIC DOOR LOCKS FAILED ON ALL FOUR DOORS WITH NO SYMPTOMS PRIOR TO COMPLETE SYSTEM FAILURE. KEY FOB AND CENTRAL LOCKING SYSTEM BUTTON INSIDE CAR WOULD NOT UNLOCK ANY DOOR. DOORS WOULD NOT OPEN BY PULLING ON INTERIOR DOOR LATCH HANDLES. THE ONLY WAY TO ENTER/EXIT VEHICLE WAS BY USING KEY ON EXTERIOR DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR TO U…
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ELECTRIC DOOR LOCKS FAILED ON ALL FOUR DOORS WITH NO SYMPTOMS PRIOR TO COMPLETE SYSTEM FAILURE. KEY FOB AND CENTRAL LOCKING SYSTEM BUTTON INSIDE CAR WOULD NOT UNLOCK ANY DOOR. DOORS WOULD NOT OPEN BY PULLING ON INTERIOR DOOR LATCH HANDLES. THE ONLY WAY TO ENTER/EXIT VEHICLE WAS BY USING KEY ON EXTERIOR DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR TO UNLOCK THE DOOR, OR THROUGH THE WINDOWS. THIS SEEMS LIKE AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SINGLE POINT EGRESS FAILURE THAT COULD RESULT IN UNNECESSARY INJURY OR LOSS OF LIFE IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. I REPLACED THE BLOWN 15A FUSE (#57) WITH A 20A FUSE PER SI B51 19 07 TWICE. FIRST FUNCTIONAL TEST BY PRESSING THE CENTRAL LOCK SYSTEM BUTTON RESULTED IN THE NEW FUSE BLOWING IMMEDIATELY EACH TIME. FURTHER TROUBLESHOOTING AND REPAIR WILL BE NECESSARY TO RESOLVE ISSUE (LIKELY BY REPLACING FAULTY ELECTRO/MECHANICAL DOOR LATCH/LOCK/ACTUATOR MECHANISM). *TR
DOOR LOCKS WOULD NOT OPEN ON 3 OF THE DOORS; HAD TO CRAWL FROM BACKSEAT TO FRONT SEAT TO START CAR. ONCE GOT HOME, HAD TO CRAWL BACK OUT VIA THE BACK SEAT. EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS SAFETY CONDITION DUE TO IF THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT, MYSELF NOR MY PASSENGERS, ESPECIALLY YOUNG CHILDREN, WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO ESCAPE. TOOK VEHICLE TO L…
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DOOR LOCKS WOULD NOT OPEN ON 3 OF THE DOORS; HAD TO CRAWL FROM BACKSEAT TO FRONT SEAT TO START CAR. ONCE GOT HOME, HAD TO CRAWL BACK OUT VIA THE BACK SEAT. EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS SAFETY CONDITION DUE TO IF THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT, MYSELF NOR MY PASSENGERS, ESPECIALLY YOUNG CHILDREN, WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO ESCAPE. TOOK VEHICLE TO LOCAL BMW DEALER AND HE STATED THIS WAS NOT THE "1ST" TIME HE HAD SEEN THIS TYPE OF ISSUE. APPROXIMATE COST IS BETWEEN $700 TO $1,000 TO FIX. CONTACTED BMW CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND THEY ARE INVESTIGATING ISSUE. *TR
REGULAR USAGE. ONE DAY, THE CENTRAL LOCKING SYSTEM SIMPLY DIED WITHOUT WARNING AND THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE WAY OF UNLOCKING THE PASSENGER DOORS AFTER THE CENTRAL LOCKING SYSTEM DIED. *KB
I HAVE A 2007 3 SERIES. PRIOR TO THAT, I OWNED A 2000 BMW 3 SERIES THAT NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM. I CAME OUT TO MY CAR AND WAS UNABLE TO UNLOCK THE DOOR WITH REMOTE. AFTER CHECKING TO MAKE SURE IT WASN'T THE BATTERY IN THE FOB, I THEN HAD TO MANUALLY USE KEY TO OPEN DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. THEN UPON BEING INSIDE CAR, I WAS UNABLE …
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I HAVE A 2007 3 SERIES. PRIOR TO THAT, I OWNED A 2000 BMW 3 SERIES THAT NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM. I CAME OUT TO MY CAR AND WAS UNABLE TO UNLOCK THE DOOR WITH REMOTE. AFTER CHECKING TO MAKE SURE IT WASN'T THE BATTERY IN THE FOB, I THEN HAD TO MANUALLY USE KEY TO OPEN DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. THEN UPON BEING INSIDE CAR, I WAS UNABLE TO UNLOCK DOOR USING BUTTON ON DASH. MY CAR IS IN SHOP AND I AM TOLD IT IS A BLOWN FUSE NEEDING AN ACTUATOR REPLACED. I WAS TOLD IT'S ALSO AFFECTING MY GAS TANK, MEANING I WOULD BE UNABLE TO OPEN GAS TANK TO PUT IN GAS. AFTER RESEARCHING, THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 2007 3 SERIES. AND A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE OF GETTING TRAPPED IN YOUR CAR. I AM REALLY UPSET I AM HAVING TO SHELL OUT MONEY FOR THIS, AS MY CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. MY CAR IS IN MINT CONDITION WITH 25K MILES. I HOPE THIS WILL BE SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED FOR A RECALL AS THIS A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD/LAW SUIT! *TR
Official recalls
122V119000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:emission Control:crankcase (pcv)
Mar 2, 2022
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2013 1 Series Coupe (128i); 2007-2013 3 Series Coupe (328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive); 2007-2010 X3 SAV (X3 3.0si, X3 xDrive30i); 2008-2013 1 Series Convertible (128i); 2006-2011 3 Series Sedan (325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 330i, 330xi); 2006-2012 3 Series Wagon (328i, 328i xDrive); 2007-2013 3 Series Convertible (328i); 2006-2010 5 Series Sedan (525i, 525xi, 528i, 528xi, 530i, 530xi); 2006-2007 5 Series Wagon (530xi); 2007-2010 X5 SAV (X5 3.0si, X5 xDrive30i); 2006-2008 Z4 Coupe (Z4 3.0si); and 2006-2011 Z4 Roadster (Z4 3.0i, Z4 3.0si, Z4 sDrive30i) vehicles. The heater for the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve may short circuit.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An electrical short can cause the PCV valve heater to overheat, increasing the risk of a fire while driving or, soon after driving when parked.
Remedy: This recall supersedes and expands previous NHTSA recalls 17V-683 and 19V-273. Dealers will install an electrical wiring harness with fuse protection for the PCV Valve heater in potentially affected vehicles, free of charge. This recall supersedes and expands previous NHTSA recalls 17V-683 and 19V-273. Vehicles previously repaired under the prior recalls will need to come back for the new recall remedy. The remedy is currently being developed. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed on April 1, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 22, 2022. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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