2001 BMW 325CI

2001 BMW 325CI DRIVING ON INTERSTATE AT 70MPH ONE OF THE FRONT BREAKS LOCKS UP DUE TO THE TRACTION CONTROLS SYSTEM VIOLENTLY TURNING ON FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THE RESULT WAS THE CAR SWERVING INSTANTLY ABOUT 6 FEET INTO THE EMERGENCY LANE BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO FULLY REGAIN CONTROL AND THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM WENT IN TO ERROR STATE. MY MECHANIC STATED THIS IS A YAW SENSOR PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL BMW AND HE AS SEEN IT ON SEVERAL OTHER VEHICLE. THIS IS AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. IT WILL BE ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE I CAN PUT THIS IN THE SHOP TO REPAIR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW 325CI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE CONSTANTLY EXPERIENCED FAILURE WITH THE FAN MOTOR. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUITRY OF THE FAN CONTROL UNIT TO OVERLOAD AND FAIL, WHICH CAUSED THE FAN TO STOP OPERATING. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN SMOKING ALONG WITH A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN TEMPERATURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED BECAUSE THE FAILURE IS NOT COVERED UNDER HER WARRANTY. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 82,000.

I PURCHASED A USED BMW 325CI 18 MONTHS AGO. IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF DRIVING THE CAR THE AC/HEATER WORKED FINE. HOWEVER, OVER TIME THE BLOWER HAS BECOME INTERMITTENT AND NOW CEASES TO WORK COMPLETELY ON HOT DAYS. SEARCHING ONLINE I FOUND THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS COMMON TO MANY BMW DRIVERS OF SIMILAR MAKES AND MODELS. MECHANICS POSTING ONLINE HAVE ATTRIBUTED IT TO A FAULTY FINAL STAGE RESISTOR FOR THE BLOWER MODULE. THEY STATE THAT THE METAL WAS MADE OF INFERIOR QUALITY. I INTEND TO ATTEMPT TO REPAIR THIS MYSELF OR TAKE IT TO A MECHANIC BUT THE ESTIMATES I HAVE RECEIVED SO FAR ARE ABOUT $300 FOR TOTAL REPAIRS. LAST WINTER MY CAR BROKE DOWN WHEN IT WAS VERY COLD OUTSIDE AND I HAD TO WAIT FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF FOR A TOW TRUCK TO ARRIVE, DURING THIS TIME I TRIED TO TURN ON MY HEATER ONLY TO HAVE IT CEASE TO WORK AFTER ABOUT 5 MINUTES. FORTUNATELY I HAD EMERGENCY CLOTHING IN THE CAR, BUT EVEN WITH THAT MY FINGERS WERE NUMB BY THE TIME THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED. I THINK BMW SHOULD OFFER TO REPLACE THIS PART FOR FREE. *TR

DOOR LOCKS MALFUNCTIONING. TYPICALLY INCONVENIENT WHEN KEYLESS ENTRY WILL NOT UNLOCK DRIVER DOOR (UNLOCKS ALL OTHER DOORS). ONE INCIDENT WHERE, WHILE INSIDE THE CAR, DRIVER'S DOOR UNLOCKED, BUT PASSENGER DOOR DID NOT UNLOCK. IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION OR OTHER EMERGENCY WHERE PASSENGERS INSIDE CAR, ALL PASSENGERS WOULD HAVE TO EXIT DRIVER'S DOOR AS PASSENGER DOOR WOULD NOT UNLOCK. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW 325CI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S TAG LIGHTS FAILED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS A SHORT IN THE WIRING. THE TRUNK SENSOR FAILED WHICH PREVENTED THE CONTACT FROM KNOWING WHETHER OR NOT THE TRUNK WAS CLOSED PROPERLY. THE CONTACT FOUND THAT THE WIRE HARNESS IN THE TRUNK WAS BEGINNING TO FAIL DUE TO CONSTANTLY BEING RUBBED EACH TIME THE TRUNK OPENED AND CLOSED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 93,000.

I LOST AND ESTIMATED 97% OF BRAKE PRESSURE WHILE COMING TO A STOP FROM APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH TO STOP AT A HIGHWAY RAMP TRAFFIC CONTROL STOP LIGHT. THE BRAKE PEDAL TOUCHED THE FLOOR AND I PUMPED THE BRAKES SEVERAL TIMES WITH ONLY A MINIMAL RETURN OF BRAKE PRESSURE. I USED THE MANUAL GEAR SHIFT MODE TO PERFORM ENGINE BRAKING TO SLOW THE CAR TO A STOP WITH THE VERY MINIMAL BRAKE PRESSURE AVAILABLE BUT SURPASSED THE STOP LIGHT BY ONE CAR LENGTH. THERE WAS FORTUNATELY NO ONE IN FRONT OF ME AT THE TIME. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE A YELLOW DSC (DYNAMIC STABILITY CONTROL) AND YELLOW BRAKE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASH CONSOLE. THE BMW AUTHORIZED SERVICE FACILITY REPORTS THAT A "DSC SENSOR FAILED". THIS PART WILL BE REPLACED TO CORRECT THE SITUATION. THERE WAS NO BACK UP MECHANICAL INTERVENTION IN THIS CASE IN THE EVENT THAT A SIMPLE SENSOR FAILED WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED UN-MEASURABLE DAMAGE, CRASH, INJURIES, OR DEATHS. IN THE EVEN OF PARTS FAILURE UNDER WARRANTY AND IN ORDER TO REPAIR THE CAR UNDER WARRANTY, THE DEALER STATES THAT DEFECTIVE PARTS WILL BE HELD AND PROVIDED TO THE MANUFACTURER. *JB