2001 BMW 325I

I HAVE A 2001 BMW 325I - 4 DOOR. THE PROBLEM I AM HAVING IS: INTERMITTENTLY (USUALLY WHEN HOT) THE DOOR LOCKS WILL NOT OPEN WITH THE BUTTON ON THE KEY - ALL FOUR. WHEN THAT HAPPENS, I CAN UNLOCK THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WITH THE KEY BUT I CAN NOT OPEN THE OTHER THREE DOORS WITH THE BUTTON ON THE KEY, THE BUTTON ON THE DASH OR BY PULLING THE HANDLES. THE GAS LID DOES NOT UNLOCK EITHER. SOMETIMES JUST THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR WILL OPEN WITH THE BUTTON ON THE KEY AND THEN - USUALLY - I CAN UNLOCK THE OTHER DOORS WITH THE HANDLES. SOMETIMES EVERYTHING WORKS FINE. THE TRUNK DOES NOT HAVE PROBLEMS UNLOCKING. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THE GM5 MODULE HAS A COMMON FAILURE THAT CAUSES THESE ISSUES. *TR

THE AUTOMATIC POWER DOOR LOCKS ON A BMW 3-SERIES (E46) ARE KNOWN TO RANDOMLY FAIL, RESULTING IN IT BECOMING IMPOSSIBLE FOR ANY OCCUPANTS TO GET OUT OF A VEHICLE. THIS IS APPARENTLY DUE TO A FAULTY GM5 RELAY (GENERAL MODULE #5) SUPPLIED AS AN OEM COMPONENT IN THE VEHICLE BY BMW (SEE HTTP://HTTP://WWW.BMWGM5.COM/). FAILURE OCCURS ABOUT 1 OUT OF 3 ATTEMPTS TO UNLOCK THE AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS. IT IS KNOWN THAT REPLACEMENT OF THE GM5 RELAY SOLVES THE PROBLEM. SOMEONE EVENTUALLY WILL BE BURNED ALIVE DUE TO THIS FAULTY COMPONENT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW 325I. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH ON THE FREEWAY, THE SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAG ON THE PASSENGER SIDE SUDDENLY DEPLOYED. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE ENGINE TO SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. THERE WAS NO IMPACT OR CRASH TO TRIGGER THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. THE DEALER ADVISED HIM TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSIS AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE. HE REFUSED TO PAY FOR SOMETHING THAT MAY HAVE BEEN A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. THROUGH ONLINE RESEARCH, THE CONTACT FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS THAT WERE IDENTICAL TO HIS FAILURE AND TYPE OF VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 63,000.

BMW HAS RECALLED SOME MODELS AND YEARS IN NORTH AMERICA TO FIX A POSSIBLE DEFECT THAT MAY KEEP THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG FROM OPENING IN A CRASH. HOWEVER, THEY HAVE NOT RECALLED MY 2001 325 I. , ( ) MY WARNING LIGHT IS ON AND THEY CAN NOT GUARANTEE THAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WILL DEPLOY. I HAVE MADE REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO REQUEST A GUARANTEE THAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WILL DEPLOY IN A CRASH REGARDLESS IF THERE IS A PASSENGER OR NOT. I WOULD JUST LIKE SOME TYPE OF GUARANTEE THAT THE AIRBAG WILL DEPLOY IN ALL CASES. THE CURRENT RECALL CONCERNS THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG SEAT SENSOR MAT IN CERTAIN 2004-2006 MODEL YEAR VEHICLES. SINCE I HAVE A 2001, THEY ARE NOT RESPONDING TO ME. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND I DO NOT HAVE 700 OR 800 DOLLARS TO JUST REPLACE A MAT WITHOUT A GUARANTEE THAT THE AIRBAG ITSELF IS FUNCTIONING. MY FIRST ATTEMPT TO NOTIFY BMW WAS IN JUNE OF 2008. I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM COMPETITION BMW IN JUNE OF 2001AT 599 EAST JERICHO TURNPIKE SMITHTOWN NEW YORK 11787. I HAVE SERVICED MY VEHICLE THERE FOR THE LAST 8 YEARS. I AM VERY DISGUSTED THAT THE DEALER HAS JUST IGNORED MY CONCERNS. MY SON WILL BE DRIVING THIS CAR SHORTLY AND HE WILL BE TRANSPORTING OTHER STUDENTS IN A CARPOOL TO SCHOOL. HE ATTENDS ST. ANTHONY'S HIGH SCHOOL IN HUNTINGTON AND IT IS A 25 MILE DRIVE EACH WAY TO SCHOOL. PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW I SHOULD APPROACH THE DEALER OR BMW TO FIX THIS SAFELY ISSUE FOR ME. I HAVE BEEN A LOYAL CUSTOMER FOR YEARS NOW. I HAVE ALWAYS USED THE SAME DEALER FOR SERVICE OVER THE YEARS I HAVE THE CAR. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE WITH THIS ISSUE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW 325I. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE CONTACT WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH, WHICH HE BELIEVED WAS DUE TO A DEFECT IN THE VEHICLE. HE STATED THAT THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL WAS WOBBLING AND HE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND STRUCK A CONCRETE DIVIDER. THE OTHER OCCUPANTS SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AND WHIPLASH. THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES INVOLVED IN THE CRASH. THE CONTACT DID NOT KNOW IF THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. HE SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE MANUFACTURER TO HAVE THE VEHICLE INSPECTED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 33,000.

1. I WAS DECELERATING AND BRAKING, COMING TO A NEAR STOP AT AN INTERSECTION, WITH MY FOOT ONLY ON THE BRAKE. MY CAR, 2001 BMW 325I, SUDDENLY STARTED ACCELERATING WHILE MY FOOT WAS FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE. IT LURCHED FORWARDS OVERRIDING THE BRAKES UNTIL I SHIFTED THE CAR INTO PARK. I BUMPED INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THE CAR THEN REVVED DOWN AND WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN NORMALLY AFTERWARDS. 2. FIRST TIME 3. HAVEN'T HAD IT IN FOR INSPECTION YET. *TR