2003 BMW 325XI

BILSTEIN IS A MAKER OF AFTERMARKET SHOCKS. THE REAR BILSTEIN SHOCKS FOR THE BMW 3-SERIES FROM 1999-2006 ARE PRONE TO PREMATURE FAILURE. BILSTEIN HAS UPDATED THE PART TWICE IN AN EFFORT TO FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT THE SHOCKS CONTINUALLY FAIL. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF PREMATURE FAILURES OF THESE SHOCKS IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS. REAR SHOCK FAILURE CREATES DANGEROUS HANDLING PROBLEMS, LOSS OF BRAKING PERFORMANCE, AND DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. STOP BILSTEIN FROM SELLING ANY MORE OF THESE DANGEROUS SHOCKS! I HAVE HAD NINE REAR SHOCKS FAIL, AND BILSTEIN KEEPS SENDING OUT THE SAME PART AS PART OF THE LIFETIME WARRANTY. *TR

I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH MY 2003 BMW 325XI. THE FUEL INJECTORS ARE LEAKING/SQUIRTING GASOLINE OUT OF THE HOUSING. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT I AM NOT THE FIRST WITH THIS ISSUE. EVERY PERSON I'VE SEEN POST THIS ISSUE LIVES IN A COLDER PART OF THE U.S. AND IT HAPPENS WHEN IT GETS COLD. I HAPPEN TO LIVE IN WYOMING WHERE IT'S BEEN GETTING ABNORMALLY COLD. NOT GOOD FOR ME. WHAT I'VE BEEN SEEING IS THE PROBLEM LIES WITH THE INJECTOR ITSELF WHERE PARTS OF THE HOUSING SHRINKS IN THE COLD. ONCE THE VEHICLE IS WARMED UP AFTER SOME DRIVING THE INJECTORS WILL RETURN TO ITS PROPER STATE AND STOP LEAKING. THE BEST ADVICE I'VE FOUND IS... "FOR THE TIME BEING... TURN YOUR VENTS TO CIRCULATE MODE AND LOW FAN SPEEDS TO PREVENT THE FUMES FROM ENTERING THE CABIN. YOUR WINDOWS WILL FOG A BIT BUT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO DRIVE AND THE LEAK WILL STOP ONCE THE TEMP NEEDLE HITS CENTER. ONCE THE FUMES DIE OFF IN YOUR ENGINE BAY YOU CAN OPEN YOUR VENTS AND HEAT ON AGAIN." OR REPLACE THE INJECTORS WITH 2004+ FUEL INJECTORS THE REASONING BEHIND THE 2004+ IS THAT I'VE ALSO FOUND THAT AFTER 2003, BMW UPDATED THE INJECTORS TO A MATERIAL THAT DOESN'T SHRINK IN THE COLD. TO ME, THAT SOUNDS LIKE A RECALL ISSUE. I DON'T THINK I SHOULD BE PAYING TO FIX SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS AN ISSUE AND THAT THEY FIXED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 325XI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, SHE HYDRO-PLANED AND CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED FOR CAUSE OF AIR BAG FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

BROUGHT IN MY CAR TO LOCAL MECHANIC THREE TIMES FOR OIL LEAK (OIL ON DRIVEWAY, OIL LIGHT SENSOR ON DASHBOARD ILLUMINATED). IN EACH CASE, I THOUGHT THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED BUT AFTER TWO WEEKS THE DASHBOARD OIL LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. I THOUGHT MY MECHANIC WAS INEXPERIENCED WITH BMW'S, SO I TOOK IT TO A BMW DEALER AND ALL SEEMED FINE ($1,000 REPAIR) UNTIL TWO WEEKS LATER WHEN THE OIL LIGHT YET AGAIN APPEARS ON THE DASHBOARD. I AM TAKING IT BACK TO THE BMW DEALER NEXT WEEK FOR A SECOND TIME. I BELIEVE EVERY POSSIBLE GASKET HAS BEEN REPLACED - REMEMBER IT'S BEEN "REPAIRED" FOR THE SAME PROBLEM FOUR TIMES NOW, SOON TO BE FIVE. THE PROBLEM STARTED LAST YEAR. I HAVE PLACE UPWARDS OF 15 QUARTS OF OIL (ONE QUART OF OIL A WEEK AT TIMES) IN BETWEEN MECHANIC REPAIRS JUST TO SAVE UP MONEY TO BRING IT BACK IN FOR YET ANOTHER REPAIR. NOBODY, INCLUDING BMW SEEMS TO KNOW WHY OR WHERE THE OIL LEAK IS HAPPENING. I HAVE SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON REPAIRS AND AS A CONSUMER AM GETTING TIRED OF IT. *TR

THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE REGARDING THE DOOR LOCKS ON MY 2003 BMW 325 XI. THE DOORS AUTOMATICALLY LOCK WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PLACED INTO GEAR. WHICH I ASSUME IS AS DESIGNED. ? HOWEVER THE DOORS WILL NOT UNLOCK ONCE THE VEHICLE IS PLACED BACK IN PARK (ENGINE RUNNING OR NOT) NEITHER BY MANUAL MANIPULATION OF THE LOCK BUTTONS ON THE DOORS OR BY PRESSING THE DOOR UNLOCK SWITCH ON THE CONSOLE. ? FURTHERMORE, WITH THE SINGLE EXCEPTION OF THE DRIVER?S DOOR, ALL OTHER DOOR LATCHES ARE RENDERED NON-FUNCTIONING (INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE) ? NO ONE BUT THE DRIVE CAN OPEN A DOOR TO EXIT THE VEHICLE ALL DOORS ARE RENDERED INOP, YOU CAN?T OPEN THEM FROM EITHER THIS INSIDE OR THE OUTSIDE O NO, THE CHILD LOCKS ARE NOT ENGAGED. AS A MEMBER OF THE FIRE SERVICE AND FIRE MARSHALL FOR THE CITY OF CARVER, MN I SEE THIS AS A HUGE LIFE SAFETY ISSUE. IF THERE WERE EVER A FIRE, THE OCCUPANTS WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SELF-EXTRICATE (OPEN THE DOOR TO ESCAPE SMOKE AND FIRE). FURTHERMORE, GIVEN THE LIKELIHOOD AND GREAT POTENTIAL FOR RAPID FIRE SPREAD IN CAR FIRES IN GENERAL?. ANY PASSENGERS, CHILDREN/INFANTS STRAPPED INTO IN CAR SEATS IN THE BACK SEATS WOULD MOST CERTAINLY PERISH. BASED ON A MULTITUDE OF CONSUMER COMPLAINTS ON VARIOUS INTERNET BOARDS, I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS TO BE AN ISSUE SPECIFIC TO MY CAR, BUT MUCH BROADER IN SCOPE. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 325XI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL FOUR DOOR LOCKS COULD NOT BE OPENED FROM THE INTERIOR OR EXTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE COMPUTER CHIP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE OF $1000. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 46,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 325XI. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE REVERSING FROM A RESIDENTIAL DRIVEWAY, THE DRIVER'S SIDE TAIL LIGHT FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS WAS MELTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 122,000.

I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 BMW 325XI WHEN THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED SUDDENLY. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT I HIT ANYTHING AND I DID NOT SEE ANY DAMAGE ON THE VEHICLE WHEN I INSPECTED THE CAR AFTER THE DEPLOYMENT. BMW INSPECTED THE CAR AND FOUND SOME DAMAGE UNDERNEATH THE CAR AND CLAIMED THAT THIS DAMAGE CAUSED THE DEPLOYMENT. HOWEVER, I AM ALMOST CERTAIN THAT THIS DAMAGE DID NOT OCCUR AT THE TIME OF THE DEPLOYMENT. BMW WAS NOT INTERESTED IN FURTHER INVESTIGATING MY CASE AND STUCK WITH THE CONCLUSION THAT THE MINOR DAMAGE FOUND UNDERNEATH THE CAR CAUSED THE AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 325XI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TAIL LIGHTS AND THE TURN SIGNAL WOULD FAIL INTERMITTINGLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THERE WAS A FAULTY GROUND WIRE CAUSING THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 325XI. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED THE CONTACT NOTICED THE EXTERIOR WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL INDICATING THE TAIL LIGHTS WERE NOT FUNCTIONING. THE CONTACT STATED THE TAIL LIGHTS AND BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED TO FUNCTION INTERMITTENTLY AND THE WIRES HAD MELTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WHERE THE TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE BULB HOLDER PANEL. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THERE WAS A RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 11V438000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS) THAT MAY BE RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000. UPDATED 02/15/12*LJ UPDATED 02/17/12