2008 BMW 328XI

DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WOULD NOT UNLOCK. I TRIED TO UNLOCK THE DOOR WITH THE FOB, CENTRAL BUTTON ON THE DASH, AND THE METAL KEY STORED INSIDE THE FOB AND NOTHING WILL UNLOCK THE DOOR. THE ONLY WAY TO GET INTO THE CAR IS TO OPEN THE PASSENGER DOOR AND REACH OVER TO THE DRIVER SIDE AND PULL THE HANDLE. WITH A CHILD IN THE CAR IN A SAFETY SEAT, MY CONCERN IS THAT ALL OF THE DOORS WILL SUBSEQUENTLY FAIL AND I WILL BE UNABLE TO GET MYSELF AND MY CHILD OUT OF THE CAR. I'VE SEEN NUMEROUS REPORTS ONLINE ABOUT THIS VERY SAME ISSUE FOR THIS YEAR MODEL VEHICLE AND TWO YEARS OLDER - EITHER DRIVER'S DOOR ONLY, PASSENGERS DOORS ONLY, OR ALL OF THE DOORS - AND THE ONLY WAY TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE THEN IS THROUGH THE SUNROOF. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

THE POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD REPORTED IN THIS COMPLAINT TAKES PLACE WHEN THE PASSENGERS CANNOT EXIT THE CAR BY OPENING THE DOORS, GETTING TRAPPED INSIDE THE CAR. IT WILL WORSEN TO A CRITICAL LEVEL WHEN THIS FAILURE HAPPENS WITH PASSENGERS WITH LIMITED MOBILITY INSIDE THE CAR OR IN CASE THERE IS A BABY SITTING IN A CHILD SEAT INSTALLED IN THE REAR SEAT. WHEN THE DESCRIBED FAILURE MODE HAPPENS, ALL PASSENGERS WILL NEED TO EXIT THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE SUN ROOF (IF AVAILABLE) OR THROUGH THE WINDOWS. IN CASE OF FIRE THIS COULD BE A LETHAL SAFETY HAZARD FOR ALL PASSENGERS. AND IN CASE OF VOLUMINOUS PERSONS SITTING IN SEATS OTHERS THAN THE DRIVER'S SEAT, IT WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. HOW THE FAILURE HAPPENED: AFTER DRIVING FOR APROX. 10 MINUTES AND HAVING PARKED, THE DOORS OF THE CAR DID NOT UNLOCK. THEY DID NOT UNLOCK EITHER USING THE FOB, NEITHER THE DOOR HANDLE OF THE DRIVER'S DOOR NOR THE UNLOCK BUTTON IN THE CENTRAL DASHBOARD. THE ONLY WAY TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE WAS THROUGH THE SUN ROOF OR CLIMBING OUT THE WINDOW. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS THE DRIVER'S DOOR FINALLY UNLOCK AND COULD BE OPENED. ONCE OUTSIDE THE CAR, I COULD LOCK AND UNLOCK THE DRIVER'S DOOR (BUT NOT ANY OTHER DOOR) MANUALLY WITH THE METAL KEY INSIDE THE FOB. THE OTHER PASSENGER HAD TO EXIT THE CAR THROUGH THE DRIVER'S DOOR. I HAVE BEEN TO A BMW DEALERSHIP AND I MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO REPAIR IT. THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE ISSUE SEEMS TO BE A BLOWN FUSE DUE TO OVER CURRENT IN ONE OF THE ACTUATORS OF ONE OF THE DOORS. THE EFFECT IS THAT THE PASSENGERS CANNOT COME OUT OF THE CAR AS THERE IS NOT ANY MANUAL MECHANISM TO UNLOCK. THERE IS OTHER COMPLAINTS IN NHTSA ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE (FOR EXAMPLE NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10459121). I RECOMMEND THAT NHTSA CONDUCTS A SAFETY INVESTIGATION ABOUT THIS POTENTIAL SAFETY RISK ON THIS OR ANY OTHER AFFECTED MODEL. *TR

I WAS TRAPPED IN THE CAR. THE CARS LOCKS WOULD NOT UNLOCK USING THE UNLOCK BUTTON OR USING THE KEY FOB, NOR WOULD PULLING THE HANDLE UNLOCK OR OPEN THE DOOR. I CALLED BMW ASSIST AND THEY INDICATED THAT THEY HAD HEARD OF SEVERAL SIMILAR ISSUES AND THAT THE ONLY OPTION MAY BE CLIMBING OUT THE WINDOW. VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED AS A CPO FROM A BMW DEALERSHIP APPROXIMATELY 2 MONTHS PRIOR. *TT