2003 BMW 3 Series Visibility & Wipers Problems

THE BOTTOM PART OF THE REARVIEW MIRROR 'MORE THAN 50%- HAS BECOME UNUSABLE. SOME KIND OF REDDISH FLUID LEAKS IN AND GRADUALLY IS BLOCKING THE REAR VIEW. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE THE DRIVER CANNOT SEE MOST VEHICLES OR PEDESTRIANS BEHIND US. I REALIZE AFTER SOME INTERNET RESEARCH THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. AS ANOTHER COMPLAINANT ON THIS SITE OBSERVED, 'WE EXPECTED BETTER FROM BMW'. THEY TOLD HIM TO POUND SAND, IT WAS HIS PROBLEM TO FIX AFTER THE WARRANTY PERIOD, AND THEY WOULD ONLY FIX IT IF FORCED TO DO A RECALL (NAMELY, FORCED BY THE PEOPLE ACTING THROUGH THEIR GOVERNMENT.) SO, THUS FAR (13 YEARS) NEITHER BMW NOR THE NHTSA IS WILLING TO ACT ON THIS. SHAME ON BOTH OF YOU. PRAY NOT, BUT EVENTUALLY A POOR DRIVER WILL NOT HAVE REALIZED THAT HIS REAR VIEW MIRROR HAS SO FILLED WITH FLUID THAT HE CANNOT SEE TO THE REAR AT ALL, AND THERE'LL BE SOME HORRIFIC ACCIDENT AS A RESULT. THEN WON'T WE SEE BEVIES OF CORPORATE AND OFFICIAL BOOBIES WRINGING THEIR HANDS AND TELLING THE MEDIA 'HOW COULD THIE HAVE HAPPNED?'

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER AND REAR PASSENGER SIDE WINDOWS WOULD NOT OPEN OR CLOSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE ACTUATOR WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 140,000. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WINDOW REGULATORS WOULD CONTINUOUSLY FAIL. THE FIRST FAILURE OCCURRED ON THE REAR PASSENGER WINDOW, THEN THE FRONT PASSENGER WINDOW AND MOST RECENTLY, THE REAR DRIVER SIDE WINDOW. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 03V160000 (VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS).THE CONTACT STATED THAT BECAUSE HE WAS EXPERIENCING THE EXACT SAME FAILURE, HIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 43,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND IT WAS REPAIRED. HOWEVER, THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW IS NOW MAKING THE SAME NOISE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 47,800 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

WINDSHIELD WIPERS "AUTO" POSITION CAUSES WIPERS TO FAIL TO SUDDENLY FAIL TO OPERATE DURING RAIN CONDITIONS. ALSO, CAN CAUSE DISTRACTING SWEEPS OF THE WIPERS WITH NO RAIN OR WATER, ANYWHERE NEAR THE CAR OR WINDSHIELD SENSOR. ODDLY, DEALERSHIP TECHNICIANS WERE UNABLE TO REPAIR; SERVICE WRITERS REFUSED TO WRITE IT UP AS "NORMAL" OPERATION. BMW FIELD SERVICE ENGINEER NOTED THE WINDSHIELD SENSOR (WHICH ALSO CONTAINS CONTROLS FOR AUTOMATIC LIGHTS) WAS MASSIVELY DELAMINATED FROM THE WINDSHIELD, THUS REQUIRING THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE WINDSHIELD FOR THIS SMALL PART. ISSUES: 1. NORMAL "ERRATIC" OPERATION OF WIPERS (AND AUTOMATIC HEADLIGHTS) IS ACCEPTABLE TO BMW SERVICE WRITERS. 2. WIPERS ARE A CRITICAL SAFETY FUNCTION, YET WITH BMW'S SYSTEM THEY CAN APPARENTLY OPERATE ERRATICALLY DUE TO A BAD SENSOR "BOND" WITH THE WINDSHIELD. 3. THE COST OF A REPLACEMENT WINDSHIELD IS HIGH--OUT OF WARRANTY MANY DRIVERS MAY NOT BOTHER TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE GIVEN THE MASSIVE COST (AND ABSURDITY) OF REPLACING AN OTHERWISE PERFECT WINDSHIELD. THIS COULD LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT IF THE DRIVER WERE TO BE IN THE "AUTO" WIPER FUNCTION WITH A FAILED SYSTEM. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME IF YOU WOULD LIKE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. MARK PETERS PYLT@COMCAST.NET

JUNE 9, 2003 DEAR BMW, I BOUGHT A BRAND NEW 2003 BMW 325CI ON NOVEMBER 8, 2002 FROM ASSAEL BMW DEALER IN MONROVIA, CALIFORNIA. AFTER A MONTH OF OWNING IT, THE CAR STARTED EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS. WHEN I WAS AT A STOPLIGHT OR STOP SIGN AND HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE CAR/ENGINE WOULD SPUTTER, AND IT?S AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION! THIS REALLY FRIGHTENED ME BECAUSE I HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS CAUSING THIS ERRATIC BEHAVIOR. A NEW CAR IS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE PROBLEMS LIKE THAT. THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED WHEN I WAS DRIVING WITH PASSENGERS, AND THIS TIME NOT ONLY DID THE SAME SPUTTERING PROBLEM OCCUR WHEN I BRAKED AT A STOP, BUT THE ENGINE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN AND I HAD TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE AND RESTART THE IGNITION. THE SAME INCIDENT HAS OCCURRED A TOTAL OF 4 TIMES, WITH THE ENGINE SHUTTING OFF BY ITSELF. THE SPUTTERING INCIDENT WITHOUT THE ENGINE SHUTTING OFF BY ITSELF HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 10 TIMES FROM DECEMBER UNTIL THE DAY I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE, WHICH WAS MAY 14, 2003. I DIDN?T TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICING IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE IT DIDN?T SEEM LIKE A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM. BUT THE PROBLEM GOT CONSISTENTLY WORSE, AND AFTER RECEIVING THE BMW RECALL CAMPAIGN LETTER NO. 03V-124: 3-SERIES DME IDLE CONTROL LETTER IN APRIL, 2003 (SEE ATTACHED), I DECIDED TO TAKE MY CAR TO THE ASSAEL BMW DEALER FOR SERVICING. THE RECALL LETTER STATES THAT THE REPAIR RELATED TO THE RECALL WILL CONSIST OF A ?REPROGRAMMING OF THE DIGITAL ENGINE MANAGEMENT CONTROL UNIT AND WILL REQUIRE APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES. I TOOK MY CAR IN ON MAY 14, 2003. ON JUNE 13, ONE MONTH WILL HAVE PASSED SINCE MY CAR HAS BEEN IN SERVICE, AND AS OF NOW MY CAR IS STILL NOT FIXED! I AM VERY UPSET AND DISSATISFIED WITH ASSAEL BMW SERVICE. EVERY TIME I ASK THE THEM WHY MY CAR IS NOT FIXED YET, THEY TELL ME THAT THEY HAD TO ORDER A NEW DIGITAL ENGINE MANAGEMENT CONTROL UNIT, AND THAT IT COMES FROM GERMANY, THUS THE LONG WAIT TIME. I DON?T KNOW IF THE DEALER IS TELLING ME THE TRUTH OR NOT.