2003 BMW M3 problems

“The contact owns a 2003 BMW M3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V018000 (AIR BAGS); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.”

“BRAKE LIGHTS ON BOTH SIDES GETS STUCK ON ONCE THE PEDAL IS PRESSED. THIS PRODUCES NO ERROR CODES. I WAS TOLD IT COULD BE THE BRAKE PEDAL PRESSURE SENSOR SWITCH. I CHANGED THIS AND IT DID NOTHING. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS TO OTHER DRIVERS BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT SURE IF THE CAR IS BRAKING AS THE LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON AND WILL BURN OUT THE BULBS AND MELT THE HOUSING IF CONSTANTLY ON. THIS CAN BE REPRODUCED EITHER WHILE PARKED OR IN MOTION.”

“SMG HYDRAULIC PUMP: I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH IN THE #1 LANE AND MY CAR ALL OF A SUDDEN DROPPED OUT OF GEAR AND MY CAR STARTED TO COAST LOSING SPEED VERY FAST, I LOOKED AT MY SPEEDOMETER AND IT WAS 45 MPH. CARS WERE HONKING AND HIGH BEAMING ME BUT I WAS HELPLESS AND WAS TRYING TO MOVE TO THE RIGHT WITH MY HAZARD LIGHTS ON. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR KICKED BACK INTO GEAR, I WAS ABLE TO ACCELERATE AND EXIT THE HIGHWAY. I WENT TO RESEARCH THE PROBLEM AND FOUND OUT IT IS A VERY COMMON SCARY PROBLEM THESE CARS HAVE. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ON THIS SUBJECT. VERY SCARY SITUATION, I AM GLAD MY KIDS OR WIFE WAS NOT DRIVING THE CAR AT THE TIME. I HOPE BMW STEPS UP TO THE PLATE AND PROACTIVELY TAKES CARE OF THIS BEFORE TRAGEDY STRIKES.”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW M3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHORTED OUT AND ALL THE ELECTRICAL DEVICES FAILED TO WORK. THE VEHICLE DECELERATED WITHOUT WARNING AND THE ENGINE WENT INTO LIMP MODE AND LOST POWER. ALL THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT A NEW BATTERY WAS NEEDED AND A PART ON THE FUSE BOX NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.”

“WINDOWS WERE CLOSED. THERE HAD BEEN A LIGHT RAIN. TEMPERATURE WAS ABOUT 90 DEGREES F. DOORS WERE UNLOCKED. UPON SHUTTING THE IGNITION KEY OFF IN A PARKING LOT, BOTH DOORS LOCKED AUTOMATICALLY AND IMMEDIATELY. LOCK BUTTON ON CONSOLE WAS NOT PUSHED. BOTH DOORS WOULD NOT OPEN, BY USE OF THE BUTTONS ON THE KEYS OR BY THE CONSOLE BUTTON. TWO DIFFERENT KEYS WERE TRIED. THE DOOR HANDLES MOVED, BUT WOULD NOT OPEN THE DOORS. I DON'T BELIEVE THE OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLES WOULD HAVE OPENED THE DOORS EITHER BECAUSE THE DOORS WERE "LOCKED" . THE INSIDE TEMPERATURE OF THE CAR BEGAN TO RISE RAPIDLY SO THE ENGINE WAS STARTED TO PROVIDE AIR CONDITIONING. RESTARTING THE ENGINE SEVERAL TIMES DID NOT CHANGE THE CONDITION OF THE LOCKED DOORS. AFTER 10 TO 12 MINUTES I DECIDED TO LOWER THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW AND USE THE KEY IN THE DOOR LOCK ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE CAR. THIS FINALLY UNLOCKED BOTH DOORS. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN DEADLY IF THERE WAS AN ENGINE FIRE AND I HAD PULL OVER THE CAR AND SHUT THE KEY OFF. THE DOORS MAY LOCK. A DISABLED OR WEAK PERSON MAY NOT HAVE THE STRENGTH TO BREAK THE GLASS OR CLIMB OUT THE WINDOW IF THEY PANIC. I AM VERY SCARED TO USE THE CAR AT THIS POINT...EVEN…”

“REAR SUBFRAME STRUCTURAL DAMAGE PER CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT BACCA V. BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC, CASE NO. [XXX]. I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE FOR MAINTENACE REPAIRS AND INSPECTION AT A PRIVATE REPAIR SHOP AND NOTIFIED ME THAT THERE IS EVIDENCE OF REAR SUBFRAME DAMAGE DURING THEIR INSPECTION. BMW DID NOT NOTIFY ME OF THIS VERY TYPICAL ISSUE OF THEIR BMW 3 SERIES MODELS 1999-2006. THIS IS NOT A TYPICAL ISSUE IN AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURING AND SHOULD BE CONTINUED TO BE ADDRESS BY BMW NORTH AMERICA DUE TO THE COMPROMISE OF SAFETY TO THE OWNERS AND THE PUBLIC OF THESE VEHICLES. I HAVE ATTACHED A PDF OF THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT LETTER REGARDING THE STRUCTURAL ISSUES OF THE AUTOMOBILE. THIS OBVIOUSLY WAS NOT ADDRESSED BY BMW PROPERLY AND SHOULD BE CONTINUED TO BE ADDRESSED AS THE ISSUES ARE STILL RELEVANT UP TO NOW. THIS STILL RAISES A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE THESE MODELS ARE STILL BEING SOLD TODAY. I'VE ALSO ATTACHED A CURRENT PHOTO OF MY VEHICLE THAT SHOWS THE EVIDENCE OF STRUCTURAL DAMAGE UNDER THE REAR SUBFRAME OF THE VEHICLE. I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE YOU HELP IN GETTING THIS ISSUE RESOLVED WITH BMW OF NORTH AMERICA AS SO PREVENT FURTHER DAMAGE AND PREVENT ANY MAJOR ACCIDENT FROM…”