Problems · by component
2006 BMW M3 latches/locks/linkages problems
26 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2006 BMW M3 cite latches/locks/linkages, 12% of all 216 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
26
12% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the latches/locks/linkages
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“PASSENGER DOORS WOULD NOT UNLOCK. ALL PASSENGERS NEEDED TO EXIT THROUGH THE DRIVERS DOOR. THIS WOULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE IF IN AN ACCIDENT AND PASSENGERS COULD NOT OPEN DOOR TO EXIT VEHICLE. *TR”
“REAR DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR WOULD NOT ALLOW REAR DOOR TO OPEN. HAD FIXED AND THEN DRIVERS DOOR ACTUATOR FAILED AND WOULD NOT OPEN. COULD NOT GET OUT OF VEHICLE. *TR”
“VEHICLE ELECTRIC DOOR LOCKS (ACTUATORS) DO NOT OPERATE PROPERLY. UNABLE TO EXIT DRIVER'S DOOR FROM INSIDE OF VEHICLE BY PULLING HANDLE. IF THERE WAS A CRASH AND/OR FIRE, THERE WOULD BE NO WAY TO EXIT QUICKLY. COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE ACCORDING TO BMW FORUM IN THE INTERNET (BIMMERPOST). *TR”
“YESTERDAY, THE DOORS ON MY 2006 325I WOULDN'T UNLOCK WITH THE KEY FOB. I USED THE ACTUAL KEY TO ENTER THE CAR AND THE CENTRAL LOCKING/UNLOCKING BUTTON DOES NOT UNLOCK THE DOORS. THE DOOR TO THE GAS TANK IS ALSO LOCKED. THERE IS NO WAY TO UNLOCK ANY OF THE PASSENGER DOORS WHICH POSES A SAFETY HAZARD. IN READING THROUGH ONLINE FORUMS, THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY BMW. THANK YOU. *TR”
“I WENT TO PICK UP MY DAUGHTER FROM MARCHING BAND PRACTICE ON A SATURDAY AFTERNOON. WHEN I PULLED INTO THE PARKING LOT AT HER HIGH SCHOOL AND GOT OUT, I WENT TO LOCK THE DOORS. I HEARD A STRANGE SOUND AND NOTICED THAT THE DRIVERS DOORS WERE LOCKED, THE PASSENGERS DOORS WERE UNLOCKED. THE KEY FOB WOULD NOT WORK ANYMORE ON ANY OF THE DOORS BUT WOULD WORK ON THE TRUNK. I GOT IN THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR AND CRAWLED OVER TO THE DRIVER SIDE AND TRIED THE DOOR AND IT WOULD NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE. THE CENTRAL LOCK BUTTON ALSO WOULD NOT WORK. I CRAWLED OUT AND TRIED THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR WITH THE KEY. IT DID UNLOCK WITH THE KEY. NONE OF THE OTHER DOORS WOULD RESPOND FROM THE INSIDE. AFTER I GOT THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR TO UNLOCK WITH THE KEY, MY KEY FOB WOULD WORK ON THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR ONLY. BECAUSE MY KIDS DECIDED TO "HELP MOM" BY PUSHING THE LOCKS DOWN MANUALLY - NOW ALL OF THE DOORS ARE LOCKED AND WON'T BUDGE EXCEPT THE DRIVERS SIDE. I EFFECTIVELY CAN'T USE THE CAR FOR ANYONE EXCEPT MYSELF BECAUSE NO ONE CAN ENTER - AND MORE IMPORTANTLY EXIT FROM THE CAR EXCEPT FOR CRAWLING OVER SEATS. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION. THERE SHOULD BE SOMEONE WAY TO OPEN THE DOORS…”
“POWER DOOR LOCKS FAILED. NO WAY TO OPEN PASSENGER DOOR EVEN WITH INTERNAL HANDLE. PASSENGER TRAPPED AND HAD TO CRAWL OVER TO DRIVER'S SEAT. WOULD BE A CATASTROPHE IN AN ACCIDENT. *TR”
Showing 6 of 26 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 30, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.