2008 BMW 3 Series complaints

DRIVER EXITED CAR TO PUMP GAS. PASSENGERS REMAINED IN VEHICLE. GAS DOOR COULD NOT BE OPENED AS MAIN DOOR LOCK WAS ENGAGED (THOUGH DRIVERS DOOR WAS UNLOCKED). KEY FOB UNLOCK FUNCTION WOULD NOT WORK TO UNLOCK CAR / GAS CAP. DRIVER PUSHED KEY FOB BUTTONS TO ATTEMPT UNLOCK, DRIVERS DOOR BECAME LOCKED DURING THIS ACTIVITY. NOW NO DOORS COULD BE UNLOCKED. DUE TO FAILURE ALL DOORS EXPERIENCED "2 PULL" DOOR UNLOCK SYSTEM FAILURE, THIS "2 PULL" SYSTEM, THAT IS SUPPOSED TO ENSURE DOORS CAN BE OPENED FROM INSIDE IF LOCK IS ENGAGED APPARENTLY REQUIRE SAME POWER AS GENERAL LOCKING SYSTEM. DRIVER COULD ONLY ENTER CAR BY USING EMERGENCY KEY AND UNLOCKING DRIVER'S DOOR. PASSENGER AND REAR DOORS REMAINED LOCK (AND ARE STILL LOCKED / INOPERABLE DUE TO SYSTEM FAILURE). POWER FAILURE IN DOOR LOCK SYSTEM (OR OTHER ASSOCIATED FAULT) MADE DOOR OPERATION IMPOSSIBLE. ALL DOORS WERE COMPLETELY INOPERABLE FROM THE INSIDE. PASSENGERS COULD NOT EXIT VEHICLE AS DOORS WERE LOCKED AND HANDLES DID NOT WORK. DRIVER COULD NOT ENTER VEHICLE BY KEY FOB UNLOCK FUNCTION. DRIVERS DOOR EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT OPERATION UNTIL SOME KIND OF MANUAL OVERRIDE, OR SOME OTHER SYSTEM CHANGE, MADE DRIVERS DOOR FUNCTIONAL BY "2 PULL" DOOR UNLOCK / OPEN METHOD. IF DRIVER HAD NOT BEEN PRESENT (IE: IN STORE PAYING FOR GAS OR FOR SOME OTHER REASON) PASSENGERS WOULD HAVE BEEN TRAPPED IN CAR. IF ANY PASSENGER HAD BEEN PHYSICALLY DISABLED AND UNABLE TO CRAWL OUT OF CAR VIA DRIVERS DOOR THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO WAY FOR PASSENGER TO E

PASSENGER SIDE FRONT DOOR WINDOW SHATTERED ON MY 2008 BMW 335XI WHILE THE CAR IS PARKED ON A HOT DAY AT AROUND 96 DEGREES OUTDOORS. THE GLASS IS COMPLETELY SHATTERED BUT HELD TOGETHER BY WINDOW TINT FILM. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF IMPACT WITH ANY OBJECT OF ANY KIND ON THE GLASS OR SURROUNDING AREA. THERE IS NO HOLES ON THE GLASS. THIS IS OBVIOUS A CASE OF DEFECTIVE MATERIAL OF THE GLASS. BMW DEALERSHIP DENIED WARRANTY COVERAGE, ALLEGING THERE IS A PIT ON THE GLASS THAT CAUSES THE BREAKAGE. IF WHAT THE DEALERSHIP ALLEGED IS TRUE THEN IS THE WINDOW SUPPOSED TO FAIL COMPLETELY LIKE THIS WITH ONE PIT THAT WAS NOT VISIBLE TO ME? OR IS THE PIT THE RESULT OF DEFECTIVE PRODUCTION OF THE GLASS? *TR

WHEN TRAVELLING ON HARLEM RIVER DRIVE MIDDLE LANE, MY CAR ALL THE SUDDEN DISPLAYED AN ENGINE OVERHEAT LIGHT YELLOW THAT TURNED RED WITHIN 3 SECONDS AND STARTED LOSING POWER (FROM 50-60 MPH TO 1 MPH) WITHIN 5 SECONDS...THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION, AS I DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH WARNING TIME TO PULL TO THE SHOULDER. THE DEALERSHIP IS STATING THAT THIS IS A WATER PUMP FAILURE. I AM AWARE THAT THERE ARE RECALLS ON X5S BUT NOT ON MY CAR. MY FRIEND WHO OWNS THE SAME CAR AND YEAR HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM RESULTING IN THE SAME COST OF REPAIR ($1600). MY VEHICLE ALREADY HAS MANY RECALLS INCLUDING SEAT BELTS, AIR BAGS, AND HIGH PRESSURED FUEL PUMPS. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN TO A CAR THAT HAS BEEN MAINTAINED BY BMW AND JUST OUT OF WARRANTY (LESS THAN 60000 MILES). NOT EVEN 4 YEARS YET. I HAVE OWNED MANY BMWS AND OTHER CARS AND NEVER HAD A WATER PUMP FAILURE THAT CAUSED A DANGER OF THIS MAGNITUDE... I WOULD APPRECIATE IF YOU WOULD INVESTIGATE THE SITUATION TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING TO OTHER OWNERS. *TR

MY 335I 2008 HAS HAD THREE RECALLS ALL RELATED TO THE FUEL SYSTEM. WITH 24,000 MILES IT NOW HAS ISSUES WITH STARTING.I RECENTLY HAVE TAKEN IT BACK TO MY DEALER,LEFT IT FOR FOUR DAYS, PICKED IT UP WITH "CANNOT DUPLICATE CUSTOMER COMPLAINT". IN LESS THAN A WEEK THE START UP HAS GONE FROM THREE TO FIVE UN,UN,UN,UN,UNS TO CRANK. THE CAR IS ABOUT TO GO OUT OF WARRANTY AND I BELIEVE THAT BMW KNOWS THERE ARE SERIOUS PROBLEMS AND IS REFUSING TO REPAIR UNTIL THEY ARE ABLE TO GET REPAIRS INCOME. I GUESS I SHOULD HAVE CANCELLED MY SPECIAL ORDER WHEN TWO WEEKS BEFORE DELIVERY THEY CALLED AND SAID MY CAR HAD ARRIVED IN US BUT WOULD NOT BE RELEASED DUE TO "ENGINE COMPRESSION PROBLEMS". ALL OTHER ISSUES I HAVE ASKED TO BE REPAIRED ARE NOT WITH DEALER NOTING "CANNOT DUPLICATE CUSTOMER COMPLAINT". AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. I HAVE CALLED AND EMAILED BMW AND DEALER NO ONE RESPONDED. AND LET'S NOT EVEN GET TO THE TIRES! *TR

SERIOUS PROBLEM, I CAN NOT DRIVE AND CAN NOT REPLACE BLOWOUT, BROKEN RUN FLAT TIRES FROM BRIDGESTONE ON MY '08 BMW 328I. IT'S THE 4TH WARRANTY COVERAGE REPLACEMENT IN 6MONTHS BUT THIS TIME IT IS OUT OF STOCK AT MY COSTCO TIRE WHERE I PURCHASED THEM AND WAS TOLD BY THE MAKER, BRIDGESTONE TIRES THAT THERE'S 18,000+ BACKORDERS ON THESE TIRES AND THEY HAVE NO IDEA ON ETA. *TR

2008 BMW 328I STALLS WHILE DRIVING. ONCE STALLED UNDER POWER AS I WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN ACROSS TRAFFIC - DEALER SAID NO CODE WAS THROWN SO THEY WERE UNABLE TO ADDRESS. THE OTHER STALLS HAVE NOT DURING SLOWDOWN PERIOD, NOT AS CRITICAL BUT THEY COME WITH NO WARNING WHATSOEVER WHICH IS DANGEROUS! NO ACCIDENT FROM IT YET BUT I NO LONGER FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR. FIRST OCCURRENCE IN 2010, TWO MORE RECENTLY DEC 2010 & JAN 2011. *LN

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW 320I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ELECTRONIC KEYS FAILED AND PASSENGER SIDE DOORS WOULD NOT LOCK; THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR WAS THE ONLY ONE TO UNLOCK. THE PASSENGERS HAD TO EXIT FROM THE DRIVER SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED (REPAIRS WERE UNKNOWN) UNDER WARRANTY. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 20,000.

MY 2008 BMW 328I, STILL UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY, REQUIRED A NEW BATTERY. I WAS DENIED WARRANTY/MAINTENANCE COVERAGE FOR THE BATTERY DUE TO MY 'DRIVING PROFILE' - I DROVE MORE THAN 100 TRIPS OF LESS THAN 5KM IN THE LAST 36 DAYS. HOWEVER, I DROVE A TOTAL OF 2420 MILES IN THE LAST 32 DAYS, AS INDICATED ON TWO CAR REPAIR RECEIPTS. BMWNA STATED THAT DUE TO ME DRIVING SUCH SHORT DISTANCES, THE BATTERY WAS UNABLE TO CHARGE PROPERLY. THIS SOUNDS LIKE AN ENGINEERING DEFECT, NOT A DRIVER-RELATED ISSUE. *TR

UPON MOUNTING NEW TIRES ON MY 2008 BMW 328I CONVERTIBLE (W/ SPORT PKG) AT BIG O TIRES IN DANVILLE, CA, THE TECHNICIANS INFORMED ME THAT BOTH OF MY REAR WHEELS WERE CRACKED, AND THEY COULD NOT MOUNT THE NEW TIRES ON THE VEHICLE. UPON INSPECTION AT BMW OF SAN FRANCISCO, MY SERVICE ADVISOR TOLD ME THAT IT WAS IN THEIR OPINION THAT AN "IMPACT" FROM A POTHOLE OR OTHER IRREGULAR ROAD SURFACE CAUSED THE CRACKS IN BOTH REAR WHEELS AND THAT WARRANTY COVERAGE IS DENIED. UPON MY OWN INVESTIGATION, I FOUND SEVERAL OTHER BMW CUSTOMERS DESCRIBE A SIMILAR CONCERN ON WWW.BIMMERFEST.COM, AS WELL AS AN INVESTIGATION PERFORMED BY THE BBC IN OCTOBER OF 2009. FOR BBC'S ARTICLE, PLEASE REFER TO HTTP://WWW.BBC.CO.UK/BLOGS/WATCHDOG/2009/10/BMW_ALLOY_WHEELS.HTML . *TR

2008 BMW 328I. CONSUMER STATES WHEN POWER IS LOST TO THE DOORS, FOR ANY REASON, THE PASSENGER DOORS REMAIN LOCKED WITH NO WAY TO OPEN THEM FROM THE INSIDE OR THE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE *TGW THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR OPENED FROM THE INSIDE WHEN THE HANDLE WAS PULLED. *JB

2008 BMW, ELECTRONIC DOOR LOCKS STUCK IN LOCKED POSITION, MUST OPEN DRIVER SIDE DOOR WITH VALET KEY. REMAINING DOORS STUCK IN LOCKED POSITION, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR PASSENGERS TO LEAVE VEHICLE IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. RELATED PROBLEM IS THAT GAS CAP (WHICH LOCKS WHEN DOORS ARE LOCKED) WILL ALSO NOT OPEN. *TR

ON THREE OCCASIONS SINCE I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE NEW, WHILE DRIVING AND ACCELERATING THE ENGINE CUTS OUT AND RPM'S SUDDENLY DROP. THE DATE REFERENCED BELOW WAS THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE SINCE THEN. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE IN ALL THREE TIMES. THEY CHANGED SOME PARTS, BUT THIS CONTINUES TO HAPPEN. AT ONE TIME, I WAS TRY TO GET THROUGH AN INTERSECTION WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT, IT WAS SCARY. ANOTHER TIME WAS CHANGING LANES ON A HIGHWAY. THIS SEEMS TO BE INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. *TR

CONTINENTAL RUN FLAT TIRES NEW WITH NEW 328I BMW SEDAN PURCHASED IN 2008 HAD TREAD WORN DOWN AFTER 8100 MILES, AS NOTICED WHEN VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT IN FOR SERVICING. TIRES WERE REPLACED BY DEALER. RESEARCH ON THE WEB SHOWED A LARGE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS REPORTING SIMILAR PROBLEMS: HTTP://WWW.BMWRUNFLATTIRE.COM; HTTP://FORUMS.AUTOMOTIVE.COM/70/6318820/BMW/BMW-RUN-FLAT-TIRES/INDEX.HTML. *TR

THE 08 BMW M3 WITH THE DCT TRANSMISSION STALLS IN 2ND GEAR WHEN GOING AROUND TURNS CAUSING NEAR COLLISIONS. BMW HAS NOT FIXED THIS PROBLEM AS OF YET. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY IN DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES, THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE BEGAN MAKING INTERMITTENT NOISES AND SHAKING. ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE WAS A LOUD BAND COMING FROM THE REAR END AND THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO SLOW (IN HEAVY LOS ANGELES TRAFFIC). I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE OFF OF THE FREEWAY AND PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WOULD ONLY PULL FORWARD OR BACKWARD FOR A FEW FEET BEFORE STOPPING. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, STEVE THOMAS BMW IN CAMARILLO, CA. THIS HAPPENED ON FRIDAY. WHEN THEY FINALLY GOT AROUND TO EXAMINING THE VEHICLE ON MONDAY, THEY SAID IT WASN'T COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AS THE REAR BREAKS HAD DISINTEGRATED FROM THE EMERGENCY BRAKE BEING ON. THEY ACCUSED ME OF DRIVING THE VEHICLE WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ON. I NEVER USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND AM THE ONLY DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE. THE CAR IS 5 MONTHS OLD AND HAS ONLY 5000 MILES ON IT. I TOLD SERVICE WRITER THAT EMERGENCY BRAKE IS NEVER USED AND EVEN IF IT HAD BEEN, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A SIGNAL AND SOUND WARNING. HE SAID HE CHECKED WARNING LIGHT AND SOUND AND IT WAS WORKING. STILL ACCUSED ME OF DRIVING WITH EMERGENCY BRAKE ON. THERE IS SOMETHING FAULTY WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE THAT CAUSED THIS. *TR

A LITTLE WHILE BACK AN ERROR MESSAGE CAME UP ON THE DASHBOARD OF MY CAR SAYING THERE WAS A MALFUNCTION WITH THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR. NOT LONG AFTER, I LEFT MY OFFICE ONE NIGHT; I GET IN MY CAR WITH MY COWORKER AND BEGIN DRIVING. AS I DROVE WE BOTH HEARD A SCREECHING NOISE FROM MY CAR AND THE CAR WAS STRUGGLING TO ACCELERATE, CARS BEHIND ME BEGIN TO HONK AND DRIVE AROUND ME LEAVING ME IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHERE A CAR MAY HIT ME OR MY CAR. I WAS STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC WITH MY CAR ALMOST COMPLETELY DISABLED. THE NEXT DAY I HAD THE CAR PICKED UP FROM MY HOME AND DROPPED OFF BY A SERVICE CENTER. THEY CALL ME A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER SAYING THERE WAS DAMAGE DONE TO ALL THE TIRES OF THE CAR AND THE PRESSURE MONITOR FOR THE TIRES. THE TIRES FOR THIS CAR ARE SPECIAL TIRES WITH PRESSURE MONITORS TO INDICATE WHEN THEY ARE LOW ON PRESSURE OR FLAT. I'VE ONLY PUT 6500 MILES ON THE CAR AND DRIVEN IT WITH A LOT OF CARE UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS. THE SERVICE CENTER IS SAYING I INFLICTED THE DAMAGE AND THEY WANT ME TO PAY FOR IT. I HAD BEGUN SPEAKING WITH FRIENDS WHO HAVE THE SAME CAR AND THEY ALL SAID THEY ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE LOOK INTO THE SITUATION AND RESPOND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THIS CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS. *TR

GO HERE FOR THE ENTIRE STORY: WWW.BMWFIRE.COM I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2008 BMW 328I FOR $38,000 FROM SONNEN BMW IN SAN RAFAEL, CALIFORNIA. THE CAR HAD A SERIOUS MANUFACTURERS DEFECT THAT CAUSED AN ELECTRICAL FIRE AND RESULTED IN MY CAR BEING TOTALED. I HAD MULTIPLE ISSUES WITH THE FRONT PASSENGERS SIDE FOG LIGHT FALLING OUT OF ITS CASING INTO THE LOWER CORNER OF THE BUMPER WHICH CAUSED THREE SEPARATE FIRES. BMW HAS REFUSED TO REPLACE MY VEHICLE THAT HAD 11,500 MILES AND IS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. AT THE END OF JUNE 2008 I FIRST REALIZED THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED UPON A CLOSER INSPECTION OF THE EXTERIOR OF THE CAR. I BROUGHT THE CAR RIGHT AWAY TO SONNEN BMW'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT, AS I WAS WORRIED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE. I SHOWED THEM WHAT HAPPENED, BUT THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD NO AVAILABLE APPOINTMENTS UNTIL TWO WEEKS OUT AND THAT MY CAR WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. TWO WEEKS LATER I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE TO SONNEN'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT, THEY "VERIFIED THE DEFECT" AS STATED IN THEIR SERVICE RECORDS. THEY REPLACED THE COMPLETE FRONT BUMPER AND SUPPOSEDLY RE SECURED THE FOGLIGHT. ALL OF THIS WAS COVERED UNDER BMW'S WARRANTY AS IT WAS A MANUFACTURES DEFECT. I ASKED TOM MURTHA (MY SERVICE ADVISOR) WHY THIS HAD HAPPENED, HE TOLD THAT BECAUSE THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO IMPACT DAMAGE, THE ONLY WAY THIS COULD HAVE OCCURRED WAS A MISTAKE WHEN BUILDING THE VEHICLE AT THE FACTORY. I THOUGHT ALL OF MY PROBLEMS WERE SOLVED UNTIL A FOGGY DAY IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA. ON OCTOBER 25TH, 2008 AT APPRO

I TOOK THE VEHICLE FOR THE FOLLOWING SYMPTOMS: 1.) LONG(ER) CRANK 2.) ENGINE MALFUNCTION, REDUCED POWER 3.) SERVICE ENGINE SOON 4.) HEAVY, ERRATIC SHAKING AND SHUDDERING 5.) ENGINE SOUNDED LIKE A UNION PACIFIC TRAIN WITH LOUD PUMPING SOUND 6.) BECAUSE OF 4 + 5, DECIDE TO TURN-OFF THE ENGINE OR SOMETIMES IT JUST STALLS BEFORE 7.) AFTER RESET, THE CAR BECOMES DRIVABLE BUT SYMPTOMS WILL REOCCUR. 8.) ABLE TO RECREATE PROBLEM WHEN I MASH THE GAS AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ON AN AUTO FORUM, I SUSPECTED THAT THE CAUSED OF THE PROBLEM WAS A FAILING HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP. THE DEALERSHIP KEPT THE CAR FOR 3 DAYS TO RUN SOME TESTS AND CONCLUDED THAT THE FUEL PUMP WAS THE PROBLEM. SINCE THEY REPLACE THE PART, THE CAR HAS NOT BROKEN DOWN AGAIN. HOWEVER, THEY INTRODUCE ANOTHER PROBLEMS. 1) THE CAR'S EXHAUST NOISE IS MUCH LOUDER NOW 2) THE CAR IS LESS FUEL EFFICIENT, LOWER MILES PER GALLON 3) THE CAR NOW HAS A TURBO LAG WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY NON-EXISTENT. THIS MEANS BMW IS FALSELY ADVERTISING THE 335I TWIN-TURBO HAS ZERO LAG. THIS WAS TRUE BEFORE THEY UPDATED THE CAR'S SOFTWARE BUT IS NOT LONGER TRUE AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME. *TR