1994 BMW 325

Defect. IN A FMVSS NO. 208 30 MILES-PER-HOUR COMPLIANCE TEST, AN UNBELTED TEST DRIVER DUMMY'S CHEST MAXIMUM RESULTANT ACCELERATION WAS 70.8 G'S, WHICH EXCEEDS THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE VALUE OF 60 G'S. ALSO, THE UNBELTED PASSENGER DUMMY'S LEFT FEMUR MAXIMUM LOAD WAS 2361 LBS, WHICH EXCEEDS MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE VALUE OF 2250 LBS. THE VEHICLES DO NOT COMPLY WITH FMVSS NO. 208, "OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION."

Risk. CONSEQUENCE OF NON-COMPLIANCE: IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT, THE OCCUPANT WILL BE SUBJECTED TO AN INCREASED RISK OF INJURY.

Remedy. ON AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION MODELS ONLY, THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION SUPPORT CROSSMEMBER WITH A CROSSMEMBER USED ON THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION MODEL. ALSO, THE TRANSMISSION REAR BUSHING SUPPORTS WILL BE REPLACED WITH BUSHING HAVING DIFFERENT PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS. THE STEERING COLUMN FRONT SUPPORT BEARING AT THE FIREWALL WILL BE REPLACED WITH A MODIFIED PART USING A TEFLON INNER SURFACE AND TEFLON SPRAY WILL BE APPLIED TO THE COLUMN HOUSING IN THE AREA OF THE BEARING. A BRACE WILL BE ADDED BETWEEN THE KNEE BOLSTER SUPPORT AND THE STEERING COLUMN.

CAR LOST POWER DUE TO PROBLEM WITH TRANSMISSION. CAR HAS 120,000 MILES AND NEW TRANSMISSION WAS ALSO REQUIRED AT 55,000 IN 2000. BMW 3 SERIES TRANSMISSIONS SEEM TO BE DEFECTIVE. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF TRANSMISSIONS SUDDENLY FAILING IN 3 SERIES. *TR

THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE FAILED AT 80,000 MILES. *NM THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT HIS ENGINE WAS NOT REPAIRABLE BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT HOLD OIL . *TC THE ENGINE HAD BEEN WELL MAINTAINED. THE CONSUMER WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT A NEW WATER PUMP WAS NEEDED. *SC *JB

TIRE AT APPROXIMATELY 60 % TREAD REMAINING ON TIRE, THE TREAD PEALED OFF THE CASING AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO UNDER FENDER AND TO RIM OF CAR WHEN TIRE BLEW AND RAN ON RIM OFF ROAD-NO PERSONAL INJURIES. *AK

BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH WAS REPAIRED ONCE UNDER RECALL. CONSUMER STATED THAT THERE WAS A LIGHT COMING ON THAT SAID CHECK BRAKE LIGHT CIRCUIT. CONSUMER STATED THIS LIGHT CONSTANTLY CAME ON. *AK CONSUMER FEELS THE BRAKE SWITCH IS ALSO FAULTY, HOWEVER DEALER WILL NOT REPLACE IT. *SLC

AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON. TOOK TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID AIRBAG CONTROL UNIT FAILED. AIRBAG WON'T DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK *SLC

UNABLE TO UNLOCK STEERING WHEEL AND GEAR SHIFT LEVER WITH KEY UNLESS STEERING WHEEL IS VIOLENTLY PULLED. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THIS PROBLEM MANY TIMES SINCE CAR WAS NEW BUT DID NOT/COULD NOT CORRECT IT.*AK

ALL FOUR DOORS AND DRIVER SEAT RATTLE CONSTANTLY. AFTER NUMEROUS VISITS TO THE DEALER, THE BMW AREA REP FINALLY ORDERED THAT TAPE BE PLACED AROUND THE DOORS. THIS TOOK 4 YEARS TO ACHIEVE AND CURED THE DOOR RATTLES FOR ONE DAY, UPON WHICH THEY RETURNED. BY THE TIME THE AREA REP RETURNED, THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. I HAD TO MOVE AWAY FOR A JOB CHANGE. THE NEXT STEP WOULD HAVE BEEN TO REPLACE RUBBER DOOR SEALS. THE DEALER ALSO DAMAGED THE DRIVER SEAT, CAUSING IT TO RATTLE AND SQUEAK, THE FIRST VISIT TO REPAIR THE DOOR PROBLEM. NEITHER THE DOOR OR SEAT RATTLES HAVE BEEN FIXED TO THIS DAY.*AK

ON CERTAIN STRETCHES OF CALIFORNIA FREEWAYS HAVING A LONG DOWNGRADE WITH CAR TRAVELLING AT 55 MPH, BRAKES FADE, EMIT A SMELL, AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO SLOW OR STOP CAR UNLESS 2 FEET ARE USED ON THE PEDAL. THIS HAPPENED TWICE AT TWO LOCATIONS (I5 GRAPEVINE @ BAKERSFIELD HEADING NORTH, AND I580 NEAR LIVERMORE HEADING EAST).*AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

RECALL #98V-178.000/BMW/COOLANT SYSTEM: RADIATOR CAP MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THREE HOSES TO BLOW. ALSO, HEATER CONTROL VALVE FAILED AND CAUSED STEAM TO ENTER INTO VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. APPROXIMATELY A WEEK OR LESS LATER , A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL NOTICE RECEIVED. NOTIFIED MANUFACTURER, AND WAS INFORMED THAT COOLANT SYSTEM, RADIATOR CAP MALFUCTIONING WAS NOT THE CAUSE OF VEHICLE PROBLEM. SEEKING HELP IN THIS MATTER FROM NHTSA. *AK

DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BROKE FROM THE BASE. NO CLIPS. *AK

THE SPEEDOMETER OF THE CAR SUDDENLY WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE END, PASSING THE MAXIMUM NUMBER, 160 MPH, BUT THE CAR WAS GOING AT ONLY 40 MPH. WHILE THIS HAPPENED, THE ODOMETER OF THE CAR WAS ACCELERATING LIKE IT WAS GOING AT 160+MPH, THAT IS IN ONLY ONE MILE, THE ODOMETER READ LIKE IT HAD TRAVELLED 4-5 MILES. WHILE THIS WAS HAPENNING, THE CAR COULD NOT GO MORE THAN ABOUT 55-60 MPH. AS SOON AS THE RPM TOUCHED 3000, THE ENGINE WOULD SHUT OFF, AND WHEN IT GOT BELOW 3000RPM, IT WOULD GO BACK ON AGAIN. I STOPPED THE CAR, AND STARTED AGAIN, AND THE PROBLEM WAS GONE. A FEW DAYS LATER, I WAS GOING DOWNHILL AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN. THE CAR WAS GOING AT 50 MPH AND THE ENGINE SHUT OFF, AND DID NOT GO BACK ON AGAIN. WHILE THE CAR WAS GOING DOWNHILL AND SPEEDING UP, I WAS ABLE TO START IT AGAIN. THIS PROBLEM DID NOT HAPPEN OCCASIONALLY. I EXPLAINED THAT TO OPEN ROAD BMW AT 731 US HWY 1 SOUTH, EDISON NJ, 08817, TEL 732-985-8450, BUT THEY SAID BECUSE I COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM RIGHT THERE, THERE WAS NO WAY THEY COULD KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR. THE PROBLEM BECAME WORSE MORE THAN A YEAR OR SO LATER, BUT STILL I COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM IN FRONT OF THE DEALER. FINALLY, I TOOK A VIDEOTAPE OF THE PROBLEM, AND PRESENTED IT TO THE DEALER. THEY FIXED THE PROBLEM FOR ME, BUT THEY SAID MY CAR WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY ANYMORE. I KEPT EXPLAINING TO THEM THAT THE ACTUAL MILEAGE OF THE CAR WAS MUCH LESS THAN WHAT IT SHOWED, BUT THEY WOULD NOT CHANGE THEIR MINDS. THEY SAID THE PROBLEM WAS T

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION, CAUSING A COLLISION.

ACCELERATOR LOCKED UP WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ENTER GARAGE, CAUSING A CRASH INTO THE HOUSE. *AK

VEHICLE TOOK OFF BY ITSELF AND THE AIRBAG'S DID NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT.VEHICLE WAS TOTALED.MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. OWNER STATES THAT THERE IS A SAFETY NOTICE CAMPAIGN. *AK

SUDDEN ACCELERATION AT 30 TO 40 MPH WHEN STEERING AND BRAKES WENT BAD. DEALER CAN'T FIND PROBLEM. *AK

WHILE DRIVING EXPERIENCED ENGINE SURGING, AS THOUGH IN NEUTRAL GEAR, ALSO EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION HESITATION WHILE ACCELERATING. *AK *JB

REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM BROKE, CAUSING TEMPORARY LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE.

TRUNK HYDRAULIC LOCKING MECHANISM FAILED 3 TIMES. *TT

WINDSHIELD ARM STRUCK WINDSHIELD CRACKING IT. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT