Page 3 of 3 · complaints 101–113 of 113

2004 BMW 330i complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2004 record →

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Jan 31, 20113,000 milesMA

IN 2005 WHEN DRIVING MY CAR, THE CAR BEGAN PULLING UNEVENLY, JERKING GENTLY ON ACCELERATION UP A HIGHWAY BRIDGE AND THE PROBLEM PERSISTED TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE. THE IGNITION COILS WERE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. *TR

Exterior Lighting
Filed Oct 15, 201068,000 milesCA

THE REAR TAILLIGHT FAILS ON MY 2004 BMW 330I DUE TO THE BULB HOLDER ASSEMBLY AND ISSUES WITH THE GROUNDING WIRE USED IN THE HARNESS. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON E46 BMW'S AS NOTED IN MANY OWNER FORUMS ONLINE. THE GAUGE OF WIRE USED FOR THE BROWN GROUNDING WIRE IS MUCH LARGER THAN ALL THE OTHER WIRES AND EVENTUALLY THE HEAT MELTS DOWN THE CONNECTOR PINS OR EXPOSES THE PLASTIC BETWEEN THE OTHER CLIPS IN THE HARNESS. *TR

Exterior Lighting
Filed Sep 4, 201098,000 milesVA

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2004 330I ZHP, AND DROVE IT HOME. DIDN'T DRIVE IT AT NIGHT FOR SOME TIME, BUT WHEN I FINALLY DID, FOUND OUT LIGHTING IS VERY DIM, SO MUCH, I HAVE NO CONFIDENCE DRIVING AT NIGHT. I MUST USE FOGLIGHTS ON LOW BEAM, AND HIGH BEAMS WHEN I CAN. FAILURE OCCURS EVERY TIME I DRIVE AT NIGHT, AND THROUGH MY RESEARCH, I FEEL THE REFLECTIVE MATERIAL IN THE BOWLS IS BAKED OFF. THESE LIGHT SHOULD BE BETTER THAN THE HALOGENS I HAD ON MY 325I, BUT THEY ARE NOT. I HAVE NOT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM BECAUSE REPAIRS ARE TOO COSTLY.....AND DO NOT FEEL I SHOULD PAY FOR THE DEFECTIVE HEADLIGHTS. *TR

Exterior Lighting
Filed Jul 27, 201068,000 milesAZ

THE TAIL LIGHTS ON BOTH SIDES OF MY 2004 BMW 330I HAVE STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY (NO TURN SIGNAL OR BRAKE LIGHTS) DUE TO A BURNED WIRE. THIS BEGAN ON THE LEFT SIDE WITH THE TURN SIGNAL LIGHT GOING OUT. WHEN I WENT TO CHANGE THE BULB, I REALIZED THE BULB WAS FINE. LOOKING CLOSER I SAW THAT A WIRE IN THE WIRE HARNESS HAD BURNED AND MELTED THE PLASTIC. IT ALSO MELTED THE METAL ON THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY. THIS WAS A COUPLE MONTHS AGO THAT THIS HAPPENED AND NOW THE RIGHT SIDE HAS DONE THE EXACT SAME THING. I CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL. THE COST TO FIX THE PROBLEM WILL BE $350 PER SIDE. LOOKING ONLINE I SAW THAT BMW ISSUED A SERVICE REPORT (SI B 63 03 06) BECAUSE THE PROBLEM IS SO COMMON. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS MAY BE A FIRE HAZARD AND DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THERE WOULDN'T BE A RECALL. I AM ALSO CONCERNED THAT I DO NOT HAVE AN EXTRA $700 ON HAND TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND AM FORCED TO DRIVE WITH NO TURN SIGNALS OR BRAKE LIGHTS. IT SEEMS LIKE SINCE THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW AND A SAFETY HAZARD, BMW SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE TO FIX IT. *TR

Exterior Lighting
Filed Jun 28, 201080,000 milesNY

2004 BMW 330XI SEDAN (E46) REAR TAIL LIGHT INDICATOR LIGHT CONSISTENTLY COMES ON, EVEN THOUGH THERE IS NO TAIL LAMP FAILURE. DEALER INDICATED IT WAS A BURNT CONTACT, AND SUGGESTED REPAIRING BOTH SIDES. COST FOR BOTH SIDES $254.67. *TR

Exterior Lighting
Filed Jun 24, 201060,000 milesLA

THE ZKW BRAND OF HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE (HID) HEADLIGHTS EQUIPPED IN THE E46 MODEL 3 SERIES BMW SEDAN HAVE A PLASTIC REFLECTOR BOWL IN THE PROJECTOR THAT HAS THE TENDENCY TO HAVE THE CHROME REFLECTIVE PLATING BURNT OFF RENDERING THE HEADLIGHTS ALL BUT USELESS. *TR

Exterior Lighting
Filed May 10, 201070,000 milesVA

THE BI-XENON HEADLAMPS HAVE A DESIGN FLAW WHERE THE PROJECTOR BURNS OUT AND GREATLY REDUCES LIGHT INPUT. THE ONLY WAY TO REMEDY THIS SITUATION IS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY. *TR

Exterior Lighting › Headlights
Filed Mar 19, 2010133,000 milesWV

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 330I. WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH AT NIGHT THE VEHICLE HEAD LAMPS WERE DIM AND HE WAS UNABLE TO SEE AHEAD . THE CONTACT STATED HE REPLACED THE HEAD LAMP BULBS HIMSELF, BUT HE STILL FINDS IT DIFFICULT TO SEE AT NIGHT. HE HAD NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 133,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WERE 134,000. UPDATED 5/20/2010 *CN UPDATED 07/19/10*JB

Visibility › Rearview Mirrors/Devices › Interior
Filed Mar 8, 201084,000 milesFL

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 330XI(N/A). WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING HIS VEHICLE HE NOTICED A LOUD POPPING SOUND, AFTER EXAMINING THE VEHICLE THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE REAR VIEW MIRROR WAS LEAKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE REAR VIEW MIRRIOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE REAR VIEW MIRROR HAD LIQUID MISSING INSIDE OF IT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 84000.

Seat Belts
Filed Aug 26, 200943,000 milesPA

SEAT BELT MALFUNCTION. 2004 BMW WITH 44000 MILES. *TR

Air Bags
Filed Dec 16, 200832,000 milesTX

I HAVE A PROBLEM ABOUT FAULT IN PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM AFFECTING AIRBAG,BELT TENSIONER AND FORCE LIMITER. DURING DRIVING I'VE GOT A WARNING DISPLAYED ON MY HUD. I HAD BROUGHT TWICE TO DEALER,THEY SAID FIXED,BUT AFTER ONE WEEK LATER THE WARNING LIGHT COME BACK AGAIN. THEY KEEP SAID THAT I NEED PAY FOR FIX IT. IS THIS RECALLS PART? I THINK IT IS SAFETY DEFECTS. THIS MODEL:BMW 2004 530I PLEASE HELP. THANKS, *TR

Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed Jul 21, 20041,000 milesFL

THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED OF 20 MPH OR LESS. THE HAS VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, HOWEVER THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *JB

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed May 7, 2004PA

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED ROUGH IDLE WHICH CAUSE IT TO STALL AT INTERSECTIONS, STOP LIGHTS, ETC... *PH *NM

Reading these

NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Full record for the 2004 BMW 330i → · Every 330i year → · How the figures are calculated →