2004 BMW X3

A PIECE OF THE STRUT COIL SPRING FELL OFF WHILE MY CAR WAS PARKED. IT APPEARS TO BE RUSTED AND JUST CRACKED OFF. I RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP SHOWING THEM THE PIECE I FOUND AND THEY ADVISED THAT THIS IS A NORMAL OCCURRENCE AND IT WILL COST ME OVER $500.00 TO HAVE THIS REPAIRED. I ONLY HAVE 57,000 MILES ON MY CAR AND I DON'T FEEL THAT I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS AS THE COIL APPEARS TO BE DEFECTIVE. *JB

I PURCHASED A 'CERTIFIED" BMW 330I IN DECEMBER OF 2006 AND HAVE HAD THE FUEL PUMP REPLACED, INSTRUMENT CARRIER REPLACED, BOTH PASSENGER WINDOW REGULATORS REPLACED, SUNROOF REPAIRED, HEADLINER REPAIRED (IT JUST FELL DOWN ONE DAY). THE CAR WON'T START RIGHT UP, AND WHEN IT DOES IT RUNS REAL HARD AND THE RPM GOES UP SUDDENLY, THE CAR TAKES A MINUTE BEFORE IT WILL EVEN MOVE & THEN IT DOES SO FAST! I HAVE HAD IT IN SEVERAL TIMES WITH THIS COMPLAINT AND THEY CAN'T DIAGNOSE WHAT'S WRONG WITH IT. I WAS TOLD THAT THE COMPUTER ISN'T SHOWING ANYTHING, SO IT WILL HAVE TO GET WORSE BEFORE THEY CAN DIAGNOSE IT. WOW! I'VE ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR 8 MOS. AND I'VE BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP MORE TIMES THAN I CAN REMEMBER. I'D LIKE TO KNOW HOW THEY DETERMINE A CAR TO BE CERTIFIED? IT SURE DOESN'T SEEM AS THOUGH IT WAS CHECKED TOO THOROUGHLY TO ME. AND OH DID I MENTION I HAD TO TAKE IT TO GOODYEAR TODAY FOR DEFECTIVE TIRES, THAT BMW WOULDN'T COVER. THANKS GOODYEAR AT LEAST YOU STAND BEHIND YOUR PRODUCTS! THIS IS MY 2ND BMW AND MY LAST! PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SHARE THIS TO BMW OF NORTH AMERICA!!! *TR

FAILURE OF CRANKCASE VENTILATION VALVE IN 2004 3 SERIES BMW. THIS FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY MOISTURE BUILD UP IN THE VALVE, WHICH THEN FROZE AT AN EXTREMELY COLD TEMPERATURE, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SEIZE. APPARENTLY, BMW HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, AS THE REPLACEMENT VALVE IS "RE-ENGINEERED". APPARENTLY, THIS PROBLEM ONLY OCCURS IN THE SIX CYLINDER ENGINE, AT EXTREMELY LOW TEMPERATURE, AND IN CARS WHICH ARE USED ONLY IN "SHORT TRIPS". THE CAR HAS BEEN DOWN FOR OVER TWO WEEKS, AWAITING PARTS. *NM

I HAVE A 2004 330CI WITH A 6 SPD TRANSMISSION. THIS HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST BUT THIS PAST WEEKEND MY CAR WAS IN IDLE IN TRAFFIC. MY VEHICLE WOULD DO ROUGH IDLING AND THE ENGINE RPM WOULD DIP THEN SURGE EVENTUALLY LEADING THE CAR TO LOSE ENGINE POWER AND DIE. THIS CAN BE A SAFETY CONCERN WHEN THERE IS A POSSIBLY OF SOMEONE REAR ENDING YOU IF THE CAR JUST LOSES ENGINE POWER. IT'S NOT A HUMAN PROBLEM BUT ENGINE DEFECT. *NM

AS I WAS DRIVING MY 2004 BMW X3 DURING COLD WEATHER, I SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. I PULLED MY CAR OVER, TURNED OFF THE HEAT AND CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD. THE SMELL HAD DISSIPATED AND I COULD SEE NO SMOKE OR ANY EVIDENCE OF FIRE. I RESTARTED THE CAR WITH THE HEATER TURNED OFF, AND SHORTLY AFTER, FELT A STRONG BURNING SENSATION ON MY HIP AND REALIZED THAT MY COAT WAS ON FIRE. I STOPPED THE CAR AND JUMPED OUT AND USED A LARGE BOOK TO SMOTHER THE FIRE ON THE DRIVER'S SEAT. FIELD'S BMW IN NORTHBROOK, IL TOOK THE CAR BACK THAT SAME DAY, AND THE NEXT DAY CONFIRMED A SEAT HEATER FIRE. I WENT TO MY DOCTOR TO CONFIRM THE BURN ON MY LEG. AS OF TODAY, FEB. 1, I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY OFFER, SETTLEMENT, OR SATISFACTION FROM BMW. I CALLED BMW NORTH AMERICA MYSELF, AND RECEIVED A RETURN CALL FROM JAY HANSEN, WHO SEEMED RESPONSIVE, BUT I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM HIM SINCE. AMAZINGLY, SINCE THE DAY AFTER THE FIRE, WHEN THEY CALLED TO CONFIRM THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS THE SEAT HEATER, I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM THE DEALERSHIP. *JB

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILED DRIVING ON THE MORNING OF 01/17/06, THE THERMOSTAT ON HER SEATS TURNED ON HIGH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING AND PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. SHE THEN TURNED OFF THE HEATER IN THE VEHICLE AND OPENED THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE FOUND NOTHING WRONG. SHE GOT BACK IN THE VEHICLE AND STARTED DRIVING WITHOUT THE CAR HEATER ON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ABOUT 1/2 MILE LATER SHE FELT BURNING ON HER LEGS. SHE JUMPED OUT THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THE DRIVER SEAT WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE BURNED THROUGH THE LEATHER. THE CONTACT CALLED THE BMW DEALERSHIP AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THE WIRES IN THE SEAT HAD MALFUNCTIONED. THE DEALERSHIP WOULD REPAIR THE VEHICLE OR END THE LEASE ON HER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DEALERSHIP HAS OFFERED TO TAKE CARE OF ANY MEDICAL EXPENSES AND REPLACE HER CLOTHING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DEALERSHIP DID INFORM HER THAT THIS FAILURE HAS HAPPENED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. *JB

SE HA DANADO EL CARRO 5 VECES PORQUE CADA CIERTO TIEMPO EL CARRO NO QUIERE PRENDER, SE HA LLEVADO EN GRUA AL SERVICIO DE BMW Y SE TARDAN MUCHO EN ARREGLARLO, YA EL CARRO VA A PERDER GARANTIA Y ME HANDICO DE PARTE DE AUTOGERMANA BMW Q DE PERDERSE LA GARANTIA YO CUBRIRIA LOS GASTOS DE AHI EN ADELANTE, EL CARRO TIENE PROBLEMAS, ADICIONAL A ESO EN UNA DE LAS OCASIONES SE QUEDARON CON UNA DE LAS LLAVES MASTER Y AL CAMBIAR DE GERENCIA NO ME LA QUIEREN DEVOLVER, DICEN Q NO SABEN NADA. *NM

I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY 2004 BMW X3 2.5L SAV IN WHERE THE AIRBAG LIGHT FOR THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WILL ILLUMINATE INDICATING THAT THE AIRBAG HAS BEEN DEACTIVATED WHILE MY WIFE IS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. I HAVE BROUGHT MY TRUCK INTO THE DEALERSHIP (JMK BMW IN SPRINGFIELD, NJ) ABOUT 4 TIMES AND UNFORTUNATELY EACH TIME THE ISSUE HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. I CONTACTED BMW OF NORTH AMERICA TO REPORT THE PROBLEM. THEY WERE IN CONTACT WITH MY DEALER AND EVEN REQUESTED TO HAVE MY TRUCK BROUGHT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT ON MORE TIME (BY THIS TIME IT WOULD BE THE 4TH TRIP BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE SAME PROBLEM). AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS THE DEALERSHIP CALLED ME STATING THAT THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN FIXED. BUT IT HAS NOT. I REPORTED THE ISSUE AGAIN TO BMW OF NORTH AMERICA AND A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER THEY TOLD ME THAT THE HAVE USED EVERY POSSIBLE SOLUTION ON MY TRUCK AND THAT THERE IS NOTHING MORE THAT CAN BE DONE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. THAT??S RIGHT! BMW OF NORTH AMERICA TOLD ME THAT THERE'S NOTHING MORE THEY CAN DO. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD ENGINEERS FROM GERMANY LOOK INTO THE ISSUE, THEY HAVE HAD NUMEROUS TECHNICIANS SIT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT TO SEE IF THE AIRBAG INDICATOR ILLUMINATES (MIND YOU THEY PROBABLY WEIGH AT LEAST 75LBS MORE THEN MY WIFE), THEY MOVED THE SENSORS ON THE SEAT, REPLACED THE SENSORS, AND MORE. YET THE PROBLEM REMAINS. I HAVE COMMUNICATED WITH THE MANAGER AT THE PARTS AND SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF THE DEALERSHIP AND I AM WAITING WORD BACK TO SEE WHAT THE NEXT STEP IS IN REGARDS TO MY PROBLEM BECAUSE I WILL NO ACCEPT THE FACT THAT BMW OF NORTH AMERICA IS TELLING ME THAT THERE IS NOTHING MORE THAT CAN BE DONE TO FIX A PROBLEM THAT THEIR PRODUCT IS HAVING. I HOPE THIS INFORMATION HELPS YOU AS I HOPE IT WILL HELP ME IN GETTING MY PROBLEM FIXED AND HOPEFULLY GET THIS INFORMATION OUT THERE TO OTHER DRIVERS OF THE X3 TO MAKE SURE THEY KNOW OF THIS ISSUE AND TRY AND GET IT FIXED RIGHT AWAY. *JB