Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | |||
| 10/01/2011 | 70000 | 1 | |
| The central locking system intermittently fails to operate; problem is influenced by temperature extremes (hot and cold); symptoms vary from requiring the driver to lock and unlock the vehicle several times before the doors will unlock to a complete failure of all doors to unlock. when the problem manifests itself, the central electric door lock button (mounted in the center console beside the hazard light switch) is inoperable. bmw crash safety features include mechanical disconnect of door latches when locked; when this particular problem manifests, sometimes the passenger side doors will remain mechanically disconnected, meaning that the doors cannot be opened at all. in a worst case scenario, if the driver's side of the vehicle unusable for escape due to damage or being blocked, the only way to escape from the vehicle is by smashing windows. bmws are not equipped with a glass break device. the problem seems to be a body module called the gm5, which is mounted above/in front of the glove box; all lock power circuits run through this module; the problem seems to be a voltage drop in the module, resulting in insufficient voltage to the lock mechanisms, as you can hear the locks attempting to cycle when and can see the lock buttons moving when the key fob is used in an attempt to unlock the doors. a google search of the terms bmw,doors won't unlock gets at least 10 pages of results on the issue, including several that identify the gm5 module as the cause of the problem and ways to fix it. repair requires a new gm5 module that needs to be programmed prior to install. | |||
| 06/24/2011 | 140000 | ||
| The doors will not unlock in my 2003 325i 4 door sedan. apparently, a module goes bad and could trap people in the car with no way to get out. | |||
| 08/10/2010 | 106000 | ||
| The drivers side door would not open either with the keyless remote or by pulling on the door handle inside the car (the windows were down so i could reach inside) i had to open the passenger door and climb across the seat to get into the driver's seat. the button between the seats to unlock all of the doors also failed to open any of the locks. the hazard light switch beside it still worked, so i know the problem isn't due to that faulty switch. this door locks returned to normal after driving the car about 30 minutes and it hasn't yet returned in the five days since. | |||
| 12/01/2009 | 74000 | 1 | |
| Gm5 locking module for 2003 bmw e46. all four lock would not unlock or lock on the remote or switch inside the car. i had to either wait in the heat or cold outside while waiting for the locking system to respond. if there are children in the car and you cannot get to in time because of the lock/unlock issue, it can be fatal for others. *tr | |||
| 11/23/2009 | 70000 | 1 | |
| 2003 bmw 325i 4-door sedan - problem: electric door locks will not always unlock with key fob. persistent with colder ambient temperatures (less than 65 degrees f). i can unlock drivers door with key, but no other doors unlock. issue: the door locks double-lock meaning when doors are locked, they can't be opened from outside or inside (by pulling on handle). the only door that unlocks with interior handle pull is drivers door. if vehicle is in an accident my passengers will not be able to unlock their doors to exit vehicle! they are basically locked inside. this is a big safety issue, especially if there is a danger of fire or some other event that necessitates quickly exiting the car. my research: i've basically narrowed it to the gm5 module that controls the door locking and unlocking. this module controls some other vehicle functions as well. the door locking function works great, but unlocking is sporadic with ambient temperature fluctuations. opinion: there should be an investigation opened on this issue. reading several bmw user forums this appears to be a common problem across many vehicle years. the double-locking door locks are a nice anti-theft feature, but are dangerous if the system malfunctions. bmw must acknowledge a defect is present in the gm5 module and take appropriate action. *tr | |||