Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||
| 03/04/2013 | 63000 | ||
| Car only has 63,000 miles. the aluminum bolts for the valve cover and the head bolts sheared off while driving. stopped at a red light and car starts to shake, check engine sign lights, oil sign lights, once i gave it gas. oil is leaking from car. car is towed and mechanic shows me damage. broken aluminum bolts fell inside of engine. bolt is wedged between timing chain and gear. the engine is destroyed. known defect for 2006 models, but bmw north america will not cover damage. have called bmw north america three times now. bmw switched bolt type in following years. others reporting same problem. safety hazard. what if i was on a busy highway when my car stopped? car will never be the same. bmw needs to admit to their mistake and cover the damages. a recall should be put in place for the bolts. just ridiculous that a company known for quality will do this to their customers. i hope the dot takes it upon themselves to hold bmw accountable. others with the same problem, please email me at bosstab4@aol.com . looking for a potential resolution. | |||
| 11/23/2011 | 63000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2006 bmw 325i. the contact stated that the vehicle was leaking oil through the head gasket. in addition, the sun roof cloth detached from the vehicle. the contact also stated that the steptronic transmission gears would not engage in ds or manual, only drive. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised the contact that there were no recalls for the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure who offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 63,000. kmj | |||
| 11/23/2011 | 63000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2006 bmw 325i. the contact stated his vehicle was leaking oil through the head gasket. the shade that has the cloth over the sun roof came off. the step tronic transmission gears will not go into ds or manual it will only go into drive. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated there are no recalls or warranty. the dealer informed him all this failure will be an expense to the contact. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified who offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 63,000. mw | |||
| 08/10/2011 | 66000 | ||
| Heads of head bolts broke off. normal slow, short commute driving. exaust smoking. | |||
| 09/16/2011 | 93900 | ||
| Heads of head bolts broke off. oil leaking & exaust smoking. normal driving with no auto modifications and regular maintenance. | |||
| 08/10/2011 | 66000 | ||
| Heads of head bolts broke off. normal slow, short commute driving. exaust smoking. | |||
| 09/16/2011 | 93900 | ||
| Heads of head bolts broke off. oil leaking & exaust smoking. normal driving with no auto modifications and regular maintenance. | |||
| 08/10/2011 | 66000 | ||
| Heads of head bolts broke off. normal slow, short commute driving. exaust smoking. | |||
| 09/16/2011 | 93900 | ||
| Heads of head bolts broke off. oil leaking & exaust smoking. normal driving with no auto modifications and regular maintenance. | |||
| 08/10/2011 | 66000 | ||
| Heads of head bolts broke off. normal slow, short commute driving. exaust smoking. | |||
| 09/16/2011 | 93900 | ||
| Heads of head bolts broke off. oil leaking & exaust smoking. normal driving with no auto modifications and regular maintenance. | |||
| 08/10/2011 | 66000 | ||
| Heads of head bolts broke off. normal slow, short commute driving. exaust smoking. | |||
| 09/16/2011 | 93900 | ||
| Heads of head bolts broke off. oil leaking & exaust smoking. normal driving with no auto modifications and regular maintenance. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 12/02/2010 | 62000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2006 bmw 325i. the contact stated that transmission fluid is leaking from the transmission pan. the vehicle had also started to make a ticking sound and jerked when it was put into park. the dealer stated the transmission pan and filter needed to be replaced. the dealer stated the pan is made of plastic and the pan has a tendency to get warped. the contact feels this is manufacturer defect because the vehicle is only four years old. the contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who said the transmission fluid is leaking from above the transmission pan from the engine as well. the failure mileage was 62000 and the current mileage was 66000.rl | |||
| 10/31/2008 | 30000 | 1 | |
| I was driving about 10 mph in traffic on friday, oct. 31, 2008, at 5 p.m., in houston,when my 2006 bmw 325i began smoking in the passenger compartment and burst into flames by the time i got it parked. i first noticed the air conditioner was not functioning properly and then smoke immediately began filling the car. the car was totaled by the time the hfd arrived. the car was in good condition and had no recent service or problems. it had no previous electrical problems. the ac just began blowing warm air, and smoke started pouring into the compartment from above and below the dashboard - not from the ac. the car was running fine until it burst into flames. it had to be a mechanical defect or an electrical short of some kind. *tr | |||
| POWER TRAIN - CLUTCH ASSEMBLY | |||
| 04/09/2006 | 1500 | 4 | 03/11/2006 |
| I recently bought a 2006 bmw 330 xi with a manual gear shift. the design of the clutch and brake pedals is such that one can accidentally step on both the clutch pedal and the arm of the break pedal while depressing the clutch, this causes the car to stop suddenly and unexpectedly. it has occurred to me when crossing intersections and most recently, while my wife was merging into expressway traffic, this is a serious accident waiting to happen. the car was reviewed by the dealer and i spoke to a representative from bmw, they insist that this is the way the car was designed and they cannot do anything about it. also, when you depress the clutch with the middle of your foot, the end of your toe can slide between the clutch and brake arms, this interferes with the action of the break pedal. my wife an i are experienced stick shift drivers, we have been driving manual stick shift cars for 40 years, this is the first time this happens to us; we have had four close calls in a month. *nm | |||