Bmw E46 1997

Model E46 made in 1997 by Bmw got 4 consumer complains as well as 1 recall. Consumer complaints with reference, among others things, to air bags and engine and engine cooling. There was one recall concerning exterior lighting .

Model 1997

Recalls


CampaignManufacturerManufacturing dateType# of units affectedDate Owner notified MfgRecall Initiated byManufacturers of recalled vehicles/productsReport Recieved DateRecord Creation DateRegulation Part NumberFMVSS Number
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
06E040000E SPEED RACING E (Equipment)164805/10/2006OVSCBMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC05/15/200605/18/2006571108
Defect SummaryCertain e speed racing combination lamps sold as replacement equipment for use on certain passenger vehicles listed above. some combination lamps that are not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.
Consequence SummaryWithout the amber reflectors, the vehicle will be poorly illuminated, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash without warning.
Corrective SummaryE speed racing will notify owners and offer to repurchase the lamps. the recall began may 10, 2006. owners may contact e speed racing 909-923-3636.
NotesThis recall only pertains to e speed racing aftermarket combination lamps and has no relation to any original equipment installed on the listed passenger vehicles.for more information on the lamp model numbers, click on document search and view document titled lamp model numbers.customers may contact the national highway traffic safety administration

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
AIR BAGS - SIDE/WINDOW
09/20/200673108/23/2002
 On wednesday september 20, 2006 i was driving down the interstate at about 70-75 mph when my side airbag on the driver side deployed for no reason. i have a 1997 bmw 528i with approximately 230k miles. i do not know the cause of the airbag deploying. i did not hit any potholes. there was no reason for the airbag to deploy. i could not hear well for about 10 minutes and my left arm has a large bruise on it. i took it by the dealer and they said they did not know what went wrong or why the airbag deployed. they said they had never seen that before. this is a safety issue because when the airbag went off, i had no idea what was happening. in heavy traffic that could cause an accident especially if it was the front air bag. *nm
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
02/21/2007111/21/1996
 On 1/31/07 i took my car to have the nc inspection done. i was given at that time a recall for my vehicle on the catalytic converter. i was told to call the dealership and give them my vin number to verify. i was told that there were no open campaigns on my vin number on 2/2/0. on 2/16/07 my engine light came on and would not go off. i called my repair shop and dropped the car off on monday. i was informed today that it was not the o2 sensor, but possibly the catalytic converter causing this problem. it sounds like this is going to cost alot of money. i love my car, but if this was a recall i don't feel that i should have to pay for it to be fixed. *nm
SEATS
05/28/2007107/07/2000
 The driver and passenger seats slide (do not lock in position). this is irritating and unsafe in my opinion. i also believe it is a common problem in this model year. *tr
STRUCTURE - FRAME AND MEMBERS
01/02/20071240005007/03/2005
 I own a 2000 bmw 323i and about a month ago i had started to notice a faint squeaking sound from the rear when my car was moving, the squeaking progressively got worse and worse until the sound was so severe that it could be heard even with all the windows up. i took it in to a mechanic who identified that the problem was indeed that sub frame separating from the body. as i further investigated this issue, i found dozens of other people who have reported the same problem. i took it to the sterling bmw newport beach collision center where they told that my frame was separated from the sub frame and that bmw should and most likely would assume responsibility for this substantial safety hazard. they also took me under the lift to visually look at the damage for myself and it appeared that the sheet metal that the sub frame was bolted to had torn, similar to how paper would tear. he advised me that was car was unsafe and wrote a statement of what he had seen so that i could forward it to my attorney and appropriate parties,

Car dealers selling


StateCityZipNamePhone
FLOCALABMW OF NORTH AMERICA