Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - BRAKE LIGHTS | ||||||||||||||||
| 11V438000 | BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC | from 09/01/2001 to 03/01/2005 | V (Vehicle) | 241000 | 02/15/2012 | ODI | BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC | 08/26/2011 | 08/26/2011 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | Bmw is recalling certain model year 2002-2005 325i, 325xi, 330i, and 330xi vehicles manufactured from september 1, 2001, through march 1, 2005. over time, resistance in the electrical contacts may cause one or more rear lamp functions (tail light, brake light, and/or turn-signal), within the vehicle's body panel, to stop working. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | Intermittent light operation reduces the ability to warn other motorists of the driver's intentions. this could cause a vehicle crash without warning. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Bmw will notify owners, and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. the safety recall beganon february 15, 2012. owners may contact bmw customer relations and services at 1-800-525-7417. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov . | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | |||||
| SIB-63-02-01 | 08/01/2010 | 10037025 | Ready | 04/27/2011 | |
| SIB-63-02-01 | 08/01/2010 | 10037025 | Bmw: procedure for determining and replacing incandescent and halogen light bulbs under warranty. *rm | 04/27/2011 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | ||||||
| EA09019 | BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC | 12/18/2009 | 09/28/2011 | Rear Lamp Illumination | 11V438000 | |
| In a letter submitted to the office of defects investigation (odi) dated august25, 2011, bmwindicated that it will conduct a voluntary recall campaign to remedy the subject vehicles.the issue involves the rear lamps in the vehicles body panel.through normal vehicle use over time, the rear lamps ground wiring and associated 8-pin connector can experience an increase of the resistance at the electrical contact points.this can lead to intermittent or permanent loss of the rear lamp functions which include tail, brake, and turn signal operation.the recall consists of modifying the rear lamps in the vehicles body panel by adding a secondary ground connection in parallel to the existing primary ground connection.an 8-pin connector that attaches the primary ground wiring to the rear lamp assembly will also be inspected and replaced if necessary.bmw will complete dealer notification in september 2011 and will begin owner notification in october 2011.all 3 series sedans (except for the m3 sedan which utilized a different rear lamp assembly) that were built between september 1, 2001 and march 1, 2005 are included in this recall, totalling approximately 241,000 vehicles.the action taken by bmw is sufficient to resolve the issues raised by this investigation.accordingly, this investigation is closed. | ||||||
| EA09019 | BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE | 12/18/2009 | REAR LAMP ILLUMINATION | |||
| The outboard rear light assembly consists of a turn signal lamp, a tail lamp and a brake lamp.failure of the light assembly ground circuit results in loss of all three lamps.bmw submitted complaint and warranty information showing a significant number of rear lamp assembly failures due to an open ground connection at the eight pin connector of the light assembly.this results in the loss of the rear turn signal.overheating of the ground circuit electrical pin, possibly due to increased resistance and or high current flow, is indicated in some failures.additionally bmw issued a technical service bulletin (tsb) sib-630306 in february 2007 to address the condition by adding supplementary ground wiring to the tail lamp assembly.the additional ground wire added by the procedure reduces the current flow at the eight pin connector.odi is opening this ea to further investigate the issue. | ||||||
| PE09036 | BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE | 08/07/2009 | 12/22/2009 | REAR LAMP ILLUMINATION | ||
| Odi has received complaints from consumers stating that their tail light assembly is not properly illuminating.the tail light assembly consists of a turn signal lamp, a tail lamp and a brake lamp.the complainants have indicated that the issue is with an 8 pin connector and associated ground wiring.these components are allegedly overheating and melting due to excessive electrical current that runs through the system.bmw issued a technical service bulletin (tsb) sib-630306 on february 2007 to address the condition by adding supplementary ground wiring to the tail lamp assembly.odi is upgrading to an ea to further investigate the issue. | ||||||
| DP09002 | BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE | 04/08/2009 | 08/06/2009 | REAR LAMP ILLUMINATION | ||
| In march 2009, the office of defects investigation (odi) received a petition from mr. mark peters requesting an investigation of rear lamp failure in model year 2002-2005 bmw 3-series vehicles.an information request letter was sent to bmw in april 2009, and odi received bmw's response in june 2009.the tail lamp assembly contains lighting for the brake lamps, tail lamps, and turn signals.a technical service bulletin (tsb) was issued by bmw in january of 2007 instructing service technicians to examine an 8 pin electrical connector for heat-related damage and to incorporate additional ground wiring to the connector.complainants have alleged that significant thermal damage to the connector and associated ground wiring has occurred.this condition can result in intermittent or total loss of all lighting (brake, tail, and turn signal) for the effected rear lamp assembly.odi will open a preliminary evaluation to further examine this issue including further evaluating bmw complaints and related warranty data. | ||||||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - BACK UP LIGHTS | ||||||
| DP09002 | BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE | 04/08/2009 | 08/06/2009 | REAR LAMP ILLUMINATION | ||
| In march 2009, the office of defects investigation (odi) received a petition from mr. mark peters requesting an investigation of rear lamp failure in model year 2002-2005 bmw 3-series vehicles.an information request letter was sent to bmw in april 2009, and odi received bmw's response in june 2009.the tail lamp assembly contains lighting for the brake lamps, tail lamps, and turn signals.a technical service bulletin (tsb) was issued by bmw in january of 2007 instructing service technicians to examine an 8 pin electrical connector for heat-related damage and to incorporate additional ground wiring to the connector.complainants have alleged that significant thermal damage to the connector and associated ground wiring has occurred.this condition can result in intermittent or total loss of all lighting (brake, tail, and turn signal) for the effected rear lamp assembly.odi will open a preliminary evaluation to further examine this issue including further evaluating bmw complaints and related warranty data. | ||||||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - BRAKE LIGHTS | ||||||
| EA09019 | BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC | 12/18/2009 | 09/28/2011 | Rear Lamp Illumination | 11V438000 | |
| In a letter submitted to the office of defects investigation (odi) dated august25, 2011, bmwindicated that it will conduct a voluntary recall campaign to remedy the subject vehicles.the issue involves the rear lamps in the vehicles body panel.through normal vehicle use over time, the rear lamps ground wiring and associated 8-pin connector can experience an increase of the resistance at the electrical contact points.this can lead to intermittent or permanent loss of the rear lamp functions which include tail, brake, and turn signal operation.the recall consists of modifying the rear lamps in the vehicles body panel by adding a secondary ground connection in parallel to the existing primary ground connection.an 8-pin connector that attaches the primary ground wiring to the rear lamp assembly will also be inspected and replaced if necessary.bmw will complete dealer notification in september 2011 and will begin owner notification in october 2011.all 3 series sedans (except for the m3 sedan which utilized a different rear lamp assembly) that were built between september 1, 2001 and march 1, 2005 are included in this recall, totalling approximately 241,000 vehicles.the action taken by bmw is sufficient to resolve the issues raised by this investigation.accordingly, this investigation is closed. | ||||||
| PE09036 | BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE | 08/07/2009 | 12/22/2009 | REAR LAMP ILLUMINATION | ||
| Odi has received complaints from consumers stating that their tail light assembly is not properly illuminating.the tail light assembly consists of a turn signal lamp, a tail lamp and a brake lamp.the complainants have indicated that the issue is with an 8 pin connector and associated ground wiring.these components are allegedly overheating and melting due to excessive electrical current that runs through the system.bmw issued a technical service bulletin (tsb) sib-630306 on february 2007 to address the condition by adding supplementary ground wiring to the tail lamp assembly.odi is upgrading to an ea to further investigate the issue. | ||||||
| EA09019 | BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE | 12/18/2009 | REAR LAMP ILLUMINATION | |||
| The outboard rear light assembly consists of a turn signal lamp, a tail lamp and a brake lamp.failure of the light assembly ground circuit results in loss of all three lamps.bmw submitted complaint and warranty information showing a significant number of rear lamp assembly failures due to an open ground connection at the eight pin connector of the light assembly.this results in the loss of the rear turn signal.overheating of the ground circuit electrical pin, possibly due to increased resistance and or high current flow, is indicated in some failures.additionally bmw issued a technical service bulletin (tsb) sib-630306 in february 2007 to address the condition by adding supplementary ground wiring to the tail lamp assembly.the additional ground wire added by the procedure reduces the current flow at the eight pin connector.odi is opening this ea to further investigate the issue. | ||||||
| DP09002 | BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE | 04/08/2009 | 08/06/2009 | REAR LAMP ILLUMINATION | ||
| In march 2009, the office of defects investigation (odi) received a petition from mr. mark peters requesting an investigation of rear lamp failure in model year 2002-2005 bmw 3-series vehicles.an information request letter was sent to bmw in april 2009, and odi received bmw's response in june 2009.the tail lamp assembly contains lighting for the brake lamps, tail lamps, and turn signals.a technical service bulletin (tsb) was issued by bmw in january of 2007 instructing service technicians to examine an 8 pin electrical connector for heat-related damage and to incorporate additional ground wiring to the connector.complainants have alleged that significant thermal damage to the connector and associated ground wiring has occurred.this condition can result in intermittent or total loss of all lighting (brake, tail, and turn signal) for the effected rear lamp assembly.odi will open a preliminary evaluation to further examine this issue including further evaluating bmw complaints and related warranty data. | ||||||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TAIL LIGHTS | ||||||
| EA09019 | BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC | 12/18/2009 | 09/28/2011 | Rear Lamp Illumination | 11V438000 | |
| In a letter submitted to the office of defects investigation (odi) dated august25, 2011, bmwindicated that it will conduct a voluntary recall campaign to remedy the subject vehicles.the issue involves the rear lamps in the vehicles body panel.through normal vehicle use over time, the rear lamps ground wiring and associated 8-pin connector can experience an increase of the resistance at the electrical contact points.this can lead to intermittent or permanent loss of the rear lamp functions which include tail, brake, and turn signal operation.the recall consists of modifying the rear lamps in the vehicles body panel by adding a secondary ground connection in parallel to the existing primary ground connection.an 8-pin connector that attaches the primary ground wiring to the rear lamp assembly will also be inspected and replaced if necessary.bmw will complete dealer notification in september 2011 and will begin owner notification in october 2011.all 3 series sedans (except for the m3 sedan which utilized a different rear lamp assembly) that were built between september 1, 2001 and march 1, 2005 are included in this recall, totalling approximately 241,000 vehicles.the action taken by bmw is sufficient to resolve the issues raised by this investigation.accordingly, this investigation is closed. | ||||||
| PE09036 | BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE | 08/07/2009 | 12/22/2009 | REAR LAMP ILLUMINATION | ||
| Odi has received complaints from consumers stating that their tail light assembly is not properly illuminating.the tail light assembly consists of a turn signal lamp, a tail lamp and a brake lamp.the complainants have indicated that the issue is with an 8 pin connector and associated ground wiring.these components are allegedly overheating and melting due to excessive electrical current that runs through the system.bmw issued a technical service bulletin (tsb) sib-630306 on february 2007 to address the condition by adding supplementary ground wiring to the tail lamp assembly.odi is upgrading to an ea to further investigate the issue. | ||||||
| DP09002 | BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE | 04/08/2009 | 08/06/2009 | REAR LAMP ILLUMINATION | ||
| In march 2009, the office of defects investigation (odi) received a petition from mr. mark peters requesting an investigation of rear lamp failure in model year 2002-2005 bmw 3-series vehicles.an information request letter was sent to bmw in april 2009, and odi received bmw's response in june 2009.the tail lamp assembly contains lighting for the brake lamps, tail lamps, and turn signals.a technical service bulletin (tsb) was issued by bmw in january of 2007 instructing service technicians to examine an 8 pin electrical connector for heat-related damage and to incorporate additional ground wiring to the connector.complainants have alleged that significant thermal damage to the connector and associated ground wiring has occurred.this condition can result in intermittent or total loss of all lighting (brake, tail, and turn signal) for the effected rear lamp assembly.odi will open a preliminary evaluation to further examine this issue including further evaluating bmw complaints and related warranty data. | ||||||
| EA09019 | BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE | 12/18/2009 | REAR LAMP ILLUMINATION | |||
| The outboard rear light assembly consists of a turn signal lamp, a tail lamp and a brake lamp.failure of the light assembly ground circuit results in loss of all three lamps.bmw submitted complaint and warranty information showing a significant number of rear lamp assembly failures due to an open ground connection at the eight pin connector of the light assembly.this results in the loss of the rear turn signal.overheating of the ground circuit electrical pin, possibly due to increased resistance and or high current flow, is indicated in some failures.additionally bmw issued a technical service bulletin (tsb) sib-630306 in february 2007 to address the condition by adding supplementary ground wiring to the tail lamp assembly.the additional ground wire added by the procedure reduces the current flow at the eight pin connector.odi is opening this ea to further investigate the issue. | ||||||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TURN SIGNAL | ||||||
| EA09019 | BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC | 12/18/2009 | 09/28/2011 | Rear Lamp Illumination | 11V438000 | |
| In a letter submitted to the office of defects investigation (odi) dated august25, 2011, bmwindicated that it will conduct a voluntary recall campaign to remedy the subject vehicles.the issue involves the rear lamps in the vehicles body panel.through normal vehicle use over time, the rear lamps ground wiring and associated 8-pin connector can experience an increase of the resistance at the electrical contact points.this can lead to intermittent or permanent loss of the rear lamp functions which include tail, brake, and turn signal operation.the recall consists of modifying the rear lamps in the vehicles body panel by adding a secondary ground connection in parallel to the existing primary ground connection.an 8-pin connector that attaches the primary ground wiring to the rear lamp assembly will also be inspected and replaced if necessary.bmw will complete dealer notification in september 2011 and will begin owner notification in october 2011.all 3 series sedans (except for the m3 sedan which utilized a different rear lamp assembly) that were built between september 1, 2001 and march 1, 2005 are included in this recall, totalling approximately 241,000 vehicles.the action taken by bmw is sufficient to resolve the issues raised by this investigation.accordingly, this investigation is closed. | ||||||
| DP09002 | BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE | 04/08/2009 | 08/06/2009 | REAR LAMP ILLUMINATION | ||
| In march 2009, the office of defects investigation (odi) received a petition from mr. mark peters requesting an investigation of rear lamp failure in model year 2002-2005 bmw 3-series vehicles.an information request letter was sent to bmw in april 2009, and odi received bmw's response in june 2009.the tail lamp assembly contains lighting for the brake lamps, tail lamps, and turn signals.a technical service bulletin (tsb) was issued by bmw in january of 2007 instructing service technicians to examine an 8 pin electrical connector for heat-related damage and to incorporate additional ground wiring to the connector.complainants have alleged that significant thermal damage to the connector and associated ground wiring has occurred.this condition can result in intermittent or total loss of all lighting (brake, tail, and turn signal) for the effected rear lamp assembly.odi will open a preliminary evaluation to further examine this issue including further evaluating bmw complaints and related warranty data. | ||||||
| PE09036 | BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE | 08/07/2009 | 12/22/2009 | REAR LAMP ILLUMINATION | ||
| Odi has received complaints from consumers stating that their tail light assembly is not properly illuminating.the tail light assembly consists of a turn signal lamp, a tail lamp and a brake lamp.the complainants have indicated that the issue is with an 8 pin connector and associated ground wiring.these components are allegedly overheating and melting due to excessive electrical current that runs through the system.bmw issued a technical service bulletin (tsb) sib-630306 on february 2007 to address the condition by adding supplementary ground wiring to the tail lamp assembly.odi is upgrading to an ea to further investigate the issue. | ||||||
| EA09019 | BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE | 12/18/2009 | REAR LAMP ILLUMINATION | |||
| The outboard rear light assembly consists of a turn signal lamp, a tail lamp and a brake lamp.failure of the light assembly ground circuit results in loss of all three lamps.bmw submitted complaint and warranty information showing a significant number of rear lamp assembly failures due to an open ground connection at the eight pin connector of the light assembly.this results in the loss of the rear turn signal.overheating of the ground circuit electrical pin, possibly due to increased resistance and or high current flow, is indicated in some failures.additionally bmw issued a technical service bulletin (tsb) sib-630306 in february 2007 to address the condition by adding supplementary ground wiring to the tail lamp assembly.the additional ground wire added by the procedure reduces the current flow at the eight pin connector.odi is opening this ea to further investigate the issue. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | |||
| 03/01/2013 | |||
| The headlights on the car seems to be very dim. the amount of light that comes out of the headlights looks slightly brown and pretty dark as compared to many other cars on the road. i believe that the headlights were designed with plastic and which case the bulb would cause things to burn over time. | |||
| 12/01/2010 | 120000 | ||
| About 2 or so years ago i started to notice my night driving was becoming unpleasant and unsafe due to the fact that my headlights were losing output. after replacing the plastic lenses new from bmw i then went on to buying new bulbs thinking that would make a diff. it didn't. 10-12-12 today my lights are yellow/foggy on the inside like smoke has made the lenses opaque and my output is barely seen, i looked on the back where the bulb is inserted and it sure looks brown in there, i get more light reflected on the ground when i turn my turn signals than i do on the headlights. after going online and searching, my car came from facotry with a defect zkw xenon headlight system, which 99% of the zkw headlight owners of e46 sedans found online have the same issue, all you have to do is google e46 zkw burnt bowls . i have a 4 month old little girl, i cannot imagine driving with her in the car on a rainy night and my concern is now my baby. i can send you pictures if needed please, thank you for reading and i appreciate your help. | |||
| 03/01/2009 | 46000 | 1 | |
| Car is equipped with optional, factory-installed, bi-xenon headlamp assemblies made by zkw. the projector bowls inside, which greatly magnify the light output of the bulb, are made of a plastic that cannot handle the heat of the xenon bulb. as a result, the reflective surface burns and turns brown. in doing so, the light output is greatly reduced to a dangerous level. this problem affects both high and low beam operation. situation gets progressively worse over time. the plastic bowls are not sold separately, therefore the only solution is to purchase new headlamp assemblies, at an approximate cost of $1,900 for the pair. *tr | |||
| 03/01/2009 | 46000 | ||
| Car is equipped with optional, factory-installed, bi-xenon headlamp assemblies made by zkw. the projector bowls inside, which greatly magnify the light output of the bulb, are made of a plastic that cannot handle the heat of the xenon bulb. as a result, the reflective surface burns and turns brown. in doing so, the light output is greatly reduced to a dangerous level. this problem affects both high and low beam operation. situation gets progressively worse over time. the plastic bowls are not sold separately, therefore the only solution is to purchase new headlamp assemblies, at an approximate cost of $1,900 for the pair. | |||
| 03/19/2012 | 158000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 bmw 330i. the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign id number: 11v438000 (exterior lighting:tail lights) and was taken to the dealer for repairs. the technicians stated that the bulb housing would have to be replaced but would not be covered under the recall. the technician advised the contact that the recall repair would only cover the wiring harness, which connected to the taillight. the repair could not be performed unless the bulb housing was replaced. the replacement of the bulb housing was performed as well as the recall repair. the approximate failure mileage was 158,000. kmj | |||
| 03/19/2012 | 158000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 bmw 330i. the vehicle was included in the recall under nhtsa campaign id number: 11v438000 (exterior lighting:tail lights). the technicians stated the bulb housing would have to be replaced but would not be covered under the recall. the technician stated the recall repair l was for the wiring harness which connected to the taillight. the repair could not be performed unless th bulb housing was replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the contact payed for the replacement of the bulb housing. the approximate failure mileage was 158,000. ds | |||
| 02/24/2012 | 108000 | ||
| I have encountered a failure of the factory xenon headlamp assembly. i have had reduced visibility as a result of a burnt bulb housing that did not make itself readily apparent. because there is no remedy outside of replacing the poorly designed housing, i have a concern of the safety of myself, my occupants, and others on the road. a failed bulb is understandable maintenance. a failed headlamp assembly due to burning and cracking the plastic lens from so much heat is not. this is a poor design, and should warrant a recall. | |||
| 12/01/2009 | 55000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 bmw 330i. the vehicle was included in the recall under nhtsa campaign id number: 11v438000 (exterior lighting:tail lights). the manufacturer was contacted and stated that the wiring connector would have to be replaced prior to performing the recall repairs. the wiring connector would not be covered under the recall repairs. the contact stated that the consequences of the recall had damaged the wiring connector and he felt it should be covered under the recall. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 55,000. kmj | |||
| 12/01/2009 | 55000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 bmw 330i. the vehicle was included in the recall under nhtsa campaign id number: 11v438000 (exterior lighting:tail lights). the manufacturer stated the wiring connector would have to be replaced prior to performing the recall repairs. the wiring connector would not be covered under the recall repairs. the contact stated the consequences of the recall had damaged the wiring connector and he felt it should be covered under the recall. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 55,000. ds | |||
| 05/02/2011 | 72577 | ||
| Intermittent failure of driver and passenger side tail light assembly due to burnt connector pins and connector housing. inadequate connector/wire rating. should be subject of a recall from a responsible car manufacturer. unsafe to drive in the dark. blemish on the ultimate driving machine. intermittent failure of the mostly passenger side head light. occasional failure of the driver side head light. normally the light bulb would require replacement, but often the whole lighting unit is considered failing by the dealer. cost of replacement is extremely high. | |||
| 01/01/2010 | 69000 | ||
| The zkw brand high intensity discharge (hid) / xenon headlights installed from the factory in to my 2003 bmw 330i degraded to a point where visibility at night was almost zero unless i drove with the high beams and/or fog lights on. replacing the bulbs did not remedy the problem. the cause was burnt reflector bowls which are not replaceable. the whole headlight assembly must be replaced at $1000-1300 per side. i had the headlights repaired by a specialist (at a cost of nearly $700) as i was not ready to pay $2600 to replace the headlights with another set of zkw assemblies which would no doubt fail like every set of zkw headlamps installed in 2003-2004 330i sedans. i do not feel that headlights should be a 'wear and tear' item. they are obviously a critical safety component. the deterioration of light output is slow and takes time, so people may not realize anything is wrong with their headlights until they are driving with almost no output on the road. | |||
| 01/01/2011 | 79842 | ||
| In the headlight assembly manufactured by zkw, the reflective ballasts are made of plastic and melt, thereby decreasing light output. the darkness is barely illuminated, thereby making driving at night almost impossible. there is no known dealer part to replace or upgrade, save for purch | |||
| 06/10/2011 | 50000 | ||
| Zkw manufactured xenon headlamps for bmw 330i e46 cars. the projectors become scorched over time, causing dangerously low light output and not being able to see at night. | |||
| 01/01/2011 | 79842 | ||
| In the headlight assembly manufactured by zkw, the reflective ballasts are made of plastic and melt, thereby decreasing light output. the darkness is barely illuminated, thereby making driving at night almost impossible. there is no known dealer part to replace or upgrade, save for purch | |||
| 06/10/2011 | 50000 | ||
| Zkw manufactured xenon headlamps for bmw 330i e46 cars. the projectors become scorched over time, causing dangerously low light output and not being able to see at night. | |||
| 01/01/2011 | 79842 | ||
| In the headlight assembly manufactured by zkw, the reflective ballasts are made of plastic and melt, thereby decreasing light output. the darkness is barely illuminated, thereby making driving at night almost impossible. there is no known dealer part to replace or upgrade, save for purch | |||
| 06/10/2011 | 50000 | ||
| Zkw manufactured xenon headlamps for bmw 330i e46 cars. the projectors become scorched over time, causing dangerously low light output and not being able to see at night. | |||
| 04/01/2011 | 44800 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2003 bmw 330i. the contact stated that the service tail light symbol illuminated on the dashboard intermittently. the contact disconnected the plastic where the light bulb was located and found that the plastic was melted and corroded due to faulty wiring. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who informed the contact that there were no recalls and offered the contact a discount for the repairs. the manufacturer advised the contact that since his vehicle was no longer under warranty that they would not be able to provide any assistance. the current and failure mileage was 44,800. | |||
| 04/01/2011 | 44800 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 bmw 330i. the contact noticed that the service tail light symbol illuminated on the dashboard intermittently. the contact disconnected the plastic where the light bulb was located, when he noticed that the plastic was melted and corroded due to faulty wiring. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who informed the contact that there were no recalls; however, they offered the contact a discount for the repairs. the manufacturer advised the contact that since his vehicle was no longer under warranty that they would not be able to provide any assistance. the current and failure mileages were 44,800. bw | |||
| 02/22/2011 | 74023 | ||
| Recently i bought a 2003 bmw 330i with xenon projector headlights. the low- and high-beam output of these lights is very poor, with very little usable light when driving on lit or unlit roads at night. compared to standard halogen lamps on my other cars (1990 bmw 525i, 2004 saturn ion) i would rate them at 40% and 30% output respectively, and both of the other cars use standard halogen lamps. research on this issue found the headlamp reflector used by bmw for these lights (zkw branded) is made of plastic instead of metal and begins to overheat and melt over time, reducing light output and eventually failing completely. bmw does not offer replacement reflectors, plastic or otherwise, and the only option using manufacturer parts is to replace the entire unit at a cost of approximately $2000 (for the pair). i find this completely unreasonable considering the headlights are critical components for driving at night, and a $2k 'wear part' is grossly excessive. | |||
| 11/01/2009 | 80000 | ||
| Around november 2009 i started to notice the unmodified factory xenon headlamps in our car seemed dim. over the next year they seemed to dim considerably and after the recent end of daylight savings time resulted in a significant increase in my night-time driving, i have found the headlamps to provide nearly no projected light. upon inspection of the light assembly i have discovered that bmw built these headlamps using a chrome-coated plastic reflector to direct the light forward to the road. it appears the design used placed the bulb too near the reflector or used plastic with inadequate temperature resistance and the bowl itself has gradually burnt to the point where it no longer reflects light. there has not been a fire at this point but the plastic appears to be failing structurally now (burn through) and i fear what would happen if i allowed it to progress further. the light projected with low beams on now is so inadequate the car cannot be safely used for night driving. bmw does not sell replacement reflector bowls to allow repair of the head lamp assembly and the only option to remedy this issue is to purchase a pair of new head lamp assemblies at approximately $1,200 each. i have contacted both my local bmw dealer and bmw cars north america and neither has offered an engineering or customer service solution to this problem. | |||
| 08/15/2010 | 40000 | ||
| Intermittent function of left tail light assembly, despite functional light bulbs. assembly removed and 7 pin connector noted to have overheated at pin 2, melting surrounding plastic. | |||
| 07/01/2010 | 110000 | ||
| I own a 2003 bmw 330i sedan that came from the factory with xenon headlights. these headlights were manufactured by zkw. over time, the reflective material inside the headlight assembly burns and degrades. this is due to the fact that zkw used a plastic reflector housing which cannot withstand the heat of the xenon bulb. when burned, the headlights no longer provide adequate lighting to safely drive at night. the suggested resolution per bmw is to purchase new headlight assemblies at $1200 per side. note: bmw used another manufacturer (automotive lighting, al) for later models and those vehicles with al lights don't suffer from this failure due to the fact that al used metal reflectors not plastic like zkw. | |||
| 06/02/2010 | 123000 | ||
| I recently purchase a 2003 bmw 330i with factory xenon lights that were manufactured by zkw. the light output of these headlamps is the worst by far i have ever seen from a modern vehicle. xenon headlamps normally have superior brightness over halogen headlamps. my fog lights put off more light than the zkw headlamps. i know that this is not a bulb issue, because they bulbs have been replaced. the bowls that reflect the light turn brown because of the heat and light output goes way down over time, from what i have read on many forums. this is a major safety issue and bmw only sells the entire headlamp to fix the problem and not just the bowl that burns and discolors. the headlamps from bmw are over $1,000 each and i really can't justify spending that right now. headlights are not a wearable item and i never expected to have to re | |||
| 01/10/2010 | 54000 | 1 | |
| Model 2003 bmw 330i e46 (3 series) sedan situation one of the rear lights is inoperative. cause minor corrosion at the 8-pin rear lamp connector creates high resistance causing damage to the connector housing (it actually burned through the plastic housing potential for fire) correction repair the damaged wire(s) and replace damaged connector housing. install additional ground wires to both left and right rear lamps. *tr | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - BRAKE LIGHTS | |||
| 07/01/2011 | 1 | ||
| 2003 bmw 330i. consumer states that right rear lamp indicator was lit on dashboard. consumer is requesting reimbursement of previous repair before recall was sent. *kb bmw informed the consumer that the previous repair was not consistent with bmw standards and therefore, they had no responsibility to reimburse her. recall # 11v438000. *jb | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TAIL LIGHTS | |||
| 07/01/2011 | 1 | ||
| 2003 bmw 330i. consumer states that right rear lamp indicator was lit on dashboard. consumer is requesting reimbursement of previous repair before recall was sent. *kb bmw informed the consumer that the previous repair was not consistent with bmw standards and therefore, they had no responsibility to reimburse her. recall # 11v438000. *jb | |||