NHTSA Complaint #10093207 — 2002 BMW 325I

ON THE BMW MODEL 325I YERAS 2002 AND 2003 THE HEATED OUTSIDE REARVIEW MIRRORS ARE HEATED. THEY ARE NOT THERMOSTATICALLY CONTROLLED AND THEREFORE ARE ALWAYS ON. THE PROBLEM ARISES IN THAT IF YOU GET OUT OF THE CAR AFTER IT HAS BEEN DRIVEN AND UNINTENTIONALLY TOUCH ONE FO THE OUTSIDE MIRRORS, YOU BURN YOUR FINGERS. THIS WAS OBSERVED WHEN ATTEMPTING TO CLEAN REARVIEW MIRRORS AFTER THE CAR WAS ON FOR SOME TIME. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN TO THE BNW DEALER WHO INFORMED ME THAT THE MIRRORS WERE ALWAYS ON, NOT THERMOSTATICALLY CONTROLED AND WERE ALWAYS HEATED. THIS DOES NOT SEEM TO BE A PROBLEM IN THE WINTER MONTHS AS THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE IS COLDER. HOWEVER IN THE SUMMER THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR A CHILD OR UNWITTING ADULT TO BE BURNED ON THE REARVIEW MIRROR GLASS.