NHTSA Complaint #10295315 — 2006 BMW 325I

WITHOUT WARNING OR INDICATION OF A PENDING FAILURE, THE ELECTRIC DOOR LOCKS FAILED TO UNLOCK ALL FOUR DOORS. THE LOCK/UNLOCK SWITCH ON THE DASH WOULD NOT UNLOCK THE DOORS NOR WOULD THE UNLOCK BUTTON ON THE KEY REMOTE. THE ONLY DOOR THAT CAN BE UNLOCKED IS THE DRIVER?S DOOR AND ONLY WHEN USING THE INTEGRATED KEY DIRECTLY WITH THE EXTERIOR OF THE DOOR OR USING THE ?DOUBLE JERK? MECHANISM (MECHANICAL OVERRIDE) OF THE INSIDE DOOR HANDLE. NONE OF THE PASSENGERS DOORS HAVE THE ?DOUBLE JERK? MECHANISM (MECHANICAL OVERRIDE) AND ANYBODY RIDING AS A PASSENGER WOULD BE STUCK IN THE CAR WITH A MEANS OF EXIT OTHER THAN THE DRIVER?S DOOR OR THE WINDOWS. IN CONJUNCTION WITH THIS FAILURE, THE GAS COMPARTMENT AND THE ELECTRICAL REARVIEW MIRRORS STOPPED WORKING. THE DEALER ATTRIBUTED THE FAILURE TO DAMAGED BATTERY, BATTERY CABLES AND THE DOOR ACTUATORS, BUT REFUSED TO COVER THE COSTS FOR FIXING THE PROBLEM. MY CAR HAS TURNED INTO A DEATH TRAP. AN EX-MECHANIC OF THE DEALER HAS SAID THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM HE HAS SEEN. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED NOW BEFORE SOME GETS SERIOUSLY INJURED OR EVEN DIES AS A RESULT OF THIS DESIGN DEFECT. *TR