2007 BMW 328XI Electrical System Problems

THE RECALL ANNOUNCED IN THE NEW YORK TIMES TODAY (HTTP://WHEELS.BLOGS.NYTIMES.COM/2012/03/26/BMW-RECALLS-NEARLY-1-3-MILLION-VEHICLES-WORLDWIDE-FOR-BATTERY-CABLE-FLAW/?NL=AUTOMOBILES&EMC=EDIT_WS_20120327) ANNOUNCING A RECALL OF 6-SERIES AND 5-SERIES BMWS ALSO POTENTIALLY AFFECTED 2007 3-SERIES BMWS AS WELL. AT ABOUT 31000 MILES, I BEGAN EXPERIENCING FLICKERING HEADLIGHTS. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED AS A LOOSE BATTERY CONNECTION. THE BATTERY HAD NEVER BEEN CHANGED/REMOVED, SO IT SHOULD NOT HAVE HAD A CONNECTION ISSUE. JUST THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW SO IF 3-SERIES COMPLAINTS ARE COMMON YOU OPEN UP THE INVESTIGATION TO EXPLORE THE ISSUE IN 3-SERIES DESIGNS.... I WAS LUCKY, CAUGHT IT BEFORE DAMAGE/FIRE OCCURRED. *TR

CAR LOCKS BUT THEN WILL NOT UNLOCK, I HAVE TO MANUALLY UNLOCK THE DRIVER DOOR. PASSENGER DOORS WILL NOT UNLOCK AT ALL. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME TWICE, THE FUSE KEEPS BLOWING OUT. I HAVE CHANGED THE FUSE TWICE IN 3 MONTHS. I HAVE LOOKED THIS PROBLEM UP ONLINE AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A MAJOR PROBLEM FOR THE 2007 BMW 328XI. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A HUGE SAFETY PROBLEM AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. I HAVE TWO CHILDREN AND THE THOUGHT OF SOMETHING HAPPENING WHERE WE ARE UNABLE TO GET OUT OF THE CAR FRIGHTENS ME. *TR

DOORS REMAINED IN LOCKED POSITION AND WOULD NOT RESPOND TO REMOTE ON FOB OR CENTRAL DOOR CONTROL INTERNALLY. DRIVER, PASSENGER, AND REAR DOORS WOULD NOT OPEN MANUALLY ONCE DOOR LATCH DEPRESSED. DRIVER DOOR ONLY OPENED THROUGH WINDOW TO ALLOW PASSENGERS IN FRONT AND REAR SEATS TO EXIT. OBVIOUSLY, VERY DIFFICULT TO EXIT. AFTER INITIAL INCIDENT, NO PASSENGERS COULD RIDE IN CAR UNTIL ISSUE WAS RESOLVED. *KB

I HAVE A 2007 328XI THAT CURRENTLY HAS 51,000 MILES. IT IS THE SECOND TIME THAT MY LOCKS IN THE VEHICLE HAVE FAILED. THE LOCKS PREVIOUSLY FAILED AROUND 30,000 MILES AND WERE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY, BUT NOW OUT OF WARRANTY I WILL BE LEFT TO FOOT THE BILL MYSELF. IN THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT, I WAS UNABLE TO UNLOCK THE CAR USING THE KEY FOB OR THE BUTTON ON THE DASH. I FOUND MYSELF LOCKED IN THE VEHICLE AND HAD TO EXIT THROUGH THE DRIVER'S WINDOW. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO UNLOCK THE CAR FROM THE OUTSIDE USING THE VALET KEY. THE WINDOWS AND TRUNK WORKS, BUT THE LOCKS DO NOT. WHEN I PRESS THE LOCK AND UNLOCK BUTTON ON THE KEY FOB AND DASH, I HEAR AN AUDIBLE SOUND AS THE CAR IS TRYING TO LOCK/UNLOCK BUT THE ACTUATORS IN THE DOORS DO NOT FUNCTION. IT IS A SERIOUS...

THE POWER LOCKS IN MY 2007 BMW 328XI SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING. THE ALARM ARMS/DISARMS WITH THE USUAL BUTTON PRESSES, BUT THERE IS OTHERWISE NOTHING THAT TAKES PLACE. OBVIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. WHILE VALET KEY UNLOCKS FRONT, DRIVER-SIDE DOOR -- DIDN'T TEST PASSENGER'S -- THE FUEL DOOR REMAINS LOCKED. I HAVE A BUSINESS TRIP PLANNED EARLY IN THE MORNING. THE SAVING GRACE IS THAT I DIDN'T ENCOUNTER THIS FUEL DOOR FIASCO ON I-95 IN SOME BACKWOODS TOWN, BUT WOW... HOW IS THIS NOT A RECALL?!?!?! I SEE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME ISSUE! DOES SOMEONE NEED TO DIE FIRST? WOW! *KB

CAR DIED OUT OF NO WHERE WHO NOT START WOULD NOT JUMP START HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED FOR BIG MONEY ON A FLAT BED WITH SKATES. I WAS HOURS AWAY FROM HOME. STEERING COLUMN AND A NEW BATTERY OVER $1600. *TR

I HAVE A 1999 BMW 328I THAT I PURCHASED IN 2005 FOR $25,000 I JUST PURCHASED A 2007 BMW 328XI ON MAY WITH 54K MILES ON 11/1/10 IT TURNED OUT THAT I BOUGHT A $35,000 DEATH TRAP WITH THE DOORS NOT OPENING OR THE GAS TANK TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP SO NOW IT JUST SITS THERE IN MY DRIVEWAY. MY 1999 WITH STILL DOES THAT SAME PROBLEM BUT OFF AND ON NOT LIKE THIS 2007 DEATH TRAP. I'M NEVER EVER BUYING A BMW AGAIN. *TR

2007 BMW 328XI SEDAN; LOCKED VEHICLE WITH KEY FOB. RETURNED TO VEHICLE AND KEY FOB WOULD NOT OPEN LOCKS. USED KEY FOB TO ROLL DOWN WINDOWS. INTERNAL BUTTON WOULD NOT UNLOCK DOORS. PULLING TWICE ON DOOR HANDLE WOULD NOT OPEN DOORS. ACTUAL KEY WOULD UNLOCK DRIVER'S DOOR ONLY. DROVE CAR. TRIED INTERNAL BUTTON AGAIN, BUT IT DID NOT WORK. PULLING TWICE ON DRIVER'S DOOR HANDLE WOULD UNLOCK THE DOOR. NO WAY TO OPEN ANY OF THE PASSENGER DOORS. ONLY WAY FOR PASSENGER TO EXIT IS TO GO OUT WINDOW OR THROUGH DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. KEY FOB WOULD LOCK DOOR BUT NOT UNLOCK DOOR. CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY BY 2,000 MILES. I HAVE NOT HAD TIME TO TAKE IT TO DEALER/MECHANIC OR ATTEMPT TO REPAIR MYSELF. *TR

HAVE YOU INVESTIGATED WHY BMW HAS NOT OFFERED A FIX FOR TRAPPING THEIR CUSTOMERS IN THE CAR WHEN A DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR FAILS AND BLOWS A FUSE? THIS IS A COMMON EVENT ON THE 2007 328 MODEL. WHAT HAPPENS IS A POWER DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR FAILS DURING THE UNLOCK PROCESS AND THE INCREASE IN AMPERAGE CAUSES 2 FUSES TO BLOW. THIS PREVENTS ANY OF THE CAR'S DOOR LOCKS FROM OPENING, THEREBY TRAPPING OCCUPANTS IN THE VEHICLE. THERE IS NO WAY TO UNLOCK THE DOORS FROM INSIDE THE VEHICLE. OCCUPANTS MUST EITHER CLIMB OUT OF A WINDOW OR HAVE SOMEONE UNLOCK THE CAR USING A MECHANICAL KEY FROM OUTSIDE OF THE CAR. PLEASE ADVISE. *TR

EARLIER THIS YEAR I WENT ON A WEEKEND TRIP WITH MY FAMILY: MY WIFE ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT, ON THE REAR SEAT MY SISTER AND MY TWO AND A HALF YEAR OLD NIECE ON HER CAR SEAT. WHEN WE ARRIVED TO OUR DESTINATION NONE OF THE PASSENGER DOORS WOULD OPEN; THEY WERE COMPLETELY SHUT AND THEY WOULD NOT OPEN WITH THE INTERNAL CONTROLS, THE REMOTE OR IN ANY OTHER WAY. ONLY THE DRIVERS' DOOR, WHICH IS ALSO THE ONLY DOOR THAT HAS A KEY HOLE, WOULD OPEN. ALL OTHER DOORS ARE KEY-LESS AND REMAINED LOCKED. MY FAMILY HAD TO CLIMB THROUGH THE WINDOWS TO GET OUT OF THE CAR. THIS WAS ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT WITH MY LITTLE NIECE IN THE BACK SEAT. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY FOUND THE PROBLEM'S CAUSE WAS A BLOWN FUSE. FORTUNATELY WE DID NOT HAVE AN EMERGENCY THAT REQUIRE A QUICK...

SINCE APPROXIMATELY JAN./2008 THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT ON MY 2007 BMW 328XI COMES ON AND OFF PERIODICALLY AT APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEK INTERVALS. I HAVE HAD THE BMW SERVICE DEPT. LOOK AT IT FIVE(5) TIMES TO NO AVAIL. THE DANGER LIES IN THE COMPULSION TO IGNORE A REAL PROBLEM BECAUSE OF SO MANY FALSE INDICATIONS, LEADING TO A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE ON A PUBLIC ROAD RESULTING IN INJURIES. INTERNET BLOGS REPORT POSSIBLE INSTRUCTIONS BY PARENT COMPANY BMW FOR SERVICE DEPTS. TO IGNORE THE PROBLEM DELIBERATELY. *TR