2000 BMW 323I Interior & seats Problems

MRS BELT TENSIONER DRIVER FAULT. ONLINE FORUMS SUGGEST A UNIVERSAL WIRE DEFECT WHERE THE WIRING IS PINCHED AND BREAKS FROM MOVING THE SEAT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10562496

Incident

Aug 1, 2013

Mileage

99,000 mi

THE LOCKS REPEATEDLY QUIT WORKING ON ALL PASSENGER DOORS. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. THIS SEEMS TO BE A GENERAL DEFICIENCY OF THE GM5 MODULE ON BMW. *TR

NHTSA ID

10537380

Incident

Aug 15, 2013

THE DOORS DO NOT UNLOCK IF THEY ARE PARKED IN THE SUN IN TEMP. IN EXCESS OF 80-85 DEGREES. THE DOOR CENTRAL LOCKING DOES NOT WORK WITH EITHER THE KEYS (TWICE CLICKS TO UNLOCK ALL THE DOORS). ONCE THE DRIVERS SIDE IS OPENED IT TAKES 1/2 HOUR OF AIR CONDITIONING BLAST TO HAVE THE SYSTEM COOL DOWN AND ALLOW THE UNLOCKING WITH THE BUTTON OR THE REMOTE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10513883

Incident

Jul 31, 2008

Mileage

120,000 mi

ALL PASSENGER DOORS FAIL TO OPEN (EVEN MANUALLY) DUE TO A FAULTY GM5 (COMPUTER) OR DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR RESULTING IN A HAZARD IF THERE WERE TO BE A FIRE OR ACCIDENT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10458958

Incident

May 12, 2012

Mileage

104,000 mi

THE DOOR LOCKS OF MY CAR ARE ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED VIA REMOTE AND A BUTTON ON MY CENTER CONSOLE. THE GM5 DOOR LOCKING MODULE HAS INTERMITTENT ISSUES, ONE OF WHICH WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO LOCK OR UNLOCK THE DOORS WHILE YOU ARE IN THE VEHICLE. IN AN EMERGENCY OR ACCIDENT ONE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE USING THE UNLOCK BUTTON OR REMOTE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10428445

Incident

Oct 4, 2011

SOMETIMES THE DOORS ON MY 2000 BMW 323I WILL NOT UNLOCK AND WHEN I USE THE KEY TO UNLOCK THE DOOR IT WILL ONLY OPEN THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR. WHEN THIS OCCURS THE UNLOCK BUTTON DOESN'T WORK AND PULLING THE DOOR HANDLE DOES NOT WORK EITHER. PASSENGERS HAVE TO CLIMB THROUGH THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR AND IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY WITH THERE BEING ONLY ONE ESCAPE ROUTE THIS COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. *TR

NHTSA ID

10360570

Incident

Sep 25, 2010

THE DOOR LOCKS ON MY CAR FAIL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY, NOW ALMOST EVERY DAY. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO OPEN THE DOORS, EXCEPT THE DRIVERS' DOOR, FROM THE INSIDE OF THE CAR. THIS WOULD BE VERY DANGEROUS IN AN EMERGENCY / ACCIDENT, PASSENGERS WOULD BE UNABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON BMW DEFECT, I KNOW MANY OTHER OWNERS WHO HAVE SUFFERED THIS PROBLEM. WHY HAVEN'T THESE CARS BEEN RECALLED?

NHTSA ID

10322583

Incident

Mar 28, 2010

Mileage

122,000 mi

THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR ON MY BMW 323 CIC (MODEL YEAR 2000) REGULARLY FAILS TO UNLOCK PREVENTING PASSENGERS ENTRY OR EXIT THROUGH THIS DOOR. I REPLACED THE ACTUATOR ON THE PASSENGER DOOR AND THE DOOR STILL FAILS TO UNLOCK REGULARLY USING ALL POSSIBLE MEANS AVAILABLE, I.E. KEY FOB, INTERIOR UNLOCK BUTTON, OR PULLING REPEATEDLY ON THE DOOR HANDLE TO ATTEMPT TO OPEN THE DOOR. THEY ALL FAIL LEAVING THE PASSENGER (FRONT & BACK SINCE I OWN A TWO DOOR) TRAPPED IN THE CAR AND FORCED TO CLIMB OUT THE DRIVER'S DOOR AFTER ALL OTHER PASSENGERS HAVE LEFT THE CAR. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE FOR PASSENGERS IN MY CAR WHO ARE HANDICAPPED, RECOVERING FROM SURGERY, NOT IN GOOD PHYSICAL SHAPE TO CLIMB OVER THE MIDDLE CONSOLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE OR IF THERE IS AN ACCIDENT. THIS ALSO IS A COMMON ISSUE ON THIS MODEL WHICH BMW HAS NOT ACKNOWLEDGED AND INITIATED A VOLUNTARY RECALL TO FIX. GIVEN THE SAFETY ISSUES THAT THIS TYPE OF COMMON PROBLEM PRESENTS, I WOULD LIKE THE NHTSA TO INVESTIGATE AND DETERMINE IF BMW NEEDS TO BE FORCED TO DO A RECALL TO ADDRESS THIS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10292947

Incident

May 1, 2009

Mileage

85,000 mi

WE HAVE A SAFETY ISSUE WITH OUR BMW 323I YEAR 2000. THE ELECTRIC DOOR LOCKS WILL ACTUATE AND THEN YOU CANNOT GET OUT OF THE CAR THROUGH 3 OR 4 DOORS. THE ELECTRIC LOCKS WILL NOT DISENGAGE AND YOU CANNOT RELEASE THEM WITH THE HANDLE FROM THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. PASSENGERS ARE BASICALLY TRAPPED INSIDE THE CAR AND HAVE TO CLIMB OVER THE FRONT SEAT TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. PROBLEM HAS BEEN RECURRING FREQUENTLY. AFTER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, WE ARE USUALLY ABLE TO GET THE LOCKS TO WORK. I FOUND 10 COMPLAINTS FILED ON THIS SAME ISSUE WITH ONE DEATH AND 3 INJURIES RESULTING FROM THIS MALFUNCTION. THERE ARE PROBABLY MORE COMPLAINTS BUT I JUST LOOKED AT 3 VEHICLE YEARS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10289118

Incident

Oct 20, 2009

Mileage

77,230 mi

THE DRIVERS SEAT IS A HEATED SEAT. THE HEATER BECAME SO HOT THAT IT MELTED A HOLE INTO THE SEAT, WHICH IS FAKE LEATHER OR VINYL. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A FIRE, DISTRACTED THE DRIVER, OR CAUSED A BURN TO EXPOSED SKIN WITH DIRECT CONTACT. THE SEAT ALSO SHOWS DISCOLORATION IN OTHER AREAS WHERE IT HAS HEATED TOO HOT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10254248

Incident

Oct 1, 2007

Mileage

63,300 mi

LOCK/LATCH MECHANISM SOMETIMES MALFUNCTIONS, SUCH THAT YOU CANNOT UNLOCK PASSENGER SIDE DOOR FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. WHEN THAT HAPPENS, AT LEAST I CAN USE THE MANUAL KEY TO OPEN THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. BUT BMW HAS THE FORESIGHT TO NOT INCLUDE A KEY OPENING ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. SO A FEW TIMES, I HAD TO ASK MY PASSENGER TO CRAWL OVER TO HER SEAT BY CLIMBING OVER THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THIS IS MORE THAN INCONVENIENT; IT'S EMBARRASSING, ESPECIALLY FOR LADIES IN DRESSES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10242326

Incident

Apr 2, 2008

Mileage

95,000 mi

DOOR LOCKS CANNOT BE OPENED FROM INSIDE THE CAR. *TR

NHTSA ID

10239218

Incident

May 1, 2008

Mileage

115,000 mi

DT: 2000 BMW 323I. THE ELECTRONIC LOCKING SYSTEM FAILED. WHEN THIS FAILED IT LOCKED WITH FAMILY IN THE CAR. WENT TO USE THE BUTTON TO UNLOCK THE DOORS AND THEY WOULD NOT UNLOCK, THEREFORE, WENT TO USE THE HANDLE TO OPEN THE DOOR AND IT WOULD NOT OPEN. HAD TO GET FAMILY OUT OF THE BACK SEAT FROM THE WINDOWS. TOOK VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC, AND HE SAID THE ELECTRONIC LOCKING SYSTEM FAILED. THE CAR WAS GOING INTO THE BMW SHOP ON FRIDAY. CANNOT DRIVE THIS CAR WITH THE DOORS STILL LOCKED. E-MAILED THE MANUFACTURER THIS MORNING ABOUT THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

10134133

Incident

Aug 22, 2005

Mileage

60,000 mi

A SHARP METAL BRACKET UNDERNEATH FRONT OF PASSENGER'S SEAT CAUSES SEVERE CUT ON CONSUMER ARM BY REACHING FROM FRONT OF SEAT. PROBLEM WAS REPORTED TO DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER. DEALER REMOVED SEAT AND RAPPED THE SHARP EDGE WITH BLACK ELECTRICAL TAPE, AND REPLACED SEAT. ASKING NHTSA TO LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS MATTER.*AK

NHTSA ID

899686

Incident

Aug 14, 2001