2003 BMW 325 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2003 BMW 325, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Airbags436.4%
- Electrical327.3%
- Body & structure19.1%
- Engine19.1%
- Interior & seats19.1%
- Steering19.1%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
I HAVE HAD BOTH AIR BAGS REPLACED AD THE AIRBAG MAN DOES NOT GO OFF I WAS TOLD THAT THE MRS CONTROL UNIT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, BECAUSE NONE OF MY AIRBAGS WILL WORK UNTIL THE MRS CONTROL UNIT IS REPLACED. I WANT TO KNOW IS BMW GOING TO REPLACE THE UNIT I WAS TOLD THAT THE AIR BAG MISHAP CAUSED THE MRS CONTROL UNIT TO GO BAD.
TAKATA RECALL. AFTER CONTACTING BMW NEAREST DEALER THEY HAVE NOT TAKEN ANY ACTION TO TAKE CARE OF THE RECALL. THEY TOOK MY CAR INFORMATION AND SAID WHEN THE PARTS ARRIVE THEY WOULD CALL ME BACK.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
DRIVERS WINDOW IS STUCK IN UP POSITION. WHEN RAISE/LOWER SWITCH IS ACTIVATED, I HEAR THE MOTOR RUNNING BUT WINDOW DOES NOT MOVE DOWN. THE LOCAL BMW REPAIR CENTER SAID IT WILL BE $150 TO INSPECT THE PROBLEM AND THEN $$$ TO REPAIR. THE MALFUNCTION OF THE WINDOW HAPPENED WHILE I WAS DRIVING
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 325. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS MALFUNCTIONING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT CERTAIN LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATING ON THE DASHBOARD WHILE OTHER LIGHTS WERE NOT. THE VEHICLE ALSO FAILED TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS AWAITING DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIRS. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 158,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
DRIVERS WINDOW IS STUCK IN UP POSITION. WHEN RAISE/LOWER SWITCH IS ACTIVATED, I HEAR THE MOTOR RUNNING BUT WINDOW DOES NOT MOVE DOWN. THE LOCAL BMW REPAIR CENTER SAID IT WILL BE $150 TO INSPECT THE PROBLEM AND THEN $$$ TO REPAIR. THE MALFUNCTION OF THE WINDOW HAPPENED WHILE I WAS DRIVING
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 325. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS MALFUNCTIONING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT CERTAIN LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATING ON THE DASHBOARD WHILE OTHER LIGHTS WERE NOT. THE VEHICLE ALSO FAILED TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS AWAITING DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIRS. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 158,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE CENTRAL LOCKING SYSTEM INTERMITTENTLY FAILS TO OPERATE; PROBLEM IS INFLUENCED BY TEMPERATURE EXTREMES (HOT AND COLD); SYMPTOMS VARY FROM REQUIRING THE DRIVER TO LOCK AND UNLOCK THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE THE DOORS WILL UNLOCK TO A COMPLETE FAILURE OF ALL DOORS TO UNLOCK. WHEN THE PROBLEM MANIFESTS ITSELF, THE CENTRAL ELECTRIC DOOR LOCK BUTTON (MOUNTED IN THE CENTER CONSOLE BESIDE THE HAZARD LIGHT SWITCH) IS INOPERABLE. BMW CRASH SAFETY FEATURES INCLUDE MECHANICAL DISCONNECT OF DOOR LATCHES WHEN LOCKED; WHEN THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM MANIFESTS, SOMETIMES THE PASSENGER SIDE DOORS WILL REMAIN MECHANICALLY DISCONNECTED, MEANING THAT THE DOORS CANNOT BE OPENED AT ALL. IN A WORST CASE SCENARIO, IF THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE UNUSABLE FOR ESCAPE DUE TO DAMAGE OR BEING BLOCKED, THE ONLY WAY TO ESCAPE FROM THE VEHICLE IS BY SMASHING WINDOWS. BMWS ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH A GLASS BREAK DEVICE. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE A BODY MODULE CALLED THE GM5, WHICH IS MOUNTED ABOVE/IN FRONT OF THE GLOVE BOX; ALL LOCK POWER CIRCUITS RUN THROUGH THIS MODULE; THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE A VOLTAGE DROP IN THE MODULE, RESULTING IN INSUFFICIENT VOLTAGE TO THE LOCK MECHANISMS, AS YOU CAN HEAR THE LOCKS ATTEMPTING TO CYCLE WHEN AND CAN SEE THE LOCK BUTTONS MOVING WHEN THE KEY FOB IS USED IN AN ATTEMPT TO UNLOCK THE DOORS. A GOOGLE SEARCH OF THE TERMS "BMW","DOORS WON'T UNLOCK" GETS AT LEAST 10 PAGES OF RESULTS ON THE ISSUE, INCLUDING SEVERAL THAT IDENTIFY THE GM5 MODULE AS THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM AND WAYS TO FIX IT. REPAIR REQUIRES A NEW GM5 MODULE THAT NEEDS TO BE PROGRAMMED PRIOR TO INSTALL. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
HIGH PRESSURE STEERING PUMP LINE BURST LEADING TO LOSS OF STEERING POWER ASSISTANCE
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .