2005 BMW 325CI 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 2005 BMW 325CI, 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
- Airbags2051.3%
- Exterior lighting512.8%
- Visibility410.3%
- Electrical37.7%
- Engine25.1%
- Interior & seats12.6%
- Steering12.6%
- Suspension12.6%
- Seat belts12.6%
- Other / unspecified12.6%
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
PLEASE REMOVE THIS VEHICLE FROM THE RECALL LIST FOR TAKATA AIR BAG REPLACEMENT.. I HAD THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG REPLACED IN 2016, AT THE BMW DEALERSHIP IN WILMINGTON, NC. I HAVE NO IDEA WHY THE REPLACEMENT WASN'T REPORTED, BUT THAT DEALERSHIP DID HAVE AN OWNERSHIP CHANGE AFTER MY REPLACEMENT. I CONTINUE TO RECEIVE DOZENS OF NOTIFICATIONS FOR THIS RECALL, THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN COMPLETED. I'VE CONTACTED BMW AT LEAST 3 TIMES, BUT SOMEHOW I'M STILL ON THIS LIST. PLEASE REMOVE MY VEHICLE FROM THE RECALL LIST IMMEDIATELY.
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW 325CI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INDEPENDENT SALES LOCATION THAT SOLD THE VEHICLE MADE NO MENTION OF TWO RECALLS PRIOR TO THE CONTACT PURCHASING THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED FOR MONTHS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED OR DIAGNOSED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC OR DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 14V428000 (AIR BAGS) AND 15V318000 (AIR BAGS), BUT THE CONTACT DID NOT RECEIVE A NOTIFICATION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
RT REAR BRAKE LIGHT FAILED TO ILLUMINATE WHILE THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THERE WAS A RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 11V438000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING); HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 43,120. VEHICLE IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION UPON REQUEST.
I was driving one night and the headlight out indicator on the dash lit up showing the passenger headlight to be out. This limited my ability to see the road as I now only had one headlight operational. Upon further inspection, the halogen bulb was found to be in working order, but the wiring harness has lost its insulation. On both the driver and passenger side the insulation on the internal wire harness to the headlights has dried out and fallen off, exposing bare copper making an electrical short highly likely.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
I was driving one night and the headlight out indicator on the dash lit up showing the passenger headlight to be out. This limited my ability to see the road as I now only had one headlight operational. Upon further inspection, the halogen bulb was found to be in working order, but the wiring harness has lost its insulation. On both the driver and passenger side the insulation on the internal wire harness to the headlights has dried out and fallen off, exposing bare copper making an electrical short highly likely.
SUSPENSION- SWAY BARS, BUSHINGS, EVERY PART OF SUSPENSION BREAKING. BRAKES-EMERGENCY BRAKE DOES NOT WORK. LIGHTING-ISSUES WITH HEADLAMPS. REARVIEW MIRROR-DEFECTIVE, NOT CLEAR ENOUGH TO SEE OUT OF. AIRBAGS-REPLACED, BUT WHEN THE CAR WAS IMPACTED THE ROLL BARS DEPLOYED WHILE THE AIRBAGS DID NOT.
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
I was driving one night and the headlight out indicator on the dash lit up showing the passenger headlight to be out. This limited my ability to see the road as I now only had one headlight operational. Upon further inspection, the halogen bulb was found to be in working order, but the wiring harness has lost its insulation. On both the driver and passenger side the insulation on the internal wire harness to the headlights has dried out and fallen off, exposing bare copper making an electrical short highly likely.
On the night of 8/21/22, the fire department was callled to my detached garage when someone saw smoke comimg form the garage. The fire department determined that my car caught fire because of the cooling fan. The car was not running nor was the key in the ignition. The car was started 36 hours prior and had not been driven on a regualr basis for some time. The investigating office mentioned that the fan kept running, over heated causing the car and the contents of the garage to catch on fire.
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
On the night of 8/21/22, the fire department was callled to my detached garage when someone saw smoke comimg form the garage. The fire department determined that my car caught fire because of the cooling fan. The car was not running nor was the key in the ignition. The car was started 36 hours prior and had not been driven on a regualr basis for some time. The investigating office mentioned that the fan kept running, over heated causing the car and the contents of the garage to catch on fire.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW 325CI. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO HESITATE AND LOSE SPEED. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, BUT THE SPEED DID NOT INCREASE. SUDDENLY, A LARGE AMOUNT OF DARK SMOKE APPEARED FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW RADIATOR HOSE AND THEY REPLACED ALL THE FLUIDS IN THE VEHICLE. A MONTH AFTER THE REPAIRS, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE HEATER IN THE VEHICLE FAILED. DARK SMOKE APPEARED ONCE AGAIN UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AGAIN AND THEY KEPT IT FOR OVER A WEEK. THE DEALER STATED THAT EVERYTHING THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED FROM THE FIRST FAILURE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. THEY REPLACED EVERYTHING AND TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE, IN WHICH EVERYTHING SEEMED TO BE OK. TWO WEEKS LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT HEARD NOISES COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND THE SERVICE ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. SHE PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER AND SMOKE APPEARED FROM THE FRONT END. THE CONTACT MANAGED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO HER JOB WHERE IT IS CURRENTLY PARKED. SHE CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED TO BRING THE VEHICLE BACK. THE CONTACT BELIEVES THAT THE VEHICLE IS COMPLETELY UNSAFE AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,859 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 58,769.
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
WHEN THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN OVER A BUMP, THE WIRING HARNESS BELOW THE PASSENGER OR DRIVER SEAT MAY BECOME LOOSE, CAUSING A HIGH RESISTANCE IN THE SRS SYSTEM AND CAUSING THE SRS ERROR LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE AND AN ERROR CODE TO BE SAVED, THE SYSTEM MAY BECOME INACTIVE, AND IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SRS SYSTEM MAY NOT FUNCTION, AND MAY LEAD TO INJURY OR DEATH WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED HAD THE CONNECTORS NOT COME LOOSE AND DEACTIVATED THE SRS SYSTEM. THIS HAS BEEN OBSERVED ON NUMEROUS E46'S OF VARIOUS YEARS. *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
SUSPENSION- SWAY BARS, BUSHINGS, EVERY PART OF SUSPENSION BREAKING. BRAKES-EMERGENCY BRAKE DOES NOT WORK. LIGHTING-ISSUES WITH HEADLAMPS. REARVIEW MIRROR-DEFECTIVE, NOT CLEAR ENOUGH TO SEE OUT OF. AIRBAGS-REPLACED, BUT WHEN THE CAR WAS IMPACTED THE ROLL BARS DEPLOYED WHILE THE AIRBAGS DID NOT.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
SUSPENSION- SWAY BARS, BUSHINGS, EVERY PART OF SUSPENSION BREAKING. BRAKES-EMERGENCY BRAKE DOES NOT WORK. LIGHTING-ISSUES WITH HEADLAMPS. REARVIEW MIRROR-DEFECTIVE, NOT CLEAR ENOUGH TO SEE OUT OF. AIRBAGS-REPLACED, BUT WHEN THE CAR WAS IMPACTED THE ROLL BARS DEPLOYED WHILE THE AIRBAGS DID NOT.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHEN THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN OVER A BUMP, THE WIRING HARNESS BELOW THE PASSENGER OR DRIVER SEAT MAY BECOME LOOSE, CAUSING A HIGH RESISTANCE IN THE SRS SYSTEM AND CAUSING THE SRS ERROR LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE AND AN ERROR CODE TO BE SAVED, THE SYSTEM MAY BECOME INACTIVE, AND IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SRS SYSTEM MAY NOT FUNCTION, AND MAY LEAD TO INJURY OR DEATH WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED HAD THE CONNECTORS NOT COME LOOSE AND DEACTIVATED THE SRS SYSTEM. THIS HAS BEEN OBSERVED ON NUMEROUS E46'S OF VARIOUS YEARS. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE USING THE MANUFACTURER PROVIDED JACK ON MY BMW 325CI CONVERTIBLE TO REMOVE THE LEFT REAR TIRE FOR REPAIR, THE JACK POPPED LOOSE, STRIKING THE SIDE OF CAR AND CAUSING SOME $800 PLUS IN DAMAGES. FORTUNATELY, THE WHEEL WAS STILL ON THE CAR OR ELSE THE CAR WOULD HAVE COLLAPSED ON ME. CAR WAS BEING JACKED PER MANUFACTURERS DIRECTIONS ON A LEVEL GARAGE FLOOR. THE JACK FAILED APPARENTLY DUE TO THE INWARD MOTION OF THE REAR WHEEL AS THE CAR WAS BEING RAISED. THIS JACK DESIGN IS A HALF SCISSORS AND HAS AN EXTREMELY SMALL FOOT PRINT WHICH MAY CONTRIBUTE TO ITS APPARENT INSTABILITY. I REPORTED THIS INCIDENT TO BMW USA AND WISH TO FOLLOW UP WITH THE NHSTA BECAUSE THIS COULD CAUSE VERY SERIOUS INJURY. I ASKED BMW IF THEY HAD A REPLACEMENT TYPE JACK DESIGN (SINCE I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO CONFIDENCE IN THE EXISTING ONE AND THINKING THIS MAY BE A KNOWN PROBLEM) BUT THEY DO NOT. *NM
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 .