Owner-reported complaints naming the fuel system system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2003 BMW 325I submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
I OWN A 2003 SULEV BMW AND IT NEEDS A FUEL PUMP. THIS ONLY CAN BE REPAIRED BY A DEALERSHIP DUE TO THE FACT IT HAS A SEALED FUEL TANK. THE COST CAN BE 6 TO 8000.00 DOLLARS. I WAS TOLD THERE IS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR A SULEV CAR. 150000 MI OR 15 YEARS. I CALLED BMW AND THEY NEVER HEARD OF THAT WARRANTY. CAN YOU PLEASE HELP. THANK YOU
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 325I. WHEN THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO BE SMOGGED, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM THE FUEL TANK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL TANK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 145,000.
THE FUEL PUMPS OF THE SUPER LOW EMISSION VEHICLES (SULEV) (PZEV) 325I MODELS (IN CA, ME, MA, NY AND VT) ARE ENCLOSED IN THE STAINLESS STEEL FUEL TANK AND THERE IS A KNOWN 100% FAILURE. BMW HAS A 15 YEAR/150K WARRANTY BUT I AM CONTACTING YOU BECAUSE MY CAR HAS 192K AND IS OUT OF WARRANTY. FOR KNOWN DEFECTIVE MATERIAL AND WORKMANSHIP OF THE FUEL PUMP, THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL OR AT LEAST NOTIFICATION TO THE OWNERS OF SUCH VEHICLES. IN MOST CASES, EVEN WHEN UNDER WARRANTY THE BMW DEALERSHIPS GAVE OWNERS DIFFICULTIES AND RESISTANCE WHEN THE FUEL PUMP FAILED, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE THE PART ALONE IS $6000, NOT INCLUDING LABOR. AS MANY OF THESE SULEV MODELS ARE STILL ON THE ROAD AND POTENTIALLY WOULD STOP RUNNING AT ANY POINT WHEN THE FUEL PUMP CLOGS OR GETS BLOCKED, THE DRIVERS ARE POTENTIALLY PLACED IN DANGER. MY 2003 325I DIED ON THE FREEWAY GOING 70MPH BUT FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY MANEUVER TO THE SHOULDER. THIS COULD HAVE EASILY CAUSED A MULTI-CAR ACCIDENT BUT FORTUNATELY THERE WEREN'T MANY OTHER CARS ON THE FREEWAY AT THE TIME. THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO BUT COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. IT WOULD NOT START AGAIN AND IS BASICALLY DEAD IN THE WATER NOW. THE LOCAL BMW DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING SINCE IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY. AGAIN, ALTHOUGH THIS AFFECTS LATER MODEL SULEV CARS, I ASK YOU TO PLEASE OPEN AN INVESTIGATION, AS BMW SHOULD STAND BY THEIR PRODUCT AND REPUTATION BY REPAIRING A KNOWN DEFECTIVE PART THAT AFFECTED OR WILL AFFECT ALL SULEV MODELS. TYPICALLY THE FUEL PUMP FAILS PRIOR TO THE 150K MILEAGE, BUT APPARENTLY SINCE I RARELY ALLOW MY FUEL TANK TO GO BELOW A QUARTER TANK, I WAS ABLE TO GET AN ADDITIONAL 40K. REGARDLESS, I THINK A RECALL FOR THIS MAJOR DEFECT IS MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE REAR LAMP WHICH DID INITIATE A RECALL. BMW SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES AND I WILL NEVER EVEN THINK OF BUYING ANOTHER BMW EVER AGAIN.
ON 4/27/2015, DRIVING IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC AT ABOUT 5:30 PM, THE CAR STOPPED MOVING FORWARD AND DID NOT RESPOND TO PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDDLE. FORTUNATELY, DUE TO SLOW TRAFFIC, WE DID NOT GET HIT FROM BEHIND. IF THIS HAD OCCURRED AT NIGHT AND/OR AT USUAL TRAFFIC SPEEDS, WE COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. 911 RESPONDED, PUSHED US TO THE SHOULDER AND THEN AAA TOWED THE CAR.
THE FUEL PUMP WENT BAD ,AND LEFT ME STRANDED ON A BUSY STREET,IT SUPPOSE TO HAVE A MANUFACTURER WARRANTY FOR 15YEARS OR 150,000 MILES FROM BMW, BUT THEY DON'T HONOR IT AT THE DEALER,I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE FUEL PUMP IS SEALED INSIDE THE TANK,WHICH LEAVES NO ACCESS TO CHANGE THE PUMP,AND THE DEALER IS STATING THAT WE HAVE TO PAY 6500.00 FOR THE WHOLE TANK.. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL.. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT NOTICED A CRACK IN THE FUEL TANK THAT CAUSED GASOLINE TO LEAK OUT. EACH TIME THE GASOLINE TANK IS FILLED, HE SMELLS FUMES. RECENTLY, AFTER FILLING THE VEHICLE WITH GASOLINE, THE CONTACT PARKED HIS VEHICLE AND OBSERVED APPROXIMATELY A QUARTER TANK OF FUEL ON THE GROUND. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO HIS MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED ABOUT THE CRACK IN THE FUEL TANK. THE BMW MANUFACTURER ADVISED HIM TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO DETERMINE IF THE FUEL TANK WAS CRACKED. ONCE THIS HAS BEEN DETERMINED, THE CONTACT MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR REIMBURSEMENT OR BMW WILL REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,172. UPDATED 8/18/09 *CN THE DEALER DETERMINED THE GAS TANK WAS NOT CRACKED, BUT THE LEAK WAS CAUSED BY A SEAL THAT WAS INSTALLED INCORRECTLY AT THE FUEL PUMP. UPDATED 08/21/09.*JB
ENGINE STALLED IN TRAFFIC; HAD TO COAST TO SIDE OF THE ROAD. WOULD NOT RE-START, DESPITE STRONG CRANKING. COMPUTER READ "38 MILES TO EMPTY" AND GAUGE READ APPROXIMATELY 1/4 TO 1/8 TANK OF FUEL REMAINING. CAR WAS TOWED IN AND SEVERAL FAULTS WERE FOUND: 240, 243. DEALER TECH (VISTA BMW, FL) STATED IN SERVICE RECEIPT: FUEL SENDING UNITS. CHECKED FUEL PRESSURE . . . PRESSURE WAS 3.5 BAR. CHECKED RETURN FUEL PRESSURE AT FUEL TANK . . . PRESSURE WAS 1.0 BAR. REMOVED BOTH FUEL SENDING UNITS & PERFORMED RESISTANCE SWEEP OF BOTH RESISTANCE CARS . . . BOTH LEFT & RIGHT SENDING UNITS HAD AN OPEN. REPLACED LEFT & RIGHT FUEL SENDING UNITS. PARTS REPLACED: FUEL SENSOR, SUCTION UNIT. SAFETY CONSIDERATION: SUDDEN ENGINE STOPAGE CAN BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, YET THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED EVENT. INTERNET WEB SITES RELATE OTHER BMW'S WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS. ESPECIALLY TROUBLESOME IS THE COMPLETE LACK OF WARNING. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME IF YOU WOULD LIKE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. MARK PETERS BEDFORD, TX [email protected]
1. TRANSMISSION: AFTER TRANSMISSION REPAIR, CONSTANT HARD DOWNSHIFTING OF AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WHEN COMING TO A STOP IN D AND S D MODES. VEHICLE JERKS FORWARD WHEN DECELERATING BETWEEN SPEEDS OF 42 TO 35 MPH (USUALLY WHEN DRIVEN BEFORE WITH SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 50 MILES AN HOUR). ALSO, AFTER TRANSMISSION REPAIR, CONSTANT LOUD THUMPING NOISE WHEN COMING TO A STOP 2. ENGINE:INTERMITTENT LOUD ENGINE REVVING AND IMMEDIATE TORQUE LOSS OCCURRING WHEN TAKING OFF FROM A STOP.INTERMITTENT DELAYED ENGINE START OF UP TO 3 SECONDS AFTER TURNING KEY IN IGNITION .INTERMITTENT PRM IDLE FLUCTUATION RESULTING IN VEHICLE SHUDDERING 3. BRAKES:LOUD BREAK SQUEAKING WHEN COMING TO A STOP 4. FUEL TANK / FUEL PUMP:AFTER DEFECTIVE FUEL TANK/PUMP REPLACEMENT, RECURRENCE OF LOUD WHINING NOISE ( CONFIRMED WITH BMW OF NORTH AMERICA) 5. CD PLAYER: INTERMITTENT BUILT-IN BUSINESS CD PLAYER SKIPPING 6.STEERING WHEEL: STEERING WHEEL CREAKING WHEN TURNING.*AK
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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