RoadVitals

2004 BMW 325I Interior & seats Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the interior system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Interior & seats reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
8
Latest Feb 22, 2018
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
5%
of 147 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
1

What this page shows

Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2004 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.

Owner reports naming interior

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

ElectricalInterior & seats
Filed Feb 22, 2018

THE CAR SEAT WARMER BURNED THROUGH LEATHER AND BURNED THROUGH MY COAT. I MADE COMPLIANT TO BMW AND SPOKE TO MICHAEL PIGONCELLI. BMW REFUSED TO REPAIR THE DEFECT OR TO COMPENSATE ME FOR MY COAT. THE CAR HAS BEEN MAINTAINED. THE SEAT WARMER WILL SEVERELY INJURE ANYONE WHO USES IT IF A HEAVY COAT IS NOT WORN. I WAS TOLD BY THE BMW DEALERSHIP THAT THE SEAT WARMER BURNING THROUGH THE LEATHER AND PEOPLES SKIN/COAT IS COMMON. BMW (NEWMARKET, ONTARIO) TOOK PICTURES OF THE DAMAGE TO THE SEAT AND MY COAT.

NHTSA ID
11074338
Incident
Jan 25, 2018
Mileage
40 mi
AirbagsEngineInterior & seats
Filed Nov 10, 2017

TAKATA RECALL I HAVE REQUESTED SINCE MAY 2015-NOVEMEBR 2017 A REPAIR TO THIS RECALL. MY CAR WAS ON A MOUNTAIN GOING UPHILL AND IT STALLED OUT AND MADE FLICKERING. IT WAS TOWED TO BMW SEALERSHIP WHO KEPT THE CAR FOR ALMOST THREE MONTHS AND COULD NOT FIX. I CALLED BMW TO NO RESOLUTION. THE CAR WAS IN MOTION GOING UP A HILL.

NHTSA ID
11045269
Incident
Nov 17, 2016
Mileage
160,000 mi
Interior & seats
Filed Feb 19, 2017
1 injury reported

SEAT HEATER BURNED THROUGH THE PASSENGER SEAT AND BURNED THE PASSENGER. THE HEATER WAS SET ON HIGH AT THE TIME. IT HAS REPEATED THIS ISSUE ON ALL THREE SETTINGS. THE LEATHER IS BURNED.

NHTSA ID
10955535
Incident
Jan 15, 2015
ElectricalInterior & seats
Filed Jan 26, 2015

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE, THE DOORS WOULD NOT UNLOCK. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO UNLOCK THE DOORS MANUALLY AND BY USING THE KEY FOB BUT FAILED TO RESPOND. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED OR DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,000.

NHTSA ID
10678991
Incident
Oct 16, 2014
Mileage
53,000 mi
Interior & seats
Filed Nov 7, 2012

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DOORS LOCK FAILED. THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR AND THE REAR DOORS COULD NOT BE UNLOCKED MANUALLY WITH THE KEY. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE DRIVER DOOR WAS THE ONLY DOOR THAT COULD BE UNLOCKED MANUALLY WITH THE KEY. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT VEHICLE GENERAL ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 97,000.......UPDATED 12/20/12 *BF

NHTSA ID
10483572
Incident
Jul 1, 2010
Mileage
65,000 mi
Interior & seats
Filed Dec 15, 2010

3 OF THE 4 CAR DOORS HAVE LOCKED UP AND CANNOT BE OPENED ELECTRICALLY OR MECHANICALLY FROM THE INSIDE OR THE OUTSIDE. IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT AND/OR FIRE, THREE OF THE CAR'S OCCUPANTS WOULD BE TRAPPED INSIDE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10370848
Incident
Dec 15, 2010
Mileage
79,696 mi
Interior & seats
Filed Oct 15, 2010

OFTEN, THE DOORS WILL NOT UNLOCK ON OUR 2004 BMW 325I SEDAN, ALTHOUGH THEY ARE CONSISTENTLY LOCKABLE. THIS INCLUDES USING THE REMOTE KEY FOB, THE CENTRAL CONSOLE UNLOCK BUTTON AND ALSO MANUALLY PULLING THE DOOR LATCHES FROM INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THIS MEANS THAT ONLY BY BREAKING A WINDOW WILL WE BE ABLE TO EXIT THE CAR IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY. REPEATEDLY TOGGLING THE UNLOCK BUTTONS WILL EVENTUALLY UNLOCK THE DOORS, BUT SOMETIMES ONLY AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES. WE JUST FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS A WELL-KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE BMW'S GM5 MODULE, BUT THE MANUFACTURER REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE DEFECT. A POPULAR WEBSITE THAT EXPLAINS THE PROBLEM IN MORE DETAIL IS HTTP://WWW.BMWGM5.COM/. NOW WE ARE FACED WITH A COSTLY REPAIR IF WE WANT TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE IN A SAFE MANNER. *TR

NHTSA ID
10360593
Incident
Oct 14, 2010
Mileage
40,000 mi
Interior & seats
Filed Feb 1, 2008

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 325I. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE DOOR LOCKS AUTOMATICALLY ENGAGE. THE CONTACT CANNOT UNLOCK THE DOORS FROM THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT OR THE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR IS THE ONLY DOOR THAT CAN BE MANUALLY UNLOCKED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CENTRAL CONTROLLERS FOR THE DOORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE ESTIMATED REPAIR COST EXCEEDED $1,000. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT OFFERED TO PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 136,000. UPDATED 02-25-08 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED AFTER THE DOORS ARE LOCKED, ONLY THE DRIVERS SIDE CAN BE UNLOCKED WITH THE KEY OR SWITCH. THE CONSUMER STATED THE PASSENGER AND REAR DOORS WOULD NOT UNLOCK. SOON AFTER, THE DOORS WOULD FUNCTION PROPERLY. UPDATED

NHTSA ID
10216707
Incident
Dec 1, 2007
Mileage
120,000 mi

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .