2006 BMW 325I Engine Problems

Since the airbag was not fixed, it has caused PVC meltings as well as leakage

NHTSA ID

11695308

Incident

Aug 20, 2024

The Valvetronic Actuator malfunctions. The malfunction may have been caused by a Battery Positive Cable that has corroded over time. The result is that the vehicle stops unexpectedly during acceleration. Driver safety and that of others is put at risk due to the vehicle suddenly losing power and stoping while being driven. The vehicle was evaluated by the dealer. Warning lamps were intermittent and inconsistent. To my knowledge there is no Valvetronic Actuator or Battery Cable specific warning lamps or messages. There was a 2017 recall for the Battery Positive Cable, but my specific VIN was not covered (by a few months). My VIN (1986 325I) should have been included in the 2017 recall.

NHTSA ID

11687394

Incident

Jul 31, 2025

The contact owned a 2006 BMW 325i. The contact stated while driving 60-65 MPH, the A/C became inoperable and made an abnormally loud sound. The contact then noticed an abnormal burning wiring odor, and there was smoke coming out of the A/C vents. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that she attempted to pull to the side of the road, but could not safely do so. The contact continued driving and came to a complete stop at the traffic light, where the cabin became engulfed in smoke. The contact then pulled into a business parking lot and immediately exited the vehicle. The contact stated upon opening the hood, the contact noticed a reflection of the flame inside the hood. The contact ran into the business and asked for assistance. The contact stated that upon returning to the vehicle, the contact noticed that the fire had started from the middle of the hood to the cabin of the vehicle. The contact and the business employee attempted to extinguish the fire with two fire extinguishers but were unable to do so. The fire was extinguished by the fire department. The contact stated that the vehicle burned to the ground from the middle of the hood to the trunk, where the gas tank was located, and the hood was fractured in half. The contact stated that there were burned particles around the parking lot, but there was no property damage. The fire department report was filed. A police report was filed, but the contact did not have the information available. There was no injury sustained. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot, where it was totaled. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

NHTSA ID

11634581

Incident

Sep 30, 2024

Mileage

140,000 mi

This compliant is regarding the cooling system of BMW 32d5i 2006. Experience overheating of the car. The BMW dealership service department has confirmed that the water pump is at fault. And the quote for water pump replacement is their system. Yes, this is the second recurrency of overheating. Yes, the dashboard indicated overheating. The second warning was October 23,2024. The first warning was several years prior.

NHTSA ID

11623286

Incident

Oct 23, 2024

The contact's husband owns a 2006 BMW 325i. The contact stated moments after her son had started, parked and exited the vehicle, there was smoke coming from under the hood. The under hood caught on fire and the hood failed to open. The fire was extinguished by the fire department. The contact stated that the under hood, the front of the vehicle and the front tires burned significantly. A fire department report was filed. A police report was not filed. There was no injury sustained. The vehicle remained at the residence. The vehicle was awaiting to be destroyed. The dealer was contacted. The contact contacted the manufacturer and sent pictures of the incident to the manufacturer; however, the manufacturer informed the contact that the fire was not related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000(Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID

11614154

Incident

Jul 23, 2024

The contact owns a 2006 BMW 325I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, there was a significant amount of smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe and coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact drove to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the PCV valve heater fuses had failed. The dealer charged a fee for the repair because the recall remedy was not available. The dealer installed an inline fuse and wiring that connected the PCV valve to the PCV valve heater. The contact stated that he received a second notice advising that the recall remedy was available, and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the recall repair was performed. The vehicle was repaired. The contact later contacted the manufacturer for reimbursement, but the manufacturer referred the contact back to the dealer for assistance. The contact stated that he followed up with the dealer, who advised him that the failure was not related to the recall. The contact was not reimbursed. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000.

NHTSA ID

11556402

Incident

Dec 8, 2022

Mileage

132,000 mi

I was driving on the freeway when all of a sudden a lot of white smoke started to come from the engine. The car instantly overheated and it shut off. My car had no problems until now. I called a tow truck to bring it home. I had many mechanics check it out and they couldn’t figure out why this happened out of nowhere. They all said the same thing that this car was in fixable and it’s not ever drivable no more. Then I received this letter from BMW saying that my car was on a safety recall list and they have no remedy.

NHTSA ID

11497828

Incident

Dec 1, 2022

The contact owns a 2006 BMW 325I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID

11496430

Incident

Apr 1, 2022

The contact owns a 2006 BMW 325I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, he smelled a burning odor. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that he was unable to duplicate the failure using an OBD reader. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11493988

Incident

Aug 17, 2022

Mileage

76,000 mi

The contact owns a 2006 BMW 325I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and requested to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted.

NHTSA ID

11480762

Incident

Aug 23, 2022

The contact owns a 2006 BMW 325I. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal smoke odor coming from the instrument panel. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was not notified. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11479961

Incident

Aug 18, 2022

The contact owns a 2006 BMW 325I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11469379

Incident

Mar 2, 2022

The contact owns a 2006 BMW 325i. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, he smelled a burning plastic odor. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact continued to drive the vehicle. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and referred the contact to the manufacturer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was safe to drive. The failure mileage was approximately 122,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11462733

Incident

Apr 29, 2022

Mileage

122,000 mi

Over heating and smell of burning plastic

NHTSA ID

11456892

Incident

Mar 15, 2022

The contact owns a 2006 BMW 325i. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle overheated without warning. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The contact stated the failure was like NHTSA campaign number: 17V676000 (Electrical System). The approximate failure mileage was 170,000.

NHTSA ID

11421178

Incident

Mar 1, 2020

Mileage

170,000 mi

OIL FILTER HOUSING GASKET LEAKED ON TO ALTERNATOR CAUSING THE ALTERNATOR TO OVER HEAT AND MELT INTERNAL COMPONENTS WHICH CAUSING LACK OF POWER AND MULTIPLE FALSE CHECK ENGINE CODES TO COME ON AND SMOKE CLOUDED MY VIEW WHILE DRIVING SO VERY COMMON PROBLEM IS THE HEATER CORE LEAKING TOO

NHTSA ID

11407804

Incident

Feb 3, 2021

Mileage

180,000 mi

THE PROBLEMS I AM HAVING WITH MY CAR INCLUDE: HIGH RPMS WHEN ACCELERATING, MASSIVE GAS CONSUMPTION WHICH I CAN PROVIDE BANK STATEMENTS TO PROVE, MASSIVE COOLANT CONSUMPTION, NUMEROUS OIL LEAKS, ROUGH IDLING, ENGINE RATTLING, FOUL SMELL OF VAPORS IN THE CAR WHILE RUNNING, AND CONSTANT CAR SHAKING. MY CAR WILL CUT OFF COMPLETELY IF THE A/C IS TURNED ON OR IF SITTING AT A RED LIGHT, SO IN RETURN I WOULD HAVE TO PUT MY CAR IN PARK WHILE SITTING AT RED LIGHTS. ALL OF THIS IS DUE TO THE PCV VALVE. THIS RECALL WAS NOT MADE AWARE TO ME IF THOUGH I TOOK MY CAR TO GET SERVICED AT THE BMW DEALERSHIP AFTER THE RECALL WAS ANNOUNCED. THIS IS WHY I ASKED FOR GOODWILL ASSISTANCE FROM BMW. ONCE MY CAR WAS TAKEN IN TO FIX THE RECALL BMW TOLD ME THEY WOULD NOT HELP FINANCIALLY WITH THE REPAIRS OF MY VEHICLE DUE TO THE FACT OF THE YEAR AND MILEAGE. CORPORATE TOLD ME THIS AFTER I HAD TO CHASE THEM DOWN ALL DAY BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THEY NEEDED A ANSWER BY 12PM AND NEEDED THE LOANER VEHICLE BACK. ONCE I RECEIVED THE ANSWER OF NO I ASKED CODY CAMPBELL IF THE RECALL WAS FIXED . HE REPLIED SAYING YES. I DROVE TO THE DEALERSHIP TO THEN BE SENT BACK HOME BECAUSE THEY SAID THEY WERE SEALING SOME OF THE LEAKS FOR SAFETY PURPOSES. I FOUND THIS ODD BECAUSE IF YOU LOOKED ONLINE AND STILL LOOK NOW AS OF 10:09PM ON 10/05/2019 THE RECALL STILL HAS NOT BEEN FIXED.

NHTSA ID

11362950

Incident

Oct 5, 2020

Mileage

177,373 mi

I HAVE A RECALL ON THE HEATER DEVICES, NOT QUIT SURE WHAT THAT IS BUT IT CAN CAUSE MY ENGINE TO OVERHEAT AND CATCH FIRE. I'VE ALREADY REPLACED THE COOLANT SYSTEM BECAUSE OF OVER HEATING I'M VERY SCARED OF DRIVING THE CAR. I WOULD LIKE TO GET IT FIXED A SOON AS POSSIBLE, ITS NICE CAR AND I'VE PUT A LOT OF MONEY IN IT ALREADY, TRYING TO KEEP IT ON THE ROAD,ITS MY WORK TRANSPORTATION.

NHTSA ID

11254039

Incident

May 24, 2019

Mileage

127,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325I. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO RELEASE SMOKE FROM THE ENGINE AND OVERHEAT. THE VEHICLE ALSO BEGAN TO LOSE ENGINE POWER. AS A SAFETY PRECAUTION, THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SHOULDER. ONCE THE VEHICLE REACHED A COMPLETE STOP, IT WOULD NOT RESTART AND WAS LEFT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD OVERNIGHT. THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,000.

NHTSA ID

11240912

Incident

Jul 9, 2019

Mileage

16,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2006 BMW 325I. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE RESERVOIR, ABS, AND WINDOW WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT. THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF AND BACK ON, AND ATTEMPT TO DRIVE WITHOUT IT OVERHEATING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE RADIATOR TANK NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BMW OF ROSEVILLE (500 AUTOMALL DR, ROSEVILLE, CA 95661, (916) 790-1990) TO BE DIAGNOSED; HOWEVER, THE DEALER REFUSED BECAUSE THE VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE A BMW BATTERY. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 76,000.

NHTSA ID

11233928

Incident

Jul 10, 2019

Mileage

76,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325I. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ABLE TO BE DRIVEN AND WAS PARKED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V273000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE CONTACT CALLED PEAKE BMW (LOCATED AT 2630 VETERANS MEMORIAL BLVD, KENNER, LA 70062, (504) 266-0070), BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO NOTIFY THEM OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 51,000.

NHTSA ID

11230134

Incident

Jul 8, 2019

Mileage

51,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325I. WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY OVERHEATED WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS ACTIVATED. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE HEATER SENSOR WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND NOTICED ANTIFREEZE LEAKING OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED, BUT THE CONTACT WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE RESULTS. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V676000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) AND NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V273000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 146,000.

NHTSA ID

11219079

Incident

Jun 3, 2019

Mileage

146,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V273000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO BMW OF SAN ANTONIO (15507 W IH 10, SAN ANTONIO, TX 78249, (210) 732-7121) AT LEAST TEN TIMES SINCE 2017 FOR THE REPAIRS RELATED TO THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS REMOVED FROM THE RECALL AND REFERRED HIM TO NHTSA TO FILE A COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 151,193. *BF CONSUMER STATED COMPLAINT FILED WITH TEXAS GOVERNOR'S OFFICE. THE CAR WAS STOLEN FROM THE BMW DEALERSHIP WHILE WAITING FOR REPAIRS. RECOVERED AND RETURNED TO DEALERSHIP ON 6/19/19. TOTALED OUT BY INSURANCE COMPANY. 'PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).'*JB

NHTSA ID

11218050

Incident

Apr 14, 2017

Mileage

151,193 mi

I WAS SITTING IN CLASS WHEN A RECEIVED A CALL THAT MY CAR WAS ON FIRE AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS THERE TO PUT IT OUT. THEY OPENED MY CAR WITH MY KEYS AND PUT OUT THE FIRE AS I RUSHED BACK TO MY HOUSE TO MEET THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE DAMAGE IS UNKNOWN AT THIS POINT ALONG WITH HOW IT STARTED. THE CAR HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN FOR TWO DAYS AND WAS PARKED ON THE STREET OUTSIDE OF MY HOUSE. THE FIRE STARTED UNDER/IN MY ENGINE AND THEY LUCKILY GO THERE FAST ENOUGH WHERE THE ONLY VISIBLE DAMAGE WAS SOME MELTING WITHIN THE ENGINE. THE CAR HAD NOT BEEN GIVING ME ANY PROBLEMS PRIOR EXCEPT FOR GOING THROUGH OIL A LITTLE FASTER THAN NORMAL, BUT IT IS HIGH MILEAGE SO THAT IS NOT A HUGE CONCERN.

NHTSA ID

11174886

Incident

Feb 6, 2019

Mileage

130,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V676000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE FOR TWO MILES TO RUN AN ERRAND, THE CONTACT RETURNED TO THE VEHICLE AND SMELLED BURNING PLASTIC. THE CONTACT OPENED THE HOOD AND SAW FLAMES ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ENGINE BLOCK BY THE FIREWALL. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RECORDED THE EVENT AND TOOK PICTURES OF THE DAMAGE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE CONTACT'S HAND WAS SLIGHTLY INJURED, BUT MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NOT RECEIVED. BMW OF LOUISVILLE (4 AUTOCENTER DR, LOUISVILLE, KY 40299, (502) 287-1501) TOWED THE VEHICLE AND DIAGNOSED THAT THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY AN OIL LEAK AND POWER STEERING FLUID. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CONTACT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER HAD AN INVESTIGATOR INSPECT THE VEHICLE WHO CONFIRMED WHAT THE DEALER STATED. IT TOOK THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER FIVE WEEKS TO COME UP WITH THEIR FINDINGS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,262.

NHTSA ID

11174428

Incident

Dec 22, 2018

Mileage

140,262 mi