RoadVitals

1993 BMW 325ISA Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints 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.
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Latest Jun 23, 2003
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
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Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
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What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1993 BMW 325ISA, 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

  • Electrical1100.0%

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

Electrical

Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.

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report

From owner reports, verbatim

TWO NIGHT AGO I NOTICED THAT THE INSTRUMENT LIGHTS ON MY VEHICLE WOULD SHUTOFF IMMEDIATELY AFTER TURNING OFF THE HEADLIGHTS. THEY NEXT MORNING I WENT TO MY CAR AND NOTICED THAT NOT ONLY WERE THE INSTRUMENT LIGHTS ON BUT ALSO THE REAR LICENSE PLATE LIGHTS. I WENT THROUGH THE DAY WITH BOTH ON WHEN I REMEMBERED I CHANGED THE LICENSE PLATE BULB LIGHTS THE PREVIOUS DAY. THINKING THAT WAS THE PROBLEM I OPENED MY TRUNK AND LOOKED AT THE LIGHTS AND NOTICED THE WIRES LEADING TO THE TRUNK. WHEN I LIFTED THE TRUNK LID ALL THE LIGHTS TURNED OFF. I SHUT THE TRUNK AND PROCEED INSIDE MY HOUSE WHEN THE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON RIGHT AS I STEPPED THROUGH THE DOOR. I WENT BACK TO THE CAR AND OPENED THE TRUNK WHICH IN WHEN I HEARD THE NOISE OF SPARKS COMMONS FROM THE WIRES LEADING FROM THE TRUNK LID INTO THE CAR. I IMMEDIATELY NOTICED A LARGE AMOUNT OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE WIRED AND PROCEEDED TO IMMEDIATELY DISCONNECT MY BATTERY WHICH IS LOCATED IN MY TRUNK. AFTER I DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY, I LOOKED AT THE REMAINS WHERE THE SPARKS HAD COME FROM, THE WIRES WERE ALL MELTED AND FRAYED. I RE-COATED ALL THE WIRES WITH ELECTRICAL TAPE. THIS WAS NOT THE ONLY INCIDENT REGARDING WIRES. I FEEL THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THESE WIRED. I FEW MONTHS EARLIER I NOTICED FRAYING OF WIRED IN THE SAME VICINITY. THE WIRE COATING IS TO THIN AND OVER TIME THE WIRES MOLD TOGETHER TO FORM ONE WHICH CAUSES THEM TO TOUCH ONE ANOTHER CREATING A VERY POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. HAD I NOT SEEN THOSE LIGHTS COME BACK ON, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED. THIS CAR HAS BEEN MAINTAINED BY THE HIGHEST STANDARDS, AND REGARDLESS THE WIRES ARE ON THE INSIDE OF THE CAR. I POSTED A MESSAGE ON A BMW FORUM WHEN THE EVENT INITIALLY HAPPENED AND MANY PEOPLE REPORTED HAVING SIMILAR SYMPTOMS AND MANY WITH EVEN NEWER MODELS REPORT SEEING SIGNS OF FRAYING AND WIRES COMING THROUGH THE COATING. *NLM

NHTSA ID 10023568 · filed Jun 23, 2003

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

Data on this page last refreshed .