2006 BMW 325XI Electrical Problems

Intermittently on startup/ignition, car electrical shuts completely down. No power to anything and key fob becomes locked in the ignition. After a few minutes the electrical comes back on on its own. This usually only happens in park on startup, however on one occasion, the electrical shut off for about 5 seconds as I was driving 70 MPH on the highway. Car went totally dark and I was fortunately able to control the wheel until power came back.

NHTSA ID

11487102

Incident

May 1, 2020

WHEN THE IBS IS PLUGGED IN IT DRAINS THE BATTERY FAST , THEN IT WON'T START UNLESS I UNPLUG THE B+ BLUE PLUG , THEN PLUG THE B+ CABLE BACK IN AFTER STARTED SO THE VALVETRONIC ECCENTRIC SHAFT MOTOR HAS POWER , OTHERWISE IT GOES INTO LIMP MODE WITHOUT IT PLUGGED IN , I THOUGHT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS BUT IT STARTS ON THE 2007 E90 I GUESS MINE IS A 2006 .

NHTSA ID

11300209

Incident

Nov 1, 2019

Mileage

110,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325XI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AN UNKNOWN WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED, THE VEHICLE HESITATED WHILE DRIVING, AND THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE WHEN THE ENGINE WAS STARTED. THE CONTACT REACHED OUT TO UNION PARK BMW (1900 PENNSYLVANIA AVE, WILMINGTON, DE 19806, (302) 658-7245) SEVERAL TIMES PERTAINING TO THE FAILURES. A TECHNICIAN WAS SENT TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V676000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE CONTACT WAS UNCERTAIN IF THERE WAS AN INTERNAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE, WHICH COULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO POTENTIALLY STALL AND/OR CATCH ON FIRE. THE TECHNICIAN INDICATED THAT THE MICRO-FILTER NEEDED TO BE CHANGED, BUT THE PART WAS NOT REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

11162222

Incident

Dec 3, 2018

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325XI. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V676000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. SALE BMW (1053 US-258, KINSTON, NC 28504, (252) 520-2380) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND WAS UNABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

11103468

Incident

Jan 3, 2017

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325XI. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V676000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE DEALER (NIELLO BMW, 2020 FULTON AVE, SACRAMENTO, CA 95825, (916) 486-1011) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS UNABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT NOTICED A BURNING ODOR INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 131,000. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

11057361

Incident

Nov 14, 2017

Mileage

131,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING CAR WILL INTERMITTENTLY AND BRIEFLY EXPERIENCE FULL ELECTRONIC OUTAGE CAUSING THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, VEHICLE LIGHTS, AND ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK TO ENGAGE. AS SOON AS THE ELECTRONIC POWER RETURNS SERVICE LIGHTS DISPLAY ON THE DASHBOARD UNTIL I STOP, FULLY POWER OFF THE VEHICLE WITH THE IGNITION BUTTON AND RESTART THE CAR. THIS HAS ALL HAPPENED AT DRIVING SPEEDS RANGING BETWEEN 15 AND 70 MPH, FORTUNATELY WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT. IF I OR ANYONE ELSE WOULD HAPPEN TO BE IN A TURN AND THE ELECTRONIC STEERING WHEEL LOCK ENGAGE THE RESULTS COULD POTENTIALLY BE LIFE THREATENING. THIS VEHICLE IS A PRIOR DEALER LEASE THEN SOLD TO A RENTAL COMPANY THEN PURCHASED BY ME. THE VEHICLE REMAINS UNMODIFIED AND HAS BEEB MAINTAINED AND SERVICED WITH ALL OEM OR EQUIVALENT PARTS.

NHTSA ID

11014804

Incident

Aug 10, 2017

Mileage

210,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325XI. THE CONTACT STATED THE AIR BAG AND OIL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WERE TWO MANUFACTURERS RECALL RELATED TO THE FAILURES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000. UPDATED 06/07/17*LJ *AS

NHTSA ID

10969504

Incident

Jan 1, 2017

Mileage

160,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325XI. WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS ACTIVATED, SMOKE FILLED THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE. FLAMES APPEARED AND THE VEHICLE EXPLODED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND FILED A REPORT. THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED BURNS TO THE HAND, WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000.

NHTSA ID

10897625

Incident

Aug 19, 2016

Mileage

95,000 mi

THIS VEHICLE HAS AN ELECTRONIC LOCK OUT ON THE STEERING WHEEL THAT PREVENT THE STEERING FROM UNLOCKING AS THE OPERATOR ATTEMPTS TO START THE ENGINE. THE CODE READ OUT TO BE A115 OR A116. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND BMW HAS NOT BEEN ASKED BY NHTSA TO RECALL. PLEASE WORKS WITH BMW TO REMEDY THIS FAULTY ON THEIR DESIGN. THE FOLLOWING DESIGN WAS REMOVED FROM STEERING COLUMN AS BMW KNOWN THIS IS A PROBLEM FROM START. THIS PROBLEM OCCURS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN PARK AND REFUSES TO RELEASE THE STEERING COLUMN.

NHTSA ID

10886273

Incident

May 9, 2016

Mileage

1,000,000 mi

BMW 3 SERIES, 2006, E90 BODY TYPE. AFTER INSERTING THE KEY IN THE CONTACT ALL POWER WENT OFF. I EXPERIENCED TWICE SUCH COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER, FOR THE ENTIRE VEHICLE: ENGINE, DOORS, LIGHTS AND EVEN THE KEY CANNOT BE REMOVED FROM CONTACT. ONCE I TOUCHED THE BATTERY WITH A VOLTMETER AND MEASURED THE VOLTAGE (THAT WAS PERFECT) THE POWER CAME BACK. THOUGH AFTER THE POWER WAS RESTORED WHILE DRIVING TO DEALERSHIP THE CAR STARTED TO BEHAVE ERRATICALLY, WINDSHIELD WIPERS STARTING BY THEMSELVES, RADIO TURNING ON AND OFF, NOISE IN THE BACK OF THE CAR ( EITHER SPEAKERS OR ELECTRIC). DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSIS IDENTIFIED THE CONNECTOR ON POWER CABLE BETWEEN THE BATTERY AND THE ENGINE AS THE CAUSE OF THE TOTAL POWER LOSS. THE CABLE CONNECTOR APPEARS TO BE ALMOST ENTIRELY CORRODED. INCIDENTALLY THIS VERY CABLE WAS SUBJECT OF BMW VOLUNTARY RECALL BUT ONLY FOR VEHICLES MANUFACTURED AFTER 2007 ( RCDNN-13V044-8968(1).PDF ). THOUGH IN MY CASE IT APPEARS TO BE THE OTHER END OF THE SAME CABLE THAT IS OUTSIDE OF THE CAR BODY, EXPOSED TO CORROSION. THE PART NUMBER CABLE SUBJECT OF THE RECALL APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN INSTALLED ALSO ON 2005 AND 2006 BMW 3XX MODELS THOUGH THEY WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.

NHTSA ID

10853653

Incident

Mar 25, 2016

Mileage

84,000 mi

THE PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY DETECTION MODULE IS FAULTY IN OUR CAR. IT WAS OFFICIALLY DIAGNOSED BY A BMW DEALER ON 20 FEB 2012. WE ARE BEING TOLD THAT OUR CAR'S PRODUCTION TIME FALLS 1 MONTH OUT OF THE PREVIOUS RECALL ON THESE SAME PARTS (NHTSA ACTION NUMBER EA080001). BMW IS REFUSING TO FIX IT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10448912

Incident

Jul 1, 2011

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325XI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE CONCERNING THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE BATTERY BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AGAIN AND STATED THAT THE INDEPENDENT BATTERY SYSTEM CORE HAD FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS LOCKED IN THE VEHICLE UNTIL ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE CAME OUT TO CHARGE THE BATTERY. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 94,000.

NHTSA ID

10383057

Incident

Jun 19, 2010

Mileage

82,000 mi