Owner-reported complaints naming the exterior lighting system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2001 BMW 330CI submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 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
The contact owns a 2001 BMW 330CI. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH at night, the front headlights were flickering on and off. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
DASH INDICATED LEFT TAILLIGHT WAS OUT WHEN IT WASN'T, THIS WAS RANDOM ON AND OFF FOR A FEW MONTHS. AFTER A FEW MONTHS THE DASH PANEL INDICATOR LIGHT STAYED ON. AS I WAS DRIVING ONE DAY I NOTICED THE SMELL OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE TRUNK. I STOPPED, AND NOTICED THE MELTED WIRES FROM THE TAIL LIGHT HARNESS. AS I LOOKED AT THEM I COULD SEE THEM SPARKING WHEN CERTAIN MOVEMENTS OCCURRED., VERY DANGEROUSLY AND ERRATIC. BOTH MALE AND FEMALE SIDES MELTED. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS IT IMPEDES THE ABILITY TO WARN OTHER DRIVERS WHEN TURNING OR STOPPING. THIS WAS BROUGHT TO THE DEALERSHIPS ATTENTION BUT THEY DO NOT CONSIDER THIS AN IMPORTANT ENOUGH ISSUE TO REPLACE IT AS PART OF A RECALL OR SERVICE RECOVERY.
MY VEHICLE IN THE LAST WEEK HAS AN TAIL LIGHT INDICATOR ILLUMINATED THE DASH. UPON INVESTIGATION OF THE PART IT LOOKS TO HAVE THE SAME ISSUES AS MANY HAVE DESCRIBED WITH THE GROUND WIRE BEING SCORCHED. I CONTACTED BMW NA BECAUSE OF THE SIMILAR RECALL ON OTHER BMW VEHICLES. UNFORTUNATELY THEY WERE UNWILLING TO HELP UNLESS I WAS WILLING TO TAKE THE CAR INTO A DEALERSHIP FOR AN 90 DOLLAR DIAGNOSIS. ONLY AFTER THAT WOULD THEY BE WILLING TO WEIGH IN IF THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIR OR NOT. THIS IS NOT A GAMBLE THAT I'M REALLY WILLING TO TAKE. RECALL NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: PE09036 SHOULD BE EXTEND TO THE 2001 330CI BMWS. PLEASE OPEN A INVESTIGATION INTO THIS AS IT IS A WIDELY KNOWN ISSUE WITH THESE CARS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW 330CI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS AND TAIL-LIGHTS BEGAN FLICKERING ABNORMALLY. THE FAILURE WAS RECURRING AND OFTEN, THE LIGHTS WOULD APPEAR TO HAVE WEAK ILLUMINATION. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE GROUND WIRE FOR THE TAILLIGHT HARNESS HAD A SHORT AND CAUSED THE HEADLIGHTS TO BLINK CONSTANTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE HEADLIGHTS CONTINUED TO REPEATEDLY FLICKER ON AND OFF. THE CONTACT DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER FOR FURTHER INSPECTION OR REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,000.
I WAS RECEIVING A INTERMITTENT LEFT TAIL LIGHT WARNING INDICATOR AND ASSUMED IT WAS A BULB THAT WAS GOING OUT. AFTER SOME TIME HAD PAST I RECEIVED A STEADY LEFT TAIL LIGHT INDICATOR AND WHEN I WAS ABOUT TO REPLACE THE BULB I DISCOVERED THE BULBS WAS FINE AND FOUND THE WIRING/CONNECTOR IN THE TAIL LIGHT BULB CARRIER HAD A SHORT/MELTED. I BELIEVE THIS IS THE SAME ISSUE/PROBLEM ON THE 2002-2005 BMW E46 3SERIES WHICH A TAIL LIGHT RECALL WAS ISSUED. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW 330CIC. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 40 MPH WHEN THE TAIL LIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE PROPERLY. THE CONTACTED STATED THAT THE TAIL LIGHT WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE THE MECHANIC CONFIRMED THE FAILURE WITH THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 92,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 96,000.
LEFT TAIL LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING. INSPECTION FOUND BURNT GROUND WIRE AT WIRING CONNECTOR. REPLACEMENT OF GROUND WIRE, CONNECTOR AND BULB HOLDER ASSEMBLY NEEDED. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW 330CI. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 40-50 MPH WHEN THE TAIL LAMP WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE DRIVER SIDE TAIL LIGHT FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE THE MECHANIC CONFIRMED THAT THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 104,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 119,500.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW 330CI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS AND BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD FLICKER SPORADICALLY WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE BECAUSE THERE WERE NO RECALLS ADDRESSING THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 130,000. UPDATED 12/12/11 *BF UPDATED 02/03/12
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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