2004 BMW 330I Problems

This car has factory HID Xenon projector headlights. Over time the reflector bowls burned and melted from the heat of the light bulbs, causing some wire insulation to melt, and a brown film to cover all surfaces inside the headlight assembly. The brown coating makes the headlights dangerously dim. From various online searches, it appears this is a common failing of these headlights. BMW has not recalled these headlights, and replacements nearly exceed the value of the car.

RIGHT FRONT LOW BEAM HEADLAMP CUTS OUT INTERMITTENTLY AND EVENTUALLY STOPS WORKING DUE TO CRACKED WIRING INSIDE THE ADJUSTABLE HEADLAMP UNIT. FOR AWHILE, MY HEADLIGHT WOULD STOP WORKING WHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN BUT THEN TURN BACK ON WHEN STRAIGHTENED OUT. AFTER TWO RIGHT TURNS, THE HEADLIGHT WOULD CEASE TO TURN BACK ON. NOW (AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS OF THIS HAPPENING) THE HEADLIGHT DOES NOT FUNCTION AT ALL, AND I CAN SEE BROKEN WIRING IF I LOOK INSIDE THE HEADLIGHT UNIT CAUSING THE ISSUE.

The contact owns a 2004 BMW 330. The contact stated while driving at approximately 20 MPH, the front center of the vehicle crashed into the front center of another vehicle and the air bags did not deploy. No warning lights were illuminated. A police report was filed. The contact stated that her and her husband both sustained injuries and sought medical attention; the contact stated that a piece of her nose detached, there was a gash on her knee and that she broke her hips, ribs, and one of her arms. The contact also stated that her husband bruised his face, heart, broke his hips, sustained laceration to his lungs and liver and fractured his right foot; The other party also sustained several unknown injuries. The vehicle was towed to an unknown location. A dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.

TAKATA RECALL FIRST I SHOULD SAY THAT THIS IS NOT A COMPLAINT ABOUT AN INCIDENT. THIS IS A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE FAILURE OF BMW TO PROVIDE A TIMELY REPLACEMENT FOR THE THIRTEEN (13) YEAR OLD DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG IN MY 2004 BMW 330I, WHICH HAS SPENT ALL OF ITS LIFE IN A HIGH ABSOLUTE HUMIDITY LOCATION (HOUSTON, TEXAS). I FIRST CONTACTED BMW ON APRIL, 26, 2016 REGARDING THE TAKATA AIRBAG RECALL ON MY 2004 BMW 330I. THEY FIRST OFFERED TO PERFORM AN INTERIM REPAIR OR AN ALTERNATE PROVIDED VEHICLE. HOWEVER, THE INSURANCE COMPANY INFORMED ME THAT THE REPLACEMENT VEHICLE WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER MY CURRENT POLICY. I FOLLOWED UP AGAIN ON JULY 15, 2016, AND BMW INFORMED ME THAT INTERIM REPAIRS WERE NO LONGER BEING OFFERED BECAUSE FINAL REPAIR PARTS WOULD BE AVAILABLE SHORTLY. THEY SAID I WOULD RECEIVE A NOTICE IN THE MAIL LETTING ME KNOW WHEN I COULD TAKE MY VEHICLE IN TO MY LOCAL BMW CENTER FOR REPAIR. I HAVE VERIFIED THAT MY ADDRESS AND CONTACT INFO IS CORRECT WITH BOTH BMW AND THE REPAIR CENTER IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. HOUSTON, TEXAS IS A HIGH ABSOLUTE HUMIDITY AREA AND THIS CAR IS 13 YEARS OLD WITH THE ORIGINAL AIRBAG STILL INSTALLED. I DRIVE THIS CAR EVERY DAY TO AND FROM WORK IN HIGH TRAFFIC AREAS INSIDE THE CITY OF HOUSTON. I BELIEVE BMW HAS HAD AMPLE TIME TO PROCURE A REPLACEMENT AIRBAG, AND I HAVE CALLED THEM AND WASTED SEVERAL HOURS OF MY PERSONAL TIME ON THIS STILL UNRESOLVED ISSUE. IN SHORT I BELIEVE BMW IS STALLING WITH THE REPLACEMENT OF OLDER MODEL YEAR AIRBAG REPLACEMENTS, BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE THESE VEHICLES ARE "END OF LIFE" AND THERE IS LITTLE INCENTIVE FOR BMW TO FIX THEM. HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE HAS LOW MILEAGE FOR ITS AGE: EIGHTY THOUSAND (80,000) MILES, AND THE LACK OF AN AIRBAG REPLACEMENT WILL DIMINISH THE RESALE VALUE OR MAKE IT MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO SELL.

THE HEADLIGHTS ARE USELESS AT NIGHT. THE BULBS ALL FUNCTION PERFECTLY, BUT THE REFLECTOR HOUSINGS ARE "WORN" ACCORDING TO MY MECHANIC. I UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO REPLACE BULBS OVER THE LIFETIME OF A VEHICLE, BUT $3,000 FOR A WHOLE NEW HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY IS OUTRAGEOUS! THIS IS A DESIGN DEFECT THAT THE NHTSA REFUSES TO INVESTIGATE. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS DESIGN DEFECT ALL OVER THE INTERNET. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE!

THE HEADLIGHT REFLECTORS ON THIS CAR (AND OTHER OF THIS YEAR MODEL) ARE MANUFACTURED BY ZKW AND THEY HAVE FAILED CAUSING VERY LOW, UNSAFE LEVELS OF LIGHT OUTPUT. THE REFLECTORS ARE BURNT AND CRACKED. THE ONLY WAY TO GET ANY REASONABLE OR SAFE LIGHT OUTPUT FOR NIGHT DRIVING IS TO USE THE FOG LIGHTS AND THIS IS AN UNSAFE CONDITION AND I AM SURPRISED THERE HASN'T BEEN A RECALL. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM. UNSAFE LIGHTING AND PROCEED WHILE UNKNOWINGLY ENDANGERING THEMSELVES AND OTHERS. DO NOT PASS STATE INSPECTION LIGHT OUT PUT IN SOME STATES, THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE ADDRESS, IF YOU LOOK ON THE INTER NET PEOPLE ARE MODIFYING THEM TO GIVE MORE LIGHT WITCH MAKES IT MORE UNSAFE. *TR

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Two hours after I got to work one of my coworkers came running in the backroom, And told me my car was on fire.

IN 2005 WHEN DRIVING MY CAR, THE CAR BEGAN PULLING UNEVENLY, JERKING GENTLY ON ACCELERATION UP A HIGHWAY BRIDGE AND THE PROBLEM PERSISTED TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE. THE IGNITION COILS WERE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. *TR

THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED OF 20 MPH OR LESS. THE HAS VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, HOWEVER THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *JB

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THE XENON HEADLAMPS ON MY 2004 BMW 330I COMPLETELY FAILED. THE HEADLAMP REAR PROJECTOR BOWL ON THIS MODEL IS PRONE TO OVERHEATING WHICH LEADS TO THE DELAMINATION OF THE PROJECTOR REFLECTIVE MATERIALS RESULTING IN COMPLETE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY FAILURE. REPLACEMENT ASSEMBLIES FROM THE DEALER LIST AT ~ $600 FOR EACH SIDE OF THE CAR. THIS A COMMONLY KNOWN ISSUE IN THE BMW ENTHUSIAST COMMUNITY - I HAVE ALSO WITNESSED THE PROBLEM FIRSTHAND ON TWO OTHER BMW 330IS OF THE SAME MODEL YEAR. WHEN THE ISSUE HAPPENED TO ME, I WAS UNABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR SAFELY AT NIGHT AS THE ONLY ILLUMINATION AVAILABLE WAS FROM THE PARKING LIGHTS. THIS IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE AND A PRODUCT DEFECT. *TR

HEADLIGHTS OF 2004 BMW 330I WITH XENONS ARE MADE BY MANUFACTURING COMPANY "ZKW" AND BOUND TO FAIL. VISIBILITY AND LIGHT OUTPUT BECOMES EXTREMELY POOR, THAT YOU MUST DRIVE AROUND WITH EXTRA LIGHTS, OR HIGH BEAMS ON. WHEN YOU OPEN UP THE REFLECTIVE CASE, YOU WILL SEE THAT BOTH FRONT HEADLIGHTS DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE HAVE BURNT BOWLS, WHICH DO NOT ALLOW ANY LIGHT OUTPUT AT ALL. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, I HAVE GOTTEN INTO AN ACCIDENT DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE FAR DISTANCE AT NIGHT. PLEASE ADDRESS AND INVESTIGATE THIS MATTER IMMEDIATELY. *TR

SEAT BELT MALFUNCTION. 2004 BMW WITH 44000 MILES. *TR

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