13 of the
198 complaints about the 2002 BMW 325I are about the
engine — 7% of everything
reported for this model year.
Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before
103,000 miles.
The contact owns a 2002 BMW 325i. The contact stated that upon exiting the store, he observed fire emerging from the driver's side dashboard. The vehicle spontaneously combusted and was engulfed in flames. There was no warning light illuminated prior to the failure. The fire department was able to successfully extinguish the fire. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was still in the parking lot where the incident occurred. A police officer was on the scene, but no report was filed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the automated system confirmed there was no recall coverage. The approximate failure mileage was 168,000.
NHTSA complaint #11699780 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Cary, NCFire
ENGINE
On Tuesday June 20, 2023 at 7:20am I was awakened by my neighbor who informed me that my car was on fire. A report was done by the fire department and they did not believe it was done on purpose but something with my car. My car was totally consumed with fire nothing but ashes.
NHTSA complaint #11530869 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 120,000 milesCorona, CA
ENGINE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW 325I. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SHUT OFF. AFTER RESTARTING THE ENGINE, THE VEHICLE OPERATED NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN UNKNOWN DEALER AND AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.
NHTSA complaint #11278249 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 119,170 milesBurlingame, CA
ENGINE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE MECHANICAL MAIN BELT TENSIONER HAD TO BE REPLACED WITH A HYDRAULIC VERSION ASSEMBLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 119,170 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 119,300.
NHTSA complaint #10514886 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 80,000 milesReston, VA
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
VEHICLE ROUTINELY STALLS WHEN ENGINE IS COLD AND CAR IS PLACED IN REVERSE. WE BACK OUT OF THE GARAGE AND GO OVER THE SLIGHT BUMP AT THE THRESHOLD, AND THE CAR STALLS AND MUST BE RE-STARTED. SEEMS AS IF ENGINE IS IDLING VERY HIGH AS WELL. ONCE RE-STARTED, THE CAR SEEMS TO RUN OK.
NHTSA complaint #10441965 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 103,000 milesBelmont, CA
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW 325I. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE MECHANIC ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD OVERHEATED DUE TO A FAILURE IN THE FAN MOTOR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 02V138000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN) AND CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER WHO ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AND ONLY INCLUDED THE 2001 BMW 325I NOT THE 2002 MODEL. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000.
NHTSA complaint #10427642 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 104,900 milesSuperior Township, MIFire
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
CAR WAS DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 50 MILES AND PARKED IN A RESTAURANT PARKING LOT. WEATHER WAS WET AND RAINY, THE DEFROSTER WAS RUNNING ON THE CAR FOR MOST OF THE TRIP. AFTER SITTING 25-30 MINUTES A RESIDENT NEAR THE RESTAURANT CALLED TO NOTIFY THAT THE CAR WAS ON FIRE. EMPLOYEES OF THE RESTAURANT ATTEMPTED TO PUT OUT THE FIRE WITH HAND HELD EXTINGUISHER BUT WAS UNABLE TO COMPLETELY DO SO. EMERGENCY PERSONNEL SHOWED UP ON THE SCENE A SHORT TIME LATER TO UNPOWER THE CAR AND PUT OUT THE FLAME. POLICE AND FIRE TEAMS WERE ON THE SCENE. THE FIRE SEEMS TO HAVE ORIGINATED FROM THE AUXILIARY A/C FAN IN FRONT OF THE CONDENSER AS THAT IS WHERE THE HEAVIEST DAMAGE IS.
NHTSA complaint #10324447 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 98,000 milesMinneapolis, MNFire
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
I WAS DRIVING MY CAR WHEN I SAW SMOKE FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE CAR WAS NOT OVERHEATING AND I PULLED OVER, OPENED THE HOOD AND THE WIRES CONNECTING TO THE COOLING FAN HAD CAUSED THE PLASTIC TO START ON FIRE. LUCKILY I WAS PAYING ATTENTION AND HAD ACCESS TO A FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND WAS ABLE TO PUT OUT THE FLAMES.
NHTSA complaint #10275043 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 77,777 milesIGH, MN
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
I HAVE HAD AN EMISSION-RELATED AIR PUMP AND VALVE REPLACED ON MY 2002 BMW 325I FIVE TIMES SINCE I PURCHASED IT NEW IN JUNE OF 2002. THE FIRST FOUR TIMES IT FAILED WERE WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR OF OWNERSHIP AND THE MOST RECENT TIME IT FAILED WAS IN DECEMBER, WHEN THE CAR HAD 77,000 MILES ON IT. EACH TIME IT FAILED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE ONLY PURPOSE FOR THESE COMPONENTS IS TO PROVIDE FRESH OXYGEN TO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER UPON STARTUP IN ORDER TO PREVENT THE PREMATURE DEMISE OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. DESPITE THIS, BMWNA DOES NOT CONSIDER THIS AN EMISSIONS RELATED COMPONENT COVERED UNDER US LAW UP TO 80,000 MILES. THE LAST TIME THE COMPONENT WAS REPLACED IT COST ME $700 AFTER THE DEALER REDUCED THE BILL. ADDITIONALLY, BMW TOLD ME TWO WEEKS AGO THAT I WOULD BE RECEIVING AN ADDITIONAL CHECK FOR HALF THE REMAINING COST OF THE REPAIR. THEY HAVE ALSO PROMISED THAT SOMEONE WOULD CONTACT ME AND EXPLAIN WHY IT ISN'T AN EMISSIONS RELATED PART COVERED UNDER US LAW. TO DATE, I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A CHECK OR AN EXPLANATION. MY CONTENTION IS THAT: - IT IS AN EMISSIONS-RELATED PART AND SHOULD BE FULLY COVERED TO 80,000 MILES - THE FACT THAT FIVE HAVE FAILED ON MY AUTOMOBILE INDICATE THAT IT IS A DEFECTIVE DESIGN - THE INDIVIDUAL I SPOKE TO AT BMW ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THERE WERE SOME ISSUES WITH THIS COMPONENT, ESPECIALLY IN COLD WEATHER (ALL MY FAILURES OCCURRED DURING THE WINTER MONTHS IN MINNESOTA).
NHTSA complaint #10217387 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Alcove, NY
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED,THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE DEALERSHIP INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THE EXHAUST SYSTEM NEEDED REPLACEMENT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.
NHTSA complaint #10083318 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Duncanville, TX
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
PERIODICALLY, MY CAR WILL BE RUNNING FINE AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND IT STARTS TO SHAKE AND WHEN YOU PUSH THE GAS IT FEELS LIKE IT IS GOING TO CUT OFF. USUALLY IT WILL "FIX" ITSELF BY THE TIME I GET TO THE DEALER. BUT EVEN WHEN IT DOESN'T, THEY DON'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. IT'S BEEN MONTHS SINCE THE BMW REPAIR GUYS SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG AND "RESET" THE ENGINE. HOWEVER IT'S DOING IT AGAIN AND I'M FEARFUL THAT MY CAR IS GOING TO SHUT DOWN ON ME ON A BUSY FREEWAY AND IT'S LESS THAN A YEAR OLD AND ONLY HAS A LITTLE OVER 20,000 MILES!
NHTSA complaint #10080668 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 17,000 milesAtlanta, GA
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
MY SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT BEGAN APPEARING IN NOVEMBER 2003. I BROUGHT MY CAR IN THE FIRST TIME AND GLOBAL IMPORTS IN ATLANTA GA INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. AGAIN, IN LATE DECEMBER 2003, THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. ON 1/6/2004, I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE INTO GLOBAL IMPORTS. THEY INFORMED ME A VALVE WAS REPLACED AND I WAS ON MY WAY. TWO DAYS LATER ON 1/8/04, WHILE DRIVING DOWN GA 40 AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, MY VEHICLE SHUT DOWN ON ME. LITERALLY, THE WHEELS WOULD NOT TURN AS I STRUGGLED TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE. I SWERVED IN AND OUT OF LANES. IT WAS FORTUNATE MYSELF OR OTHERS ON THE HIGHWAY WERE NOT INJURED. WHEN MY VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY, IT WOULD NOT MOVE. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, THE VEHICLE MOVED AT ONLY 2 MPH WITH A LOUD, UNPLEASANT NOISE. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNALS AT ALL TO ALERT ME OF AN UPCOMING MALFUNCTION. BMW ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE RESPONDED WITH A TOW TRUCK TO ASSIST ME A LITTLE OVER AN HOUR LATER. I WAS TOWED INTO GLOBAL IMPORTS. THE CAR IS STILL PRESENTLY THERE AS I AWAIT A NEW DIFFERENTIAL. THIS CAR WAS PURCHASED AS A NEW VEHICLE IN FEBRUARY OF 2003 FROM BRIAN HARRIS BMW IN BATON ROUGE, LA. THE CAR PRESENTLY HAS 17,000 MILES. LESS THAN ONE YEAR OLD!
NHTSA complaint #10052812 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Flora, MS
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
DOOR LOCKS WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. ENGINE CHECK LIGHT APPEARS ON DASHBOARD. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED WHILE IN SERVICE AT THE DEALER. WHEN THE CONSUMER PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, HE WAS TOLD THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH ALARM SYSTEM, BUT IT IS MISSING NOW.
NHTSA complaint #8005918 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.