BMW 335I headlight problems

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

The coating on the angel.eye wiring is made to deteriorate (environmental purposes) but leads to shorting out. Now my angel eyes don't turn on. Wiring needs to be replaced. Could possibly cause a fire I would assume as the live wires have no coating. Multiple forums talk about this issue and lots of drivers experience this. It is a hazzard and possible fire instigator the same as the blower motor wiring which does have a recall.

NHTSA complaint #11559984 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Vehicles equipped with the Xenon Headlight option that have spent time in warmer climates have very poor quality wiring inside the headlight itself, whose insulation degrades and falls off, exposing bare copper that shorts, causes lighting faults, and disables headlights. This happened in my own car, the driver side headlight Daytime Running Light just stopped working one day, first with no fault codes, then eventually fault codes started appearing as more parts of the headlight stopped working, including the low-beam while driving at night. Obviously the headlights ceasing to work randomly is extremely unsafe on roadways at night, like what happened in my case, but beyond that, wiring shorting inside the headlight can causes electrical fires as well. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request, and has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, due to testimonials I have heard from many other owners of cars with the same headlights, that BMW dealers and BMWNA are refusing to help at all with this issue. As previously stated, warning lamps did not initially appear, but as more of the wiring insulation began to degrade headlight fault codes did eventually appear.

NHTSA complaint #11518735 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW 335I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER'S SIDE REAR TAIL LIGHT MALFUNCTION MESSAGE WAS DISPLAYED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE BUT PROVIDED NO ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 127,000.

NHTSA complaint #11414296 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

HELLO, I WANTED TO BRING TO ATTENTION THE FAILING FOOTWELL MODULES IN E9X GENERATION BMWS. THE MODULES HAVE A HIGH FAILURE RATE AND WHEN THEY BECOME INOPERABLE YOU LOSE YOUR HEADLIGHTS, TURN SIGNALS, LOCKING AND UNLOCKING DOORS, POWER WINDOW CONTROL AND THE ABILITY TO MOVE YOUR MIRRORS. IT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN THAT BMW HAS HIDDEN FROM ITS CUSTOMERS AS IT IS A KNOWN EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT THERE IS NO RECALL FOR SUCH AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT. I RECENTLY HAD MY VEHICLE IN TO HAVE IT REPLACED AND WAS DECLINED AS IT HAD NOT FAILED ENOUGH. ESSENTIALLY THEY WANT ME TO HAVE AN UNSAFE VEHICLE BEFORE THE REPAIR WILL BE PERFORMED. I DO HAVE DOCUMENTATION THAT THE UNIT IS IN THE EARLY STAGES OF FAILING BUT BMW STILL REFUSES TO HONOR THE EXTENDED WARRANTY.

NHTSA complaint #11408018 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

BLINKER LIGHTS AND WINDOWS NOT WORKING. I WAS NOT DRIVING WHEN I NOTICED THE PROBLEM. I WAS PULLING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY BUT DID NOT PROCEED WHEN I NOTICED THE WINDOWS AND LIGHTS WEREN'T WORKING. BOTH BLINKER AND HIGH BEAMS ARE NOT WORKING.

NHTSA complaint #11364727 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

THE VEHICLES FTM (FOOTWELL MODULE) ISN'T WORKING. DURING A DRIVE MY TURNING SIGNALS DIDN'T WANT TO WORK. MY HEADLIGHTS WON'T TURN OFF. WINDOWS STAY PUT. DOORS DON'T LOCK. VEHICLE IS STATIONARY BUT CAN STILL BE OPERATED. SHOPS AROUND THE AREA NOTIFIED ME THAT THEY HAD A FEW VEHICLES HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM THIS YEAR. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE SAME PROBABLY THE DATES FOR THE RECALLS DIDN'T INCLUDE MY CARS MANUFACTURERED STATE

NHTSA complaint #11339382 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

HEADLIGHT LENS DEVELOPED CRACKING AND CRAZING IN A SINGLE DAY. XENON LIGHTS APPEAR TO OVERHEAT THE LENS.

NHTSA complaint #11271636 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

THE VEHICLE'S WIRING HARNESS WITHIN THE HEADLIGHT HOUSING ARE EXPOSED, IT NO LONGER HAS THE RUBBER COATING THAT SURROUNDS THE WIRES.I AFRAID THIS COULD CAUSE A SHORT CIRCUIT OR FIRE!

NHTSA complaint #11228591 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

I KNOW IT IS A FAIRLY WELL KNOWN ISSUE AS LOOKING INTO A FEW FORUMS AND YOU CAN FIND FOR YOURSELF. I HAVE A 2007 335I COUPE E92 WITH A AROUND 104K MILES AND AS I KNOW IT IS FAR OUT OF WARRANTY THE PROBLEM I AM HAVING SHOULD NOT BE SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAPPEN. INSIDE OF THE HEADLIGHT HOUSING ALL OF THE WIRES START TO WITHER AWAY AND SHORT OUT AGAINST EACH OTHER CAUSING YOUR HEADLIGHTS NOT TO WORK. THIS IS ALL HAPPENING INSIDE OF A SEALED UNIT THAT ISN'T SUPPOSED TO BE SERVICED ALMOST ALL OF THE WIRES COMING FROM THE HARNESS ARE COMPLEATLY BARE AND WITHERED AWAY AND I DO NOT HAVE ANY MOISTURE LEAKING ISSUES SO THAT COULDN'T CAUSE ANY OF THE PROBLEMS THAT ARE HAPPENING EITHER. I BELIEVE IT IS FROM FAULTY WIRING USED INSIDE OF THE HEADLIGHTS THEMSELVES THAT CAUSE THEM TO DETERIORATE MORE RAPIDLY.

NHTSA complaint #11185725 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

WENT TO REPLACE AN OBVIOUSLY BURNED OUT BRAND NEW XENON HID BALLAST. CONFUSED ABOUT WHY IT BURNED UP(FAILURE RATE OF 1 PER 1,000 QUOTED BY THE MANUFACTURER) I TOOK OFF THE BACK COVER FOR THE HOUSING. TO MY SURPRISE, THE POWER CABLE'S THAT PLUGS INTO THE HID BALLAST INSULATION WAS COMPLETELY GONE. BARE. WIRES. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY AN EXTREME FIRE AND SAFETY HAZARD. CURIOUS IF MY OTHER HEADLIGHT WIRING WAS THE SAME WAY, I POPPED THE BACK HOUSING OF IT TO INSPECT FOR ANOTHER HAZARD. LORD AND BEHOLD, IT WAS EXACTLY THE SAME WAY. NOT JUST THE POWER SUPPLY INSULATION ON THE WIRES FOR THE BALLAST WAS CHIPPING, ALL OF IT WAS CHIPPING. THE DRL, ANGEL EYE AND TURN MAKER WIRING INSULATION WAS ALL..GONE. SOMEONE HAD RECENTLY DISCOVERED THIS ISSUE BEFOREHAND AS THERE WAS ELECTRICAL TAPE & SOLDER ON SOME OF THE WIRES KEEPING THEM TOGETHER. ---------------------------- THIS IS A FIRE HAZARD! ----------------------------

NHTSA complaint #11183713 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

THE WIRING HARNESS FOR THE HEADLIGHTS TENDS TO ROT OVERTIME IN THESE CARS WHICH THEN LEADS TO BARE COPPER WIRES MAKING CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER AND ENDS UP CAUSING A SHORT AND BLOWING THE BULB. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD, NOT ONLY FOR VISIBILITY BUT FOR FIRE PREVENTION AS WELL. THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE IN A LOT OF BMW'S AND IT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED. THIS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AND IT IS VERY CHALLENGING TO DO SO. I TOOK A LOOK AT THIS AS MY HEADLIGHT BULB BLEW LAST WEEK WHILE ON THE ROAD. LIKE I HAD MENTIONED EARLIER, THIS IS PRETTY COMMON AND IS EVEN OCCURRING IN THEIR NEWER MODELS. THE INSULATION OVER THE WIRING JUST FLAKES OFF AND THE DEALERSHIPS SHOW NO CARE WHEN THE ISSUE IS BROUGHT UP.

NHTSA complaint #11156054 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

THE WIRES ON THE INSIDE OF MY HEADLIGHTS ARE CRACKED, AND HAVE A LOT OF BARE COPPER SHOWING. I NOTICED THIS WHEN I WENT TO CHANGE BULBS OUT. THIS IS SEALED FROM OUTSIDE ELEMENTS. NOT SURE IF THIS IS WHAT CAUSED THE BULBS TO GO OUT. IT DID HOWEVER CREATE A SHORT THAT NEEDED TO BE CLEARED AFTER I TAPED UP THE WIRES THE BEST I COULD.

NHTSA complaint #11084750 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

THE WIRING INSIDE THE HEADLIGHT HOUSING IS DETERIORATING. THE PLASTIC SHEATHING HAS BECOME BRITTLE FROM THE HEAT, AND IS FALLING APART, EXPOSING THE CONDUCTOR. THIS IS CREATING THE RISK OF AN ELECTRICAL FIRE OR DAMAGE TO THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

NHTSA complaint #10969986 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

I HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH THE INSULATION SLEEVES ON THE HEADLIGHT WIRING FLAKING OFF. I WITNESSED SHORT CIRCUITS AND SPARKS WHILE SIGNALING AND DRIVING AT NIGHT. ALL THE WIRES ARE ALREADY CLOSE TO EACHOTHER AND NOW THE INSULATION IS COMPLETELY OFF CAUSING A FIRE HAZARD AND FIXING THIS MYSELF IS IMPOSSIBLE AS WELL AS COSTING OVER 1200 DOLLARS JUST TO BUY NEW HEADLIGHTS.

NHTSA complaint #10969921 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

I HAVE A 2008 BMW 335I, AND RECENTLY I NOTICED SOMETHING THAT IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE, AND IS A MAJOR FIRE HAZARD AS WELL. INSIDE OF THE SEALED HEADLIGHT HOUSING, IS A WIRE HARNESS THAT'S USED TO POWER THE HEADLIGHTS. THAT HARNESS HAS SEVERAL WIRES COMING OUT OF IT, AND EACH ONE OF THOSE WIRES HAS A PROTECTIVE COLORED INSULATED COATING THAT DISTINGUISHES THE WIRES FROM ONE ANOTHER, SUCH AS POWER, GROUND, ETC. WELL, EVERY SINGLE WIRE THAT COMES OUT OF THAT HARNESS IS CRACKED AND MISSING SECTIONS OF INSULATION ALL TOGETHER, WHICH EXPOSES THE COPPER WIRES UNDERNEATH. THIS IS A HUGE FIRE SAFETY ISSUE, AND UPON RESEARCHING IT I NOTICED DOZENS OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING THIS SAME EXACT ISSUE. I HAVE GONE THROUGH TWO SETS OF HEADLIGHTS AND NOW IT IS VERY APPARENT AS TO WHY THIS IS HAPPENING. THE WIRES INSIDE THERE ARE TOUCHING AND KEEP SHORTING OUT MY HEADLIGHTS. I'VE ATTACHED A PICTURE SHOWING THAT I'VE EVEN HAD TO STICK A PIECE OF ELECTRICAL TAPE IN THERE AS AN EFFORT TO TRY AND AVOID A CATASTROPHIC EVENT. HOPEFULLY THIS IS TAKEN A BIT MORE SERIOUSLY BY BMW AND THEY ARE MOTIVATED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BEFORE ANYTHING TRAGIC OCCURS.

NHTSA complaint #10905689 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

UPON CAR SYSTEM NOTIFICATION THAT A HEADLIGHT MALFUNCTION WAS NOTED I OPEN THE HEADLIGHT ACCESS DOOR ON THE DYNAMIC PROJECTION HEADLAMP TO INSPECT AND REPLACE THE BULB. AT THIS TIME I NOTICED LARGE AMOUNTS EXPOSED WIRING GOING FROM THE CONNECTOR TO THE MAIN HARNESS. AS I CONTINUED TO INSPECT THE WIRING THE INSULATING MATERIAL AROUND THE WIRES CONTINUED TO CRUMBLE EXPOSING MORE WIRING. THIS IS TRUE FOR BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT HEADLIGHTS, BOTH HEADLAMPS HAVE SEALED ACCESS DOORS AND IS CONCERNING FOR.ELECTRICAL SHORT OR FIRE HAZARDS IN/NEAR THE HIGH HEAT GENERATED FROM.THE LAMPS AND OR ENGINE COMPARTMENT.

NHTSA complaint #10789135 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.