The door locks stop working periodically where only the drivers door will unlock with the key. At that time, the rear and passenger doors will not unlock with the remote or the button in the center console or by pulling on the door release inside the doors. The BMW usually unlocks the door with the first pull and then opens with the second, but when this is happening, the door release (door handle) on the inside does nothing. This results in only the drivers door opening and I have to reach back over the seats to unbuckle my kids and then pull them out over the back of the drivers seat. So long as we start outside the car, it just makes the back seats unusable. But if I lock the doors while the kids are in the car while driving and this happens, we get into the scary/freaky situation. I verified the child safety locks aren't engaged for the doors that disable the interior door handles/releases. I don't know what causes this to happen, it just happens periodically and then goes away with nothing I can see as a cause. I have video of this happening, but the file formats listed do not include videos.

- Vancouver, WA, USA

Drivers window is stuck in up position. When raise/lower switch is activated, I hear the motor running but window does not move down. The local BMW repair center said it will be $150 to inspect the problem and then $$$ to repair. The malfunction of the window happened while I was driving

- Salem, OR, USA

When inside, all doors of the vehicle would not open with either the handles, the internal lock/unlock button, or the unlocking mechanism on the key fob. Stopping and starting the vehicle and moving it a few yards stopped the problem. This happened a second time and the BMW dealer diagnosed it as a faulty control module. They did not consider this a safety hazard despite the fact that it would prevent exiting the car in case of emergency.

- Hummelstown, PA, USA

Remote unlocking/locking will not function. Doors can not be opened or unlocked from inside vehicle with central lock switch or with door handle, trapping passengers inside. The drivers window must be rolled down and key used to unlock driver side door to exit vehicle. Climbing out of windows or climbing to drivers seat is the only way out of car, BMW states "not a safety issue".

- Troutdale, OR, USA

I arrived home with my son who was sitting in the front passenger seat. When he tried to get out of the car, the door would not open. The lock button stayed down and would not open with two pulls on the handle as it should, with use of the interior locking/unlocking button, or with the remote control key fob. It has now remained non-functional. In the event of a crash on the driver's side, there would be no way to leave the car or received help without breaking a window and trying to slither out through broken glass. In addition, someone who was infirm (e.g., back trouble) and could not climb over the console and driver's seat would be stuck in the car. This is a safety and health hazard and from what I have seen on line, is not unique to me. BMW should be required to make modifications that would eliminate this safety and health hazard.

- Hummelstown, PA, USA

BMW did not properly design the rear floor of the car body where it supports the rear subframe. As a result under normal driving, many of the BMW E46 3-series cars (325, 323, 330, in the I, ci, or cic trims, example 325ci or 330I) suffer from torn sheet metal where the rear subframe attaches to the body. This eventually causes a major safety hazard as the rear subframe and associated suspension can separately entirely from the vehicle resulting in a loss of control and severe crash. This can affect any E46 3-series car but is most common in models built from 1999-2001 and more common in manual transmission cars. The repair costs anywhere from $800 (pre-emptive strengthening of sheet metal if it has not torn already) to $5,000 (replacement of rear body subfloor). BMW settled a class-action lawsuit in 2009 allowing 3-series owners to have their cars inspected and in some cases repaired by BMW but this did not cover all affected cars and expired in December 2010 so not all owners were able to have their cars inspected or repaired by that date. In addition many cars have experienced subframe mounting failures after Dec 2010. BMW should be required to inspect, repair, and reinforce all E46 (1999-2005) 3-series bodies where the rear subframe mounts.

- Los Gatos, CA, USA

Driver's side door will not open, either with the inside door latch or the outside latch. The lock plunger goes up and down normally with either the key, the key remote, or the inside door lock/unlock button, but in no case can either door latch open the driver's side door. All other doors operate normally. This makes entering or exiting the car difficult, necessitating either climbing in/out through the window or by climbing across the console from the passenger seat. If there were an emergency, it would be impossible to exit the vehicle quickly. No event appeared to cause this to happen. I entered the vehicle, drove it, exited the vehicle a few times during the morning before driving, parking, stopping the vehicle, and then having the door stick shut.

- Greer, SC, USA

The passenger side door lock will not work. The door stays locked and when it first occured the passenger had to crawl out the window. Neither the electronic key lock nor the pushbutton lock control on the console will open the door lock on the passenger side. All other locks work fine, including the trunk. The manual door opener will not open the passenger door either. This is extremely dangerous since, in the case of an accident, the passenger would be trapped in the vehicle.

- Harrisonburg, VA, USA