This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request" + AIRBAG FAILED TO DEPLOY IN HEAD-ON COLLISION How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? + DUE TO FAILURE, DRIVER SUSTAINED MILD CONCUSSION WHEN HEAD HIT STEERING WHEEL AND PUT AT RISK OF LIFE THREATENING INJURY AND IMPAIRMENT Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? + UNKNOWN; HOWEVER, NO RECALL OR WARNINGS HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATED Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? + UNKNOWN Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear" + NO, NONE, NEVER
My interior door handle cannot unlock the door. As I pull on the interior door handle, the door lock pin would come up partially, but it doesn-??t unlock or open the door. I tried multiple pulls, because this car required two pulls to unlock.
The sunroof of my 2014 BMW 328i sedan exploded while driving on a highway at 75mph. The explosion sounded like a gunshot or a truck tire exploding. Thankfully I kept control of the car and the pull shield was closed preventing a majority of the glass from raining down on me and my passenger. We did pull over to the side of the highway were a witness described the glass as exploding up and sliding down the back of the car. Glass was found in the trunk crevasse of the car and inside the vehicle. Next, we proceeded to a safe location off the freeway and found the sunroof glass to have a hole in the center. The remaining glass was protruding upwards in a convex shape. To note, I did not have cars in front me during the explosion so no direct impact from a rock or other debris. My dealership has the car for inspection and repair. A claim with my insurance has been submitted. My car had a comprehensive service in May of 2022.
Occasionally it is impossible to unlock the door from the inside with the manual door unlock. The door operates in a two-step manner - pull the door latch once to unlock the door, and then pull again to open the door. However, sometimes the first pull fails to unlock the door and the only way to unlock the vehicle is with the electric door unlock. When this occurs, there is notable tension in the door handle, and the pop-up unlock indicator does move upwards in synch with the door handle position - it's simply not reaching the unlock point, and there is resistance felt in the door latch. Even trying to assist the mechanism by grasping the unlock indicator (as doors used to be unlocked in this fashion) does not work. Obviously, if the electric system fails for any reason, not being able to open the door is a major safety issue. When this happens it is also observed that the electric lock operates very slowly. Instead of the post popping up and unlocking almost immediately, it takes a second or two for the door to unlock, as if there is additional internal resistance in the mechanism. This is observed on BOTH the driver and passenger side doors. I have brought this to the attention of the dealer on separate occasions. The suggestion has been to replace a cable in the door due to stretch. However, based on the nature of the issue and the symptoms in both doors it seems like an issue with the latch or locking mechanism itself. The passenger door is unlocked very infrequently compared to the driver's door and it seem unlikely they would wear at the same rate if it was a cable stretch issue. I have been able to record a video of this problem occurring. I plan to show it to the dealer at my next service in the next couple weeks since they were unable to replicate the issue.
My 2014 surged automatically in a parking lot and the brakes failed repeatedly: It took me over the 4" cement parking lot stopper and into a wall! this was the only way the vehicle would stop! iwill say that just before I had backed out very slowly as I was in a parking lot. I hit somethig, put my foot on the brake, then put car in drive to pull a few feet back into the parking spot. I used very little gas, not necessary of course. BMW engineers examined it and found no error according to their three standard tests. I was told that their tests "may not record something, " "could not duplicate my concerns, " and that it would take "a more severe impact to record something." Nothing could be tested or recorded for speeds under 35 miles per hour. I got a concussion and the incident cost $ 17,000 (plus loss of car value). BMW did nothing for me so I am out of a BMW for good. I had just put the car in drive to pull back into the parking space I was in. In all fairness I did hit something, stopped, foot on brake put it in drive. There is no way it outght to have surged out of control or failed to stop. I was going less than 5 mph. BMW will do nothing for me except give me a courtesy discount on a different BMW once I've purchased it. Their dealers have offered me less than competitors. I won't buy another one. ## VIN passed ## BMW 328I2014 ##
Both the driver and passenger door locks occasionally fail to unlock preventing exit from the vehicle. This has occurred about 12-15 times to either my wife or myself. There is a master lock/unlock button that will unlock the doors. Never the less, this defect could be a serious problem in an emergency.
The driver side door does not reliably (I.e. <50% of the time) open from the inside using the door handle when the vehicle is stationary. Instead I have to press the central unlock button on the dashboard (an electrical mechanism) to unlock the door prior to being able to open it with the door handle. This is a common problem with these cars and is a massive safety risk - e.g. in the event of an accident the driver might be unable to exit the car.
The door lock actuators are known to be defective in that if one pulls on the handle, the door will not mechanically unlock by double-pulling the handle, meaning the only way to unlock the door is by using electronic unlock button. If the car is in a water accident, fire, or any other situation where the battery is no longer operable, the occupants will be trapped inside, unable to escape as the doors will not mechanically unlock by double-pulling the handle. BMW is aware of the issue and has a replacement part, however if the vehicle is out of warranty they will not fix it voluntarily.
Doors will not unlock manually from time to time. The only way to unlock is to use the central unlocking feature. Could be deadly in a crash! BMW will not even look at the car unless I pay them a $150 diagnostic fee! car is stopped, engine off, and the front doors (both) will not manually unlock from time to time. Only way to get out is to use central unlocking button, which requires power.
If doors are locked. Sporadically it is not possible to unlock and open the driver or passenger's front door from the inside using door handle. It is possible to open doors if unlocked with "door unlock". this is a potential safety hazard as in the event of crash it wouldn't be possible to leave the car if electrical power is lost.
Date: August 24, 2015; time: 4:10 pm; location: Northbound Oregon interstate 5 approaching exit number 289; weather: Clear/80 degrees F; speed: 65 mph; road condition: Clear. No overpass structures. No overhanging trees. Loud explosion from sunroof area. Sunroof glass exploded outward shooting glass onto highway and into following cars. Driver startled by explosion. Driver distracted from driving by explosion. Driver inspected car in safe area and noted large hole in sunroof glass with exploded outward appearing glass shards in sunroof frame. Damage to vehicle sunroof structure, numerous paint scratches on roof and trunk. Filed report of incident with BMW na on 08/25/15.
I pulled slowly into a parking space at the gas station. I stopped and I had my foot on the brake. I was pressing the park button when the car surged forward, accelerated over the curb and into the outside wall of the store. The damage to the car was enough to render it undriveable and there was significant damage to the building. Thank goodness, no one was on the sidewalk. Police and fire departments responded.
I was about to park in a cul-de-sac going about 5 mph, while I was half way through the cul-de-sac the BMW 328D had a sudden acceleration and in a very high speed crashed into a tree. I do not recall the exact speed when it crashed but it was very high, it felt and sounded like a race car. My foot was on the break right when it accelerated. It seems like a major mechanical / electrical problem with this car. Called BMW hq to report the issue. A case manager has been assigned but no one contacted me yet.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Florence, SC, USA