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.
Using the key remote would only lock the driver's door. Then when using the key remote to unlock the door, the lights flash and the lock "clicks" but the driver's lock wouldn't unlock. I used the metal key in the key fob to manually unlock the door and tried it all over again. Same thing happened...key remote would lock only the driver's door lock...key remote to unlock would flash the lights but not unlock the door...requiring me to use the physical key in the driver's door to unlock the driver's door. Thinking that the car was not registering that the other three doors were not locked, I physically locked the doors while inside the car by depressing the locks on the top of each door. Bad idea! nothing would work to unlock the car (with me inside!)...unlock button on the key remote...nope...lock/unlock button on the dash near the vents...nope....pull on the door handles of all the doors from the inside (multiple times)...nope. Ultimately, to get myself out of the car I had to roll down the driver's side window and used the physical key in the driver's door lock to manually unlock the drivers side door only.
The automatic door locks on my car have quick working and the only way to enter or exit the car is through the driver door using the manual key fob. Passenger doors are inoperable from both interior and exterior. This presents a serious safety concern in the event of an accident or fire.
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 335I. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked when he noticed that only the front driver side door would open from the interior or exterior. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they were in the process of diagnosing the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 32,000. Updated 11/29/11 the consumer stated the driver's side door actuator failed, causing all the other doors to remain locked and inoperable. Updated 12/07/11
BMW 2007 328 xi door lock fuse #57 blew. None of the interior doors would open from the inside. I had to roll the window down from the driver side door, use the key fob to unlock the door from the outside. I then had to pull my kids from the car through the windows as the other three of the four doors would not open. Forget the Toyota "accelerator"; this seems like a real safety issue.
Regular usage. One day, the central locking system simply died without warning and there is no alternative way of unlocking the passenger doors after the central locking system died.
- Markham, 00, USA
Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...
Component: Locking system driver-side door lock failed to unlock when using the remote on the key. Replaced blown fuse. A day later same problem surfaced, only this time all 4 doors are not unlocking (first push of the button on the remote should unlock driver door only; second push of button unlocks the other 3 passenger doors. Replaced two blown fuses (#56 and #57). Problem is resolved, but only for a day or two. Long-term fix is to replace door lock actuators on all four doors according to BMW's own service bulletin. The safety issue is that the doors are supposed to open manually from the inside when the electrical system is unable to unlock them. In my case, I was only able to manually open the driver-side door by pulling the handle once to unlock, and a second time to open. This procedure did not work on any other door. I have purchased an emergency hammer to break the window from the inside in case this happens after an accident. Additional info: The gas door also fails to open as a result of this issue. One has to release the gas door manually from inside the trunk.
Door locks failed using key fob or button on dash. Followed service bulletin to replace fuse, but problem keeps reappearing. Passenger door inoperative even after fuse replaced and other doors working.
BMW E90 3 series sedan, after the door lock fuses blow there is no way to exit the vehicle except by a window. Is a failing in all these models and has had problems with bad latches that are being replaced as they fail under warranty, there should be a backup system for exiting the vehicle if the electrical system fails.
BMW 335xi fire burned car total loss after driving 1/4 mile. Vehicle was at BMW days earlier with a complaint of rough idle/reduced power. Told engine faults would be handled by software update. Fire burned two cars with a small explosion and 15 foot flames.
The contact leased a 2007 BMW 335I. The contact stated that the doors would not open from the passenger compartment nor the exterior of the vehicle. He was finally able to open the driver's side door manually with the physical key. None of the other doors on the vehicle would unlock or open, including the gas tank cover that was powered by a keyless lock sensor. The dealer stated that a fuse blew and caused all the locks to fail on the vehicle. The failure and current mileages were less than 18,000. Updated 10/14/08. Updated 10/16/08.
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 335I. The contact stated that the passenger door locking mechanism fuses blow out due to electrical failure. When the fuses blow, the vehicle locks completely and the passenger cannot exit the vehicle. The unit was replaced and worked for a short period of time before the failure recurred. The failure has occurred three times and still persists. The manufacturer has not yet been notified. The failure mileage was 18,000 and current mileage was 24,000. Updated 02-14-08
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Alexandria, VA, USA