2005 BMW 3 Series
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Air bags is the leading concern among 227 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 9th highest complaint count among 21 3 Series model years with reports.
Of the 2005 reports, 8 involved a crash and 11 involved a fire. 13 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
No safety recalls on file.
Representative owner complaints: service brakes
8 reports, newest first. Show all
Vehicle speed control, Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Jun 6, 2017, crash, fire
THE INCIDENT OCCURRED 6-5-2017. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND ON IGNITION START, THE CAR'S ENGINE WAS UNUSUALLY LOUD AND REVVED UP. UPON SHIFTING THE AUTOMATIC GEAR TO REVERSE, THE CAR SELF-ACCELERATED IN REVERSE WITHOUT PRESSING THE GAS. ATTEMPTS TO REPEATEDLY BREAK DID NOT WORK, SO GEAR WAS SHIFTED TO DRIVE TO MOVE FORWARD AND AVOID A COLLISION INTO A NEIGHBORHOOD HOME THAT WAS BEHIND THE PARKED CAR. UPON CHANGING GEAR TO DRIVE, THE CAR CONTINUED TO SELF-ACCELERATE FORWARD, AND AGAIN BRAKES DID NOT WORK. IN FORWARD MOTION, AT HIGH SPEED THE CAR WENT OVER THE CURB AND HILLY GROUND. ATTEMPT TO SHIFT NOW TO PARK ALONG WITH BRAKE DID NOT WORK. TO AVOID MASSIVE ACCIDENT AND COLLISION WITH PARKED CARS AHEAD, THE DRIVER TURNED THE WHEELS TOWARD A UTILITY POLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CAR STOPPED ONLY AFTER A COLLISION WITH THE UTILITY POLE. THE CAR WAS SMOKING IN THE BACK AND WAS STILL REVVING WHEN STOPPED. ACCORDING TO THE DRIVER, CAR WAS MOVING AT SPEED 60 MPH. NO FLOOR MATS WERE MISPLACED NEAR DRIVER PEDALS. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO GET HELP, AT WHICH POINT 911 CALL WAS MADE. DRIVER WAS TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE TO FAIRFAX HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM. DRIVER SUFFERED FRACTURED NOSE AND TEARS IN FACE THAT REQUIRED SURGICAL REPAIR AND SUTURES. EVENT REPORTED TO BMW NORTH AMERICA, 6-6-2017. MOST PEOPLE WILL TRY TO CONCLUDE THAT THIS WAS DRIVER ERROR. HOWEVER, VARIOUS MALFUNCTIONING SELF-ACCELERATION ISSUES WITH BMWS HAVE BEEN REPORTED ONLINE; INCLUDING E46 GENERATION BMWS, WHICH IS THE MODEL OF MY CAR. IN CASES WHERE THE PROBLEM WAS SUCCESSFULLY SOLVED (FOR BMWS), REPLACING EITHER THE VANOS SOLENOID SENSORS OR WHEEL SPEED SENSORS DID THE TRICK. IN UNSUCCESSFUL CASES, THE DRIVERS SIMPLY SOLD/REPLACED THE ENTIRE CAR BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIPS WERE UNABLE TO DETECT OR RECREATE THE ISSUE USING THE SOFTWARE AND TECHNIQUES THEY HAD.
Electrical system, Electronic stability control (ESC), Service brakes, Jan 20, 2017, crash
SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ABS LIGHT ON FUEL SENSOR THE CAR STALLS WHILE DRIVING IT MULTIPLE CODES R SHOWING UP WHEN VEHICLE HAD A COMPUTER SCAN VEHICLE WAS PERFORMED. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A STREET STALLED BRAKES FAILED TO STOP STRIKING A CAR IN FRONT ON I PURCHASED THIS CAR FROM A USED AR DEALER IN JUNE2016 WHO ASSURED ME HIS WAS A SAFE CAR TO DRIVE AFTER HAVING THE CAR FOR 2 MONTHS THE PROBLEMS STARTED FRONT STRUTS WERE BROKE BRAKES WERE GONE BACK SHOCKS R BROKE N CHECK ENGINES ON ABS LIGHT IS ON. *TR
Service brakes, Oct 1, 2015
ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS THE BRAKES WERE USED TO SLOW DOWN AND/OR STOP AND AFTERWARDS THEY CONTINUED TO BE ENGAGED WHILE STEPPING ON THE ACCELERATOR. ONE TIME THE BRAKES WERE SMOKING. AFTER TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF AND RESTARTING THE VEHICLE THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A BMW DEALERSHIP WHO SAID THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE OR THE BRAKES. AFTER THE LAST TIME, I COULD FEEL THE HEAT ON THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL WHERE AS ALL THE OTHER WHEELS WERE NOT AS HOT.
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Oct 22, 2010
MBW 330CI 2005: ON 3/22/10, @ 3PM PACIFIC, MY BRAKE RESPONSE WENT FROM "GOOD STOP" TO "UNSAFE, BAD, "CRUISE-TO-STOP". I'VE HAD MY CAR INTO IRVINE BMW 5 TIMES SINCE THEN, AND "NOTHING WRONG" COULD BE FOUND. I CONTACTED BMW N.A. ABOUT ONGOING PROBLEM, WHEN I READ ABOUT THE "RECALL" JUST NOW REPORTED, ON THE 5 & 7 SERIES CARS. THE "PROBLEM DESCRIBED" AS THE REASON FOR THAT RECALL, IS WHAT I'VE COMPLAINED TO BMW SINCE 3/30/10! MY "COMPLAINT' TO THEM, AND THIS WEEK, BMW NA, WAS DESCRIBED TO THEM EACH TIME I VISITED, AND ON MY BMWNA CALL THIS WEEK, AS THE SAME PROBLEM AS WAS THE CAUSE OF THE RECALL ON THE 5 & 7 SERIES, AND I'D COMPLAINED OF THIS BRAKING PROBLEM SINCE 3/30/10, AND THAT IT OCCURRED AROUND 3PM ON 3/22/10! TWO "BODY SHOPS"---TO WHICH I WENT FOR A FENDER REPAIR QUOTE--WERE AWARE OF MY CONCERN, AND AN EMPLOYEE AT THE FIRST ONE CHECKED MY BRAKE FLUID. IT WAS NOT LOW. MY 2005, 330CI BRAKES WERE TRUSTWORTHY, AND STOPPED IMMEDIATELY. AS OF 3/22/10 @ 3PM, I HAVE TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL DOWN 3+ " FURTHER, TO GET STOPPED, THEN IT'S A "CRUISE TO A STOP", NOT A "STOP". BMW CANNOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT MY LIFE, AND AM AFRAID TO DRIVE ON FREEWAYS HERE (THE ONLY WAY TO GET FROM A TO B). I HAVEN'T HAD TO WORRY ABOUT FREEWAYS, SINCE MY CAR STAYS PARKED, AND WHEN I DRIVE IT, IT'S TO THE DR. AND BACK. I HAVE 17K MILES ON IT, NO MORE. I WOULD LIKE TO FEEL SAFE IN MY CAR, AND THE BRAKES WORK PROPERLY, BUT SINCE 3/22/10, WHEN THE "LACK OF RESPONSE" OCCURRED, I DON'T FEEL SAFE. FIND THE PROBLEM, AND HELP ME GET IT FIXED. UNRESPONSIVE BRAKES THERE HAS BEEN NO ACCIDENT RE THE BRAKE RESPONSIVENESS ON MY CAR YET. *TR
Steering, Service brakes, Hydraulic, Oct 27, 2009
CAR PULLS SEVERELY TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. I HAVE HAD THE CAR SERVICED AND ASKED FOR AN ALIGNMENT SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. I WAS TOLD THAT NO ALIGNMENT WAS NEEDED BUT NO EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THE CAR PULLED WAS GIVEN. *TR
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Power train, Electrical system, Dec 26, 2006
TL* - THE CONTACT CALLED REGARDING A 2005 BMW X3 2.5I. SHE NOTICED THE VEHICLE WOULD START VIBRATING WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, AND THE BRAKES WOULD MAKE AN AWFUL NOISE WHEN APPLIED. SHE ALSO STATED THAT RADIO/TAPEDECK/CD OVERHEATED WHEN PLAYING CDS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD ABOUT 12,000 MILES WHEN BRAKE PROBLEM STARTED. SHE STATED THAT SHE TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP, AND THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE, BUT THEY REPLACED 2 ELECTRICAL MODULES AND THE BRAKE ASSIST. THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE VIBRATING AND BRAKES SQUEAKING. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHCILE TO A DEALERSHIP A SECOND TIME, AND THEY ROTATED ALL FOUR TIRES . THE CONTACT STATES THAT THIS DIDN'T RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. SHE TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN ON 12/08/2006 AND WAS TOLD THAT THE AXLE SHATTERED, AND THAT THE AXLE WAS GOING BAD DURING THE ENTIRE TIME SHE'S WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE VIBRATING. BMW HAS INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT SHE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS OF THE SHATTERED AXLE, THE VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY.*AK
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Jul 7, 2005
DT: VEHICLE HAS FEATURE CALLED SOFT STOP WHICH TRIES TO SMOOTH OUT THE BRAKING AND KEEPS THE VEHICLE FROM JERKING AT THE WHILE BRAKING TO A FULL STOP. DEALER IN HONOLULU SAID THAT IT TOOK PRESSURE OFF THE REAR BRAKES. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS COMING TO A STOP IT WOULD STOP ONCE THEN TRAVEL A FOOT FARTHER THEN STOPPING AGAIN. CONSUMER STATED THAT IT WAS THE SOFT STOP FEATURE THAT CAUSED THIS MALFUNCTION. THE CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING IN VEHICLE YESTERDAY WHEN A VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HIM STOPPED QUICKLY AND HE WAS FORCED TO STOP QUICKLY, WHEN CONSUMER'S VEHICLE STOPPED IT WENT ANOTHER FOOT FORWARD AND STOPPED AGAIN JUST INCHES FROM THE OTHER VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HIM. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED MANUFACTURER, AND THEY HAVE NOT HELPED HIM WITH PROBLEM. BMW 325I, E90 2006. VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 300 MILES. *AK
Steering, Suspension, Service brakes, Hydraulic, Jan 24, 2005
RE DEFECTIVE BRAKING/STEERING IN A 2005 BMW, REQUESTING A DEFECT INVESTIGATION. *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT UPON STOPPING. IN ONE CASE, THE VEHICLE PULLED SO SEVERELY THAT IT CAME TO A REST AT AN ANGLE ON THE ROAD. THE WHEEL COULD NOT BE STRAIGHTENED UNTIL THE BRAKE HAD BEEN RELEASED. *JB