We found the following complaints for BMW 330I (2004)
Read complaints for BMW 330I (2004)
The contact owns a 2004 bmw 340i. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 14v428000 (air bags). However, the part needed for the repair was unavailable. The contact stated the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair to be performed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Takata recallfirst i should say that this is not a complaint about an incident. This is a complaint about the failure of bmw to provide a timely replacement for the thirteen (13) year old driver's side airbag in my 2004 bmw 330i, which has spent all of its life in a high absolute humidity location (houston, texas).i first contacted bmw on april, 26, 2016 regarding the takata airbag recall on my 2004 bmw 330i. They first offered to perform an interim repair or an alternate provided vehicle. However, the insurance company informed me that the replacement vehicle would not be covered under my current policy. I followed up again on july 15, 2016, and bmw informed me that interim repairs were no longer being offered because final repair parts would be available shortly. They said i would receive a notice in the mail letting me know when i could take my vehicle in to my local bmw center for repair. I have verified that my address and contact info is correct with both bmw and the repair center in houston, texas. Houston, texas is a high absolute humidity area and this car is 13 years old with the original airbag still installed. I drive this car every day to and from work in high traffic areas inside the city of houston. I believe bmw has had ample time to procure a replacement airbag, and i have called them and wasted several hours of my personal time on this still unresolved issue. In short i believe bmw is stalling with the replacement of older model year airbag replacements, because they believe these vehicles are "end of life" and there is little incentive for bmw to fix them. However, this vehicle has low mileage for its age: eighty thousand (80,000) miles, and the lack of an airbag replacement will diminish the resale value or make it much more difficult to sell.
The contact owns a 2004 bmw 330i. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v318000 (air bags) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of this failure. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
I side swiped a curb at a weird angle and it caused my drive side and passenger side side air bags to go off. The driver airbag exploded with such force that it broken my collar bone severely enough that i had to have surgery and metal plates put it to hold it back to together.
The contact owns a 2004 bmw 330i. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 14v428000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2004 bmw 330i. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v318000 (air bags); however, the contact could not get the recall remedied due to lack of communication from the dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2004 bmw 330i. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 15v318000 (air bags), 14v428000 (air bags), and 11v438000 (air bags). The parts to do the repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was notified. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2004 bmw 330i. The contact received a recall notification for nhtsa campaign number: 14v428000 (air bags) and stated that the part needed was unavailable to perform the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Updated 11/21/14
Tuesday september 9, 2014 i was driving down the hwy 92 when all of a sudden i here a loud thunderous explosion. As i checked my surroundings i thought i was in the middle of a car accident, so i took my foot off the gas and coasted to the side. As i looked around my side airbag curtains on both side were deployed as well as my driver side door air bag. I get out of my car and inspect the car and nothing visibly was damaged. I look down the road and nothing was there, cars were flowing as normal and not a pot hole in sight. Called bmw and found that bmw had has a recall on certain models including mine.
I have a problem about fault in passenger restraint system affecting airbag,belt tensioner and force limiter.during driving i've got a warning displayed on my hud. I had brought twice to dealer,they said fixed,but after one week later the warning light come back again.they keep said that i need pay for fix it.is this recalls part?i think it is safety defects.this model:bmw 2004 530iplease help. Thanks,
The contact owns a 2004 bmw 330i. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v318000 (air bags) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. The vin was not available.
Takata recall repair parts still not available...original notification date july 2015. I have not been involved in an accident...merely want the recall program implemented on my vehicle.
Air bag deployed without apparent cause.disoriented drive ended up swerving to curb before coming to a rest.the passenger suffered from a broken nose and bruises to the face and was taken by ambulance .both passenger and driver were wearing seat belt.driver probably was spared any injury as she is near six foot and car seat is set back further.there was no alcohol involved in the incident, police arrived to the seen as issued no tickets or citation as they were driving within the speed limit and were not driving reckless.road was a 4 lane dividedroad straight.
The contact owns a 2004 bmw 330i. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 14v428000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2004 bmw 330i. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v318000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. ... Updated 08/23/16 updated 09/08/16.
Takata recall-i've been going round and round with bmw usa and hendrick motors in charlotte, nc since dec. 2015 trying to get info on when they are going to fix my death trap.i just learned today on this site that my car is priority 1 in high humidity area which charlotte certainly is.plus the air bag lights have been on since dec and reported to them and this is the low profile sport model car that is a bumpy ride.i was told in jan by bmw that an interim bag was sent to nj specifically for my car, but hendrick clams they no nothing about it., they have my info and every time i call tosee when they will have parts for the recall i get the same insppid blow off, we don't know anything but we'll call you as soon as we do.i just received a letter from bmw saying the parts are ready to call and make appt to replace and hendrick says they don't have yet they are on order should be 2 weeks but they cannot confirm the date, no one knows or has any info what so ever so don't bother us any more.i guarantee that priority had been given to any car that was on their lot for resale!
Takata recall-i found out in sept 2015 that my car was part of the airbag recall.i contacted hendrick bmw in charlotte, nc to have them replaced.they told me both the passenger and driver bags were recalled but they only had the passenger available to replace. I'm not in charlotte full time and do not drive it when i'm away.they said i would be called when it was ready.dec i contacted them again, same story no driver.feb called bmw usa, the air bag service light had come on and the car is a sport model with low profile tires that drives like a tank and some else had just been killed in an air bag accident.they first said they would arrange for a loaner, then backtracked and offered a "interim replacement" until the "real" replacement drivers side was available which almost 6 months since my first call, no one has any clue when they will be available.ok....a week or so later got a call from bmw saying i should have gotten a call from hendrick that they have the "interim " bag.i called hendrick, and was told they only have the passenger side, have no idea what i'm talking about, put me in a manager vm that cut off before i could leave message.i called bmw back, left a message in that tone only dogs can hear, and now several weeks later not a word from anyone.
The contact owns a 2004 bmw 330i. The contact received a notification for nhtsa campaign number: 14v428000 (air bags) and stated that the part needed was unavailable to repair the vehicle. The dealer was unable to inform when the part would become available. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2004 bmw 330i. The contact stated that the recall notice for nhtsa campaign number: 15v318000 (air bags) was received in june of 2015. After contacting the dealer and the manufacturer on multiple occasions, the contact was informed that the parts needed to repair the vehicle were still not available and no estimated time for receiving the parts could be given. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Two hours after i got to work one of my coworkers came running in the backroom, and told me my car was on fire.
Passenger side headlight assembly wires break and cause the headlight to stop emitting light or otherwise working. Repeated attempts to repair the wiring harness eventually fail. This occurs with mere normal use of the car and passage of time. The headlight assembly and bulb are still intact, but simply receive no power due to the broken wires. The assembly can fail at any time, whether stationary, in motion, or on back roads or highways.when this issue is googled on this particular car, a 2004'2006 bmw 3 series e46 coupe with bi-xenon adaptive headlights, many many users report the same issue. No matter the condition, location, and service history of the car, the headlight assembly on the passenger side will always stop working simply because of the wiring. See: https://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=1073501if repaired enough times, the assembly becomes unrepairable, at which point the user is stuck driving without a headlight, a dangerous situation to be in. Ordering an incredibly costly $1500 part to replace it is not only costly, but will eventually result in the same critical issue re-appearing because the design is inherently defective. This is a serious safety issue.other costs include mechanics who insist to customers that the issue is both wiring and the bulb too, causing unsuspecting users to be charged extra for replacement bulbs and the associated labor as well.first occurrence on my car was april 2019, second was october 2019, and third was february 2020 at which point the part was deemed unrepairable.2004'2006 bmw 325ci and bmw 330ci with adaptive bi-xenon hid headlights
The interior wires of the bmw e46 headlight assemblies have insulation material that readily breaks off of the wire, causing the bear wire conductor to be visible. This results in a failure of the headlights as the wires conductors are allowed to touch. This is also a possible source of a vehicle fire.
I purchased my 2004 bmw 330i in sept 2010, at least in part because it was advertised as having factory installed xenon lights and i have always wanted brighter headlights than other cars i have owned. Within 3 months i was so disgusted with the dimness of those xenon's that i purchased 2 new d2s bulbs and had them installed at the cost of about $400. (i was told that even xenon's "wear out" over time so i figured i would bite the bullet this one time) i found right away that these new bulbs were no better than i had before. As a matter of fact, the right side lights shined against a wall were actually dimmer than a d cell flashlight. I suffered though trying to drive with my passing lights on at night (you actually have to hold the high beam stick in to get these lights to stay on ) for a year before i decided to replace the whole headlight assembly but no-one sells a replacement for the xenon equipped cars. I then removed the assemblies myself and was shocked to see clear signs of burning or corrosion on the inside of the reflector bowls. No wonder the lights would not shine on the highway. It is so bad that every time i am passed on the highway at night i actually see my car's shadow directly in front of me from the headlights of the car 50-100 feet behind me. I now understand from further investigation this is an ongoing problem with zkw headlights on e46 bmw's. I do not have the technical expertise or extra cash to fix these defects. Can you help??no accidents or injuries have occurred yet but i have seen many pedestrians or bikers as i pass them at night on the side of the road that i never saw until i was next to them.
2004 bmw 330i - tail light wiring failure.tail light bulb socket (part number w0133-1663035 failed due to over heating and melting of connector.results in loss of brake light function.problem common to both driver and passenger side.purchasing new part to try to correct problem however problem may also include failure of the connector (female) on the wiring harness which is not readily available.over heating appears to be due to undersizing of connector/wire.this appears to be a common problem with e46 bmw's (3 series).problem was brought to dealer's attention while under warranty,...they did not fix it.contacted corporate head quarters,...they did not acknowledge this was a common problem.(ref. Ea09-019).
Both bixenon headlamps assemblies have failed on the vehiclethey emit little to no light due to the known bowl burn issues with the plastic reflectors (should have been fabricated from metal), inside these headlamp assemblies.in looking at the light assemblies, they seemed to have failed a long time ago. This is a very unsafe and hazardous situation that renders the vehicle basically inoperative at night to the owner, because fellow drivers, pedestrians, and/or bicyclist may be not able to see your headlights. This could cause or may have already lead to fatal vehicular accident(s) or the death of a pedestrian(s) and/or bicyclist(s) because of the low to no light emitted by these faultyheadlamps.while performing in depth research on the internet discovered that this is a very common and known problem on this make and model at all mileages.the bmw forums are full of complaints about this problem and an open complaint seems to be open and in process with nhtsa since 2009 some three years ago. Neither bmw or its supplier of this faulty part make a reasonably priced service part that can be purchased to correct this known product and safety problem.not even the aftermarket industry makes a service part to correct this product problem.to correct this issue, you must purchase two new complete head lamp assemblies at a cost of approximately $ 1,200.00 each from bmw which is outrageous especially for such a know product and safety problem.i can't understand why a recall has not been initiated for such a known problem on so many vehicles that has been on going for so long..i contacted bmw north america for relief with this know safety and product problem and they could not help me with this issue because there is no open recall for this known product and safety problem.
I purchased the car, i noticed the headlights where dim. I went out and got new bulbs for my car. I didn't help at all! i can barely see at night and i have to use to fog lights just to be able to drive at night. It is also unlawful to drive with my fog lights on. After much research, it seems that the root case of my headlight being as dim as they are,do to the reflective bowl being burnt out in the headlight it unit. The cost to replace the lights is insane $1000.00 for a set, just to be able to see at night. It is unsafe to drive at night. It is so bad, that i often don't drive at night because i don't want to put my safe in a bad situation.
The general module 5 in e46 3 series model years 2004-2006 fail causing failure of turn signals, central locking, wind shield wipers, and hazard lights. This defect is known by bmwna but has not been addressed.
Dear nhtsa,the headlight design of bmw's e46 bodies are just horrible. Light output is close to none creating a significant problem regarding visibility. The reason is due to bmw's reflector bowl that deteriorates through out time due to its plastic material and finally ends up burning. It is so bad that the fog lights produce much more light then its low beams. We definitely need your help nhtsa because bmw sure does not want to help, their solution is that you have to replace the whole headlight which is 1200 a piece. Millions of e46 owners have to deal with this problem and is a major safety concern. Nhtsa investigators must go and investigate the problem so they know how bad it really is. Yes that means bmw will loose millions of dollars but it is safety that matters, we don't want any person or child to be killed just because of a poor headlight design. Only solutionto this problem is up to your guys, nhtsa. Thank you for taking time to read my message, i really appreciate it.[xxx]information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
The vehicle stalled while drivingat a low speed of 20 mph or less.the has vehiclehasbeen to the dealer on two separate occasions, however the mechanic was unable to correct the problem. Please provide any further information.
In 2005 when driving my car, the car began pulling unevenly, jerking gently on acceleration up a highway bridge and the problem persisted to the dealer for service.the ignition coils were replaced under warranty.
Vehicle experienced rough idle which cause it to stall at intersections, stop lights, etc...*ph
Headlights of 2004 bmw 330i with xenons are made by manufacturing company "zkw" and bound to fail.visibility and light output becomes extremely poor, that you must drive around with extra lights, or high beams on.when you open up the reflective case, you will see that both front headlights driver and passenger side have burnt bowls, which do not allow any light output at all.this is extremely dangerous, i have gotten into an accident due to not being able to see far distance at night. Please address and investigate this matter immediately.
The contact owns a 2004 bmw 330i. The contact stated that the illumination of the headlights was extremely dim. The reflector was discolored and burned, causing improper illumination. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000. Mail out 01/13/15*lj
The headlights of the car get progressively dimmer over time. Changing headlight bulbs (xenon hid d2s 4300k) does nothing because the reflective coating on the headlight bowls has melted / burnt off. There is a scent of hot plastic with the headlights recently on and protective covers removed. The headlight bowls appear darkly charred just above the bulb area.
The contact owns a 2004 bmw 330i. While driving approximately 65 mph, the contact noticed that the visibility of the headlight reflectors was very poor. After inspecting the headlights the contact noticed that the area around the headlight reflectors was burned. The contact replaced the bulb. The failure continued after the replacement of the bulbs. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the headlight assembly would have to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 117,000.
The headlight reflectors on this car (and other of this year model) are manufactured by zkw and they have failed causing very low, unsafe levels of light output. The reflectors are burnt and cracked. The only way to get any reasonable or safe light output for night driving is to use the fog lights and this is an unsafe condition and i am surprised there hasn't been a recall. This is a well known problem. Unsafe lighting and proceed while unknowingly endangering themselves and others. Do not pass state inspection light out put in some states, this problem should be address, if you look on the inter net people are modifying them to give more light witch makes it more unsafe.
Cheap wiring was used in the headlight units for specific cars with adaptive bi-xenon headlights. The wiring for these cars now has fallen apart, and disconnects. Bmw's only way of fixing it is to replace the entire headlight unit, which costs around $2000 to replace a few wires that should cost less than $10. There are many cars on the road that this affects, which is a serious safety concern. Car owners are soldering wires by hand in an attempt to fix it but there is no long term solution.
2004 bmw 330xi sedan (e46) rear tail light indicator light consistently comes on, even though there is no tail lamp failure. Dealer indicated it was a burnt contact, and suggested repairing both sides. Cost for both sides $254.67.
The interior wires of the bmw e46 headlight assemblies have insulation material that readily breaks off of the wire, causing the bear wire conductor to be visible. This results in a failure of the headlights as the wires conductors are allowed to touch. This is also a possible source of a vehicle fire.
Headlight light output has strongly diminished.in 2003-2004 bmw used zkw headlights in which the reflector bowl behind the light-bulb were prone to the melting due to heat causing poor light output.bmw must have recognized this as they changed headlight suppliers in later models.
The stock zkw projectors have burnt out and significantly reduce the quality of light emanating from the headlights.in order to have any true visibility, i have to hold the "flash-to-pass" lights on while i'm driving (a manual transmission).this is obviously a dangerous situation.the replacement assemblies are over $3,000 for the pair.that cost cannot be justified.i purchased the car a couple of months ago, but i, of course, did not test drive it at night (since it was summer).so i had no way of knowing about the deteriorated condition of the headlights.i cannot say for certain when this happened, but, based on internet searches, it appears to be a known issue that dates back to at least 2011.
Right front low beam headlamp cuts out intermittently and eventually stops working due to cracked wiring inside the adjustable headlamp unit. For awhile, my headlight would stop working while making a right turn but then turn back on when straightened out. After two right turns, the headlight would cease to turn back on. Now (after several weeks of this happening) the headlight does not function at all, and i can see broken wiring if i look inside the headlight unit causing the issue.
1. Bought the car with zkw bowl reflective material deficient. 2004 bmw 330i zhp.2. Can't see safely at night to drive.3. Nothing has been done...as replacement oem lights are $1000.00 each.
After purchasing my 330i in north salem, ny, i spent about 30 hours driving the car home to florida. I made it home late at night and pulled the car into my garage. Once inside, i noticed small wisps of smoke exiting the hood, just above each headlight. I opened the hood and smelled a faint burning plastic smell. Through online research and investigation on the vehicle, i found the projector headlight reflector bowls were severely 'burnt', something very common on these style headlights on this car. I researched more and found that these reflectors were made of plastic, and over time would overheat and burn, losing their reflective coating. This loss of reflective coating eventually leads to severely diminished light output. I researched how to replace or repair the lights, and eventually retrofitted newer metal projector bowls from a 2006+ bmw. This retrofit while not permanent, has helped. This is a very serious problem. In addition to the lack of headlight output, there is a serious fire hazard involved with this design flaw.
The xenon headlights burn and discolor the reflective housing and the lens cover discolors. This makes the headlight virtually useless when driving at night. You would be better off mounting two fisher-price toy flashlights up front. This is a major safety hazard. In order to see i must turn on my fog lights or drive with my highbeams on.
Vehicle has very poor headlight visibility at night due to burnt out plastic reflector bowls from bmw's sub-supplier zkw. Replacement bowls are not available for purchase from bmw. Only fix from them is replacing the entire headlight assembly which costs thousands of dollars.
The bowl of the oem zkw headlight burns out. It is first and foremost a safety hazard. Bmw has produced countless cars that are affected, specifically any 3 series with the upgraded xenon headlights. Not only was this an additional option but the cost to rectify light output to a safe level is high. Oem headlights cost $1200 each at the dealership. I feel as though that is the only way to approach this since headlights correlate directly with night driving and safety.
I have noted that the zkw brand hid headlights on my bmw are less than adequate at providing significant lighting for night driving conditions. I found upon disassembly of my headlight assembly the reflective base or "bowl" is a coated plastic part that has been significantly discolored from normal use. I am filing a report to have nhtsa look further into the problem and recommend the party responsible offer a reasonable fix. Currently the factory (bmw) recommends replacement of a $1200 (each, two total) headlight assembly. I request a mandate by the nhtsa for replacement of the affected headlight assembly's by bmw, at bmw own cost. I feel the sub standard manufacturing process of this vital part may cause significant safety risks for people who require the proper function of the headlight.
Reflective coating melted inside the headlights, rendering them useless.extremely expensive to replace.
Bi-xenon headlights gradually grew dimmer after about 100,000 (6 years) the lights were unsafe to use after dark.the lights were repaired by an automotive lighting specialty shop by installing aftermarket headlight projectors.the original reflector bowls on the zkw manufactured projectors were burned and partially melted by the xenon bulbs and was no longer projecting the light ahead of the vehicle.
On zkw-headlight equipped bi-xenon bmw 3-series, the low beam projector bowls are coated with faulty reflecting material that is burned off over time, dramatically reducing the output of the headlights.
The zkw brand of high intensity discharge (hid) headlights equipped in the e46 model 3 series bmw sedan have a plastic reflector bowl in the projector that has the tendency to have the chrome reflective plating burnt off rendering the headlights all but useless.
Projectors for the zkw headlights have deteriorated making night driving difficult and dangerous.
Bmw zkw headlight defect. Burnt bowls causing unsafe nightly illumination.
2004 bmw 330i - tail light wiring failure.tail light bulb socket (part number w0133-1663035 failed due to over heating and melting of connector.results in loss of brake light function.problem common to both driver and passenger side.purchasing new part to try to correct problem however problem may also include failure of the connector (female) on the wiring harness which is not readily available.over heating appears to be due to undersizing of connector/wire.this appears to be a common problem with e46 bmw's (3 series).problem was brought to dealer's attention while under warranty,...they did not fix it.contacted corporate head quarters,...they did not acknowledge this was a common problem.(ref. Ea09-019).
The bi-xenon headlamps have a design flaw where the projector burns out and greatly reduces light input. The only way to remedy this situation is to replace the entire headlamp assembly.
Bi-xenon projector headlights have very poor illumination output and are unsafe. Apparently, the unit uses a plastic reflective bowl that burns over time due to the heat of the light bulb therefore losing its reflectibility. The standard halogen fog lamps in the lower bumper must be used as headlights because of the almost non existent output of the actual headlights. The only thing the bi-xenons are good for at this point is showing that a light is indeed on so that the police wont issue a citation. But as far as illuminating the road, they do not.
I purchased the vehicle used with 155xxx miles on it and noticed that the headlights cannot sufficiently light up the road.upon further inspection, the xenon projector-bowl housing inside the headlights are burnt.light output is significantly reduced.the lights are manufactured by "zkw"
The low beams on my 2004 bmw 330i are very dim. They barely light up the road at night, if at all. My only option is to turn on my high beams, but then i risk blinding incoming traffic. I consider this a significant safety risk. Through online research i have discovered that the problem is that the bowls bmw used to reflect the light from the bulbs are made of plastic and get burnt from the heat of the bulb. Due to this fact, i believe bmw should have a recall for the headlights of e46 cars. I do not think i should have to pay to fix something that is a factory defect.
I purchased my 2004 bmw 330i in sept 2010, at least in part because it was advertised as having factory installed xenon lights and i have always wanted brighter headlights than other cars i have owned. Within 3 months i was so disgusted with the dimness of those xenon's that i purchased 2 new d2s bulbs and had them installed at the cost of about $400. (i was told that even xenon's "wear out" over time so i figured i would bite the bullet this one time) i found right away that these new bulbs were no better than i had before. As a matter of fact, the right side lights shined against a wall were actually dimmer than a d cell flashlight. I suffered though trying to drive with my passing lights on at night (you actually have to hold the high beam stick in to get these lights to stay on ) for a year before i decided to replace the whole headlight assembly but no-one sells a replacement for the xenon equipped cars. I then removed the assemblies myself and was shocked to see clear signs of burning or corrosion on the inside of the reflector bowls. No wonder the lights would not shine on the highway. It is so bad that every time i am passed on the highway at night i actually see my car's shadow directly in front of me from the headlights of the car 50-100 feet behind me. I now understand from further investigation this is an ongoing problem with zkw headlights on e46 bmw's. I do not have the technical expertise or extra cash to fix these defects. Can you help??no accidents or injuries have occurred yet but i have seen many pedestrians or bikers as i pass them at night on the side of the road that i never saw until i was next to them.
The xenon projector assembly is made out of plastic and is burning/melting. The light output is roughly 20% of the original.
The bi-xenon headlights cast very little light on the road, making it very difficult to see at night without using the fog lights to augment.
The oem xenon zkw brand lights had completely burnt reflector bulbs that caused low light to be emitted. This defect is due to plastic bowls being used instead of metal or another material. The damage could have caused a fire hazard or worse. I was forced to replace the lights at my own expense. I have attached photos of the damage and light output to this complaint. This occurred simply by having the headlights on.
Both bixenon headlamps assemblies have failed on the vehiclethey emit little to no light due to the known bowl burn issues with the plastic reflectors (should have been fabricated from metal), inside these headlamp assemblies.in looking at the light assemblies, they seemed to have failed a long time ago. This is a very unsafe and hazardous situation that renders the vehicle basically inoperative at night to the owner, because fellow drivers, pedestrians, and/or bicyclist may be not able to see your headlights. This could cause or may have already lead to fatal vehicular accident(s) or the death of a pedestrian(s) and/or bicyclist(s) because of the low to no light emitted by these faultyheadlamps.while performing in depth research on the internet discovered that this is a very common and known problem on this make and model at all mileages.the bmw forums are full of complaints about this problem and an open complaint seems to be open and in process with nhtsa since 2009 some three years ago. Neither bmw or its supplier of this faulty part make a reasonably priced service part that can be purchased to correct this known product and safety problem.not even the aftermarket industry makes a service part to correct this product problem.to correct this issue, you must purchase two new complete head lamp assemblies at a cost of approximately $ 1,200.00 each from bmw which is outrageous especially for such a know product and safety problem.i can't understand why a recall has not been initiated for such a known problem on so many vehicles that has been on going for so long..i contacted bmw north america for relief with this know safety and product problem and they could not help me with this issue because there is no open recall for this known product and safety problem.
Having recently purchased my 2004 bmw 330i with xenon headlamps, i have been researching the car and any recalls that may have occurred or are ongoing.it was brought to my attention that the xenon headlamps designated zkw were under possible investigation for scorching within the assembly that can lead to decreased light output and pose a safety hazard to nighttime driving.i confirmed that my car is equipped with the zkw headlamps, and noted that some discoloration within the assembly was occurring.i want to make sure this problem is sufficiently documented so that a proper investigation can lead to the resolution to this relatively common occurrence.
Bmw e46 equipped with zkw brand headlights suffer from a burnt, melted, and cracked reflector bowl dramatically reducing the bi-xenon light output, making it difficult and unsafe to drive at night. This is a very common issue and needs to be resolved for drivers and others safety during night.
The rear taillight fails on my 2004 bmw 330i due to the bulb holder assembly and issues with the grounding wire used in the harness. This is a common problem on e46 bmw's as noted in many owner forums online.the gauge of wire used for the brown grounding wire is much larger than all the other wires and eventually the heat melts down the connector pins or exposes the plastic between the other clips in the harness.
I purchased the car, i noticed the headlights where dim. I went out and got new bulbs for my car. I didn't help at all! i can barely see at night and i have to use to fog lights just to be able to drive at night. It is also unlawful to drive with my fog lights on. After much research, it seems that the root case of my headlight being as dim as they are,do to the reflective bowl being burnt out in the headlight it unit. The cost to replace the lights is insane $1000.00 for a set, just to be able to see at night. It is unsafe to drive at night. It is so bad, that i often don't drive at night because i don't want to put my safe in a bad situation.
Bi-xenon headlamp projector back-bowls are made out of plastic and have had their reflective coating burnt off of them from normal headlight usage.due to the lack of reflectivity on the projector bowls my headlights have become significantly more dim over time as more of the reflective coating is burning off.it has become harder and more dangerous to drive at night due to the severe lack of light my headlights now produce.
Low-beam hid headlight reflector bowls on both sides of car have burned and melted causing very low light output and dangerous night driving conditions. The reflector bowls are zkw brand and appear to be made of plastic of some kind.
Xenon reflectors in zkw headlights are burnt, and are cracking.this is significantly reducing light output of the vehicle.
The headlight reflectors on this car (and other of this year model) are manufactured by zkw and they have failed causing very low, unsafe levels of light output. The reflectors are burnt and cracked. The only way to get any reasonable or safe light output for night driving is to use the fog lights and/or to hold on the pass to flash lights.this is an unsafe condition and i am surprised there hasn't been a recall. This is a well knownproblem among some but most users will never realize what it casing poor, unsafe lighting and proceed while unknowingly endangering themselves and others.
Cheap plastic used in headlight projectors melt due to heat from oem xenon bulbs. This poses a fire safety hazard as well as low and eventually no light onto the road.
The contact owns a 2004 bmw 330i. While driving at an unknown speed, both projector headlights failed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the projector headlight lenses needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 190,000.
Purchased car used. Upon driving it at night for the first time the headlights were noticed to be very dim. Bulbs were checked to be the correct wattage and color temperature. Plastic reflector dish was seen to be burned out (not reflecting light from the portion above the bulb.
The head light reflecting bowls on hid headlights are burning out thereby resulting in poor lighting under all conditions.
Dramatically reduced headlight output due to defective factory components.
The vehicle headlights include the bi-xenon option. Zkw was the original equipment supplier for these headlights. The reflective housing surrounding the bulb suffers from severe degradation and total light output is significantly reduced.overall nighttime vehicle visibility and safety is greatly affected.i have learned this is a common problem with the make/model/year and option package of the vehicle.
Over the last couple of years i have noticed that the headlights ability to provide good visibility at night has reduced dramatically, especiallywhen raining or wet roads. I made sure the lenses were clear and new bulbs did not help. After doing some research on the internet i found thru several forums that this is a common issue with bmws' equipped with the zkw brand of bi-xenon headlights. The reason is the projector bowels are made of plastic and over time burn due to the excessive heat generated by the xenon bulb.so much so that the reflector bowls turn black instead of silver and therefore cannot reflect the light produced by the bulb. The fog lights provide more light or if there is someone following me the car behind me provides far more light than my own car. This is a serious safety issue and should be subject to recall. The only way to remedy that i have found so far is to replace the projector bowls withe after market ones which requires some modifications at a cost of about $800. Us.
E46 bmw's with zkw xenon head lamps suffer from poor bulb projectors which burn to the point that light output is nearly none. This is defect is known by bmwna but nothing has been done to correct it.
The headlights are useless at night. The bulbs all function perfectly, but the reflector housings are "worn" according to my mechanic. I understand the need to replace bulbs over the lifetime of a vehicle, but $3,000 for a whole new headlight assembly is outrageous! this is a design defect that the nhtsa refuses to investigate. There are thousands of complaints regarding this design defect all over the internet. This is a serious safety issue!
The reflector portion of the vehicle's xenon headlights appear burned/discolored, which significantly reduces their brightness thereby reducing nighttime visibility.
2004 bmw 330i sedan:xenon headlight reflector bowls (zkw brand) are scorched practically eliminating any light output from the headlight.
The tail lights on both sides of my 2004 bmw 330i have stopped working completely (no turn signal or brake lights) due to a burned wire.this began on the left side with the turn signal light going out.when i went to change the bulb, i realized the bulb was fine.looking closer i saw that a wire in the wire harness had burned and melted the plastic.it also melted the metal on the tail light assembly.this was a couple months ago that this happened and now the right side has done the exact same thing.i called the dealer and was told that this was a common problem with this model.the cost to fix the problem will be $350 per side.looking online i saw that bmw issued a service report (si b 63 03 06) because the problem is so common.i am concerned that this may be a fire hazard and don't understand why there wouldn't be a recall.i am also concerned that i do not have an extra $700 on hand to fix the problem and am forced to drive with no turn signals or brake lights.it seems like since this is a design flaw and a safety hazard, bmw should be responsible to fix it.
It appears that a design defect has caused housings for bi-xenon headlights to be subject to heat stress, resulting in discoloration and cracking. As a result visibility during nighttime driving is significantly impacted when using both low-and high-beams. Approximate cost for replacement parts is in excess of $2,000, not including labor.
Purchased a used 2004 bmw 330i.the headlight output is very dim, and upon research into the matter, have learned that the supplied zkw headlight assemblies contain plastic reflector bowls that are prone to melting and/or burning.i inspected my headlight assemblies and found this to be the case.the reflector bowls in my headlights are burnt, and consequently my headlights are not nearly as bright and effective as they should be.this is a safety hazard - nighttime visibility is something that should be taken seriously by a manufacturer.
The zkw xenon lights in the bmw e46 chasis have decreased light output. This makes night time driving dangerous and could result in a crash. The reflector bowl (that reflects light onto the road) is become badly burnt. This could also start a fire, as the piece is plastic.
The xenon headlamps on my 2004 bmw 330i completely failed.the headlamp rear projector bowl on this model is prone to overheating which leads to the delamination of theprojector reflective materials resulting in complete headlamp assembly failure.replacement assemblies from the dealer list at ~ $600 for each side of the car.this a commonly known issue in the bmw enthusiast community - i have also witnessed the problem firsthand on two other bmw 330is of the same model year.when the issue happened to me, i was unable to drive the car safely at night as the only illumination available was from the parking lights.this is clearly a safety issue and a product defect.
The zkw-brand xenon headlights that came equipped on the vehicle (a 2004 bmw 330i) have lost their brightness intensity, resulting in nighttime light output that is dangerously low. The problem specifically is that the heat from the projector bulbs melt or discolor the reflective bowls, which decreases the high- and low-beam light output. The heat also discolors the plastic headlight lenses. The bulbs still throw a very low level of light, but without the reflectivity they do little to illuminate the road at night.service records indicate that bmw noted the problem on my vehicle in the first three months of 2009, but if the parts were replaced they have failed again since then. This is a non-wear item. Many other vehicle owners have also reported this problem.
The contact owns a 2004 bmw 330i. The contact stated that both front headlights illuminated very dimly. The contact examined the headlights and noticed that the front driver side headlight bulb burned a hole through its housing. The vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed. The contact replaced the bulbs himself, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. The contact was informed that the entire headlight housing needed to be replaced. The failure mileage was 65,000.updated 07/25/12 the consumer stated the brand of headlights on his vehicle were factory installed. Xenon bulbs. The projector bowls were the pieces that burned and not sold separately, but instead were sold with complete headlamp assemblies. There was very little visibility when driving in the dark, and he has to use the fog lamps in order to see the road. Updated 07/30/12
Bmw e46 models have been known for this issue regarding hid/bixenon projector headlights loosing their ability to effectively light the road.my vehicle was equipped with the zkw (bmw brand/manufacture) headlight that bmw used and the reflector bowl for the projector headlamp was partially melted and burned significantly reducing the reflective surface for the headlights to function properly.after some investigation online this is a typical problem with this platform of the bmw 3 series and there is no resolution except complete replacement of the headlamp assembly.the reduced illumination was so bad, that my headlamps would be on at night but my fog lights projected more light on the road and were brighter requiring me to use them on a daily basis for light until i replaced my headlamp assemblies.given this is a known issue and thousands of bmw e46 owners have to replace their complete headlamp assemblies the nhtsa needs to investigate and help remedy this situation as bmw should be responsible.please note that bmw had two different suppliers for headlamp assemblies for this series bmw (al bosch and zkw).the al bosch lamps are not affected as they utilized metal projector/reflective bowls where the zkw (the affected supplier) used chromed plastic that burns/melts over time.
Passenger side headlight assembly wires break and cause the headlight to stop emitting light or otherwise working. Repeated attempts to repair the wiring harness eventually fail. This occurs with mere normal use of the car and passage of time. The headlight assembly and bulb are still intact, but simply receive no power due to the broken wires. The assembly can fail at any time, whether stationary, in motion, or on back roads or highways.when this issue is googled on this particular car, a 2004'2006 bmw 3 series e46 coupe with bi-xenon adaptive headlights, many many users report the same issue. No matter the condition, location, and service history of the car, the headlight assembly on the passenger side will always stop working simply because of the wiring. See: https://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=1073501if repaired enough times, the assembly becomes unrepairable, at which point the user is stuck driving without a headlight, a dangerous situation to be in. Ordering an incredibly costly $1500 part to replace it is not only costly, but will eventually result in the same critical issue re-appearing because the design is inherently defective. This is a serious safety issue.other costs include mechanics who insist to customers that the issue is both wiring and the bulb too, causing unsuspecting users to be charged extra for replacement bulbs and the associated labor as well.first occurrence on my car was april 2019, second was october 2019, and third was february 2020 at which point the part was deemed unrepairable.2004'2006 bmw 325ci and bmw 330ci with adaptive bi-xenon hid headlights
Burnt bowl in the headlights causing the xenon light to have diminished light output.night driving is very difficult due to the headlight not being bright enough anymore.replacement of the assemblies will only fix this temporarily until the bowls but again and the problem returned.
I recently purchased the vehicle and immediately noticed the poor light output from the factory xenons. I went online and found out that many people with the e46 sedan with xenon headlights manufactured by zkw have an issue of the projector bowls burning slowly over time due to poor material choice that cannot withstand the heat generated by the factory bulbs. Upon inspection of my headlights, i noticed that the bowls in my headlights were indeed both burnt and cracked and as a result of this, it is extremely difficult to see at night due to poor light output. I have resulted to using my fog lights as a supplementary light source just to see in the evenings and i find this unacceptable and negligent of bmw considering complaints have been made for years.
Low beam hid headlight projector made by zkw for bmw are poorly designed/made, unable to handle the heat output from the oem xenon bulbs, the part becomes severely scorched and degraded, reducing light output to unsafe levels. To compensate, fog lights have to be used to safely see the pavement.this is a very well documented issue with this manufacturer's product (zkw). Bmw had another manufacturer, al (automotive lighting), which didn't suffer from this problem.
My headlights are not very bright and it looks like the reflective coating inside the light has been cooked off. I had a 2001 and the lights were much better they were the same hid xenon type .thank you
There is a manufacturing defect in zkw xenon projector bowls used in e46 bmw cars. My headlights have become so dim that i constantly run fog lights at night to be able to see. Driving at night, especially in the rain, is very dangerous for me and other drivers.zkw projector bowls are made of plastic, which are unable to stand up to the heat of xenon bulbs. Over time, they have become brown and cracked and do not reflect light on to the road. Al xenon projector bowls, also used in e46 bmws, do not have this issue. Zkw seems to have realized that their plastic bowls are not sufficient. The zkw projector bowls for e90 bmws are made of metal and do not have this issue. There is no affordable and sufficient oem repair for this issue. Bmw only sells whole headlight assemblies, not just the projector bowls, which run hundreds of dollars each. Even then, replacing with zkw lights would eventually cause the same issue because of the insufficient design of the plastic bowls. The community is well aware of this issue. The only remedies are replace entire assemblies or retrofiting the headlights with aftermarket parts. Headlights are critical to driver safety and should not be this costly to keep working. These have failed prior to the life of the vehicle (mine is at 138k). This thread goes into detail for many people with this same issue: http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?3598-the-zkw-burnt-bowls-threadthere should be a recall for this dangerous issue caused by neglectful manufacturing of these headlights. The attached picture shows the damage of my headlights.
The contact owns a 2004 bmw 330i. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked and he noticed that the low beam headlights were illuminated with an inadequate amount of brightness. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnosis and the technician stated that the plastic reflector bowls were poorly designed. The technician also stated that these bowls melted over an extended period of time due to heat exposure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 56,000. The vin was unavailable.
I have owned this car for approximately 4 years now and have noticed a gradual decrease of the brightness of my headlights during that time period.i took the car to bmw and they said i have a model of car that the reflectors break down due to the heat of the xenon bulbs.it apparently occurs in my model car with zkw reflectors from years 2003 - 2004.i asked the mechanic if this was something that was going to be recalled and he literally laughed.this defect costs well over $2000 in parts alone and is a definite safety hazard.when i am on roads that are not well lit, it seems as though my fog lights actually provide better illumination of the road that my headlights do.in my opinion this is a serious safety hazard and warrants a recall. Please investigate this matter further.
Headlights of 2004 bmw 330i with xenons are made by manufacturing company "zkw" and bound to fail.visibility and light output becomes extremely poor, that you must drive around with extra lights, or high beams on.when you open up the reflective case, you will see that both front headlights driver and passenger side have burnt bowls, which do not allow any light output at all.this is extremely dangerous, i have gotten into an accident due to not being able to see far distance at night. Please address and investigate this matter immediately.
The contact owns a 2004 bmw 330i. The contact stated that the exterior lights would only work intermittently with the illumination of an unknown warning light.the dealer was notified of the failure who advised that her vin was not included in the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number: 11v438000 (exterior lighting: tail lights). The manufacturer was also contacted who confirmed that her vin was not included in the recall and offered no further assistance. The failure mileage was 115,000.
The bi-xenon headlights no longer light up the road.it is a safety hazard and is a known issue with headlights manufactured by zkw on 2003-2005 bmw 330 models.the reflector bowls on these units burn out over time and reduce the headlights ability to reflect light.driving at night is literally no better with the headlights on or off.i have to rely on my fog lights just to see anything.please look into this safety issue as it is wide-spread.
Light output from my car is extremely poor causing a safety concern. Upon investigating why the light output is so poor, i have determined that like many others the lights fitted into this 2004 bmw 330i are manufactured for bmw by a company called zkw who used plastic for the reflector lenses for the hid assemblies. This plastic degrades and becomes burnt which significantly diminishes the light output, even from new oem bulbs that were installed in the car. A light meter indicates that these lights now have less than 50% of the light output of the same car using lights manufactured by al that bmw also used on these vehicles. Longevity of light output availability through lighting design and manufacture should not be considered a wear item by the vehicle maker. This is for the safety of both the vehicle owner and others on the road who may be subjected to a crash caused by poor visibility.
Headlights have inadequate light output due to manufacturing defect.
I own a 2004 bmw 330i m-performance edition. My headlights are manufactured by a company called zkw. I am canadian and my car is a canadian car but the faulty part in question is common to both us-spec and cdn-spec bmw 3-series.my headlight output is extremely poor. In inclement weather, this issue is compounded. I now must always run with my foglights on to aid the headlights. This is not a safe solution to the problem. Foglights are designed to help the driver see your more immediate surroundings. The distance that the light is shone is much shorter than it should be. I am not able to see more that 3-5 meters in front of my vehicle. The 'incident' date noted above is when i had struck a raccoon with my vehicle that i should have seen much much sooner, giving me more time to react or make an evasive maneuver. This is significant because i was not traveling faster than 60-70 kph. The result was a $1,200 repair to my front bumper and bumper trim which sustained damage from the animal.from what i understand, all 3-series purchased in 2003 and 2004 which feature xenon-headlights made by zkw suffer from a design flaw with the reflector bowl. Over time this reflector bowl, which is made of plastic, tends to get fried and discoloured as a result of the heat emanating from the xenon bulb. This causes the reflector bowl to lose it's reflective properties and as result, light output is extremely poor. For model year 2005, bmw went with a different headlight manufacturer which offered headlights which featured and aluminum reflector bowl which is more resilient to the temperatures caused by the xenon bulb. To me, this shows bmw acknowledging the design flaw, especially since model year 2005 was the last year bmw made a 3-series sedan in this chassis.
Headlights no longer illuminate due to deteriorating headlight material considered a defect due to inferior plastic used when originally manufactured.low illumination level creates a serious safety hazard to driver and public causing severe injuries and damage.the high cost of replacing these headlight assemblies cannot be burdened by the vehicle owners.based on my research this vehicle condition has been reported asking the governing entities to take action by recalling the vehicle and having the manufacturer correct the defect.
Zkw brand xenon headlamps have defective reflector bowls.the lights burn off all of the reflective surface causing the low/high beams to be so dim that driving at night is impossible.the part (reflector bowl) is not available as a replacement part, it can only be purchased as a whole headlight assembly for $1300 each light.this is a major safety issue, that i have just found out about.as we have been getting into winter and the daylight saving change cause earlier sunset times, i noticed my headlights were not very bright on the road.it hasn't been an issue that i noticed in past years due to my <1 mile commute, but this year i purchased a house 25mi from work and the amount of night driving has increased dramatically.i first adjusted the alignment of the lights to try to correct what i thought the issue was, and also have replaced one of the head light bulbs with no change.i found out about this issue on bmw forums all over the internet, and it seems to be extremely common.there needs to be a recall, or at least an oem replacement part available.
2003 and 2004 3 series models with xenon headlamps manufactured by zkw have a defect in which the heat from the xenon headlight bulbs are melting the plastic projectors or reflector bowls. This causes a drastic reduction in projected light. The first sign of the problem is discoloration of the chrome coated plastic reflector bowl. Eventually the reflector bowls show signs of melting. It seems the cause is likely a combination of the xenon bulbs being too close to the plastic reflectors and or the plastic's heat resistance is not high enough. In 2005 bmw had picked a new manufacturer for xenon headlamps that have an aluminum reflector bowl. However bmw will not admit that the zkw brand headlamps have a defect.the only solution bmw has offered is to have the headlamps replaced for $2400 with the same zkw seemingly defective lamps. This is not a solution as it doesn't solve the problem and is only a temporary and expensive fix in my opinion.even the high beam mode is not bright enough to safely drive at night. There are also halogen lamps that act as running lights during the day and are intermittent flashers. In order to see while driving at night, i have had to hold down the flasher stick on the left side of the steering wheel in order to keep the halogen flashers on. It is tempting to re-wire the halogen lamps to the high beam switch so i do not have to hold the stick the entire time i am driving. Even though the halogens are not intended to be driving lights, it is much safer in my opinion to use them as a substitute even though it is dangerous to on-coming traffic due to the brightness and projection angle of the halogen lights. It is ridiculous to me that i would have to go to these lengths just to have safe driving lights. I think bmw should offer a re-call for these xenon headlights and supply a new part that is not defective as the zkw lights seem to be.
Xenon (zkw)headlamps in the car are burnt, thus diminishing 80% of light that is supposed to be coming from the lamp. Very dangerous for night travel.
I recently purchased a 2004 330i zhp, and drove it home.didn't drive it at night for some time, but when i finally did, found out lighting is very dim, so much, i have no confidence driving at night.i must use foglights on low beam, and high beams when i can.failure occurs every time i drive at night, and through my research, i feel the reflective material in the bowls is baked off.these light should be better than the halogens i had on my 325i, but they are not. I have not corrected the problem because repairs are too costly.....and do not feel i should pay for the defective headlights.
Dear nhtsa,the headlight design of bmw's e46 bodies are just horrible. Light output is close to none creating a significant problem regarding visibility. The reason is due to bmw's reflector bowl that deteriorates through out time due to its plastic material and finally ends up burning. It is so bad that the fog lights produce much more light then its low beams. We definitely need your help nhtsa because bmw sure does not want to help, their solution is that you have to replace the whole headlight which is 1200 a piece. Millions of e46 owners have to deal with this problem and is a major safety concern. Nhtsa investigators must go and investigate the problem so they know how bad it really is. Yes that means bmw will loose millions of dollars but it is safety that matters, we don't want any person or child to be killed just because of a poor headlight design. Only solutionto this problem is up to your guys, nhtsa. Thank you for taking time to read my message, i really appreciate it.[xxx]information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
Xenon reflectors in zkw headlights are burnt, and are cracking.this is significantly reducing light output of the vehicle.
The contact owns a 2004 bmw 330i. The contact noticed that the head lamp bulbs were burned out and a burning odor was detected. The contact replaced the head lamps independently. The vehicle was not taken to an independent mechanic or dealer to be diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.updated 05/10/16*lj
The contact owns a 2004 bmw 330i.while driving 75 mph at night the vehicle head lamps were dim and he was unable to see ahead . The contact stated he replaced the head lamp bulbs himself, but he still finds it difficult to see at night. He had not taken the vehicle to the dealer at the time of the complaint.the failure mileage was 133,000. The current mileage were 134,000. Updated 5/20/2010 updated 07/19/10
Dramatically reduced headlight output due to defective factory components.
The contact owns a 2004 bmw 330i. The contact stated that both front headlights illuminated very dimly. The contact examined the headlights and noticed that the front driver side headlight bulb burned a hole through its housing. The vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed. The contact replaced the bulbs himself, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. The contact was informed that the entire headlight housing needed to be replaced. The failure mileage was 65,000.updated 07/25/12 the consumer stated the brand of headlights on his vehicle were factory installed. Xenon bulbs. The projector bowls were the pieces that burned and not sold separately, but instead were sold with complete headlamp assemblies. There was very little visibility when driving in the dark, and he has to use the fog lamps in order to see the road. Updated 07/30/12
Having recently purchased my 2004 bmw 330i with xenon headlamps, i have been researching the car and any recalls that may have occurred or are ongoing.it was brought to my attention that the xenon headlamps designated zkw were under possible investigation for scorching within the assembly that can lead to decreased light output and pose a safety hazard to nighttime driving.i confirmed that my car is equipped with the zkw headlamps, and noted that some discoloration within the assembly was occurring.i want to make sure this problem is sufficiently documented so that a proper investigation can lead to the resolution to this relatively common occurrence.
The contact owns a 2004 bmw 330i. While parked, the contact noticed that the tail light warning light was illuminated. The contact inspected the tail lights and noticed that the pin in the tail light assembly was corroded on the passenger and driver sides. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing where the technician advised that the tail light assembly would have to be rewired. The contact referenced nhtsa campaign id number: 11v438000 (exterior lighting:tail lights) but was advised by the manufacturer that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000. Updated 11/28/11 the consumer stated the right side is still an issue, but intermittent. The left side in not working and unsafe to drive, when the left side turn signal is not working. The consumer stated it had to be re-wired. The consumer stated he believed the problem he experienced, is related to recall # 11v438000. Updated 03/05/12
The contact owns a 2004 bmw 330i. While parked, the contact noticed that the tail light warning light was illuminated. The contact inspected the tail lights and noticed that the pin in the tail light assembly was corroded on the passenger and driver sides. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing where the technician advised that the tail light assembly would have to be rewired. The contact referenced nhtsa campaign id number: 11v438000 (exterior lighting:tail lights) but was advised by the manufacturer that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000. Updated 11/28/11 the consumer stated the right side is still an issue, but intermittent. The left side in not working and unsafe to drive, when the left side turn signal is not working. The consumer stated it had to be re-wired. The consumer stated he believed the problem he experienced, is related to recall # 11v438000. Updated 03/05/12
The xenon headlamps on my 2004 bmw 330i completely failed.the headlamp rear projector bowl on this model is prone to overheating which leads to the delamination of theprojector reflective materials resulting in complete headlamp assembly failure.replacement assemblies from the dealer list at ~ $600 for each side of the car.this a commonly known issue in the bmw enthusiast community - i have also witnessed the problem firsthand on two other bmw 330is of the same model year.when the issue happened to me, i was unable to drive the car safely at night as the only illumination available was from the parking lights.this is clearly a safety issue and a product defect.
Seat belt malfunction. 2004 bmw with 44000 miles.
Two hours after i got to work one of my coworkers came running in the backroom, and told me my car was on fire.
During a 2-car collision at approximately 30mph, the fold-down seat latches failed to keep the rear seat backs from opening, and four scuba tanks came into the passenger compartment as a result. Fortunately, the rear seat was unoccupied and the tanks stayed in the rear of the passenger compartment, so no injury resulted from this incursion into the passenger compartment, but this is nonetheless a serious safety flaw.this vehicle was struck from the left side just behind the driver's side front tire, and the contact with the car striking it traveled rearward from that first point of impact, traversing the driver's door and a small part of the rear door (under the b-pillar) before the cars separated. This vehicle was under heavy braking at the time of the collision, and remained under heavy braking (abs fully engaged) until the cars separated and this one came to a stop.
1. Bought the car with zkw bowl reflective material deficient. 2004 bmw 330i zhp.2. Can't see safely at night to drive.3. Nothing has been done...as replacement oem lights are $1000.00 each.
The contact owns a 2004 bmw 330i. The contact stated that the headlights failed. The headlights does not give enough light. The dealer was contact and they advised that the headlight reflective plastic holder melted and causes the light to be low. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and the current mileage was 124,000. Li
Headlights of 2004 bmw 330i with xenons are made by manufacturing company "zkw" and bound to fail.visibility and light output becomes extremely poor, that you must drive around with extra lights, or high beams on.when you open up the reflective case, you will see that both front headlights driver and passenger side have burnt bowls, which do not allow any light output at all.this is extremely dangerous, i have gotten into an accident due to not being able to see far distance at night. Please address and investigate this matter immediately.
The general module 5 in e46 3 series model years 2004-2006 fail causing failure of turn signals, central locking, wind shield wipers, and hazard lights. This defect is known by bmwna but has not been addressed.
Both bixenon headlamps assemblies have failed on the vehiclethey emit little to no light due to the known bowl burn issues with the plastic reflectors (should have been fabricated from metal), inside these headlamp assemblies.in looking at the light assemblies, they seemed to have failed a long time ago. This is a very unsafe and hazardous situation that renders the vehicle basically inoperative at night to the owner, because fellow drivers, pedestrians, and/or bicyclist may be not able to see your headlights. This could cause or may have already lead to fatal vehicular accident(s) or the death of a pedestrian(s) and/or bicyclist(s) because of the low to no light emitted by these faultyheadlamps.while performing in depth research on the internet discovered that this is a very common and known problem on this make and model at all mileages.the bmw forums are full of complaints about this problem and an open complaint seems to be open and in process with nhtsa since 2009 some three years ago. Neither bmw or its supplier of this faulty part make a reasonably priced service part that can be purchased to correct this known product and safety problem.not even the aftermarket industry makes a service part to correct this product problem.to correct this issue, you must purchase two new complete head lamp assemblies at a cost of approximately $ 1,200.00 each from bmw which is outrageous especially for such a know product and safety problem.i can't understand why a recall has not been initiated for such a known problem on so many vehicles that has been on going for so long..i contacted bmw north america for relief with this know safety and product problem and they could not help me with this issue because there is no open recall for this known product and safety problem.
The headlight reflectors on this car (and other of this year model) are manufactured by zkw and they have failed causing very low, unsafe levels of light output. The reflectors are burnt and cracked. The only way to get any reasonable or safe light output for night driving is to use the fog lights and this is an unsafe condition and i am surprised there hasn't been a recall. This is a well known problem. Unsafe lighting and proceed while unknowingly endangering themselves and others. Do not pass state inspection light out put in some states, this problem should be address, if you look on the inter net people are modifying them to give more light witch makes it more unsafe.
I purchased the car, i noticed the headlights where dim. I went out and got new bulbs for my car. I didn't help at all! i can barely see at night and i have to use to fog lights just to be able to drive at night. It is also unlawful to drive with my fog lights on. After much research, it seems that the root case of my headlight being as dim as they are,do to the reflective bowl being burnt out in the headlight it unit. The cost to replace the lights is insane $1000.00 for a set, just to be able to see at night. It is unsafe to drive at night. It is so bad, that i often don't drive at night because i don't want to put my safe in a bad situation.
The headlights are useless at night. The bulbs all function perfectly, but the reflector housings are "worn" according to my mechanic. I understand the need to replace bulbs over the lifetime of a vehicle, but $3,000 for a whole new headlight assembly is outrageous! this is a design defect that the nhtsa refuses to investigate. There are thousands of complaints regarding this design defect all over the internet. This is a serious safety issue!
E46 bmw's with zkw xenon head lamps suffer from poor bulb projectors which burn to the point that light output is nearly none. This is defect is known by bmwna but nothing has been done to correct it.
Dear nhtsa,the headlight design of bmw's e46 bodies are just horrible. Light output is close to none creating a significant problem regarding visibility. The reason is due to bmw's reflector bowl that deteriorates through out time due to its plastic material and finally ends up burning. It is so bad that the fog lights produce much more light then its low beams. We definitely need your help nhtsa because bmw sure does not want to help, their solution is that you have to replace the whole headlight which is 1200 a piece. Millions of e46 owners have to deal with this problem and is a major safety concern. Nhtsa investigators must go and investigate the problem so they know how bad it really is. Yes that means bmw will loose millions of dollars but it is safety that matters, we don't want any person or child to be killed just because of a poor headlight design. Only solutionto this problem is up to your guys, nhtsa. Thank you for taking time to read my message, i really appreciate it.[xxx]information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
The contact owns a 2004 bmw 330xi(n/a). While the contact was driving his vehicle he noticed a loud popping sound, after examining the vehicle the contact noticed that the rear view mirror was leaking. The vehicle was taken to the dealership where the contact was informed that the rear view mirrior needed to be replaced. Prior to the failure the contact noticed that the rear view mirror had liquid missing inside of it. The current and failure mileages were 84000.
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