BMW Announces E46 tail light recall -- finally

Affected vehicles
325I - 2002-2005
325XI - 2002-2005
330I - 2002-2005
330XI - 2002-2005

Manufacturer: BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC Mfr's Report Date: AUG 25, 2011
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 11V438000
Component: EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL
Potential Number of Units Affected: 241,000

Summary:
BMW IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2002-2005 325I, 325XI, 330I, AND 330XI VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 1, 2001, THROUGH MARCH 1, 2005. OVER TIME, RESISTANCE IN THE ELECTRICAL CONTACTS MAY CAUSE ONE OR MORE REAR LAMP FUNCTIONS (TAIL LIGHT, BRAKE LIGHT, AND/OR TURN-SIGNAL), WITHIN THE VEHICLE'S BODY PANEL, TO STOP WORKING.

Consequence:
INTERMITTENT LIGHT OPERATION REDUCES THE ABILITY TO WARN OTHER MOTORISTS OF THE DRIVER'S INTENTIONS. THIS COULD CAUSE A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy:
BMW WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE VEHICLES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING OCTOBER 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND SERVICES AT 1-800-525-7417.

NHTSA Details - http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls...intVersion=YES

241,000 cars

The recall is for model years 2002-2005 of the 325i, 325xi, 330i and 330xi cars, the Munich-based company said today in a posting on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website.

Lights including tail, brake and turn signals may only work intermittently on the cars, BMW told the auto-safety regulator. This "reduces the ability to warn other motorists of the driver's intentions" and "could cause a vehicle to crash without warning," the company said.


http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-0...nction-2-.html


Or they could have come to E46Fanatics and used the search function and found the cheap DIY

Like I have been suspecting for some time, BMW's for the US are made of the cheaper stuff that craps out on every turn:

The rear-light problem affects cars only in the U.S., said Andreas Lampka, a BMW spokesman in Munich.

So are they saying this does not affect coupe models?

Nice. I added the extra wire on both of mine, but I think a trunk light stays on sometimes.

Originally Posted by Sweeney921

So are they saying this does not affect coupe models?

Interesting point. The original NHSTA and BMW documents specifically refer to sedans and show sedan model numbers.

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/do...romPublic=true

is it normal to feel like i would do a better job fixing this than a dealer tech

Probably, and you'll save a helluva lot of time too.

do you just make an appointment at any dealership and they will do the repairs no questions asked and no cost?

Originally Posted by Robbski

Interesting point. The original NHSTA and BMW documents specifically refer to sedans and show sedan model numbers.

I'm just gonna assume that it doesn't affect coupes, since they specifically said sedans. (crosses-fingers)

I wonder if there is a nice repair kit available through the parts department for free.

Originally Posted by newe46fan

I wonder if there is a nice repair kit available through the parts department for free.

My guess is that they'll charge you to take the kit rather than them doing the install.

Originally Posted by Shmo

My guess is that they'll charge you to take the kit rather than them doing the install.

Probably. Maybe because BMW NA will re-imburse the dealership for the part and time spent. It's not worth it to the dealership to just give the kits away for free.

I've got news for them! My 01 330ci had the same issues! They were corrected by replacing the tail tight bulb holder assemblies. End of problem and $150 of of my pocket.

Interesting indeed. Let me know if anyone end up calling the dealer and get more info thanks.

"there have been "no accidents" as a result of the problem"

How the F would they know

Originally Posted by ShepsBMW

"there have been "no accidents" as a result of the problem"

How the F would they know

They are Germans bro, mind f'kers.

Originally Posted by TuoRedrum330i

do you just make an appointment at any dealership and they will do the repairs no questions asked and no cost?

From what I've heard about other people receiving recalls, the dealer generally will not fix it until the letters are sent out.

Manufacturers are obligated to attempt to notify owners of recalled products. For vehicles, that means manufacturers merge their own records of vehicle purchasers with current state vehicle registration information.

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls/recallproblems.cfm

Originally Posted by ShepsBMW

"there have been "no accidents" as a result of the problem"

How the F would they know

They base it off of accidents reported to the NHTSA.

It looks like the free repair will expire at some time, so I guess we need to be sure to have our cars fixed before the recall period ends. Is there any way to check if BMW NA has me on file as the current owner other than calling and asking?

Now, they need to go about recalling these wonderful ZKW headlights...

Prefacelift ftw

I remembered there was a little modification recommended by the forum, using a short cable ground the light (I guess). The symptom is the (right) rear light will indicated on the dashboard. However, no malfunction is found on my car except the noising warning.

Will BMW send the notice to all of owners? Or we just visit dealer directly?