2006 BMW 325I: fire, smoke or burning smell

Filed Apr 10, 2026 · Electrical · TX · fire

While driving the vehicle, the blower (A/C) began to cycle on and off. Then I began to smell electrical smoke. Then I began to see smoke coming from vents and where the windshield meets the dashboard, closer to the passenger side. I pulled over and shut off the car as the smoke was getting worse inside the car. I popped the hood and saw smoke coming from the passenger side. I then called 911. Smoke was beginning to billow from engine compartment. As I was talking to the 911 dispatcher, I saw flames beginning in the engine bay close to the firewall on passenger side. The car was a total loss and is in a tow yard. It can be inspected upon request. The 911 operated told me to be aware of smoke and explosions so I backed away about 30ft. Many cars were passing by, close to the car. There are 2 safety recalls on this vehicle that are related to possible fire. I have an open case with BMW USA. They have not inspected the car. I have liability only for insurance so they will not cover. There were no warning lamps or indicators before fire.

Filed Jan 7, 2025 · Electrical, Engine · 140,000 miles · FL · fire

The contact owned a 2006 BMW 325i. The contact stated while driving 60-65 MPH, the A/C became inoperable and made an abnormally loud sound. The contact then noticed an abnormal burning wiring odor, and there was smoke coming out of the A/C vents. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that she attempted to pull to the side of the road, but could not safely do so. The contact continued driving and came to a complete stop at the traffic light, where the cabin became engulfed in smoke. The contact then pulled into a business parking lot and immediately exited the vehicle. The contact stated upon opening the hood, the contact noticed a reflection of the flame inside the hood. The contact ran into the business and asked for assistance. The contact stated that upon returning to the vehicle, the contact noticed that the fire had started from the middle of the hood to the cabin of the vehicle. The contact and the business employee attempted to extinguish the fire with two fire extinguishers but were unable to do so. The fire was extinguished by the fire department. The contact stated that the vehicle burned to the ground from the middle of the hood to the trunk, where the gas tank was located, and the hood was fractured in half. The contact stated that there were burned particles around the parking lot, but there was no property damage. The fire department report was filed. A police report was filed, but the contact did not have the information available. There was no injury sustained. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot, where it was totaled. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

Filed Sep 12, 2024 · Electrical, Engine · GA · fire

The contact's husband owns a 2006 BMW 325i. The contact stated moments after her son had started, parked and exited the vehicle, there was smoke coming from under the hood. The under hood caught on fire and the hood failed to open. The fire was extinguished by the fire department. The contact stated that the under hood, the front of the vehicle and the front tires burned significantly. A fire department report was filed. A police report was not filed. There was no injury sustained. The vehicle remained at the residence. The vehicle was awaiting to be destroyed. The dealer was contacted. The contact contacted the manufacturer and sent pictures of the incident to the manufacturer; however, the manufacturer informed the contact that the fire was not related to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 22V119000(Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was unknown.

Filed Nov 22, 2023 · Engine · 132,000 miles · TX

The contact owns a 2006 BMW 325I. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, there was a significant amount of smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe and coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact drove to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the PCV valve heater fuses had failed. The dealer charged a fee for the repair because the recall remedy was not available. The dealer installed an inline fuse and wiring that connected the PCV valve to the PCV valve heater. The contact stated that he received a second notice advising that the recall remedy was available, and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the recall repair was performed. The vehicle was repaired. The contact later contacted the manufacturer for reimbursement, but the manufacturer referred the contact back to the dealer for assistance. The contact stated that he followed up with the dealer, who advised him that the failure was not related to the recall. The contact was not reimbursed. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000.

Filed May 18, 2022 · 178,000 miles · TX · fire

The contact's husband owned a 2006 BMW 325i. The contact stated that while her niece was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was smoke coming from underneath the hood. The contact's niece pulled over, and she and her boyfriend safely exited the vehicle before it caught fire. No injuries were sustained and no medical attention was received. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. A fire department report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard; however, it was not yet deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. Upon investigation, the contact was made aware that there were 3 unrepaired recalls associated with the VIN with the federal safety agency Campaign Numbers: 17V676000 (Electrical System), 19V273000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), and 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). However, the contact had not received the recall notifications. The failure mileage was approximately 178,000.

Filed Mar 15, 2022 · Electrical, Engine · FL

Over heating and smell of burning plastic

Filed Jul 8, 2019 · Engine · 51,000 miles · LA

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 bmw 325i. While driving 20 MPH, the contact noticed smoke coming from the passenger side of the vehicle. The vehicle was not able to be driven and was parked on the side of the road. The VIN was included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 19v273000 (engine and engine cooling). The contact called peake bmw (located at 2630 veterans memorial blvd, kenner, la 70062, (504) 266-0070), but was not able to notify them of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 51,000.

Filed Feb 6, 2019 · Engine · 130,000 miles · CA · fire

I was sitting in class when a received a call that my car was on fire and the fire department was there to put it out. They opened my car with my keys and put out the fire as I rushed back to my house to meet the fire department. The damage is unknown at this point along with how it started. The car had not been driven for two days and was parked on the street outside of my house. The fire started under/in my engine and they luckily go there fast enough where the only visible damage was some melting within the engine. The car had not been giving me any problems prior except for going through oil a little faster than normal, but it is high mileage so that is not a huge concern.

Filed Feb 5, 2019 · Electrical, Engine · 140,262 miles · KY · fire · 1 injury

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 bmw 325i. The contact received a recall notice for the federal safety agency campaign number: 17v676000 (electrical system). After driving the vehicle for two miles to run an errand, the contact returned to the vehicle and smelled burning plastic. The contact opened the hood and saw flames on the left side of the engine block by the firewall. The fire department extinguished the fire. The fire department recorded the event and took pictures of the damage. A police report was not filed. The contact's hand was slightly injured, but medical attention was not received. Bmw of louisville (4 autocenter dr, louisville, ky 40299, (502) 287-1501) towed the vehicle and diagnosed that the fire was caused by an oil leak and power steering fluid. The dealer stated that the contact was responsible for the repairs. The manufacturer had an investigator inspect the vehicle who confirmed what the dealer stated. It took the dealer and manufacturer five weeks to come up with their findings. The failure mileage was 140,262.

Filed Aug 16, 2018 · Engine · 109,000 miles · TX · fire

Tl* the contact owned a 2006 bmw 325i. While the vehicle was parked, it spontaneously caught fire. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The passenger side air bag deployed in the process. The fire department extinguished the fire. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was towed by the insurance company and deemed a total loss. The contact called a local dealer (bmw of austin, 7011 mcneil dr., austin, tx 78729, (866) 363-7879) and was informed that they would not be able to assist. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 109,000. The VIN was mot available.

Filed Jul 9, 2018 · Electrical · 158,000 miles · NJ · fire

Tl* the contact owned a 2006 bmw 325i. The contact stated that after the vehicle had been parked for approximately five hours, it caught on fire. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire and a fire report was filed. There were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 17v676000 (electrical system). The vehicle was destroyed and towed. The dealer (bmw of mt. Laurel, 1220 nj-73, mt laurel, nj 08054, (856) 840-1400) and the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 158,000.

Filed Nov 13, 2017 · Electrical · 65,000 miles · CA · fire · 1 injury

My car was parked for a brief time and then, just before I was about to start my car, I noticed smoke coming from the glove box and when I blew on it, a fireball came out and the whole car went up in flames. Just a few days before, I had problems with my air-conditioning and had prior electrical issues that I had checked out at a bmw repair shop.