The Battery died and had to jump start to take it for a replacement. Once the car started, there was warning related to the lighting system malfunction. I couldnt open the windows and the lights were not functional. Even after the battery was replaced, the functions were not restored. Dealer is recommending replacement of FRM module costing $1250. I understand there was a recall/repair offered for 10 years which i just missed by a year. Looks like it is a well known issue and caused by a simple battery issue causing huge safety issues. I had to drive the car to the dealer without any lights/indicator with tremendous risks. It is an irony that they will fix this issue for only 10 years when there is a clear manufacturing defect and safety issue. Would like to get any help on this issue.
2011 BMW 328I electrical complaints
Page 2 of 5: complaints 11 to 40 of 130, newest first, as owners wrote them.
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle into the dealer for service, she was informed that the footwell control module had failed and needed to be replaced. The battery warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to TSB: SI-B01-20-16, but the vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 215,000.
The engine made noise and then turned off. Would not restart. BMW dealer diagnosed the problem as a failed exhaust camshaft Vanos unit. BMW refuses to repair it even though it the engine, model and year fit the Vanos recall. This is the second BMW vehicle I have owned that failed for this reason, but was outside the covered claimed VIN numbers. I am requesting that you investigate this as wider range of vehicles, fitting the recall description exactly, but not covered, are failing...this vehicle is a 2011 with only 62,000 miles. I would also like a list of the VIN numbers currently affected.
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact also stated that the vehicle stalled while starting during colder weather. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 17V676000 (Electrical System) and 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact made a local dealer aware of the failure and the recall notification; however, the contact was directed to contact the manufacturer for further assistance with towing the vehicle or driving out of state to be serviced. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue but was unable to provide further assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.
I received the safety recall from BMW April 2022. I still have not heard from the local BMW dealer about a remedy. It's almost a year. My son lives in California and also has a 2011 BMW . His vehicle is also covered under the safety recall, and he has not heard anything about a remedy from a BMW dealer in Los Angeles. In fact he tells me his heater blower was not working and he took it into the dealer in early January 2023. They did "some repairs," never mentioned the recall, and when he went to drive away the heater DID catch fire and he was told not to use it by the dealer! Please advise how you are going to get BMW to comply with this remedy. Thank you,
Passenger door handle with comfort access shorted out and nearly caught fire. I was trying to get my comfort access working again after it suddenly stopped and I discovered that the fuse (#61) was blown. A couple minutes after replacing the fuse, the door handle let up a large plume of smoke and made a popping sound. I immediately powered down the car and removed the fuse and the smoking stopped. The door handle was hot to the touch and the rubber gaskets on the door handle appear to have melted (see attached photo). Upon further research, this appears to be a common problem with these cars.
This car has a heater problem with the PCV that causes the car to not run in cold weather. The PCV fails intermittently and the car will not idle or run in cold weather. BMW issued this recall in March but it is not November and they have offered no fix for this. It is a safety issue and it's also affecting how the car runs. How could we be 8 months into this without a fix?
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the battery had failed. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the battery, battery cable, and fuse box needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 19V472000 (Electrical System) however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.
The contact's son owns a 2011 BMW 328I. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer for battery replacement; however, 2-3 weeks later while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated. Additionally, the turn signals failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer and the vehicle failed to restart. The dealer diagnosed that the footwell module had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000.
There is a safety recall on my car. This recall involves an engine component known as the Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) valve heater. The PCV valve heater may not have been produced to specifications which could lead to a short circuit. BMW DOES NOT HAVE AN AVAILABLE REMEDY FOR THIS RECALL AND DOES NOT HAVE ANY TIMELINE FOR FIXING IT.
Unable to unlock/lock doors on car (obviously very worrisome), unable to use turn signals, no interior lighting controls or functionality. Unable to control headlights, they still do turn on but I cannot control them. Cannot adjust any mirrors electronically. Some speedometer lighting affect or but the dials do still work, cannot see all buttons inside interior due to electrical issue. Problem: Footwell Control Module (FRM) needs replacement costing around $1300 to do minimum from dealer. This module controls all of the functions above and has gone bad. This FRM module is hidden and not easily gotten to tells me something like a fuse needs to be installed just in case a power surge from the car happens so the car does not break this very expensive equipment. Looked into it online and apparently this happens very often and one guy had to have his replaced twice. This is an obvious issue that will require a remedy.
Prior to this incident with my car i was having alot of power issues,the car was giving me alot of issues starting up or after being parked it sometimes wouldnt want to turn on i took my battery to get checked and battery had no issues and i continued to start to have electrical issues with my turning signals my lightning and windows stopped working until January 7 as i was driving my car just began to slowly slow down and completely stopped working that not even a jump start would help it turn on and it lost complete power and function and 2 months after i was contacted about its most recent recall and prior to that i also remember that my coolant wasnt lasting me as usual After being affected by the pandemic and loosing my job while being pregnant and finding out about my cars recall i was afraid of my safety and my kids safety that i havent felt safe to take to a mechanic out of fear that our lifes can be danger if the vehicle catches on fire the way the recall stated that it could happen and its brought major stress and trouble since nothing has been done because i havent had a vechile since
Unknown my car has been smoking g very bad lately idk if it is cause but this but this recall has never been fixed on my car would like to get looked at
Vehicle started smelling like smoke and making loud screeching noise in February. Took car to BMW certified shop to be fixed, put out thousands of dollars to have valve replaced, check engine light will still not turn off. In April I received a letter from BMW about the a recall on the PVC Valve. It is now July and they just diagnosed a remedy. Called around to every local dealership, they cannot fix it due to lack of parts. It has been over 5 months without having a car. BMW North America is giving me the run around and dealerships keep referring me to call BMW North America. Also have told me that they might not refund me for this since the problem wasn’t fixed even though BMW is at fault.
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328i. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked and upon returning to the vehicle, he noticed that all four windows had rolled down independently. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred. There were no warning lights illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
My car was brought in to the BMW dealership for knocking noises, a fire smell, and shaking. I was told my car could not be repaired due to engine failure.l was informed that replacing the engine would cost me more than the vehicle is worth. He recommended l sell it for parts. Currently there are no lights/ indicators present on my dash board indicating that something is even wrong . l did not receive any warnings before the shaking and /or during the knocking . On the other hand; I have made multiple complaints to my mechanic about smelling fire or burnt rubber for the past six months and he thought it was coming from the radiator and he replaced it.. The smell did not improve .. he was still in the process of guessing what it could be . I guess we know now. The safety of my family has been at risk for months, knowing that burnt rubber smell could have evolved into something major at anytime . My life was in danger when the car began shaking while driving on the highway on my way to work . The car has been parked for a week now due to me not knowing what to do with a dead 10 years young vehicle. I have not called the police and my insurance company states they don’t cover mechanical issues. My car has only been viewed by a dealership and my mechanic shop. To make my situation worse , I am currently working overseas in Germany on orders and l don’t know what to do with this car. I don’t live a lifestyle where I can afford to purchase a vehicle with the intentions of it lasting 10 years or less . My car is definitely available for inspection upon request.. if someone could advise me on whom to contact , that would be great . The set back this has caused me is unrealistic. If there is anything I can do as a costumer please let me know .l am a healthcare worker .l am very reliant upon my vehicle . I need my car.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Footwell module. Computer system that controls turn signals, headlights, highbeams, windows, door locks etc. Yes it is available for inspection. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? I can't use my turn signals, highbeams, headlights, Windows. I can't signal my cars lane changes or see clearly at night. I can't roll the windows down or up which creates a unsafe hazard. My child is able to climb out of the window in the back seat while I'm driving. I have zero control over the windows. I can't determine if my child's door is open or closed when the car is in motion. My car doors no longer lock at all. My child can open up the door at any moment that the car is in motion. I'm unable to see at night without my highbeams. I'm now forced to drive with reduced visibility. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Both by a dealership and independent shop. There have been reconcurring warrantee coverages offered but no recalls despite the clear determinant to safety. Common usage of the vehicle at this point in time is a safety concern of all surrounding users and transportation vehicles. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? The manufacturer has inspected this module concern. I'm very sure that there have been accidents associated with this module malfunction. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? There are zero signs of this issue prior to it's failure. The failure had no warning.
The FRM module has failed for a 3rd time in my 328xi. This module distributes power to many components and since it has failed I have no headlights, no turn signals, no interior lights, no dashboard lights, and cannot roll my windows up or down. This is a known flaw with these cars and if you look on eBay there are bootleg repair services than can temporarily reset it however they often fail again. There are dozens of these sellers on Ebay and all list +1000 sales for their repair services so clearly this is widespread and affects many BMW owners. BMW denies there is an issue but has placed a 10 year warranty on the part, however all 3 series affected by this part are over 10 years old and not eligible for this warranty. Digging around on BMW forums this seems extremely common and almost anything can cause the FRM to fail. Headlights burning out, weak batteries, replacing interior dome lights, and even BMW connecting to the OBDII port to read the ecu are common causes of the FRM failing. I don't understand how they can get away with putting a limited warranty on this and not a full recall when it's clearly a safety concern as I can't safely or legally drive my car with no working lights, and in the event of an emergency cannot roll down my windows to get out of the car.
The positive battery terminal connection on the thickest cable in the trunk of the car (this wire leads from the battery in the trunk to the fuse box behind the glove box of the car) was loose due to either natural loosening over time (i.e. loss of torque on the fastener) or improperly applied torque by various BMW service shops (battery was changed by independent BMW service shop in 2018 and checked by BMW dealership in 2019 to be in good health). The loose connection at the battery terminal on this wire caused the car to suddenly turn off while driving on the road. Once turned off, there was zero electrical response from the car (e.g. engine turned off, no headlights, no hazard lights, no power steering, no capability to restart the car, airbags likely would not deploy if car crashed, etc.). The car could only be controlled by coasting on its remaining inertia, slowed down using residual braking power (which disappears after applying the breaks 2-5 times due to loss of hydraulic pressure), and forcefully steering the car (since there’s no power steering). This is an INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS situation that could cause loss of life due to complete loss of control of car. Both the battery and alternator were in good health. Only the battery terminal connection was loose, leading to a single point failure of the ENTIRE electrical system of the car and the car itself. There is NO redundancy in the electrical system; even if the alternator is running fine, the loose battery connection will kill the car. Furthermore, once car is stopped and safely secured, it is EXTREMELY DIFFICULT to open the trunk to access the battery as there is no way to access the trunk manually via key. I had to apply a 12V source to the large red wire at the fuse box to power on the car, enabling me to open the trunk. This requires removing cupholders, glove box, various trim panels, etc. to access the fuse box. Absolutely terrible design.
The 4 vanos bolts that secure the housing for the variable camshaft timing adjustment (VANOS) unit broke and fell into my oil pan. This has caused oil to leak onto and break the eccentric shaft sensor. This has caused my vehicles engine to loose power. Had this occurred at a faster speed, it could have harmed myself and others on the road. My engines light came on just a few miles before my cars engine had weakened power. I pulled off the road to safety. I had my bmw towed and it is currently at the dealership with an estimated quote of $4963.91 to fix. I’ve had my bmw for less than two years. It’s had one previous owner and no accidents. It only has 64,984 miles. According to the U.S Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, the average highway miles driven per year in 2019 were 14,263. If this is accurate, my vehicle would have roughly 142,000 miles for a 10 year old bmw. My car has less than half of this.
My driver and passenger airbags deployed because my car all of the sudden lurched forward on it's own and I bumped the car in front of me and when it happened my car started accelerating and revving all on it's own into the car ahead and I was trying to make it stop by pushing the brakes but the brake pedal wouldnt move it was hard and wouldnt move so my car kept accelerating bumping the car in front of me over and over and I was stomping down on the brake pedal to make it stop but it wouldnt. After about 30 seconds of this it just stopped. The airbags were blowing out very hot air that burned and bruised my left arm very badley and myself and my minor passenger were choking from it. My driver side window and windshield were both broken from the explosion of the airbags but the body of my car wasn't damaged. I had noticed that sometimes the display in my car wouldnt show all the car controls but never imagined the car would malfunction like this. Now the repair shop wants the same amount of money that I initially paid for the car to repair it and my insurance is not covering it. Please help because this was not my fault the car malfunctioned.
My vehicle windows are inoperable, hazard lights are inoperable, side mirrors are inoperable, turning signals are inoperable. The vehicle is in motion while turning signals are inoperable creating a hazard. If vehicle breaks down hazard warning lights is inoperable creating a potential vehicle collision . Windows unable to roll down in an event of being pulled over. The component or part that is creating this safety issue is the frm module or footwell module of the vehicle.
My car shows it is over heating and it is getting hot when I recently been using heating system coolant is at level so it is the electrical wiring as the recall stats how do I get my car fixed and why wasn't this VIN # on the list my car showed it was hot and it wanted to lose power. I was driving on a hwy 111
Air bag is broken steering is very hard to turn the computer system went out and 1s gear is having problems taking off. I fear for my life every time I drive my only car. Can you please help me with these recalls problems
One day my driver door panel just stopped working I could no longer roll down my front windows and only the back windows go down using the back window controls only. Also my blinkers randomly stopped working and the lighting in my car also does not come on in the dash area and inside mirror. When driving it is a danger because I cannot use a blinker or roll down the front window to signal that I need to make a turn.
Footwell module failed. This is a known issue by bmw. Device controls accessory lighting, central locking system, turn signals, and power windows. Bmw si b01 20 16 released extending warranty on frm to 10 years, 152000 miles. Frm on my vehicle failed at 195,000. Total replacement cost was $1,000
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 bmw 328i. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced failures with the air conditioning system and the convertible top. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was an electrical wiring issue with the vehicle. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to the federal safety agency campaign number: 17v676000 (electrical system) however, the VIN was not included. Neither the manufacturer nor the dealer were notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 bmw 328i. The contact stated that the mirrors, turn signals, and headlights malfunctioned. Additionally, the doors locked and unlocked independently. The contact stated that several other electrical functions failed to operate as intended intermittently. Grayson bmw located 10671 parkside dr, knoxville, tn 37922, (865) 693-4555) was contacted and informed the contact that the foot well module needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 177,000.
My car is below 70k miles never over heated or had any issues but out of nowhere my trunk started unlocking on its on, killing my battery. My radio stopped working and I've been hearing noises from my door speakers. & now today my car will not start at all & if it does it turns off immediately.
Car would not start, did not respond to charging via jumper cables earlier that day. It started when connected to the charger by the tow truck operater. I was told to drive for 30-45 min by the bmw service center and the tow driver. While driving on a city street about 35 min later everything stopped, lights, electrical and engine. I was stranded in the middle of the road. I called police to help with traffic control as well as insurance for roadside assistance. Could not move the vehicle due to it was locked in place. And no hazard lights either. Had to call another tow truck. Bmw service states it is the battery cable and will cost $3000.00 to fix.
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