All door lock actuators (including the fuel cap door cover) stopped working after driving the vehicle. The passenger and both rear doors were able to open via the inside door handle, but the driver side door could not be unlocked via the key fob, console lock button, or manually pulling the inside door handle. The fuel cap door cover could only be opened via the emergency release pull in the trunk. After inspecting the fuse box, I found that fuse 57a was blown. I replaced the fuse and the locking mechanisms started functioning again. weeks later the same issue occurred, only replacing the fuses remedied the problem for only a day or two. The fact that the driver's side door could not be opened by ANY means from inside or outside the vehicle poses a severe safety risk in situations where the driver of the car needs to exit the vehicle themself or be evacuated carefully in the event of injury. There are NO warnings, messages or warning signs before this occurs. This appears to be a common issue on my model and others, originating from issues with the door lock actuators. BMW even has a service information bulletin about it: "SI B51 19 07". The fact that the driver-side door can spontaneously become unopenable from inside or outside while the driver is in the car is a HUGE safety risk.
BMW 330I door locks problems
26 of the 818 owner complaints about the BMW 330I describe doors won't lock, open or latch, most of them for the 2006 model year.
- owner complaints
- 26
- worst model year
- 2006
- typical mileage
- 80,000
By model year
Often reported together
What owners say
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 bmw 330i. The contact stated that only the drivers side doors would open from inside or outside the vehicle using the key fob. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and did not assist. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000. *tt*jb consumer stated front passenger and rear doors will not open from inside and outside.
Door lock failure. This is very common with this model and it can be one of two things; a fuse or the door actuators. I got it back to fix engine issues and the doors would not unlock, except the drivers side, which I can do with the key lock. Other than that there is no way to get in the car that doesn't involve going in duke style through the window or through the sunroof or something.
All passenger doors except driver door cannot be unlocked or opened using any method--the key or any unlock button, or using either inside or outside door handles. This leaves only the front driver door openable. This is a huge safety risk. I can't drive the car this way--I would not be able to get my kids out of the back seat. It happens whether the car is running or not, and moving or not.
Vehicle window regulators had to be replaced for passenger and drivers windows (regulators were cheap). Driver side door lock failed. Passenger door locks failing. Passenger headlight fell out. Rear brake lights need constant repair. If one completely fills up the gas tank, gas fumes will be in the passenger compartment. Air conditioning fan needed replacement. Water pump failed. Instrument panel needed replacement.
Vehicle door locks do not properly function; I.e will not unlock by key fob. I have experienced this before and upon researching the incident, I determined this is a common fault by the manufacturer. Door will also remain locked while pushing the door unlock button located inside the vehicle. Doors will also remain locked when engaging the door handle from the inside (engaging door handle from the inside is supposed to unlock that door). This type of fault raises major safety concerns.
The three passenger doors on my 4 door car will not unlock using either the key fob or the center console door lock button. I only have a manual door lock key hole on my driver door. So the only door that will unlock and open is the driver door. This is because of a faulty gm5 module. Its a very regular thing on bmws and I cant believe it hasnt been recalled already. If there is an emergency, an accident or car goes into a body of water, the passengers in the vehicle will be stuck and will not be able to get out. Emergency services would not be able to get the doors open if need be without using the jaws of life to cut them off when they should simply be able to pull the door handles. The doors will not unlock at all. I have tried everything. Reading online, this is a huge issue with bmws and the dealership charges $750+ to fix it. Luckily, there is someone online that will repair the modules for a fraction of that but with this being an on going issue with most model bmws, there should be something done about it. I am sending mine off to get repaired because I want my door locks operating properly just in case there is an emergency. Can we do something about this though?
When stopped after driving, I attempted to exit the vehicle from the driver side door. The door would not open. The door was unlocked. I crawled out the passenger side. I tried to open the door from the outside. Same result. The driver side door now does not open by any means. Diver side door will not open utilizing key fob, from the inside and from the outside of the vehicle. From reading online posts, it seems to be an issue with others in different combinations. It could be the door handle cable or door actuator. Regardless, this is a dangerous situation, due to the fact that if the driver needed to exit the car immediately, driver would not be able to do so.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 bmw 330i. The contact attempted to exit the vehicle, but the driver side door failed to open. The interior door handle could be pulled, but the door would not open. The contact had to climb over to the passenger side in order to exit the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was unavailable.
Please note that this incident happened prior to the date and mileage noted above as the previous owner had to also deal with this problem. I report the dates as when I received the car when it came into my ownership only. Driver's door lock failed to electronically and mechanically unlocked from the inside. The door can only be opened from the outside with a key. This poses a potentially grave safety concern as no one can open the door from inside - essentially passengers may become locked-in. Culprit appears to be bmw e46 gm v module factory coding where glitch prevents door locks from behaving appropriately. Aftermarket reprogramming fixes the issue. This is a very common issue for bmw e46 vehicles - internet search "bmw gm v control module" for details and testimonials. Bmw should be held responsible and fix the issue.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the BMW 330I door locks
Which BMW 330I years have doors won't lock, open or latch problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2006 (15 complaints), 2001 (8 complaints) and 2003 (3 complaints).
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used BMW 330I?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history