BMW 325i Door Lock & Latch Problems

Door Lock & Latch complaints by model year

Which parts fail

• Doors › Latch
  8

Components named in complaints (door latches, locks, hood and tailgate latches).

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  34%
• 25k–50k
  1928%
• 50k–75k
  1928%
• 75k–100k
  1015%
• 100k–150k
  1522%
• 150k+
  11%

What owners report

The contact owns a 2006 BMW 325I. The contact stated that he was unable to open the driver's and passenger's side front doors. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 133,000.

BMW has a service bulletin (sib-51-19-07) on the BMW vehicles: doors will not unlock using the key fob or central locking button. This is a major safety concern for when this occurs there is only one exit (and entry) into the vehicle and that is through the driver's side door. In the event of an accident and the ability/mobility of the passengers this May not be possible. My 2006 325i BMW (VIN: [redacted]) is having its front door locking/latching assembles replaced due to them malfunctioning and causing a short in the system. This short is causing the fuse which unlocks the doors to blow which creates a safety issue for passengers not being able to unlock their doors to exit the vehicle (except for the driver?s door) in the event one needs to exit in an emergency (or just entering or exiting the BMW). …

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 BMW 325i. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle, the doors would not unlock. The contact attempted to unlock the doors manually and by using the key fob but failed to respond. The failure recurred several times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The failure could not be duplicated or diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 53,000.

Tl contact owns a 2004 BMW 325i. While driving 15 MPH, the door locks automatically engage. The contact cannot unlock the doors from the passenger compartment or the outside of the vehicle. The front driver side door is the only door that can be manually unlocked. The dealer stated that the central controllers for the doors needed to be replaced. The estimated repair cost exceeded $1,000. The manufacturer has not offered to provide any assistance. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure mileage was 120,000 and current mileage was 136,000. Updated 02-25-08 the consumer stated after the doors are locked, only the drivers side can be unlocked with the key or switch. The consumer stated the passenger and rear doors would not unlock. Soon after, the doors would function properly. Updated

Vehicle has recurring locking issue. When inside the vehicle, door locks stop functioning. Pressing door lock button will not work. Pressing button on remote will not work. Attempting to manually open door using door handle will not work. This is a safety issue. The last incident both myself and my child were trapped inside the vehicle in the heat and had to call 911 as we did not have the key to roll down the window. The front window had to be broken and we had to be removed through a window because the door locks would not release. We were taken to the hospital for heat stroke. When I investigated, I found a girl died due to the same issue. Why has there been no recall? You have been warned and this is a fatal issue. Here is the link to the girls death: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-girl-trapped-in-BMW-dies-20140509-story.html.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 BMW 325i. The contact stated that the key failed to unlock every door. In addition, the locking mechanism switch failed to unlock the doors while inside of the vehicle. The vehicle was unlocked through the window of the vehicle manually. The front passenger side door was the only door that would not unlock manually. The battery warning indicator illuminated. The failure was intermittent. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 116,000. The VIN was not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 BMW 325i. The contact stated that the windows could not be opened or closed. In addition, the windows would exhibit an abnormal crunching sound constantly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 40,000 and the current mileage was 51,000. ..updated 11/28/12 the consumer stated he had a problem with all the windows, getting jammed, or becoming stuck in the up or down position. All of the regulators were replaced. Also, there was a problem with the lock system not working. Sometimes, the button and switches would not work. Updated 11/29/30

The drivers side door would not open either with the keyless remote or by pulling on the door handle inside the car (the windows were down so I could reach inside) I had to open the passenger door and climb across the seat to get into the driver's seat. The button between the seats to unlock all of the doors also failed to open any of the locks. The hazard light switch beside it still worked, so I know the problem isn't due to that faulty switch. This door locks returned to normal after driving the car about 30 minutes and it hasn't yet returned in the five days.