Window & Wiper complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power windows, windshield, wipers, mirrors, sunroof).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
My car was sitting in the garage when, at some point, the sunroof broke from the inside out and displays no sign of impact damage from anything external. There are pieces of the glass sitting on the roof of the vehicle as well as fine debris covering the outside portion of the glass, showing this did not occur while driving or from any external cause. The temperature is in the lower 90s and no one else was home or had access to the vehicle.
While washing car in hot sun the windshield cracked when hit with cold water from hose. Dealer claims it was an impact break caused by windshield wiper being pulled up and dropped onto windshield. If windshield wiper broke windshield (which given the length of the soft rubber wiper we find it highly unlikely that impact of a dropped wiper blade could or should be expected to break a windshield that is supposed to be designed to withstand much more severe road hazard impact or if it was done by cold water on an extremely hot sun heated windshield....either way this windshield could not possibly be strong and made to safety standards. The windshield is surrounded by a black backing on the outer edges and it gets very hot when the sun is at the proper angle shining down on the car. We discovered these intensely hot edges of the windshield when washing the car. …
The bottom part of the rearview mirror has become unusable. This is a safety hazard because it is hard to see the vehicles behind us only through the top part of the mirror. It is a auto dimming rearview mirror, and, judging by the postings on the internet, it is a common problem with this type of mirror in bmws. Replacing it outside the warranty period costs $425 plus tax for the part, not including labor charges. We have had many cars over the years and we never had any trouble with a rearview mirror; we expected better from BMW. We contacted BMW and they said that because the car is outside of the warranty period we would have to pay for it unless BMW is forced to issue a recall for this problem.
The overhead sunroof controls suddenly fell out of the ceiling while accelerating, creating a distraction and loss of visibility from the rear-view mirror. The controls/panel remained attached by wiring, completely blocking the rear view mirror. The plastic clips attaching the panel to the ceiling appear to have become brittle and then failed.
This car was sold to us under false statements,wiper dispenser does not work ,key fob does not work,no title ,the car hesitates and vibrates,oil leak,odometer on carfax says 86000 actually 111,402.we wrwe told it was excellent condition .the car is not. Bought it 3/10 21 7:00 pm , called 3/11 8;00 am ask for refund.thought we had a 3 day grace period. The dealer laughed no. We are seniors citizen I guess he thought he had us. Crest auto wholesalers of s w florida. Craig wallace. Well driving it started to vibrate. And hum? Could not decline good. Could not clean wind shield.it vibrates when stationary.didn't know until I started driving it. Thought it was because car cold? Bad oil leak. And tires need balanced thought that was it but no.what can we do out $4,500. For a car that's not excellent it says on car fax.this happens on street and express. Help not a safe car.
Total engine failure. Air bag lights illuminated. Air condition failure. Several electrical component failures. Incident occurred at idle speed at stoplight. Currently window system failure due to automobile accident. Window were slow to roll prior to the accident. Reported to BMW denied for warranty coverage. Rear side highway speed contact airbags failed to deploy resulting in medical injury on October 11th 2013. Window now inoperable BMW still fails to acknowledge any responsibility to design flaw.
The bottom part of the rearview mirror 'more than 50%- has become unusable. Some kind of reddish fluid leaks in and gradually is blocking the rear view. This is a safety hazard because the driver cannot see most vehicles or pedestrians behind us. I realize after some internet research that this is a common problem. As another complainant on this site observed, 'we expected better from BMW'. They told him to pound sand, it was his problem to fix after the warranty period, and they would only fix it if forced to do a recall (namely, forced by the people acting through their government.) so, thus far (13 years) neither BMW nor the NHTSA is willing to act on this. Shame on both of you. Pray not, but eventually a poor driver will not have realized that his rear view mirror has so filled with fluid that he cannot see to the rear at all, and there'll be some horrific accident as a result. …
Windshield wipers "auto" position causes wipers to fail to suddenly fail to operate during rain conditions. Also, can cause distracting sweeps of the wipers with no rain or water, anywhere near the car or windshield sensor. Oddly, dealership technicians were unable to repair; service writers refused to write it up as "normal" operation. BMW field service engineer noted the windshield sensor (which also contains controls for automatic lights) was massively delaminated from the windshield, thus requiring the replacement of the entire windshield for this small part. Issues: 1. Normal "erratic" operation of wipers (and automatic headlights) is acceptable to BMW service writers. 2. Wipers are a critical safety function, yet with BMW's system they can apparently operate erratically due to a bad sensor "bond" with the windshield. 3. …
Related recalls (1)
Visibility › Power window devices and controls
On certain passenger vehicles, the window lifting anti-pinching device might not function properly.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect, and if necessary, replace the electronic control unit for the window lifting anti-pinching device. Owner notification began May 27, 2003.
Frequently asked questions
Which BMW 325i years have window & wiper problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2002 (17), 2001 (13), 2004 (10), 2003 (6) and 2006 (6) model years. Window & Wiper complaints make up 10% of all complaints for the 2002.
Is there a recall for BMW 325i window & wiper problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 03V-160 (power window devices and controls, Apr 29, 2003). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do BMW 325i window & wiper problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles; 37% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the power window devices and controls (26 mentions), followed by the rearview mirrors/devices (5).
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.