2003 BMW 3 Series Exterior Lighting

The xenon projector bowls in the headlight assembly on both sides of the vehicle have slowly been burning. The bowl is made of plastic and with the heat of the xenons burns the plastic creating not only a fire hazard but also greatly reduces the effectiveness of the headlight beam, rendering it almost useless. This is specific to the OEM manufacture of the headlight assembly, ZKW. This has also been well documented on various forums for these vehicles over the years.

330I SEDAN - ZKW HID HEADLIGHTS WITH BURNT XENON BULB REFLECTORS RENDERING THE HEADLIGHTS INEFFECTIVE AND THE CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT.

THE PURPOSE OF THIS REQUEST IS TO GET BMW TO HONOR A REMEDY FOR TAILLIGHT DEFECT CAUSED AS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. MY TAILLIGHT GROUNDING WIRES ARE CAUSING A SHORT ON TURNING SIGNALS. FURTHER RESEARCH INDICATED THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 11V438000. AFFECTED VEHICLES 325I - 2002-2005 BMW WILL NOT HONOR ITS PROPOSED REMEDY WITH NHTSA, CITING THE VIN HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED IN RECALL. I CONTACTED BOTH DEALERSHIP IN STERLING VA AND CORPORATE BMW OF AMERICA (800-525-7417). BMW OF AMERICA WAS CONTACTED 7.15.2019. OPERATOR ANDREA EMPLOYEE # 6266 INFORMED ME THE CAR IS NOT COVERED UNDER REMEDY. MANUFACTURER: BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC MFR'S REPORT DATE: AUG 25, 2011 NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 11V438000 COMPONENT: EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL SUMMARY: BMW IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2002-2005 325I, 325XI, 330I, AND 330XI VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 1, 2001, THROUGH MARCH 1, 2005. OVER TIME, RESISTANCE IN THE ELECTRICAL CONTACTS MAY CAUSE ONE OR MORE REAR LAMP FUNCTIONS (TAIL LIGHT, BRAKE LIGHT, AND/OR TURN-SIGNAL), WITHIN THE VEHICLE'S BODY PANEL, TO STOP WORKING. CONSEQUENCE: INTERMITTENT LIGHT OPERATION REDUCES THE ABILITY TO WARN OTHER MOTORISTS OF THE DRIVER'S INTENTIONS. THIS COULD CAUSE A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING. REMEDY: BMW WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE VEHICLES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING OCTOBER 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND SERVICES AT 1-800-525-7417. THE RECALL IS FOR MODEL YEARS 2002-2005 OF THE 325I, 325XI, 330I AND 330XI CARS, THE MUNICH-BASED COMPANY SAID TODAY IN A POSTING ON THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S WEBSITE. LIGHTS INCLUDING TAIL, BRAKE AND TURN SIGNALS MAY ONLY WORK INTERMITTENTLY ON THE CARS, BMW TOLD THE AUTO-SAFETY REGULATOR.

BRAKE LIGHTS ON BOTH SIDES GETS STUCK ON ONCE THE PEDAL IS PRESSED. THIS PRODUCES NO ERROR CODES. I WAS TOLD IT COULD BE THE BRAKE PEDAL PRESSURE SENSOR SWITCH. I CHANGED THIS AND IT DID NOTHING. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS TO OTHER DRIVERS BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT SURE IF THE CAR IS BRAKING AS THE LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON AND WILL BURN OUT THE BULBS AND MELT THE HOUSING IF CONSTANTLY ON. THIS CAN BE REPRODUCED EITHER WHILE PARKED OR IN MOTION.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 325CI. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, SMOKE WAS PRESENT UNDER THE HOOD. UPON INSPECTION, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE FOG LIGHTS. THE CONTACT LATER DISCOVERED THAT THE FOG LIGHTS, SIGNAL LIGHTS, HIGH BEAMS, AND PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE LIGHT WERE NOT OPERATING. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

THE ZKW XENON HEADLIGHTS HAVE A FLAW IN THE PLASTIC PROJECTOR HOUSING. THE HOUSING GETS TOO HOT AND MELTS AND THE LIGHT OUTPUT IS SEVERELY RESTRICTED. THIS HAPPENS TO 100% OF THE HEADLIGHTS MADE BY THIS MANUFACTURER AND IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE REFLECTIVE COATING ON THE HEADLIGHTS MELTS AND THE LIGHT CAN NO LONGER BE PROJECTED OUT CORRECTLY. THE FOG LIGHTS ARE NOW BRIGHTER THEN THE HEADLIGHTS. THE VEHICLE CAN NO LONGER BE SAFELY DRIVEN AT NIGHT. SPARE PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE AND THE ONLY FIX IS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE HEADLIGHTS AT A COST OF OVER $2000. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL TO REPLACE THE HEADLIGHTS AS THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE OF NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE.

DRIVING AT NIGHT HAS BECOME IMPOSSIBLE WITH OUT RISK. THE ZKW XENON HEADLIGHTS HAVE BECOME SO DIM THAT THE FOG LIGHTS NOW PROVIDE MORE ILLUMINATION. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN TRACED TO BURNED/DISCOLORED PLASTIC REFLECTOR BOWLS ON BOTH SIDES WITH THE PASSENGER SIDE BEING SLIGHTLY WORSE. AFTER RESEARCH IT APPEARS THIS PROBLEM IS WIDE SPREAD IN ZKW HEADLIGHTS. THERE ARE SEVERAL REPORTS HERE AND IT APPEARS BMW ALSO REALIZED THE PROBLEM AND HAD ZKW SWITCH TO METAL REFLECTOR BOWLS ON NEWER MODELS YET OFFER NO SOLUTION OTHER THAN BUY COMPLETE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY'S TO THE TUNE OF $1200 A SIDE. MIGHT A POSSIBLE RECALL MOTIVATE BMW TO AT LEAST OFFER THE INDIVIDUAL PART. I UNDERSTAND THE VEHICLE IS ALMOST 13 YEARS OLD BUT TO TREAT A BLATANT SAFETY ISSUE LIKE THIS IS RIDICULOUS. NHTSA PLEASE HELP SOLVE THIS SAFETY RELATED PROBLEM.

THE LOW BEAM REFLECTORS ON 2003-2004 ZKW HID HEADLIGHTS WERE MADE OF SOME MATERIAL THAT DEGRADED WHEN SUBJECTED TO THE HEAT PRODUCED BY OEM XENON BULBS. THIS RESULTS IN A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN LIGHT OUTPUT AS THE REFLECTOR BECAME SCORCHED. I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT INS AND OUTS, BUT I WOULD IMAGINE THAT BMW AND ZKW WERE AND ARE AWARE OF THE DEFECT AS THE NEWER, REDESIGNED HEADLIGHTS DO NOT SUFFER FROM THIS PROBLEM.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 325I EQUIPPED WITH ZKW BI-XENON HEADLIGHTS. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS DIMMED AND DIMINISHED THE CONTACT'S VISIBILITY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 330I. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT CAUGHT FIRE. THE CONTACT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HEADLIGHT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

MY CURRENT VEHICLE IS A 2003 BMW 325I WITH BI-XENON HEADLIGHTS MANUFACTURED BY ZKW. OVER THE LAST YEAR OR TWO, THE LIGHT OUTPUT FROM THE XENON HEADLIGHTS HAD DROPPED TO THE POINT WHERE I GET ALMOST NO NOTICEABLE ILLUMINATION OF THE ROAD AT NIGHT (IN AVERAGE CITY LEVELS OF STREET ILLUMINATION). I TURNED TO USING MY FOGLAMPS TO BE ABLE TO SEE ANYTHING. MECHANIC INSPECTED THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY AND THE UPPER PORTION OF THE PROJECTOR BOWLS ARE BURNED. THEY ARE MADE OF PLASTIC AND PAINTED WITH REFLECTIVE PAINT, BUT THE UPPER ~60% OF THE BOWL IS NOW BROWNED AND NONREFLECTIVE. THIS IS DUE TO AN INABILITY OF THE PAINT TO WITHSTAND THE HIGH TEMPERATURES GENERATED BY THE XENON BULBS. ALSO, THIS SEEMS TO BE COMMON TO MANY/ALL ZKW BRAND HEADLIGHTS UTILIZED IN 2003-2004 MODEL YEARS OF 3 SERIES (E46) BMW VEHICLES, ACCORDING TO POSTINGS ON THE BMW-OWNER FORUMS. REFLECTOR BOWLS CAN NOT BE PURCHASED AND REPLACED SEPARATELY AND THE ENTIRE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY MUST BE REPLACED AT A COST OF APPX $2400. ZKW HAS CHANGED THE DESIGN SO THERE IS SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THAT THEY AND BMW ARE AWARE OF THE DESIGN FLAW AND RESULTING SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE BULBS BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS MADE AWARE OF RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 11V438000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING), BUT DID NOT RECEIVE NOTIFICATION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.

THIS CAR SUFFERS FROM THE KNOWN BURNT XENON LOW BEAM BOWLS, ITS IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE ANYTHING AT NIGHT AND IS NOT SAFE. THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED BY BMW IMMEDIATELY, HEADLIGHTS HAVE BEEN ADJUSTED PROPERLY AND NEW BULBS WERE PUT IN AND DOES NOT CURE THE PROBLEM. ITS VERY COMMON FOR THESE XENON HEADLIGHTS TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM IN ALOT OF 2003+ BMW 3 SERIES. *TR

BI-XENON HEADLIGHTS MANUFACTURED BY ZKW HAVE A SERIOUS DESIGN DEFECT. AFTER ONLY 80,000 MILES, THE HEADLIGHTS ARE ALMOST COMPLETELY INEFFECTIVE AT NIGHT TIME. UPON INSPECTION, THE REFLECTIVE BOWL IN THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY WAS BURNT, BLACKENED AND MELTED. NOT ONLY IS THIS A SAFETY ISSUE FOR DRIVING AT NIGHT, BUT IT COULD POTENTIALLY BE A FIRE HAZARD. UPON DOING SOME RESEARCH, THIS APPEARS TO BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM, EVIDENCED BY MANY COMPLAINTS ON VARIOUS BMW MESSAGE FORUMS. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS BEFORE IT LEADS TO FIRE OR ACCIDENT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 325XI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO FUNCTION AND WERE DETACHED FROM THE HOUSING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE HOUSING COMPARTMENT AND BULBS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 133,000.

XENON HEADLIGHTS. DIM TO DARK AT BEST. WORK WHEN THEY WANT. *TR

THERE IS LIMITED LIGHT OUTPUT FROM THE XENON/HID HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES DUE TO "MELTED" PROJECTOR BOWLS FROM BMW. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT THAT PREVENTS END USERS FROM BEING ABLE TO SEE THE ROAD AND OBJECTS AHEAD OF THEM. *TR

I'M CONTACTING YOU TO EXPRESS MY FRUSTRATION WITH THE QUALITY OF THE BMW XENON HEADLIGHT. THE XENON LOW BEAMS STARTED TO DIM AND ARE NOW USELESS. THROUGH GOOGLE I FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM SINCE THE PLASTIC REFLECTOR/PROJECTOR BOWLS JUST BURN OUT. THE LIGHT OUTPUT IS NOW TOO LOW TO BE SAFE AT NIGHT. HTTP://WWW.ZHPMAFIA.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?3625-ZKW-REFLECTOR-RECALL-OPEN-NTHSA-INVESTIGATION&S=B19D0DF67F3AFE70AC7AD8205496E414. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE TAIL LIGHT FAILED. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE BULB MORE THAN ONCE BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT THEN LEARNED OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 11V438000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING: TURN SIGNAL). THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 125,000. *TR

OEM PROJECTOR HEADLIGHTS BURNT BEHIND PROJECTOR CAUSING VERY DIM LIGHTS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS AND THE TURN SIGNALS FAILED. THE CONTACT CHECKED THE WIRING HARNESS AND FOUND THAT THE HARNESS WAS MELTED. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 11V438000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING: BRAKE LIGHTS), BUT WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

THE HEADLIGHTS ON THE CAR SEEMS TO BE VERY DIM. THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT THAT COMES OUT OF THE HEADLIGHTS LOOKS SLIGHTLY BROWN AND PRETTY DARK AS COMPARED TO MANY OTHER CARS ON THE ROAD. I BELIEVE THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WERE DESIGNED WITH PLASTIC AND WHICH CASE THE BULB WOULD CAUSE THINGS TO BURN OVER TIME. *TR

TAIL LIGHTS CONTINUE TO FAIL ON THIS MODEL. CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, BMW, AND THEY SAID THAT EVENTHOUGH A RECALL EXISTS FOR 2003 BMW 325I MODELS FOR TAIL LIGHT FAILURE (ID NO. 11V4380000), MY VIN NUMBER DID NOT CORRESPOND TO PRODUCTION RUN FAILURES UNDER RECALL. *TR

MY TAIL LIGHTS AND TURN SIGNALS WORK FOR A WHILE THEN QUITE WORKING. THE EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS AS RECALL #11V438000 FOR THE SAME TYPE, MODEL AND YEAR AS MY CAR, BUT BMW SAYS MY VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 330CI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TURNING SIGNALS AND BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE BULB LIGHT; HOWEVER THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC PERFORMED. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 11V438000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING: TURN SIGNAL) THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 104,000.