2004 BMW 3 Series Exterior Lighting

VEHICLE HAS VERY POOR HEADLIGHT VISIBILITY AT NIGHT DUE TO BURNT OUT PLASTIC REFLECTOR BOWLS FROM BMW'S SUB-SUPPLIER ZKW. REPLACEMENT BOWLS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE FROM BMW. ONLY FIX FROM THEM IS REPLACING THE ENTIRE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY WHICH COSTS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.

ZKW BRAND XENON HEADLAMPS HAVE DEFECTIVE REFLECTOR BOWLS. THE LIGHTS BURN OFF ALL OF THE REFLECTIVE SURFACE CAUSING THE LOW/HIGH BEAMS TO BE SO DIM THAT DRIVING AT NIGHT IS IMPOSSIBLE. THE PART (REFLECTOR BOWL) IS NOT AVAILABLE AS A REPLACEMENT PART, IT CAN ONLY BE PURCHASED AS A WHOLE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY FOR $1300 EACH LIGHT. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE, THAT I HAVE JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT. AS WE HAVE BEEN GETTING INTO WINTER AND THE DAYLIGHT SAVING CHANGE CAUSE EARLIER SUNSET TIMES, I NOTICED MY HEADLIGHTS WERE NOT VERY BRIGHT ON THE ROAD. IT HASN'T BEEN AN ISSUE THAT I NOTICED IN PAST YEARS DUE TO MY <1 MILE COMMUTE, BUT THIS YEAR I PURCHASED A HOUSE 25MI FROM WORK AND THE AMOUNT OF NIGHT DRIVING HAS INCREASED DRAMATICALLY. I FIRST ADJUSTED THE ALIGNMENT OF THE LIGHTS TO TRY TO CORRECT WHAT I THOUGHT THE ISSUE WAS, AND ALSO HAVE REPLACED ONE OF THE HEAD LIGHT BULBS WITH NO CHANGE. I FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS ISSUE ON BMW FORUMS ALL OVER THE INTERNET, AND IT SEEMS TO BE EXTREMELY COMMON. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL, OR AT LEAST AN OEM REPLACEMENT PART AVAILABLE. *TR

OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS I HAVE NOTICED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS ABILITY TO PROVIDE GOOD VISIBILITY AT NIGHT HAS REDUCED DRAMATICALLY, ESPECIALLY WHEN RAINING OR WET ROADS. I MADE SURE THE LENSES WERE CLEAR AND NEW BULBS DID NOT HELP. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET I FOUND THRU SEVERAL FORUMS THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH BMWS' EQUIPPED WITH THE ZKW BRAND OF BI-XENON HEADLIGHTS. THE REASON IS THE PROJECTOR BOWELS ARE MADE OF PLASTIC AND OVER TIME BURN DUE TO THE EXCESSIVE HEAT GENERATED BY THE XENON BULB.SO MUCH SO THAT THE REFLECTOR BOWLS TURN BLACK INSTEAD OF SILVER AND THEREFORE CANNOT REFLECT THE LIGHT PRODUCED BY THE BULB. THE FOG LIGHTS PROVIDE MORE LIGHT OR IF THERE IS SOMEONE FOLLOWING ME THE CAR BEHIND ME PROVIDES FAR MORE LIGHT THAN MY OWN CAR. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO RECALL. THE ONLY WAY TO REMEDY THAT I HAVE FOUND SO FAR IS TO REPLACE THE PROJECTOR BOWLS WITHE AFTER MARKET ONES WHICH REQUIRES SOME MODIFICATIONS AT A COST OF ABOUT $800. US.

HEADLIGHTS NO LONGER ILLUMINATE DUE TO DETERIORATING HEADLIGHT MATERIAL CONSIDERED A DEFECT DUE TO INFERIOR PLASTIC USED WHEN ORIGINALLY MANUFACTURED. LOW ILLUMINATION LEVEL CREATES A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD TO DRIVER AND PUBLIC CAUSING SEVERE INJURIES AND DAMAGE. THE HIGH COST OF REPLACING THESE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES CANNOT BE BURDENED BY THE VEHICLE OWNERS. BASED ON MY RESEARCH THIS VEHICLE CONDITION HAS BEEN REPORTED ASKING THE GOVERNING ENTITIES TO TAKE ACTION BY RECALLING THE VEHICLE AND HAVING THE MANUFACTURER CORRECT THE DEFECT.

HEAD LIGHTS ARE VERY DIM. REFLECTORS ARE BURNED. HEADLIGHTS DO NOT PROJECT ON THE ROAD. CANNOT SEE AT NIGHT. *TR

ZKW HID XENON LOW BEAM REFLECTORS BURNT OR CORRODED CAUSING A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN LIGHT OUTPUT THAT BMW WANTS ~$3000 TO FIX. LIGHTS WERE A PREMIUM OPTION AND CANNOT BE CORRECTED BY XENON BULB REPLACEMENT. THE OUTPUT HAS DIMMED AS TO BE UNSAFE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 330CI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE TAIL LIGHT FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V438000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000.

THE LOW BEAMS ON MY 2004 BMW 330I ARE VERY DIM. THEY BARELY LIGHT UP THE ROAD AT NIGHT, IF AT ALL. MY ONLY OPTION IS TO TURN ON MY HIGH BEAMS, BUT THEN I RISK BLINDING INCOMING TRAFFIC. I CONSIDER THIS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY RISK. THROUGH ONLINE RESEARCH I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE BOWLS BMW USED TO REFLECT THE LIGHT FROM THE BULBS ARE MADE OF PLASTIC AND GET BURNT FROM THE HEAT OF THE BULB. DUE TO THIS FACT, I BELIEVE BMW SHOULD HAVE A RECALL FOR THE HEADLIGHTS OF E46 CARS. I DO NOT THINK I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY TO FIX SOMETHING THAT IS A FACTORY DEFECT. *TR

PURCHASED CAR USED. UPON DRIVING IT AT NIGHT FOR THE FIRST TIME THE HEADLIGHTS WERE NOTICED TO BE VERY DIM. BULBS WERE CHECKED TO BE THE CORRECT WATTAGE AND COLOR TEMPERATURE. PLASTIC REFLECTOR DISH WAS SEEN TO BE BURNED OUT (NOT REFLECTING LIGHT FROM THE PORTION ABOVE THE BULB. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 330I. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, BOTH PROJECTOR HEADLIGHTS FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE PROJECTOR HEADLIGHT LENSES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 190,000.

LIGHT OUTPUT FROM MY CAR IS EXTREMELY POOR CAUSING A SAFETY CONCERN. UPON INVESTIGATING WHY THE LIGHT OUTPUT IS SO POOR, I HAVE DETERMINED THAT LIKE MANY OTHERS THE LIGHTS FITTED INTO THIS 2004 BMW 330I ARE MANUFACTURED FOR BMW BY A COMPANY CALLED ZKW WHO USED PLASTIC FOR THE REFLECTOR LENSES FOR THE HID ASSEMBLIES. THIS PLASTIC DEGRADES AND BECOMES BURNT WHICH SIGNIFICANTLY DIMINISHES THE LIGHT OUTPUT, EVEN FROM NEW OEM BULBS THAT WERE INSTALLED IN THE CAR. A LIGHT METER INDICATES THAT THESE LIGHTS NOW HAVE LESS THAN 50% OF THE LIGHT OUTPUT OF THE SAME CAR USING LIGHTS MANUFACTURED BY AL THAT BMW ALSO USED ON THESE VEHICLES. LONGEVITY OF LIGHT OUTPUT AVAILABILITY THROUGH LIGHTING DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED A WEAR ITEM BY THE VEHICLE MAKER. THIS IS FOR THE SAFETY OF BOTH THE VEHICLE OWNER AND OTHERS ON THE ROAD WHO MAY BE SUBJECTED TO A CRASH CAUSED BY POOR VISIBILITY.

THE VERY FIRST TIME I TRIED TO DRIVE THE CAR AT NIGHTTIME TO GO BACK HOME, MY WIFE AND KIDS WERE ON BOARD, AND WE WERE MORE THAN 200 MILES FROM HOME. AFTER I TURNED ON THE LOW-BEAM HEAD LAMPS AND STARTED ROLLING, I COULD BARELY SEE THE ROAD BECAUSE THE HEADLAMPS WERE NOT PROPERLY ILLUMINATING. I FLIPPED THE SWITCH SEVERAL TIMES TO NO AVAIL.' PUTTING LIVES AND PROPERTIES AT RISK, I CONTINUED DRIVING UNTIL WE GOT HOME, ALL THE WHILE DRIVING WITH THE HIGH-BEAM LAMPS ON AND APPARENTLY GETTING THE OTHERS DRIVERS ON THE ROAD FUMING. I TOOK THE CAR TO BOTH A LAMP-ADJUSTING STATION AND A BMW DEALER WHERE I WAS TOLD THE LAMPS COULD NEITHER BE ADJUSTED NOR THEIR BULBS MERELY REPLACED BECAUSE THE PROBLEM WAS THE REFLECTOR BOWLS WERE DEFECTIVE AND HAD LOST THEIR ABILITY TO PROJECT LIGHT PROPERLY. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT BOTH THAT THE REFLECTOR BOWLS COULD NOT BE REPLACED INDIVIDUALLY, AND THAT BOTH (LEFT AND RIGHT SIDES) ASSEMBLIES MUST BE REPLACED AT A TOTAL COST OF MORE THAN $2000.00. MANY POSTERS IN THE BMW FORUMS HAVE VOICED OUT EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEMS, AND I WISH THAT ALL WOULD FILE A COMPLAINT TO NHTSA. I NEVER DROVE THIS CAR AGAIN AT NIGHT UNTIL I HAD ? IN AUGUST 2014 ? PURCHASED AND FINALLY RECEIVED AND INSTALLED THE HEAD LAMPS ASSEMBLIES IN OCTOBER 2014. I HAVE IN MY POSSESSION THE HEADLAMP ADJUSTING STATION'S INVOICE AND RECOMMENDATION PLUS THE RECEIPT AND INVOICE FOR THE NEW HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES THAT HAD TO BE SPECIALLY ORDERED FROM GERMANY. ON NOVEMBER 17, 2014, BY CERTIFIED MAIL, I SENT BMW OF NORTH AMERICA MY REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT, BUT I HAVE YET TO RECEIVE A RESPONSE. DUE TO THIS DEFECT WHICH AFFECTS SAFETY, I STRONGLY AND RESPECTFULLY SUGGEST THAT A RECALL BE ISSUED ON THIS BMW MODEL, OR SOME SORT OF DIRECTIVE BE ISSUED FOR BMW TO REIMBURSE THOSE OWNERS 'SUCH AS I' WHO HAD ALREADY REPLACED THEIR LAMP ASSEMBLIES AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE. *TR

BI-XENON PROJECTOR HEADLIGHTS HAVE VERY POOR ILLUMINATION OUTPUT AND ARE UNSAFE. APPARENTLY, THE UNIT USES A PLASTIC REFLECTIVE BOWL THAT BURNS OVER TIME DUE TO THE HEAT OF THE LIGHT BULB THEREFORE LOSING ITS REFLECTIBILITY. THE STANDARD HALOGEN FOG LAMPS IN THE LOWER BUMPER MUST BE USED AS HEADLIGHTS BECAUSE OF THE ALMOST NON EXISTENT OUTPUT OF THE ACTUAL HEADLIGHTS. THE ONLY THING THE BI-XENONS ARE GOOD FOR AT THIS POINT IS SHOWING THAT A LIGHT IS INDEED ON SO THAT THE POLICE WONT ISSUE A CITATION. BUT AS FAR AS ILLUMINATING THE ROAD, THEY DO NOT. *TR

THE HEADLIGHT REFLECTORS ON THIS CAR (AND OTHER OF THIS YEAR MODEL) ARE MANUFACTURED BY ZKW AND THEY HAVE FAILED CAUSING VERY LOW, UNSAFE LEVELS OF LIGHT OUTPUT. THE REFLECTORS ARE BURNT AND CRACKED. THE ONLY WAY TO GET ANY REASONABLE OR SAFE LIGHT OUTPUT FOR NIGHT DRIVING IS TO USE THE FOG LIGHTS AND/OR TO HOLD ON THE PASS TO FLASH LIGHTS. THIS IS AN UNSAFE CONDITION AND I AM SURPRISED THERE HASN'T BEEN A RECALL. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM AMONG SOME BUT MOST USERS WILL NEVER REALIZE WHAT IT CASING POOR, UNSAFE LIGHTING AND PROCEED WHILE UNKNOWINGLY ENDANGERING THEMSELVES AND OTHERS. *TR

THE ZKW XENON LIGHTS IN THE BMW E46 CHASIS HAVE DECREASED LIGHT OUTPUT. THIS MAKES NIGHT TIME DRIVING DANGEROUS AND COULD RESULT IN A CRASH. THE REFLECTOR BOWL (THAT REFLECTS LIGHT ONTO THE ROAD) IS BECOME BADLY BURNT. THIS COULD ALSO START A FIRE, AS THE PIECE IS PLASTIC. *TR

THE INTERNAL WIRING IN THE ADAPTIVE BI-XENON HEADLIGHTS GETS BRITTLE AND CRACKS WITH THE RISK OF SHORT CIRCUITS, POTENTIAL FIRE AND HEADLIGHT FAILURE. *TR

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

THE BI-XENON HEADLIGHTS NO LONGER LIGHT UP THE ROAD. IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH HEADLIGHTS MANUFACTURED BY ZKW ON 2003-2005 BMW 330 MODELS. THE REFLECTOR BOWLS ON THESE UNITS BURN OUT OVER TIME AND REDUCE THE HEADLIGHTS ABILITY TO REFLECT LIGHT. DRIVING AT NIGHT IS LITERALLY NO BETTER WITH THE HEADLIGHTS ON OR OFF. I HAVE TO RELY ON MY FOG LIGHTS JUST TO SEE ANYTHING. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS SAFETY ISSUE AS IT IS WIDE-SPREAD. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE AT NIGHT WITH THE HEADLIGHTS TURNED ON, THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE BRIGHT ENOUGH TO SEE PAST THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000.

MY ZKW HEADLIGHTS DO NOT REFLECT LIGHT ANYMORE. BMW OFFER NO REPLACEMENT REFLECTOR BOWLS FOR THE HEADLIGHT, SO NO FIX IS AVAILABLE EXCEPT REPLACING THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY WITH THE SAME FAULTY ASSEMBLY FROM THE SAME MANUFACTURER. HEADLIGHTS PRODUCE TOO MUCH HEAT AND MELT THE REFLECTORS DEEMING THEM USELESS AND AN EXTREME DANGER. RECALL NEEDED FOR EXTREME SAFETY REASONS. I CAN'T DRIVE MY CAR AT NIGHT ANYMORE. *TR

THE BOWL OF THE OEM ZKW HEADLIGHT BURNS OUT. IT IS FIRST AND FOREMOST A SAFETY HAZARD. BMW HAS PRODUCED COUNTLESS CARS THAT ARE AFFECTED, SPECIFICALLY ANY 3 SERIES WITH THE UPGRADED XENON HEADLIGHTS. NOT ONLY WAS THIS AN ADDITIONAL OPTION BUT THE COST TO RECTIFY LIGHT OUTPUT TO A SAFE LEVEL IS HIGH. OEM HEADLIGHTS COST $1200 EACH AT THE DEALERSHIP. I FEEL AS THOUGH THAT IS THE ONLY WAY TO APPROACH THIS SINCE HEADLIGHTS CORRELATE DIRECTLY WITH NIGHT DRIVING AND SAFETY. *TR

ON ZKW-HEADLIGHT EQUIPPED BI-XENON BMW 3-SERIES, THE LOW BEAM PROJECTOR BOWLS ARE COATED WITH FAULTY REFLECTING MATERIAL THAT IS BURNED OFF OVER TIME, DRAMATICALLY REDUCING THE OUTPUT OF THE HEADLIGHTS. *TR

REFLECTOR BOWLS IN XENON HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY BURN AND DISCOLOR, MAKING LOW BEAM LIGHTING ALMOST NEGLIGIBLE. DOESN'T EVEN SEEM LIGHTS ARE ON. VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AT NIGHT WITHOUT HIGH BEAMS ON. *TR

MY 2004 BMW 325CI RECENTLY DEVELOPED A PROBLEM WITH THE LEFT REAR TAIL LIGHT (TURN SIGNAL AND BRAKE LIGHT) INTERMITENTLY DOES NOT WORK. A LEFT TAIL LIGHT FAILURE ALSO SHOWS ON THE ON BOARD DIAGNOSTIC DISPLAY. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITENT AND WITH NO WARNING. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THERE WAS A BMW RECALL FOR MODEL YEARS 2001 THRU 2005 FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM. THE RECALL SPECIFIES 325 SEDAN MODELS, MY MODEL IS A 325CI (COUPE). I CALLED BMW NORTH AMERICA AND THEY SAY MY PARTICULAR MODEL IS NOT COVERED BY THE RECALL. I ARGUED THAT I AM HAVING THE EXACT SAME ISSUE AS THE RECALL SUGGESTS, AND MY VEHICLE FALLS INTO THE MODEL YEARS SPECIFIED. THEY REFUSED TO ACKNOLEDGE THE PROBLEM AS PART OF THE RECALL. BMW ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (SI B63 06 11 LIGHTS) FOR THIS ISSUE IN JANUARY OF 2012. A RECALL (ID # 71087) WAS ISSUED AUG. 26, 2011. I WAS NOT NOTIFIED BY BMW OF EITHER THE SERVICE BULLETIN OR RECALL. I AM THE ORIGINAL PURCHASER OF THE VEHICLE. MY WIFE AND I DRIVE THIS CAR WITH OUR 11 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER IN THE CAR, AND THIS IS A DEFINITE SAFETY HAZARD. PLEASE HELP ME GET THIS RESOLVED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EMITTED A STRONG BURNING ODOR WHILE IT WAS PARKED. WHILE INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT FOUND THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S HEADLIGHT CABLE WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED BUT A FIRE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,000.