2001 BMW 330I Visibility Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW 330I. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, SMOKE APPEARED FROM THE AIR CONDITIONING VENTS. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE IT BURST INTO FLAMES. A LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN.

I'VE REPLACED THE WINDOW REGULATORS IN MY CAR SEVERAL TIMES DUE TO THE MATERIAL BEING CHEAP. THE GEARS WEAR OUT AND/OR BREAK APART. EACH TIME IT'S BETWEEN $150 AND $300 TO REPAIR. THE WINDOW STOPS HALF-WAY DOWN AND CAN'T BE MOVED. THIS PRESENTS ISSUES WITH SAFETY DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER AND MAKES IT VERY EASY TO GET INTO THE CAR TO TAKE VALUABLES AND POTENTIALLY STEAL THE VEHICLE. *TR

Mileage: 80,000

I'VE HAD UPWARDS OF 10 WINDOW REGULATORS REPLACED IN MY CAR OVER THE LAST 12-13 YEARS. THEY HAVE CHEAP PLASTIC GEARS THAT WEAR OUT OR BREAK APART BECAUSE THEY'VE BECOME SO BRITTLE BECAUSE OF THE HEAT. EACH TIME IT'S BETWEEN $100 AND $250 TO FIX DEPENDING ON WHO FIXES IT AND IT'S A PAIN IF THE WINDOW STOPS HALF-WAY DOWN AND CAN'T BE MOVED. *TR

Mileage: 150,000

BMW 3 SERIES (E36-E46) 1991-2005 WINDOW REGULATORS BREAK CONSTANTLY. *TR

WINDOW REGULATORS (ALL WINDOWS) FAIL ON A REGULAR BASIS DUE TO MANUFACTURE DESIGN IN EQUIPMENT. IF WINDOW STOPS WORKING IN THE OPEN POSITION YOUR STUCK UNTIL REPAIRED. THE REPAIR LASTS A SHORT TIME AND THEN THE REGULATOR BREAKS AGAIN. THIS IS ALSO A SAFETY ISSUE IF ONE IS IN A SITUATION WERE THE AUTO NEEDS TO BE LOCK OR DRIVEN ON A FREEWAY. *TR

Mileage: 53,000

I JUST BOUGHT MY 2001 330I BMW TWO MONTHS AGO WITH 103,000 MILES ON IT. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE DEALER SAYS I NEED A NEW TORQUE CONVERTER. THEY WANT $2000 TO PUT A NEW ONE IN. I THEN LOOKED AROUND HERE AND SAW THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. ALSO I HAD TO CHANGE TWO OF THE WINDOW REGULATORS. - ANOTHER COMMON PROBLEM WITH BMW. IS BMW DOING ANYTHING ABOUT THIS? WHY DOES BMW MAKE THE PUBLIC PAY FOR THE PROBLEMS THEY MADE? *TR

Mileage: 104,500

MY WIFE WHO LIVES IN FLATONIA, TX AND WHO DROVE MY 2001 BMW 330I THAT I BOUGHT FOR HER TO DRIVE TOLD ME THAT THE REAR VIEW MIRROR HAD FALLEN OFF AND THAT SHE HAD TO HOLD IT IN PLACE TO SEE REAR TRAFFIC AND THAT ACTION WAS VERY DANGEROUS. IMMEDIATELY, I SWITCHED CARS SO I COULD GET THE BMW REPAIRED. I WENT TO BMW OF AUSTIN TO GET THE REAR VIEW MIRROR REAPPLIED. AFTER A LOT OF WORK, THE SERVICE WRITER TOLD ME THAT THE GLUE THEY USE TO HOLD THE REAR VIEW MIRRORS ON THEIR WINDSHIELDS DOES NOT WORK ON THIS ONE BECAUSE IT IS A OEM ONE MAD E BY PPG THAT HAS A TYPE OF PAINT ON IT WHERE THE REAR VIEW MIRROR IS ATTACHED THAT THEIR GLUE DOES NOT WORK ON. THE SERVICE WRITER CALLED AROUND AUSTIN TO FIND AN OPEN PPG DEALER WHO TOLD HIM THAT I WILL BE ABLE TO GET IN REPAIRED IF I GO THERE IMMEDIATELY. I DID. BUT AS THE MAN INSTALLED THE REAR VIEW MIRROR HE TOLD ME THAT ONCE THEY START FALLING OFF THEY CONTINUE TO BECAUSE IT''S AN ON-GOING PROBLEM WITH PPG WINDSHIELDS FOR THIS BMW. I SENT AN E-MAIL TO PPG ASKING FOR HELP WITH THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM. TO DATE, I HAVE RECEIVED NO REPLY OF ANY KIND TO THIS E-MAIL. AFTER A FEW WEEKS, IT FELL OFF AGAIN. I DID SOME RESEARCH TO FIND THAT SOME PPG RETAILERS ARE CONSIDERED TO BE TRAINED AND EQUIPPED TO DO A BETTER JOB THAT ''STANDARD'' PPG RETAILERS. I FOUND ONE IN GEORGETOWN. I TOOK MY BMW THERE. THE DESK PERSON WHO HELPED ME TOLD ME THAT THERE IS AN ON-GOING PROBLEM WITH REAR VIEW MIRRORS STAYING ON PPG WINDSHIELDS FOR THIS MODEL OF BMWS. THE INSTALLER SAID THAT HE HAD A NEW TWO PART ADHESIVE THAT SHOULD DO THE TRICK. HE INSTALLED THE REAR VIEW MIRROR. IT FELL OFF A FEW WEEKS LATER. I AGAIN SENT AN E-MAIL TO PPG SEVERELY COMPLAINING ABOUT THE DANGEROUS AND POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS PROBLEM WITH THEIR BMW WINDSHIELDS. TO DATE I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY REPLAY FORM PPG. THE ONLY SOLUTION PPG IS OFFERING TO RESOLVE THIS OBVIOUSLY KNOWN DANGEROUS SITUATION IS TO REPLACE THE UNUSABLE PPG WINDSHIELD WITH A BMW WINDSHIELD THAT COSTS ABOUT $470.*JB

PASSENGER FRONT WINDOW CAME OFF TRACK. BACK WINDOW DOES NOT GO UP OR DOWN. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT OTHER TWO WINDOWS WILL DO THE SAME VERY SOON. THIS HAS HAPPENED THROUGHOUT THE LIFE OF THE CAR... TOO MANY TIMES, TOO MUCH AND TOO OFTEN. MY CAR IS A 2001 BMW 330I, I'VE HAD A PROBLEM WITH MY RADIATOR RESORVIOR, THE WATER PUMP AND COOLING FAN, THE EMMISIONS SYSTEM, AND MY CAR HAS SHUT DOWN ON ME WHILE DRIVING, USUALLY WHEN I AM ON A TURN (WHICH IS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE I WAS AT A ONE WAY STOP MAKING A RIGHT TURN AND ALMOST GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE THE CAR SHUT DOWN). I HAVE ALMOST 85K MILES NOW AND THE PROBLEMS CONTINUE TO ARISE. JUST GOT A NEW TRANSMISSION, NEW LOWER CONTROL ARM FOR THE DRIVER SIDE, AND THE WINDOWS CONTINUE TO BREAK DOWN EVERY 6 MONTHS. VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THIS "BMW EXPERIENCE"!*AK

Mileage: 85,000

R. REAR WINDOW CAME OFF TRACK. R. FRONT DID SAME FEW MONTHS AGO. I SEE SIGNS THAT OTHER TWO WINDOWS WILL GO VERY SOON. THIS IS HAPPENING TOO MUCH/SOON. IT APPEARS TO ME THE WINDOW REGULATOR IS BROKEN ON A WINDOW THAT IS HARDLY EVER USED. I EXPECT DEALER WILL CHARGE ME-4MOS PAST FACTORY WARRANTY PERIOD.*AK

Mileage: 33,500

WINDOWS WOULD GO OFF TRACK WHEN TRYING TO GO UP OR DOWN. WOULD MAKE WEIRD NOISES WHEN USING THE WINDOWS.*AK