general problems of the 2003 BMW 325

The contact owns a 2003 BMW 325i. While the vehicle was parked, the contact attempted numerous times to access the exterior front driver's side door with the remote key fob and also manually however, the lock mechanism would not open. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer who informed the contact that the door lock, remote key fob and power door actuator would need to be replaced. The vehicle was in the process of being repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 104,000. The VIN was unavailable.

The central locking system intermittently fails to operate; problem is influenced by temperature extremes (hot and cold); symptoms vary from requiring the driver to lock and unlock the vehicle several times before the doors will unlock to a complete failure of all doors to unlock. When the problem manifests itself, the central electric door lock button (mounted in the center console beside the hazard light switch) is inoperable. BMW crash safety features include mechanical disconnect of door latches when locked; when this particular problem manifests, sometimes the passenger side doors will remain mechanically disconnected, meaning that the doors cannot be opened at all. In a worst case scenario, if the driver's side of the vehicle unusable for escape due to damage or being blocked, the only way to escape from the vehicle is by smashing windows. Bmws are not equipped with a glass break device. The problem seems to be a body module called the gm5, which is mounted above/in front of the glove box; all lock power circuits run through this module; the problem seems to be a voltage drop in the module, resulting in insufficient voltage to the lock mechanisms, as you can hear the locks attempting to cycle when and can see the lock buttons moving when the key fob is used in an attempt to unlock the doors. A google search of the terms "BMW","doors won't unlock" gets at least 10 pages of results on the issue, including several that identify the gm5 module as the cause of the problem and ways to fix it. Repair requires a new gm5 module that needs to be programmed prior to install.

This has been an ongoing issue regarding the door locks on my 2003 BMW 325 xi. The doors automatically lock when the vehicle is placed into gear. Which I assume is as designed. ? however the doors will not unlock once the vehicle is placed back in park (engine running or not) neither by manual manipulation of the lock buttons on the doors or by pressing the door unlock switch on the console. ? furthermore, with the single exception of the driver?s door, all other door latches are rendered non-functioning (inside and outside of the vehicle) ? no one but the drive can open a door to exit the vehicle all doors are rendered inop, you can?t open them from either this inside or the outside o no, the child locks are not engaged. As a member of the fire service and fire marshall for the city of carver, mn I see this as a huge life safety issue. If there were ever a fire, the occupants would not be able to self-extricate (open the door to escape smoke and fire). Furthermore, given the likelihood and great potential for rapid fire spread in car fires in general?. Any passengers, children/infants strapped into in car seats in the back seats would most certainly perish. Based on a multitude of consumer complaints on various internet boards, I do not believe this to be an issue specific to my car, but much broader in scope. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The doors will not unlock in my 2003 325i 4 door sedan. Apparently, a module goes bad and could trap people in the car with no way to get out.

The contact owns a 2003 BMW 325xi. The contact stated that all four door locks could not be opened from the interior or exterior of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised the contact that the computer chip needed to be replaced at the owners expense of $1000. The manufacturer was notified of the failure who advised the contact that they would not assist. The failure mileage was 46,000.

Passenger doors won't unlock electronically or manually. This is a common problem among the cars and there hasn't been a recall issued.

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 since.

2003 BMW 325i 4-door sedan. Driver's side door lock will not unlock. Happens all the time. Started about a year ago. I have gone online and found many other people have same problem. Seems to me to be a safety issue. If I can't get out of the car.

2003 BMW 325i 4-door sedan - problem: electric door locks will not always unlock with key fob. Persistent with colder ambient temperatures (less than 65 degrees f). I can unlock drivers door with key, but no other doors unlock. Issue: the door locks double-lock meaning when doors are locked, they can't be opened from outside or inside (by pulling on handle). The only door that unlocks with interior handle pull is drivers door. If vehicle is in an accident my passengers will not be able to unlock their doors to exit vehicle! they are basically locked inside. This is a big safety issue, especially if there is a danger of fire or some other event that necessitates quickly exiting the car. My research: I've basically narrowed it to the gm5 module that controls the door locking and unlocking. This module controls some other vehicle functions as well. The door locking function works great, but unlocking is sporadic with ambient temperature fluctuations. Opinion: there should be an investigation opened on this issue. Reading several BMW user forums this appears to be a common problem across many vehicle years. The double-locking door locks are a nice anti-theft feature, but are dangerous if the system malfunctions. BMW must acknowledge a defect is present in the gm5 module and take appropriate action.

The car doors at times do not unlock. It is very intermittent. A key can be used to open the driver's door but a couple of times even the door key has not worked. The most serious issue is that I have been locked inside the car and unable to open any of the doors, including the driver's door, with the main lock control or even by trying to open the door with the inside door handle. I have had to have passengers crawl out of the window to exit the car a few times. There are times when the key works to get in but I cannot get the other doors open even by attempting to use the inside door handle. This is a scary situation to be in.