Table 1 shows two common visibility related problems of the 1998 BMW M3.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Defogger problems | |
| Interior Rearview Mirror problems |
Problem1: rear defogger not working. Checked the system, fuses okay, voltage correctly supplied to rear window heating contacts. Heating elements in the window itself are failing. Afety issue: no visibility through the rear window when fogged. Problem2: automatic environmental controls are quitting erratically leaving driver without windshield defogger, air blower, heating or air conditioning. Car has no safety default or manual override option. Safety issues: occupants can get frost bites or freeze to death in harsh winter conditions or suffer from heat stroke during hot weather. Fogging of the windshield and side windows with disfunctional blower.
The factory installed rear view mirror blocks a substantial portion of the driver's field of view and creates a very large and extremely unsafe blind zone.