2003 BMW 3 Series electrical system problems
12 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the electrical system on the 2003 BMW 3 Series — 16% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Transmission will drop out of gear and shut car down, while vehicle in motion during normal use. Vehicle will only work when cold, manufacturer is aware of badly designed smg temp sensor and negligently designed computer logic that shifts transmission to neutral and shuts car down.”
filed Jul 31, 2017
“Passenger doors would not unlock. All passengers could not get out of the car. Pulling on the door handles did not open or unlock the doors. Interior unlock buttons did not work. Unlock button on the key fob did not work. This is very common issue and can be very dangerous. 4 passengers had to…”
filed Jul 20, 2014
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related service bulletins
Bmw: service engine soon light is on. The vehicle lost power and the engine cranks with no start. *rm updated 5/19/15. *pe
SIB-12-21-10 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2014Bmw: the high-voltage (hv) battery cells could be damaged if the vehicle is prevented from entering sleep mode for an extended period of time. Updated 03/11/2013 *js
SIB-61-37-12 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 2012
Electrical System problems in other 3 Series years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 3 Series | 7 | 33% |
| 2010 3 Series | 5 | 17% |
| 2009 3 Series | 8 | 15% |
| 2008 3 Series | 19 | 28% |
| 2007 3 Series | 31 | 27% |
| 2006 3 Series | 32 | 16% |
| 2005 3 Series | 2 | 8% |
| 2004 3 Series | 12 | 16% |
| 2002 3 Series | 6 | 23% |
| 2001 3 Series | 6 | 17% |
| 2000 3 Series | 4 | 5% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2003 BMW 3 Series
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.