2003 BMW 3 Series exterior lighting problems
23 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the exterior lighting on the 2003 BMW 3 Series — 32% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Brake lights on both sides gets stuck on once the pedal is pressed. This produces no error codes. I was told it could be the brake pedal pressure sensor switch. I changed this and it did nothing. This is very dangerous to other drivers because they are not sure if the car is braking as the light is…”
filed Jun 16, 2019
“The zkw xenon headlights have a flaw in the plastic projector housing. The housing gets too hot and melts and the light output is severely restricted. This happens to 100% of the headlights made by this manufacturer and is a safety issue. The reflective coating on the headlights melts and the light…”
filed Nov 27, 2016
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Exterior Lighting problems in other 3 Series years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 3 Series | 2 | 7% |
| 2009 3 Series | 5 | 9% |
| 2008 3 Series | 2 | 3% |
| 2007 3 Series | 7 | 6% |
| 2006 3 Series | 2 | 1% |
| 2005 3 Series | 4 | 16% |
| 2004 3 Series | 42 | 55% |
| 2002 3 Series | 3 | 12% |
| 2001 3 Series | 8 | 22% |
| 2000 3 Series | 2 | 2% |
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.