2003 BMW 3 Series Electrical system Problems
- Complaints
- 12about this part
- Share
- 16%of 73 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 105,152miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 12 complaints about the electrical system of the 2003 BMW 3 Series, 16% of the 73 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 105,152 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“In 2010 the sunroof went bad I talked to a Bmw dealer and they told me they have problems with them, in august of 2011 I noticed that my tail lights and blinkers were not working proper,nor was my horn,and the drivers window regulators are binding up, also a brake hose from my brake booster to the engine is collapsed in two spots. ??”
NHTSA complaint #10438952, filed 2011-12, 95,000 miles“Traveling south on 75,driver door bag deployed for no reason. Applied brakes and ran off side off road to keep from having a car rear end me and then right tire blew out due to drop off. Car shut down by itself. Air bags did not completely deploy. Over head strap hit head and neck area causing soreness and headache. Door air bag caused fragments to hit hand and tore off skin.I thought car was on fire due to smoke smell of wires burning,removed strap off neck and got out of car. If traffic had been heavy there would have been a major wreck. …”
NHTSA complaint #10592639, filed 2014-05, 140,000 miles“I was locked in my car for 1 hour. My key fob would not unlock my doors, so I manually opened the door, started the car, closed the door, and tried to warm up the car (it is winter in chicago and my windows were also frozen shut). I then pressed the door lock button twice in an attempt to unlock the doors and at that point I learned I was locked in my car. I tried driving the car a block to see if the locks would reset and nothing worked (neither the door levers, key fob or lock button). I called a dealer and they suggested I drive it to the service center. …”
NHTSA complaint #10495161, filed 2013-01, 63,000 miles“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.”
NHTSA complaint #11011864, filed 2017-07, 50,000 miles“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 crawl out the driver door.”
NHTSA complaint #10614828, filed 2014-07, 153,231 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10249437Jan 16, 2024The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.
- 10037079Oct 1, 2014Bmw: service engine soon light is on. The vehicle lost power and the engine cranks with no start. *rm updated 5/19/15.
- 10051519Dec 1, 2012Bmw: 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
- 10040736Jul 1, 2011Bmw: various functions in the vehicle are not working including: instruments, door locks, wipers, and other electrical functions. There may also be warning lights on. K-can…
- 10040049Apr 1, 2011Bmw: a software problem is causing one or both of the seat belt assistants to not extend fully or may not extend at all. The position at which the assistant comes to rest varies…
- 10040170Mar 1, 2011Bmw: a software error is causing the the service engine soon light to come on. There will be stored trouble codes.
- 10037078Sep 1, 2010Bmw: the airbag warning lamp is illuminated due to a software error.
- 10036985Jun 1, 2010Bmw: a service engine soon light comes on. The engine will only operate to 1500 rpms and lacks power. There is a software application error.
- 10030626Oct 2, 2009Bmw vehicles: doors will not unlock using the key fob or central locking button. *pe updated1/4/10. *pe updated 5/24/10.
- 10032650Oct 1, 2009Bmw: service engine soon lamp illuminated-fc 23f4 map thermostat. In some vehicles have insufficient heat. E90, e91 (3 series), e60, e61 (5 series) 3/06 and e83 (x3 series) 9/08.
Electrical system: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 7 | 33% |
| 2010 | 5 | 17% |
| 2009 | 8 | 15% |
| 2008 | 19 | 28% |
| 2007 | 31 | 27% |
| 2006 | 32 | 16% |
| 2005 | 2 | 8% |
| 2004 | 12 | 16% |
| 2003 | 12 | 16% |
| 2002 | 6 | 23% |
| 2001 | 6 | 17% |
| 2000 | 4 | 5% |
| 1999 | 1 | 17% |
| 1997 | 1 | 20% |
Other parts of the 2003 BMW 3 Series
23 complaintsAir bags
21 complaintsBody and structure
5 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
4 complaintsSuspension
4 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
4 complaintsBrakes
3 complaintsEngine cooling
3 complaintsFuel system
3 complaintsTires
3 complaintsEngine
2 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
2 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2003 BMW 3 Series
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology