2004 BMW 330I Exterior lighting Problems

“The oem xenon zkw brand lights had completely burnt reflector bulbs that caused low light to be emitted. This defect is due to plastic bowls being used instead of metal or another material. The damage could have caused a fire hazard or worse. I was forced to replace the lights at my own expense. I have attached photos of the damage and light output to this complaint. This occurred simply by having the headlights on.”

“Right front low beam headlamp cuts out intermittently and eventually stops working due to cracked wiring inside the adjustable headlamp unit. For awhile, my headlight would stop working while making a right turn but then turn back on when straightened out. After two right turns, the headlight would cease to turn back on. Now (after several weeks of this happening) the headlight does not function at all, and I can see broken wiring if I look inside the headlight unit causing the issue.”

“The headlights are useless at night. The bulbs all function perfectly, but the reflector housings are worn according to my mechanic. I understand the need to replace bulbs over the lifetime of a vehicle, but $3,000 for a whole new headlight assembly is outrageous! This is a design defect that the NHTSA refuses to investigate. There are thousands of complaints regarding this design defect all over the internet. This is a serious safety issue!”

“The xenon headlamps on my 2004 Bmw 330I completely failed. The headlamp rear projector bowl on this model is prone to overheating which leads to the delamination of the projector reflective materials resulting in complete headlamp assembly failure. Replacement assemblies from the dealer list at ~ $600 for each side of the car. This a commonly known issue in the Bmw enthusiast community - I have also witnessed the problem firsthand on two other Bmw 330is of the same model year. …”

“I recently purchased the vehicle and immediately noticed the poor light output from the factory xenons. I went online and found out that many people with the e46 sedan with xenon headlights manufactured by zkw have an issue of the projector bowls burning slowly over time due to poor material choice that cannot withstand the heat generated by the factory bulbs. Upon inspection of my headlights, I noticed that the bowls in my headlights were indeed both burnt and cracked and as a result of this, it is extremely difficult to see at night due to poor light output. …”