| Issue ID | 865691 |
| Internal NHTSA # | 10408914 |
| Manufacurer | BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC |
| Brand | BMW |
| Model | 3 SERIES |
| Model Year | 2004 |
| File date | 19/06/11 |
| Component | EXTERIOR LIGHTING |
| Product type code | VEHICLE |
| Description of the problem | On 2003-2004 bmw 3 series e46 sedans with oem zkw manufactured xenon (hid) headlights, the reflective bowl for the headlights will become discolored and non-reflective after normal use with oem bulbs. Over time, the heat from the oem bulb will scorch the reflective bowl and dramatically reduce light output to unsafe levels for night time driving. Bmw has not notified owners of the design flaw, and no replacement parts are available other than the entire expensive, new headlight assemblies that will suffer from the same problem in time. Though bmw refuses to acknowledge that an issue exists, bmw changed the xenon headlight reflector design for later model years to a metal reflector assembly that does not degrade when exposed to the normal operating temperatures of the oem xenon bulbs. These newer designed headlight assemblies to not suffer from any reduction in light output with use. Updated ivoq 07/26/11 |
| Vehicle Mileage at Failure | |
| Number of Occurences | 1 |
| Source of the issue | NHTSA WEB SITE |
| City and State | LOUISIANA, LA |
| VIN pattern | XXXXXX |
| Was vehicle invloved in a crash? | N |
| Was vehicle involved in a fire? | N |
| Was incedent reported to police? | N |
| Was medical attention required? | |
| Was part original equipment? | |
| No. of injured persons | |
| No. of fatalities | |
| Date of purchase | 06/08/26 |
| Was original owner? | N |
| Anti-lock brakes | N |
| Cruise control | N |
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| DoT tire identifier | |
| Tire size | |
| Location of tire code | |
| Type of tire failure code | |
| Was defective tire repaired? | |
| Date of manufacture | |
| Type of child seat code | |
| Type of restraint | |
| Dealer's name | |
| Dealer's telephone number | |
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