| 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
2003 BMW 3-Series repairs by problem area
Engine (43%)
Transmission and Drivetrain (9%)
Brakes and Traction Control (4%)
Suspension and Steering (15%)
Electrical and Air Conditioning (22%)
Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (4%)
Other (3%)
Select a problem area
- Engine
- Transmission and Drivetrain
- Brakes and Traction Control
- Suspension and Steering
- Electrical and Air Conditioning
- Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim
- Other
Chart based on 590 repairs.
2003 BMW 3-Series electrical repair cost distribution
$2500+ (4%)
$1000 - $2499 (8%)
$500 - $999 (21%)
$100 - $499 (34%)
< $100 (33%)
Chart based on 115 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.
2003 BMW 3-Series
Engine not specified
| 63000 mi US $1000 |
A/C compressor replaced. |
2003 BMW 3-Series 4dr Wagon
225-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 107000 mi US $200 |
false low oil sensor reading |
2003 BMW 3-Series 4dr Wagon
225-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 143000 mi US $20 |
Replaced final stage resistor for blower. |
2003 BMW 3-Series 4dr Wagon
225-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed manual AWD
| 125000 mi US $1200 |
Replace water pump, replace starter |
2003 BMW 3-Series 4dr Wagon
184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 73260 mi C $32 |
Replaced the headlight washer pump. |
| 96100 mi C $400 |
Replaced starter. |
| 60000 mi US $90 |
Window Requlator Front Driver Side |
| 112000 mi US $853 |
Starter motor replaced due to failure. |
2003 BMW 3-Series 4dr Wagon
184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 118000 mi US $98 |
replace starter |
| 60000 mi US $1100 |
Replaced a few items. Sensors, fan, hose and charged. Worked great since. |
| 115000 mi US $500 |
Alternator died on the way to a business meeting. Went to shop nearby for diagnosis, had my local tech do it for less. |
| 67100 mi US $500 |
Starter broke |
2003 BMW 3-Series 4dr Wagon
184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed manual RWD
| 77000 mi US $580 |
Starter replaced. |
| 86400 mi US $300 |
Oil level sensor failed for the 3rd time. Replaced. |
| 94100 mi US $40 |
Replaced relays on remote locking controller circuit board. |
| 96000 mi US $1 |
Repaired driver's window regulator. |
2003 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
225-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 134700 mi US $1100 |
4) hazard light switch replaced. |
| 104000 mi | Wire harness for left rear tail light melted, burned out. Found out there is a recall. |
| 46000 mi | Seat Belt tensioner unit driver's side malfunctioned causing air bag light to illuminate. |
| 107400 mi US $200 |
Window motor failed. |
| 111300 mi US $680 |
Need to check blower. It stopped working. |
| 105400 mi C $500 |
car went into "limp mode" -- transmission limited to 3rd gear. turns out it was an alternator issue and had to deal with dropping voltage. |
2003 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
225-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 113200 mi US $360 |
Dash totally went out. After troubleshooting, replaced battery. |
| 126000 mi US $320 |
replaced window regulator |
| 37000 mi | The dynamic headlights were aiming too low at night. |
| 48000 mi US $600 |
Halogen lamp control unit(warranty) |
| 75000 mi US $600 |
The alternator died a sudden death. Red battery light dashboard light came on, and the battery was the only source of electricity after that point. Just made it home. |
| 84000 mi US $220 |
Battery died, not unexpected after 10 years of service... |
| 80700 mi US $65 |
Driver side headlight balast died. Dealer wanted 1400$ got a generic unit on ebay for $55 |
| 79800 mi US $57 |
Driver side lock cylinder shaft broke. |
| 96400 mi US $4700 |
starter failed over the course of 2 days |
| 136000 mi US $450 |
Alternator replaced |
2003 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
225-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed manual RWD
| 106000 mi US $400 |
CD player continuously trying eject disc. Unit replaced. |
| 128200 mi US $680 |
No starter engagement, entire starter unit had to be replaced |
| 140000 mi | Window regulator was broken, performed the "zip tie fix" by removing regulator, applying zip-ties, and putting it back in. Works prefectly now. |
2003 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
225-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed manual AWD
| 126000 mi US $4100 |
AC compressor clutch damaged when power steering pump melted and locked up. New compressor and aux fan. |
| 126000 mi US $400 |
Airbag error code. Not covered by recall, although it is the same airbag unit as that being recalled. I paid to replace all wiring leading to the airbag, which did not fix the problem. |
| 124300 mi US $350 |
Starter failed and replaced. Needed a tow for either issue. |
| 144000 mi US $150 |
Blower motor was squealing loudly (audible both inside and outside vehicle) in cold weather and/or with A/C on due to bad bearings - replaced blower motor. |
| 75000 mi US $400 |
AC lost charge |
2003 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 52080 mi C $80 |
Replace lower radiator hose |
| 52700 mi C $500 |
Replace heater core |
| 43000 mi | Burned wiring to left rear taillight; wiring replaced |
| 126000 mi | Locking system fails to unlock |
| 115200 mi US $250 |
Alternator's voltage regulator failed, so I ordered a new Bosch unit and I installed it myself. |
| 16000 mi US $40 |
The alternator had to be replaced three times. The first two alternators were bought at O'Reily autoparts, and installed by DIY. Both gave out, and an auto shop finally replaced it themselves with a new alternator. The belt to both rear windows gave out. |
| 82000 mi US $1400 |
Cooling system sensor (?) malfunction - was drawing more power from the alternator which eventually killed the alternator. New battery, sensor and alternator. |
| 49821 mi US $341 |
Windshield washer replaced Windshield washer replaced |
| 31620 mi | SA said that there was a leak of some sort and the Compressor was replaced. |
| 39060 mi C $35 |
Drive side seatbelt tensioner replaced threw srs light on dash. |
| 69000 mi US $50 |
Blower motor replaced. |
| 70000 mi US $50 |
Window regulator replaced. Washer fluid pump replaced. |
| 74000 mi US $50 |
Replaced another window regulator too. |
| 64000 mi US $200 |
The rear driver side window doesn't close. The motor had to be replaced. |
| 72000 mi US $800 |
Passenger side window regulator started to fail. Giving rattling sound when closing indicating a failing motor. |
| 91500 mi | Fuel Gauge never goes below half tank because of a bad fuel sensor. Adding Fuel Injector fluid cleared the issue. |
| 98000 mi US $605 |
Two Window Regulators. Drivers side front and passenger side rear window regulators replaced. Battery has to be replaced as it discharged couple of times during winter season. $150 for battery. |
| 27000 mi | The read brake light, turn signals and right headlight would occasionally go out. The dealer reported that the sockets were corroded and replace them and the bulbs. When sifted into reverse, the side view mirror would tilt down for you to see, but when sifted back into drive, it would not go up. |
| 40000 mi | Rear taillight bulb went out. |
| 85000 mi US $450 |
Starter failed, car would not start, replaced with a re manufactured starter. |
| 41000 mi | Refill AC , remap software Replace window regulators. Remap software. |
| 81000 mi US $500 |
AC sensor replaced, AC fan capacitor replaced, Tune up, Oil change |
2003 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 74000 mi US $275 |
Seat belt tensioner was causing an airbag light (has happened multiple times). Dealership replaced the wiring harness which was faulty. |
| 72000 mi US $700 |
headlight switch needed replacement. |
| 108900 mi US $650 |
Starter died. |
| 126000 mi US $155 |
Replaced starter with a remanufactured Bosch |
| 129000 mi US $233 |
Replaced alternator. No longer charging the battery consistently. I've changed the alternator on this car 4 times, mostly due to low quality store brand rebuilt units. |
| 107300 mi US $600 |
AC blowing warm |
| 26160 mi | Alternator belt and tensioner due to noise on cold start. Covered by mfg warranty. |
| 35000 mi US $50 |
Replaced faulty window regulator. |
| 57000 mi US $50 |
Replaced passenger side window regulator due to grinding noise. |
| 72000 mi US $235 |
Replaced both windshield washer and headlamp washer pumps |
| 77200 mi US $285 |
Replaced RR window regulator. |
| 81300 mi US $584 |
Replaced faulty alternator due to car dying and not charging battery. Also replaced a couple of belts. |
2003 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed manual RWD
| 160000 mi US $1600 |
Switch to side view mirror smoking and window regulator gone bad. sunroof switch replaced. |
| 63000 mi US $300 |
Window regulator |
2003 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe
333-horsepower 3.2L I6 6-speed manual RWD
| 71000 mi US $120 |
drivers side xenon headlight began to not work and only come on on a hot start:car had been running more than 5 mins or outside temperature hot. Bulbs+ballasts swapped to diagnose problem.Ignitor replaced, very hard to disassemble headlight |
| 86000 mi US $1100 |
A/C compressor cracked and was replaced. |
| 125000 mi US $500 |
Alternator Alternator |
| 57000 mi US $184 |
Driver side LED tail light assembly was $184 from tischer bmw online. I installed myself (3 bolts). My indy quoted $250 for the job installed. |
| 111000 mi | Installed switch to turn off cruise control, which was causing the stalling issue. |
| 61000 mi US $250 |
Passenger side window actuator was making a loud clicking noise |
| 93000 mi US $400 |
Battery gave out early, was replaced in February 2011. Car wouldn't start, needed to be jumpstarted, and took a day at the shop to repair. |
| 95000 mi US $700 |
Entire body of electronics, from clock to ECU, reset themselves whenever the car was turned off. |
| 44300 mi | Electrochromatic rear view mirror failure. Will order after market parts to replace instead of using OEM. |
| 58000 mi US $10 |
passenger seat sensor was going out |
| 60000 mi | Passenger airbag sensor keeps giving a fault. Had to clean the connectors under the seat |
| 25000 mi US $360 |
right front window regulator replaced |
| 27000 mi US $200 |
actuator for passenger door lock quit working. Door will not unlock with key fob (but will lock with it). Door must be manually unlocked from the inside. Not fixed due to lack of time and cost. Will repair at a later time. |
| 45000 mi US $150 |
Headlight (HID) intermittently on/off on one headlight. |
| 55000 mi US $85 |
Ballast on xenon headlamp needed replacement |
| 75000 mi US $600 |
Passenger door not opening remotely Headlamp electrical not working |
2003 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe
333-horsepower 3.2L I6 6-speed automated manual RWD
| 78200 mi US $130 |
Drivers power door lock intermittent operation. Sometimes had a hard time getting door to open from inside. |
| 60000 mi US $3000 |
Poor cooling |
2003 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe
225-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 67000 mi US $4500 |
A/C would intermittently stop working: either cold air flow would cease, or the system would shut down entirely |
| 78000 mi US $600 |
Starter died and needed replacement |
| 88000 mi US $400 |
External thermometer sensor was broken |
| 64000 mi | A/C not functioning - unknown reason |
2003 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe
184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 39392 mi | Replace left xenon control unit due to failure; Reprogram automatic transmission due to premature downshifting on deceleration. |
| 71000 mi | GM5 control unit died. Windows, locks don't work properly. |
| 91000 mi US $30 |
Low on refrigerant. Recharged. |
| 93000 mi US $725 |
AC compressor went bad. Replaced compressor, condenser, expansion valve, and drier. |
| 105000 mi | Battery Safety Terminal (BST) was setting an SRS code even though the BST had never deployed. I used scanner software to deactivate the BST, otherwise the parts for the repair would have costs $250+. |
2003 BMW 3-Series 2dr Convertible
333-horsepower 3.2L I6 6-speed automated manual RWD
| 76700 mi US $75 |
Final Stage Unit (blower motor resistor) |
| 88000 mi US $160 |
Ecu cooling fan |
| 21030 mi | replace SMG switch |
2003 BMW 3-Series 2dr Convertible
225-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 128000 mi US $487 |
Passenger door wouldn't unlock. Had replaced the fuses, but still didn't seem to work. Thought the door was double locked due to bad engineering. Shop replaced the fuses again and it worked. Cost $0.00 |
| 137000 mi US $220 |
Xenon headlight $100 part free labor |
| 152000 mi | Alternator went out. Having it rebuilt by a private person who is a certified BMW mechanic. |
2003 BMW 3-Series 2dr Convertible
225-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed manual RWD
| 98660 mi C $600 |
Trunk release switches inside car and at trunk not working |
| 99200 mi C $300 |
Electrical wire required repair to fix trunk valet lock function |
| 100440 mi C $100 |
Change driverside Xenon headlight bulb, requires removal of airbox |
| 132060 mi C $3000 |
Low oil light on, level ok, replace oil level sensor |
| 146320 mi C $1800 |
Steering position sensor Gas peddle position sensor |
| 155000 mi C $1800 |
Replace failed alternator Battery failure due to alternator failure Light control module failure due to alternator failure |
2003 BMW 3-Series 2dr Convertible
184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 58000 mi US $300 |
New alternator. Done at an independant shop. |
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