| 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
2005 BMW 3-Series repairs by problem area
Engine (39%)
Transmission and Drivetrain (7%)
Brakes and Traction Control (5%)
Suspension and Steering (15%)
Electrical and Air Conditioning (24%)
Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (5%)
Other (5%)
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 407 repairs.
2005 BMW 3-Series electrical repair cost distribution
$2500+ (0%)
$1000 - $2499 (7%)
$500 - $999 (12%)
$100 - $499 (30%)
< $100 (51%)
Chart based on 86 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.
2005 BMW 3-Series
Engine not specified
| 137800 mi US $480 |
New ac hose and recharge |
2005 BMW 3-Series 4dr Wagon
184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 54000 mi US $85 |
Right rear electric window inoperative - window regulator broken. Replaced broken regulator with OEM regulator ordered online. |
| 62000 mi US $30 |
Replaced leaking windshield washer pump. |
| 70000 mi US $70 |
Right front window regulator noisy and slow. Replaced window regulator. |
| 84000 mi US $1276 |
Replaced faulty brake light switch |
2005 BMW 3-Series 4dr Wagon
184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 38000 mi | Air conditioner did not cool when parked. |
| 60000 mi US $400 |
left (driver) side low beam headlight replaced |
| 61000 mi US $10 |
replaced passenger side headlight |
| 85300 mi US $50 |
Replaced passenger side power window regulator. |
| 175000 mi US $95 |
Recharge to correct for a slow refrigerant leak. |
2005 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
235-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed manual RWD
| 89000 mi US $600 |
Replace window regulator and motor |
| 151000 mi US $1072 |
AC Compressor seized. AC Compressor and accessory belt replaced. AC system recharged. |
| 50000 mi | Added freon to A/C system. Passenger-side dash vents were blowing much warmer than driver-side, indicating a problem with the system. May be related to fan not running at higher rpm when warm. Will continue to monitor. |
| 60200 mi US $75 |
A/C not cooling properly, added 0.50 lb of freon, just like last summer. It appears there is a slight leak, which takes a year to become problematic (vehicle is in Phoenix, where summers are brutal). Will continue to monitor. |
| 62000 mi | Replaced driver's-side airbag through manufacturer's recall/warranty. |
| 63000 mi US $427 |
Replaced driver's front window regulator, which had failed. As the summer temps began, it became noticeable that the A/C system was not cooling the cabin as efficiently as normal. Added Freon to A/C system, problem solved. |
| 118420 mi C $8 |
licence plate bulb sockets corroded. replaced with new LED units. |
2005 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
235-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 137000 mi US $600 |
Needed new blower motor. |
2005 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
225-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed manual AWD
| 72000 mi US $100 |
Passenger xenon had begun emitting very dim, pink tinged light. Bulb out indicator appeared on dashbord occasionally. Ordered 2 replacement Phillips D2S xenon bulbs. Installation was straightforward, however tight clearances made it a challenge. |
| 120000 mi US $900 |
Car ran out of fuel halfway between quarter and empty. OBC showed 40 miles remaining when car completely ran out of fuel. |
| 120000 mi | Driver's side window regulator was going and was going to be replaced this month. |
| 86000 mi US $600 |
Starter drive was sticking; installed new starter. |
2005 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 114000 mi US $65 |
Replaced rear taillight wiring harness due to false taillight out dash indicator |
| 114000 mi US $125 |
Leak in A/C system Alternator Failed, Also replaced 12V battery |
| 95480 mi C $1500 |
AC Fan clutch AC Condensor AC fan with Module |
| 111600 mi C $767 |
replaced alternator and belts |
| 98000 mi US $20 |
Replaced windscreen washer fluid pump. |
| 120000 mi US $20 |
Replaced windshield washer pump. |
| 71000 mi US $70 |
Windshield washer pump motor failed and was leaking. Replaced with new pump and gasket. |
| 42160 mi A $600 |
Power window regulator requiring replacement |
| 40000 mi | Passenger side power mirror inoperable. Replaced power mirror assembly. |
| 74700 mi US $453 |
Windshield washer inoperative. Windshield washer pump removed and replaced. |
| 55000 mi US $490 |
Replace evaporator and dryer |
| 52080 mi C $50 |
Window regulator failure. |
| 83700 mi C $50 |
Headlamp washer pump failed. Replaced |
2005 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 81000 mi US $500 |
blinker lights were acting and blinking erratically |
| 114900 mi US $300 |
new battery |
2005 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed manual RWD
| 96000 mi US $150 |
creaking noise in front traced to the sensor arm used to level the xenon headlights. Part was about $18 and the time to fix under an hour. |
| 132900 mi US $300 |
airbag warning light came on, scan showed it was driver side door bag. Trim pulled, no problem found. We declined dealer's offer to look further. Light reset. Hasn't come back on after several weeks and hundreds of miles |
| 37000 mi | Speaker buzz. |
| 49000 mi | Blown tweeter on passenger door. |
| 59000 mi | Annoying buzz at normal listening levels in front passenger door. Tweeter replaced; did not fix problem. May be loose panels or covers rather than speakers. |
| 76000 mi US $50 |
Drivers side window lift began operating erratically and slow. Shop replaced lift motor. |
| 83000 mi US $95 |
Passenger front door window lift operating erratically; motor and regulator replaced under extended warrantee. |
| 96000 mi US $150 |
Improper grounding in brake light circuit caused brake light to work intermittently and display on dash to show light out. Parts replaced and grounding issue fixed. |
| 98000 mi | Starter motor on engine would not engage. Jumped the car to start it. Shop checked battery - showed good. Starter now works fine. Will monitor. |
| 123000 mi | Never could fix speaker buzz at certain tones and volume. |
2005 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
168-horsepower 2.2L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 72220 mi $1900 |
AC Compressor not functioning properly |
2005 BMW 3-Series 4-door
6-cylinder manual AWD
| 89300 mi US $200 |
Windshield washer pump leaks |
| 91000 mi | Replaced windshield washer pump. |
2005 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe
333-horsepower 3.2L I6 6-speed manual RWD
| 110000 mi US $75 |
radio failed. Audio came only from one side of car . mayy have been caused by a related car collision or disassembly at body shop, but. Bought OEM replacement for $75 on ebay which solved the problem |
| 58280 mi $200 |
Battery died and was replaced. |
| 110000 mi US $100 |
headlight ballast and bulb was replaced. |
| 112000 mi US $100 |
Right ballast for headlight replaced |
| 125000 mi US $20 |
Speaker blew out, bought used one on eBay for $20 |
| 50000 mi US $400 |
Faulty drivers door actuator. |
| 35000 mi | Failed alternator. Warning light on. Checked voltage w/ engine running: 11.5V. Was able to drive car to dealer after charging the battery. Dealer replaced alternator under warranty. Mechanic did very nice work. No grease smudges in engine comp, very clean |
| 47000 mi | Pass side Xenon headlight failed + auto-leveling. Condensation found. Sealed housing, dried, and light worked again. Leveling broken due to snapped clip, fixed clip. |
| 48000 mi US $50 |
replaced horn |
| 67000 mi US $300 |
System was blowing warm air. No leak found. Suspected cause was intermittently sticking valve in compressor. Re-charged system and problem gone for the time being. |
| 39000 mi | Daytime running lamps stopped working along with alarm and sunroof after dealer software re-flash. |
| 30000 mi | Rear view mirror developed a bubble in lens / auto dim feature quit working in same mirror |
| 29140 mi $200 |
Self dimming mirror failed and had to be replaced. |
2005 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe
333-horsepower 3.2L I6 6-speed automated manual RWD
| 58000 mi US $150 |
Couple LED lights burned out so BMW replaced whole rear light assembly. |
| 41000 mi | Subwoofer |
| 47000 mi | Headlight was going on and off. Replaced the ballist and ignitor. got the car back and the problem was still present. Made second appointment and bulb was replaced. |
2005 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe
235-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed manual RWD
| 61000 mi | Side mirrors not operating. High resistance across drivers mirror indicating defective part. Side mirror motors not operating. |
| 63000 mi US $119 |
AC recharge |
| 72100 mi US $110 |
AC recharge, second time in a year. Probably have a leak in the condenser. |
| 79000 mi US $120 |
Recharge AC. Has slow leak, gets recharge every April (3rd year straight) |
| 84500 mi US $649 |
AC belts & idler pulleys, charge AC (required annually due to slow refrigerant leak) |
2005 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe
235-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 84320 mi C $185 |
Had to replace exterior ambient temperature sensor |
| 55000 mi US $50 |
Windshield wipers not working. Control module replaced. Windshield washer pump not working. Part replaced. |
| 66000 mi US $150 |
Repaired corrosion in outside air temp sensor wiring harness. |
| 29140 mi | Passenger door mirror usually tilts down when car in put in reverse. Stopped working. |
2005 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe
225-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed manual RWD
| 101000 mi US $23 |
Replaced hazard and door lock switch |
| 63000 mi | AM radio reception very static-y. Long-standing problem, but not dealt with under warranty due to my error (forgot to tell them). Dealer comp'd me a new radio which arrived w/in week, will be installed next week. |
| 56000 mi | They replaced the radio two days ago - comped me a loaner and gave me a new radio. |
| 115000 mi US $1000 |
battery needed replacement |
2005 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe
184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 45000 mi US $75 |
Repaired a faulty level sensor discovered in a pre-purchase inspection. |
2005 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe
184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed manual RWD
| 81000 mi US $40 |
Replaced windshield washer pump. |
| 130000 mi US $943 |
Blower Motor replacement |
2005 BMW 3-Series 2dr Convertible
turbocharged 201hp 3.0L I6 Diesel 6-speed manual RWD
| 51000 mi £110 |
Replaced worn out battery |
| 57000 mi £225 |
Starter motor failure. Known issue with Denso units. Replaced with Bosch unit |
| 58000 mi | Factory recall to replace Driverks airbag. Part of a global recall. |
2005 BMW 3-Series 2dr Convertible
333-horsepower 3.2L I6 6-speed manual RWD
| 138000 mi US $750 |
Starter failed |
2005 BMW 3-Series 2dr Convertible
333-horsepower 3.2L I6 6-speed automated manual RWD
| 111000 mi US $2000 |
Starter replaced |
| 165000 mi US $30 |
A/C recharge |
| 165000 mi US $575 |
Replaced compressor. |
2005 BMW 3-Series 2dr Convertible
235-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed manual RWD
| 47000 mi | A problem with the softtop in the convertible. |
2005 BMW 3-Series 2dr Convertible
225-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 71000 mi US $50 |
Windshield washer fluid pump replaced. |
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