2003 BMW 3-Series BMW 3-Series 2003

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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%)

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Chart based on 590 repairs.
See TSBs and recalls for the 2003 BMW 3-Series.

2003 BMW 3-Series body repair cost distribution

$2500+ (4%)

$1000 - $2499 (4%)

$500 - $999 (12%)

$100 - $499 (50%)

< $100 (31%)

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Chart based on 26 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 4dr Wagon

184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD

78000 mi

US $76
Sunroof shade clip. 
70000 mi

US $300
Did the first of what will eventually be a total (so far) 5 window regulators in a 4 window car. 

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2003 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan

225-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD

75000 mi

US $200
Replace rim: 2/2 crack, had chronic slow leak. 

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2003 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan

225-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed manual RWD

146000 mi

US $400
Rear Emblem Sticker fell off; Engine protector and front/right fenders need replacing 
148000 mi

US $1500
Completely repainted the outside of the car. The sun had destroyed the clear coat and the whole thing needed repainting. 
25000 mi 4 days in shop (waiting for DME programming) - Reverse-tilt mirror problem. Resolved. - FM tuner reverted to mono from stereo, replaced under warranty/bulletin. - A power dip at 4000rpm, DME reprogrammed under bulletin. - Dealer could not reproduce cl 

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2003 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan

184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD

50000 mi

C $200
ebrake DSR came off the hangers. 
60000 mi

US $150
outside trim fell off 

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2003 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan

184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD

63700 mi

US $400
Water was seeping inside the cabin on the driver side floor. Mechanic reglued water shedders inside both front and rear doors - leak fixed. - Oil change service. 
85300 mi

US $600
Repaired rust spot on right rear fender 

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2003 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan

184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed manual RWD

10000 mi All four interior leather door panels were replaced b/c they were bubbling. 

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2003 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan

53320 mi

A $200
gutter fell off 

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2003 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe

333-horsepower 3.2L I6 6-speed manual RWD

111000 mi

US $850
Sunroof cassette replacement 
27000 mi

US $200
interior passenger door trip came loose and had to be re-glued. First re-gluing unsuccessful so car was returned to have the part re-glued. 

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2003 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe

333-horsepower 3.2L I6 6-speed automated manual RWD

101000 mi

US $7
B pillar fabric covering came loose on both side. Removed panels and re-glued on fabric. 

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2003 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe

225-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD

67000 mi

US $4500
Moonroof control mechanisms failed, requiring full replacement 

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2003 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe

184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD

86000 mi Sunroof was stuck in open position. Found that track mechanism has become tangled. Had to drop the headliner and perform extensive work to repair track mechanism. 

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2003 BMW 3-Series 2dr Convertible

333-horsepower 3.2L I6 6-speed manual RWD

81000 mi

US $250
Convertible top wouldn't seal completely 

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2003 BMW 3-Series 2dr Convertible

225-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD

81000 mi

US $125
Front kidney grills broken 
84000 mi

US $500
Rear trunk lip replaced 

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2003 BMW 3-Series 2dr Convertible

225-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed manual RWD

97960 mi Convertible roof jammed open and couldn't be operated. Used manual override to open roof, aligned broken part so roof could be temporarily operated. Re-aligned sensor so fault light would deactivate and trunk could be opened. 
99200 mi

C $180
Convertible top liner trim part replaced 
101140 mi Convertible hardtop locator electical contact cracked and caused failure of rear defog and all interior lights. Discovered by a different shop than the one that caused it. Able to repair the connector. 
109120 mi

C $160
Convertible Flap Motor for Convertible Top Cover Flap gear worn 
115320 mi Cracked vent replaced. Likely from car detailing service, but not sure. 
157480 mi

C $100
Convertible top liner c pillar repair Convertible top slide cover repair 

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See TrueDelta's information for all BMW models.

2003 BMW 3-Series Body Problems

See our lemon odds and nada odds page to see vehicles with no repairs or vehicles with more than three repairs. To see how frequently 2003 BMW 3-Series problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.