Window regulators and central locking BMW: problems by model and engine

Documented faults, from most to least important

Severity × frequency. Below each one, the BMW models it appears in.

- Medium severityFrequency: CommonBMW Serie 3 E46Central locking and immobiliser failure due to worn relaysThe central locking can become intermittent or stop responding to the remote, and the immobiliser can fail sporadically when starting; gebrauchtwagenberater.de attributes both faults to wear in the relays of the control modules, and fiches-auto.fr records numerous testimonies of unreliable locking.
- Low severityFrequency: Very frequentBMW Serie 3 E46Breakage of the plastic tabs in the electric window regulator mechanismIt is one of the most frequently cited non-engine faults of the E46: a small plastic tab in the window regulator mechanism breaks with use and the window stops going up or drops on its own, on any of the four doors. fiches-auto.fr records more than 80 testimonies of this fault.Repair (garage): €150–€250Appears at around 140,000 km
- Low severityFrequency: CommonBMW X3 E83Failures of the electric window and wing mirror motorsgebrauchtwagenberater.de notes frequent failures of the X3 E83's electric wing mirrors, and fiches-auto.fr lists several faulty window motors, with repeated failures of the same mechanism in the same position.
- Low severityFrequency: OccasionalBMW Serie 3 E36Plastic clips break on the front electric window regulatorThis is a common E36 fault: the plastic clips on the front window regulator break, and the glass comes loose from its carrier or rises with difficulty. 16 of the 160 fiches-auto.fr accounts (10%) mention window regulators, and a British guide records the same defect on early cars.
- Low severityFrequency: OccasionalBMW Serie 5 E39Electric window failure on the BMW 5 Series E39According to the owner reports collected by fiches-auto.fr (317 for the 1995-2003 5 Series), there are 15 cases of failed window motors, mostly on the rear windows.
- Low severityFrequency: OccasionalBMW Serie 5 Gran Turismo F07Electric window regulator failureElectric windows, especially the rear ones, fail on some 5 Series GTs: the motor runs but the glass does not go up or down on its own.
- Low severityFrequency: OccasionalBMW Serie 6 F12/F13Window regulator and door seal faultsSome 6 Series have window regulator problems (motor, guides) and worn door seals, which show up as wind noise or a window that binds.
- Low severityFrequency: OccasionalBMW X2 F39Mirror and window module failureAccording to the reports collected by fiches-auto.fr, some X2 owners have window and mirror faults from 6,000 km, with the mirror module replaced up to three times in one case. No official recall is on record.
- Low severityFrequency: RareBMW Z4 E89Erratic operation of the frameless window regulatorsAccording to the reports collected by fiches-auto.fr, the frameless window regulators on the Z4 E89 can work erratically, with a risk of water getting in on a convertible.

By BMW model

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Parts for your BMW for faults with window regulators and central locking

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Window regulator
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Frequently asked questions

What faults with window regulators and central locking do BMW cars have?

In 8 models from BMW there are 9 documented faults with window regulators and central locking. The most important: central locking and immobiliser failure due to worn relays, breakage of the plastic tabs in the electric window regulator mechanism and failures of the electric window and wing mirror motors. Each fault has its own page with the affected years and versions, the symptoms and the repair cost.

Which BMW models have the most problems with window regulators and central locking?

BMW Serie 3 E46 (2 faults), BMW Serie 3 E36 (1 fault), BMW Serie 5 E39 (1 fault) and BMW X3 E83 (1 fault).