[johnhva]

2014 535xi 34k mi. -- Occasionally one or both of the front bumper cameras fails and an error message appears on the dash. It's intermittent but annoying so I took it in for warranty work.

After inspection the dealer says there's "corrosion" on the cameras and that the only way that can occur is from bumper damage as from an accident. There is no evidence of damage or accident repair but the dealer says corrosion of the cameras could only be caused by damage and won't be covered by warranty -- and they want $170 diagnosis. Repair would cost $700 for two new cameras and cables plus several hours' labor to R/R the bumper.

I bought the car CPO out of state in February and new car warranty runs through 1/18 when the CPO warranty starts. Talking to the service manager will be next step but does anyone have 2c to add to my argument that this should be covered under warranty?

TIA

[GrabacrOne]

I'm having the exact same issue with my 2014 535i where if I wash my car or drive through rain, the left side view camera throws an error (the image is a blue square and then I get Side View Camera Malfunction). I took it to my dealer and they first replaced both cameras and it didn't solve the issue. I told them to look at the wiring harness and they found corrosion and will be replacing the left wiring harness and camera under warranty.

When doing my research, I found that this is a common issue for 3/5 Series with the side view camera. It is a bad design that causes wear over time. I call BS that the issue was caused by an accident. This is due to prolonged liquid exposure on the wiring harness. I would take it to another dealer if I were you. It should be covered under the New Car Warranty and the CPO warranty later on.

[Stück]

The cameras are very exposed, shielded from road spray only by the fender liner, which does not seal snuggly against the bumper. I suspect salted road spray is attaching the cases and connectors of the camera modules and causing the corrosion they are trying to pawn off on collision damage.

There is a bump in the fender liner that covers the camera, you can pry it back with your finger and see what I'm talking about.

[Ickdeep]

Right before I bought my car, the left side camera failed. I bought my car from a third party dealer so they sent it to BMW in which they fixed it for free under warranty

[Graffix]

I had the same issue with the left camera, my SA told me to bring it in. They took a look at and replaced both, just in case the other goes. Definitely talk to the service manager.

[johnhva]

My regular SA was out when I brought in the car and it was a substitute SA who told me warranty wouldn't cover "corroded" cameras. My regular SA was back next day so I told her that I was disappointed to have to take the car to another dealer to fix this common camera failure and she appealed to the service manager. It took a few days but after retest it was determined that the LF bumper camera and associated cabling were defective and intermittently shorting the whole camera system so the camera and HSD wire were replaced and all cameras calibrated under warranty. All cameras are now working.

[mrashton]

Originally Posted by johnhva

My regular SA was out when I brought in the car and it was a substitute SA who told me warranty wouldn't cover "corroded" cameras. My regular SA was back next day so I told her that I was disappointed to have to take the car to another dealer to fix this common camera failure and she appealed to the service manager. It took a few days but after retest it was determined that the LF bumper camera and associated cabling were defective and intermittently shorting the whole camera system so the camera and HSD wire were replaced and all cameras calibrated under warranty. All cameras are now working.

Glad to hear they saw sense eventually. This is, as others have said, a common fault with these side view cameras. I've had to DIY replace my left side camera and harness due to corrosion but mine is 6 years old so there was nothing BMW was going to do for me.

I suggest for others who may read this thread who have Side View cameras and a car under warranty to use those side views regularly to force the error should corrosion set in.

[Kaane]

I had same issue with my 2013 550i they replaced the wiring harness free of charge.

[ashmailusa]

Oh well. My left side view camera went offline.
Upon disassemble I noticed that one of 4 pins of the camera broke and got stuck in connector.
Do you guys know by any chance if changing of camera would resolve the problem? It seems like the corrosion in actually starting from the cable even though it looks intact un my case.

[addy27]

Originally Posted by ashmailusa

Oh well. My left side view camera went offline.
Upon disassemble I noticed that one of 4 pins of the camera broke and got stuck in connector.
Do you guys know by any chance if changing of camera would resolve the problem? It seems like the corrosion in actually starting from the cable even though it looks intact un my case.

Originally Posted by ashmailusa

Oh well. My left side view camera went offline.
Upon disassemble I noticed that one of 4 pins of the camera broke and got stuck in connector.
Do you guys know by any chance if changing of camera would resolve the problem? It seems like the corrosion in actually starting from the cable even though it looks intact un my case.

No it will not work will have to replace the cable that runs from the video mine in the trunk to the front bumper. Your camera on the other hand should be ok.
I had the same issue and ended up adding the full cable and running it along the side of the car from the bumper to the trunk

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