2000 BMW 323I

(1) I WAS DRIVING MY 2000 BMW 323I ON A FEEDER ROAD, AT ABOUT 40 MPH. THE CAR HAS APPROXIMATELY 69,000 MILES. (2) THE SIDE AIRBAGS (DRIVER'S SIDE) UNEXPECTEDLY DEPLOYED WITH NO APPARENT REASON (NO COLLISION, NO ROAD BUMPS). THE ENGINE AUTOMATICALLY CUT OFF AND EMERGENCY LIGHTS AUTOMATICALLY WENT ON. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR, DRIVE IT HOME, AND AVOID BEING HIT BY OTHER CARS. (3) I CHECKED THE NHTSA WEBSITE AND APPARENTLY THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL IN 2002 ON 2000 BMW 323I FOR THIS VERY REASON. HOWEVER, I NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FROM THE MAKER DESPITE THE FACT THAT I HAVE ALWAYS RELIGIOUSLY TAKEN THE CAR TO BMW DEALERS FOR OIL CHANGE AND REPAIRS, AND DESPITE BMW HAS MY ADDRESS SINCE IT REGULARLY MAILS ADVERTISEMENTS TO MY RESIDENCE. THE NEXT DAY I TOOK THE CAR AT THE LOCAL BMW DEALER FOR REPAIRS AND ASKED ABOUT THE RECALL. THEY TOLD ME THAT BASED ON THE VIN, MY CAR WAS NOT AMONG THOSE INVOLVED IN THE 2002 RECALL. THEY ALSO TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE UNSURE AS TO WEATHER BMW WOULD OWN THE DEFECT AND PAY FOR REPAIRS SINCE THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. THUS, I GOT MY INSURANCE INVOLVED TO GET A SECOND OPINION ON THE PROBLEM. I AM STILL WAITING ON A SOLUTION OF THIS ISSUE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH ON DRY EVEN ROADS, THE LEFT SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAG AND THE SMALL ELBOW AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS TAKEN TO A HOSPITAL, WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE INJURIES INCURRED WERE BRUISING ON THE LEFT ARM, HEAD CONTUSIONS, AND HEARING DAMAGE. THERE WAS A POLICE REPORT TAKEN, AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHERE THE DEALER STATED THAT THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAG WAS DUE TO THE VEHICLE POSSIBLY HITTING A POTHOLE IN THE ROAD. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO NOTIFIED, WHO DENIED THAT THERE WERE ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL OF THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL # 02V223000, WHICH PERTAINS TO THE SIDE AIR BAGS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.

MY 2000 323I (144K MILES) REVERSE DOESN'T WORK ANYMORE. I STARTED NOTICING PROBLEMS A FEW YEARS AGO BUT EACH TIME I COMPLAINED THEY (NORTHWEST BMW IN RANDALLSTOWN) NEVER FOUND A PROBLEM. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND I WAS QUOTED A FEE OF ~$4500 FOR REPAIR. THIS IS INSANE, I THINK I'VE HAD THIS PROBLEM ALL ALONG AND NO ONE REALLY EVER TOOK THE TIME AT THE DEALERSHIP TO INVESTIGATE PROPERLY. I AM VERY DISHEARTENED ABOUT THE WHOLE SITUATION. THE BMW MANUFACTURERS SHOULD HAVE RECALLED THIS VEHICLE MODEL SEVERAL YEARS AGO.

MY 2000 BMW 323I WON'T GO IN REVERSE. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED WITH NO WARNING, AS THE CAR HAS BEEN PROPERLY MAINTAINED AND HAS OPERATED PERFECTLY UNTIL TODAY. THE PRESENT MILEAGE IS A LITTLE OVER 60,000. AN ONLINE SEARCH OF THE PROBLEM HAS REVEALED THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM THAT'S SPECIFIC TO MY MAKE/MODEL/YEAR, YET BMW DISAVOWS ANY RESPONSIBILITY. ESTIMATED REPAIR IS $7,000, WHICH HAS ME FEELING TOTALLY DISGUSTED WITH BMW AS A COMPANY, NOT TO MENTION ITS PRODUCTS, WHICH IT APPARENTLY NO LONGER STANDS BEHIND. I CAN ONLY HOPE THE GOVERNMENT WILL TAKE ACTION AGAINST BMW AND FORCE A RECALL. *NM

1) THERE WERE NO EVENTS OUT OF THE ORDINARY LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE OF THE REAR SUBFRAME. ALL DRIVING WAS NORMAL IN NORMAL CONDITIONS. 2)CRACKED/SEPARATED REAR SUBFRAME, FAILED DUE TO ENGINEERING FLAWS IN DESIGN AND USE OF MATERIALS. CONSEQUENCES OF THIS FAILURE COULD BE CATASTROPHIC AND RESULT IN SEVERE INJURY AND OR DEATH. 3)I HAD MY CAR INSPECTED BY BMW NA AT MY LOCAL BMW DEALER. BMWNA AGREED THAT THE REAR SUBFRAME WAS IN FACT BROKEN AND THEY WOULD NOT BE WILLING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE REPAIR OF THIS. BMWAG (GERMANY) HAS ACKNOWLEDGE THIS COMPLIANT AND PROBLEM AND HAD ORDERED A RECALL FOR THIS YEAR THE CAR WAS MANUFACTURED. PROBLEM IS CURRENTLY BEING CORRECTED WITH A COMBINATION OF WELDING AND METAL REINFORCEMENT PLATES. *JB