2008 BMW 328I

ATTENTION: BMW CUSTOMER RELATIONS ON, SATURDAY, 01/02/2016, AT APPROXIMATELY 6:30PM MY WIFE AND I WERE DRIVING ON THE FORT HAMILTON PKWY IN BROOKLYN, NY IN MY BMW 328I CONVERTIBLE. WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MILES PER HOUR MY CAR SUDDENLY STOP COMPLETELY IN THE MIDDLE TO TRAFFIC. IN ORDER TO EXIT OFF THE HIGHWAY SAFELY, I ALLOWED THE CAR TO ROLL TO REDUCE SPEED THEN USE THE HAND BRAKE IT TO STOP THE CAR COMPLETELY AT THE NEAREST EXIT, EXT # 5. AFTER EXITING I CALLED THE TOWING COMPANY. IT APPEARED THAT THIS INCIDENT WAS THE RESULT A FUEL PUMP FAILURE ON MY 2008 BMW 328XI WHICH ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC BURNT THE CONTROL MODULE WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE TO SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY. FUEL TANK FAILURE IS A HAZARDOUS CONDITION AND GIVEN THE FACT THAT A FUEL PUMP FAILURE RESULTS IN AN IMMEDIATE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, POWER STEERING, AND POWER BRAKES AND A POTENTIAL DESIGN FLAW. DUE TO THIS FUEL TANK FAILURE MY WIFE AND I LIVE WERE PLACED IN DANGER. I CALLED BMW CUSTOMER RELATIONS. I INFORMED THEM OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND I EXPRESSED MY CONCERN FOR THE SAFETY OF MY WIFE AND MY LIFE AND EXPLAINED THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THE REPRESENTATIVE I SPOKE TO TODAY, 01/07/15, INFORMED ME THAT I SHOULD'VE GOTTEN A WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASH BOARD AND STATED SHE COULD NOT GIVE ME ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION UNLESS THE CAR WAS PRESENT. I INFORMED HER THAT AT THE TIME THE CAR BROKE DOWN THEIR DEALERSHIP WAS CLOSED AND I WAS FORCED TO HAVE IT TOWED TO G & J SERVICE AUTO REPAIR SHOP LOCATED AT 198 28TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 11232. SHE STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING FURTHER SHE COULD DO OR ASSISTANCE SHE COULD GIVE WITHOUT THE CAR BEING PRESENT. A FUEL PUMP IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF ANY CAR. GIVEN THE RESPONSIBILITY OF LITERALLY PUMPING A VEHICLE'S FUEL FROM ITS TANK TO THE ENGINE, A MALFUNCTIONING FUEL PUMP WILL ALWAYS LEAD TO A TOTAL DISASTER. DRIVER'S NEED TO BE AWARE OF THIS COMMON PROBLEM

PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME WHEN I STARTED THE CAR, THEN IT SHOWS LIKE PASSENGER AIRBAG IS OFF. FOR THE PAST 2 WEEKS THE LIGHT WAS COMING INTERMITTENTLY, BUT NOW IT IS ALWAYS ON WHEN I START THE CAR AND IT SHOWS PASSENGER AIRBAG IS OFF. I SEARCHED ONLINE ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND WENT TO MECHANIC. THEY GAVE ME ERROR CODE "93C3" WHICH IS PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG SENSOR IS NOT WORKING IN THE SEAT AND IT WILL COST AROUND 1300$ TO FIX THIS ISSUE. BMW HAD A RECALL ABOUT THIS ISSUE BUT IT DOESN'T COVER 2008 MODELS. I HAVE A SPORT SEAT, AND WHEN I CHECKED ONLINE, I SAW IN THE FORUMS THAT LOTS OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. I BELIEVE THIS IS A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM AND BMW SHOULD RECALL EFFECTED CARS. BECAUSE IT IS VERY IMPORTANT SAFETY ISSUE...

AFTER A SCHEDULED SERVICE THE ELECTRONIC LOCKS ON THE DOORS WOULD NOT WORK. RETURNED THE CAR THE SAME DAY FOR A "FUSE" THAT HAD BLOWN. WITHIN A FEW MORE DAYS, THE DOORS WOULD NOT OPEN, AND REMAINED LOCKED. I HAD TO USE THE VALET/METAL KEY TO OPEN THE DRIVER DOOR AND WAS TOTALLY UNABLE TO OPEN ANY OTHER DOORS. NONE WOULD OPEN FROM INSIDE, OUTSIDE OR THE REMOTE FOB. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THEY SAID IT WOULD TAKE A DAY TO REPAIR AFTER A DAY OF TEARING THE DOORS APART AND DIAGNOSING THE PROBLEM. THEY WERE UNABLE TO GET PARTS AND TOOK SEVERAL DAYS TO REPAIR THE DOORS WITH NEW "LOCK ACTUATORS" THAT HAD ALL FAILED. WHY? HOW CAN THREE DOORS FAIL ALL AT THE SAME TIME? IT MUST BE AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM? DANGEROUS!!! THANK GOD I DID NOT HAVE TO DRIVE MY GRANDCHILDREN AROUND THAT WEEK. THE ONLY WAY TO GET INTO AND OUT OF THREE OF THE SEATS WOULD BE TO USE THE WINDOWS OR CLIMB OVER THE DRIVER SEAT/ CONSOLE. THIS IS SCARY AND DANGEROUS, TO NOT BE ABLE TO OPEN THE CAR DOOR. WHY HASN'T BMW HAD A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE? I'M OUT ALMOST $2K FOR THE REPAIRS!

ELECTRONIC DOOR LOCKS FAILED TO UNLOCK THUS TRAPPING MYSELF IN THE CAR. NO MECHANICAL OVERRIDE EXISTS TO MANUALLY UNLOCK THE DOORS. I HAD TO ROLL THE WINDOW DOWN AND CLIMB OUT THROUGH THE WINDOW. THE 4 DOOR SEDAN HAS SMALL WINDOWS AND I HURT MYSELF (PULLED MUSCLES AND JOINTS) CLIMBING OUT. IF THE WINDOWS FAILED (THEY DID NOT), I WOULD HAVE HAD TO BREAK THE WINDOWS AND THEN CLIMB OUT. ELDERLY OR HANDICAPPED OCCUPANTS WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET OUT! ANY POWER FAILURE WILL TRAP OCCUPANTS SINCE NO MECHANICAL OVERRIDE EXISTS!

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW 328I. WHILE PARKED, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START AND THE BATTERY AND CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE BATTERY AND THE POSITIVE CONNECTION CABLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. IN ADDITION, WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND ENGINE MALFUNCTION WAS DISPLAYED ACROSS THE MESSAGE BOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO ANOTHER INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE VALVE COIL, THE SPARK PLUGS, AND THE VALVE GASKET COVERS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE CONTACT WAS AWARE OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V044000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,025. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

ELECTRONIC DOOR LOCKS HAVE STOPPED WORKING ON TWO OCCASIONS NOW. THE FIRST WHEN OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE THAT LATER REQUIRED A NEW FUSE. THE SECOND ON MARCH 5TH HAPPENED AFTER ENTERING VEHICLE, BUT 3 OF THE DOORS REMAINED LOCK, AND MY ELDERLY FATHER COULD NOT GET INTO THE VEHICLE. THE DASHBOARD LOCKING BUTTON THEN SUBSEQUENTLY LOCKED THE DRIVER'S DOOR, AND UNLOCKING WAS SUBSEQUENTLY NOT POSSIBLE FOR ANY DOORS. IN EFFECT TRAPPED INSIDE THE VEHICLE, AND THE DOORS COULD NOT BE MANUALLY OPENED NOR ELECTRONICALLY. I WAS ABLE TO PASS THE MECHANICAL KEY THROUGH THE SUNROOF FOR ASSISTANCE IN OPENING THE DRIVER'S DOOR TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. MY CONCERN IS IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION (E.G. A CAR CRASH), THE OCCUPANTS WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE QUICKLY OR SAFELY. BOTH BMW AND NHTSA APPEAR TO BE AWARE OF THE ISSUE FROM OTHER POSTINGS, BUT NO RECALLS ISSUED. THE REPAIR BILLS TOO ARE ALSO HIGH AND FALL ON THE CONSUMER TO PAY. *TR