2008 BMW 328I

TL-THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW 328I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITH THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATING INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AFTER A FEW MOMENTS AND RESUMED NORMALLY HOWEVER, THE AIR CONDITIONER, HEADLIGHTS AND THE RADIO WERE INOPERABLE. IN ADDITION, A BURNING ODOR EMITTED INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE FROM THE MELTED WIRES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE THE BATTERY AND STARTER WERE REPLACED. ADDITIONALLY, THE BATTERY CABLE AND FUSE BOX WERE REPLACE ON A SEPARATE OCCASION BY THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. KMJ

I WAS PRESSING ON MY BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN FOR A RED LIGHT AND I HEARD A LOUD THUMP FROM UNDER THE HOOD NEAR THE RIGHT SIDE. AS SOON AS I GOT TO THE STOP LIGHT, MY CAR STARTED TO RATTLE AND VIBRATE VIOLENTLY. I PULLED OVER AND TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND STARTED MY CAR AND THE CAR WASN'T RATTLING ANYMORE. AS SOON AS I PUT IT INTO REVERSE, IT STARTED TO RATTLE AGAIN AND DID THE SAME WHEN I PUT IT IN DRIVE. THE VIBRATING GOES AWAY AS SOON AS I START DRIVING, AND IS ONLY NOTICED WHEN IDLED WHILE IN DRIVE OR REVERSE. I HAD SOMEONE COME CHECK IT OUT AND WAS TOLD HE NEEDED TO DO FURTHER INSPECTION AT HIS SHOP. HE INSPECTED IT AND TOLD ME SOME BOLTS BROKE FROM THE ENGINE MOUNT AND THE LOUD THUMP WAS FROM MY ENGINE DROPPING ONTO THE AIR CONDITIONING. *TR

IN MAY OF 2012, WITH THE VEHICLE DISPLAYING APPROXIMATELY 15, 228 MILES, THE WARNING LIGHT FOR THE ANTILOCK BRAKING SYSTEMS (ABS) BECAME ACTIVATED AND REMAINS TO THIS DAY. BMW DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND CONCLUDED A NEW ABS SYSTEM WAS NEEDED, AND RECOMMENDED I NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE IN ITS CURRENT CONDITION. HOWEVER, THEY WOULD NOT INCUR THE COST BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY.

WHILE DRIVING, ATTEMPTING TO PASS A VEHICLE, I PRESS THE ACCELERATOR AND THE PEDAL HAD NO RESPONSE AND THE RPMS DROPPED. AFTER TRYING TO ACCELERATE, THE ENGINE DIES AND I DRIFT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD ATTEMPTING TO DODGE TRAFFIC AS THE CAR'S GAS PEDAL IS NOT RESPONDING. UPON PULLING OVER SAFELY, NEARLY HITTING CARS ALONG THE WAY I COME TO STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CAR THEN NO LONGER STARTS. CRANKING CAN BE HEARD BUT ENGINE DOES NOT TURN OVER OR START. HAD IT REPAIRED, THE REASON IS A FUEL PUMP FAILURE, FUEL PUMP MODULE FAILURE, AND BLOWN FUSE ON FUEL PUMP. CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND COST TO REPAIR IS $1,800 AND A RISK TO MY SAFETY. *TR

AS I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ONE EVENING, MY 2008 BMW 328I COUPE BEGAN ACTING STRANGE. THE INTERIOR OVERHEAD LIGHTS AS WELL AS MOST ALL OF THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS (RADIO, HAZARD BUTTON, ON-BOARD COMPUTER ETC.) BEGAN TO FLICKER ACCOMPANIED BY A TICKING NOISE IN SEQUENCE WITH THE FLICKERING. THE VEHICLE WAS ACTING AS THOUGH IT WAS ABOUT TO SHUT DOWN; THAT'S WHEN I DECIDED TO PULL OVER. AS I PULLED OFF OF THE ROAD, THE STEERING BECAME MORE DIFFICULT AND THE FLICKERING BECAME MORE FREQUENT. WHILE COMING TO A STOP (TRAVELING AT ABOUT 10MPH), THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT OFF. I LOST COMPLETE CONTROL OF VITAL MECHANISMS SUCH AS STEERING, POWER, LIGHTING (BOTH INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR). THE BRAKE PEDAL FELT UNUSUALLY FIRM/STIFF (NOT SPONGY OR SOFT AS IT SHOULD FEEL). AT THIS POINT, THE VEHICLE HAD COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN WITH THE GEAR SELECTOR STILL IN "DRIVE". I ATTEMPTED TO RE-START THE VEHICLE BUT IT FAILED TO START. I HAD MY VEHICLE TOWED BACK TO MY APARTMENT AND THE FOLLOWING DAY, I TOOK IT TO A REPUTABLE, INDEPENDENT BMW MECHANIC. HIS DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT SOMETHING RELATED TO THE VEHICLE'S BATTERY, POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM/ELECTRICAL SYSTEM CIRCUITRY WAS FAULTY--WHICH IN TURN, KILLED THE STARTER. HE REPLACED THE BATTERY WITH A NEW OEM BATTERY AS WELL AS REPLACED THE STARTER WITH AN NEW OEM STARTER AND THE RELATED WIRING/CIRCUITRY. A FEW WEEKS LATER, I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE IN THE MAIL-- MARCH 2013 RECALL NO. 13V-044 : POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM. BECAUSE THE SYMPTOMS NOTED IN THE RECALL LETTER MATCH THOSE I EXPERIENCED IDENTICALLY, I AM SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE COST OF REPAIR THAT CORRELATES TO THIS ISSUE. HOWEVER, BMW STATES IT WILL ONLY REIMBURSE THE COST OF REPAIR PERTAINING TO THE SINGLE PART AT FAULT/RECALLED. THE CAUSE OF THIS RECALL IS KNOWN, BUT THEY ARE FAILING TO REIMBURSE CUSTOMERS FOR THE DAMAGING EFFECTS THAT THE FAULTY/RECALLED PART MAY HAVE HAD ON OTHER COMPONENTS. *TR

I TOOK MY 2008 BMW 328I 51K MILES TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR A ROUGH IDLE/VIBRATION PROBLEM WHEN CAR IS STOPPED WITH BRAKE APPLIED. I WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND HAS TWO BROKEN MOTOR MOUNT BOLTS ON THE RIGHT PASSENGER SIDE OF VEHICLE. THESE BROKEN BOLTS CAUSED THE ENGINE TO DROP WHICH CAUSED ADDITION DAMAGE TO ENGINE. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND SOLE DRIVER OF THIS VEHICLE AND IT HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT OR EXPERIENCED ANY HAZARDOUS ROAD CONDITIONS. I GOOGLED "BMW BROKEN MOTOR MOUNT BOLT" AND FOUND DOZENS OF FORUMS AND COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE HAPPENING TO 2008, 2007 AND OTHER MODEL YEAR. THESE COMPLAINTS WERE FROM 328XI AND I OWNERS AS WELL AS MANY OTHER MODEL NUMBERS AROUND THE 2008 MODEL YEAR. I READ THAT BMW IS THE ONLY AUTO MAKER THAT USES ALUMINUM RATHER THAN STEEL BOLTS AND COULD NOT FIND ANY RECALL INFORMATION ABOUT THIS ISSUE. THE COMPLAINTS I READ MENTIONED THAT BMW OF NORTH AMERICA DID NOTHING ABOUT THIS ISSUE. I WILL BE CONTACTING THEM ONCE THE REPAIRS ON MY CAR ARE COMPLETE. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE BEFORE SOMEONE IS INJURED OR KILLED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW 328I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER DOOR LOCKS FAILED ON ALL OF THE DOORS. THE CONTACT STATED THE FAILURE PREVENTED THE DOORS FROM BEING OPEN MANUALLY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IF YOU WAS INSIDE THE VEHICLE YOU HAD TO ROLL DOWN THE WINDOW AND USE THE KEY ON THE OUTSIDE TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ONLY DOOR THAT COULD BE UNLOCKED IN THIS SITUATION WAS THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR, ANY ONE ELSE IN THE VEHICLE HAS TO CLIMB OVER TO THE DRIVER SEAT TO EXIT. THE CONTACT FELT THIS WAS A SAFETY HAZARD FOR THE ELDERLY AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE DOOR ACTUATORS FAILED AND VERIFIED THAT THE DRIVERS DOOR WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT WOULD OPEN FROM THE OUTSIDE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 31,000. UPDATED 12/06/12*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED ONLY THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WITH THE USE OF THE KEY WORKED. UPDATED 12/06/12

SINCE PURCHASING THIS BMW IN FEB 2012, I HAVE HAD THIS CAR AT THE DEALER 4 TIMES ( AND ITS ONLY AUG. 2012) DUE TO AIR BAG & SEATBELT LIGHTS ON, BOTH FRONT SEATS HAVE HAD SEAT BELT PRETENSIONERS REPLACED, & VARIOUS OTHER AIRBAG WORK, FRAYED WIRES UNDER SEAT. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE UNSTOPPABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS APPROX 104K MILES. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY ON ITS WAY TO THE DEALER TODAY 08/23/2012 FOR ITS 4TH TRIP -FOR THE UN-STOPPABLE AIRBAG & SEAT BELT LIGHT THAT IT SEEMS TO BE DOOMED WITH. *TR