2007 BMW 328XI

CONSTANT DAILY ISSUE WITH BMW. WHEN THE CAR IS STOPPED AT A LIGHT OR AT A MERGING INTERSECTION, WHEN I TRY TO STEP ON THE ACCELERATOR TO MOVE THE CAR, IT HAS A 2 SECOND DELAY BEFORE IT MOVES. HOWEVER IF I HAVE THE DTC (DYNAMIC TRACTION CONTROL) ON THERE IS NO ISSUE. APPARENTLY THERE IS A MOUNTAIN OF COMPLAINTS ON THE ONLINE CAR FORUMS REGARDING THIS; BUT NO RESOLUTION FROM BMW ON THIS KNOWN ISSUE WITH THEIR CARS. PLEASE HELP! THIS DELAY/LAG CAN EASILY CAUSE DEATH OR INJURY IF NOT DEALT WITH. *TR

I WAS DRIVING HOME ON THE HIGHWAY DURING A RAINSTORM WHEN THE 4X4, BRAKES WARNING CAME ON. THE HANDLING IMMEDIATELY WAS AFFECTED. I DIDN'T FEEL THE TRACTION I WAS USED TO AND BRAKING BECAME DANGEROUS. I WANTED TO PULL OVER BUT THE BRAKES MADE THE CAR STOP TOO ABRUPTLY, CAUSING ME TO SKID ON THE WET ROAD. HAD THE HIGHWAY BEEN BUSIER I'M SURE I WOULD'VE BEEN IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I CONSIDER MYSELF VERY LUCKY. I TOOK MY CAR TO A LOCAL MECHANIC. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS THE TRANSFER CASE ACTUATOR GEAR. IT'S PLASTIC AND THE INTENSE HEAT CAUSES IT TO FAIL. I WAS TOLD THIS PROBLEM IS VERY COMMON....SO MUCH THAT THE REPLACEMENTS ARE MADE OF A DIFFERENT COMPOSITE AND MORE HEAT RESISTANT. MY QUESTION IS WHY DO I HAVE TO PAY FOR A GEAR THAT IS RECOGNIZED AS FAULTY. IF THE REPLACEMENTS ARE BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL THEN OBVIOUSLY BMW RECOGNIZES THAT TOO. THIS IS BECOMING WAY TO COMMON FOR BMW NOT TO REACT. *TR

AT APPROXIMATELY 4:15 PM ON 4/18/13 I WAS DRIVING ON A BUSY ROADWAY AT APPROX 35MPH IN MY 2007 BMW 328XI COUPE, 65540 MILES. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE VEHICLES INDICATOR LIGHT FLASHED ORANGE FOR COOLANT TEMPERATURE WARNING. WITHIN 5 SEC THE INDICATOR FLASHED RED AND THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN AS I PROCEEDED THROUGH AN INTERSECTION. THERE WAS NO ACCELERATION AND I WAS LEFT TO COAST OUT OF THE INTERSECTION. LUCKILY THE INTERSECTION WAS SLIGHTLY DOWN HILL SO I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE CURB WITHOUT BEING T-BONED. APPARENTLY THIS ENGINE SHUT DOWN IS A DESIGNED FEATURE IN THIS MODEL BMW (2007 328XI) TO SAVE THE ENGINE IN THE CASE OF OVERHEATING. WHILE THIS FEATURE MEANS WELL IT IS AN EXTREME SAFETY ISSUE AS OTHER BMW CUSTOMERS HAVE REPORTED SIMILAR EVENTS WHILE TRAVELING ON INTERSTATES AND SPEEDS UP TO 80MPH (SEE BIMMERFORUMS AND ABOUTAUTOMOBILE). THIS TYPE OF EVENT IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS COULD ABSOLUTELY LEAD TO LOSS OF PROPERTY AND/OR LIFE. THE AIR TEMP WAS APPROX 85F AND I HAD BEEN DRIVING THE CAR FOR MORE THAN A 30MIN IN PRE-RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC BEFORE THE EVENT. AT THE TIME,TRAFFIC WAS NOT STOP AND GO AND I WAS MOVING AT A FAIRLY CONSISTENT 30MPH. THERE WAS LESS THAN 10-15 SEC BETWEEN THE FIRST COOLANT WARNING FLASHING ORANGE, PROCEEDING TO RED, AND ENGINE SHUT DOWN. THESE WERE THE ONLY INDICATIVE WARNINGS OF A PROBLEM. THE OIL TEMPERATURE WAS AROUND 230F. AFTER LETTING THE CAR COOL FOR SEVERAL HOURS I CHECKED THE COOLANT WHICH WAS IN THE NORMAL RANGE. I WAS THEN ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR THE REMAINING 1.5 MILES TO MY HOME. AT HOME, I WAS ABLE TO REPLICATE THIS OVERHEATING SHUT DOWN EVENT BY TURNING THE AC ON AND REVVING THE ENGINE FROM 2000 TO 3000 RPM AT A STANDSTILL. AFTER ABOUT 5MIN, ONCE AGAIN THE INDICATOR PANEL FLASHED ORANGE, 5 SECONDS LATER RED, LEADING TO ENGINE SHUT DOWN ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. THIS YET AGAIN REPLICATED THE SHORT 10 SEC WARNING BEFORE COMPLETE ENGINE SHUT DOWN. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY GEORGIA 400, WHICH IS ONE OF THE MOST TRAVELED HIGHWAY'S IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA. CARS FREQUENTLY TRAVEL 20-30 MPH ABOVE THE SPEED LIMIT AND IF YOU DO NOT GO AT LEAST 75 MPH, THEN YOU ARE OBSTRUCTING THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC. MY 2007 BMW 328XI SEDAN WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 80 MPH UNTIL AN ORANGE ENGINE OVERHEAT LIGHT CAME ON, THEN QUICKLY TURNED RED. IMMEDIATELY THE SAFETY MECHANISM KICKED IN WHICH RESTRICTS MY SPEED AND I COULD NO LONGER ACCELERATE. I WAS IN THE FAST LEFT LANE AND TRIED TO PULL OVER ON THE LEFT HAND SHOULDER BUT THERE IS NOT ENOUGH SPACE. I WAS TRYING TO ACCELERATE TO AT LEAST PULL OVER TO THE RIGHT HAND LANE, BUT COULD NOT. LUCKILY THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC WAS NOT IT'S USUAL BUSY NATURE AND CARS BEHIND ME WERE HONKING AS I KEPT TRYING TO GET OVER TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER (AS CARS WERE TRAVELING HIGH SPEEDS). THE ENGINE NOISE WAS GETTING LOUDER AND LOUDER. I LIMPED OVER TO THE RIGHT HAND SHOULDER AND SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AS IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WOULD EXPLODE. I COULD SMELL SMOKE AS WELL. THE WATER PUMP ENDED UP QUITTING ON ME, CAUSING THE ENGINE OVERHEAT. HOWEVER, NO WARNING AT ALL AND NO INDICATION THAT ALLOWED ME TO TAKE PRE-CAUTION BEFORE I TRAVELED IN MY CAR. THIS IS SIMPLY OUTRAGEOUS AND A DESIGN FLAW. THIS IS AN EXTREME SAFETY ISSUE. YOUR ENGINE SUDDENLY QUITTING ON YOU, WITH NO WARNING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY SYSTEM? CARS IN EVERY LANE TRAVELING AT LEAST 75 MPH OR GREATER WHILE YOU ARE QUICKLY REDUCING IN SPEED TRYING TO PULL OVER? ON TOP OF THAT, THERE IS NO READING IN MY CAR FOR ENGINE TEMPERATURE. BMW NEEDS TO FIX THIS OR SOMEONE WILL DIE BECAUSE OF IT. MANY MAY GET LUCKY THEY ARE ON A SIDE ROAD OR IN A SAFE LOCATION WHEN THEIR WATER PUMP GOES OUT. HOWEVER, MANY ARE ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THIS HAPPENS! THREE PEOPLE WORKED ON MY CAR THE LAST MONTH AND ALL SAY NO WAY TO DETERMINE WHEN YOUR WATER PUMP WILL BLOW. NO EXCUSES FOR THIS! *TR