2002 BMW 330CI

THE AIRBAG LIGHT STARTED TO ILLUMINATE IN EARLY APRIL OF 2012. ACCORDING TO A LOCAL MECHANIC, HE SAID THE ISSUE WAS RELATED TO A FIRING MECHANISM IN THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT WHICH HAS FAILED. THE MECHANIC RESET THE AIRBAG LIGHT, BUT IT CAME BACK ON ABOUT A MONTH LATER. THE MECHANIC STATED THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEATBELT LATCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND IT WOULD COST $500. UNTIL THIS ISSUE IS RESOLVED, THE AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY. VEHICLE ONLY HAS 100K MILES ON IT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW 330CI. THE CONTACT STATED WAS IN REVERSE WHEN THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SHIFTER MOVED FROM REVERSE INDEPENDENTLY. THE CONTACT HAD TO UTILIZE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE NEAREST DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND POSSIBLE REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 53,500.

CAR WAS DRIVEN DAILY. PARKED IN GARAGE AT 6:30PM. AT 7:20AM THE FOLLOWING DAY IT WAS NOTICED THAT A WHITE VAPOR/SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE FRONT GRILL OF THE BMW 330CI. THE CAR HAD NOT BEEN STARTED SINCE BEING PARKED THE EVENING BEFORE. WITHIN MINUTES, THE WHITE VAPOR TURNED INTO HEAVY BLACK SMOKE AND THE ENTIRE ENGINE COMPARTMENT BECAME ENGULFED IN FLAMES. (FLAMES WERE VISIBLE FROM BENEATH THE CAR AS IT WAS PARKED IN A GARAGE) THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AT THE FIRST NOTICE OF VAPOR AND FIREMEN ARRIVED 12 - 18 MIN. LATER, AT WHICH TIME THE FIRE WAS FULLY ENGAGED. TWO EXPLOSIONS EMANATED FROM THE CAR. THE FIRE AND ITS SIGNIFICANT HEAT CAUSED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO A PORTION OF THE HOME, INCLUDING A BENT LOLLY COLUMN AND BURNED FRAMING. IT TOOK THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OVER 2 HOURS TO FULLY EXTINGUISH THE FIRE WHICH LED TO MAJOR SMOKE AND WATER DAMAGE AS WELL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS 2002 BMW 330CI. THE DRIVERS SEAT WAS AN ELECTRIC SPORT SEAT AND NO LONGER GOES MOVED FORWARD AND BACKWARDS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT WOULD RECLINE, BUT HE COULD NOT ADJUST IT FOR THE PROPER LEG ROOM. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 135000.

THE INCIDENT OCCURRED JUST AFTER MERGING ONTO THE INNER-LOOP 495 NORTH-BOUND FROM WEST-BOUND HIGHWAY 50, BETWEEN HIGHWAY 50 AND 66, IN FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA. DURING THE MERGE, I ACCELERATED MY VEHICLE TO EQUAL TO THE SPEED OF TRAFFIC WHILE MAINTAINING MY POSITION IN THE ON/OFF-LANE USED FOR THE 50/60 MERGER. BECAUSE I WAS CONTINUING NORTH-BOUND ON 495 TOWARDS TYSON'S CORNER, I STARTED PROCEDURES TO EXIT THE 66 ON-LANE AND MERGE INTO NORTH-BOUND 495 TRAFFIC. THESE PROCEDURES INCLUDED CHECKING BOTH MY SIDE AND REAR-VIEW MIRRORS AS WELL AS MY BLIND SPOTS. NEEDLESS TO SAY, DURING THE PROCEDURES MY EYES WERE ROUTINELY FORWARD TO CHECK ON FORWARD TRAFFIC. BETWEEN MY MIRROR AND BLIND SPOT CHECKS, I NOTICED THAT I WAS QUICKLY APPROACHING A MASSIVE POTHOLE THAT LAID DIRECTLY IN THE PATH OF MY FORWARD PROGRESSION. I ESTIMATE THE POTHOLE SIZE BEING TWO FEET IN LENGTH, ONE FOOT IN WIDTH, AND ONE FOOT IN DEPTH (I HAVE PICTURES). ALTHOUGH I ATTEMPTED TO AVOID THE POTHOLE, AT AROUND 60MPH, IN THE RAIN, WITH A GUARD RAIL TO MY RIGHT AND TRAFFIC TO MY LEFT, THERE WAS VERY LITTLE I COULD DO TO AVOID IT WITHOUT RISKING MY LIFE, MY PASSENGER'S LIFE, AND LIVES OF FELLOW COMMUTERS. I HIT THE POTHOLE. THE IMPACT WAS SO SEVER IT NOT ONLY BENT MY FRONT, PASSENGER'S SIDE WHEEL AND RIPPED A QUARTER-SIZE GAPING HOLE IN MY TIRE, IT DEPLOYED ALL MY PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAGS AND POSSIBLY RUINED MY SUSPENSION. AT THE TIME OF IMPACT, MY PASSENGER WAS LEANING AGAINST THE ARM-RESTS AND THE WINDOW DIRECTLY ON THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT PATH. HIS ARM, FACE, AND HEARING WERE INJURED DURING THE INCIDENT. I ALLOWED THE CAR TO SLOW DOWN TO SAFE SPEEDS BY RELEASING THE ACCELERATOR. ONCE AT SAFE SPEEDS, I CONTINUED TO AN EMERGENCY EXIT PULLOUT WHERE I AWAITED POLICE AND A TOWING VEHICLE. AFTER SPEAKING WITH THE POLICE, A VDOT EMERGENCY VEHICLE PULLED UP AND OFFERED ASSISTANCE. HE LATER INFORMED ME THAT THE POTHOLE HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY ADDRESSED AND SHOULD HAVE FIXED WELL BEFORE THE TIME OF MY INCIDENT. *TR

ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO, I HAD MY 2002 BMW 330CI SERVICED AT BEVERLY HILLS BMW. DURING THAT $700+ SERVICE, THEY PERFORMED AN INSPECTION THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO COVER EVERY MAJOR PART OF THE VEHICLE, INCLUDING THE TRANSMISSION. YESTERDAY, I HAD A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE. WHEN I ASKED BMW WHY THEY DIDN\'T NOTICE ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION DURING THEIR $700+ INSPECTION, I WAS TOLD THEY CAN\'T PREDICT WHEN PARTS ARE GOING TO FAIL. WHICH BEGS THE QUESTION -- WHY DID I PAY $700+ FOR AN INSPECTION THAT CAN TELL WHEN SOMETHING IS ABOUT TO GO WRONG? MY CAR ONLY HAS ABOUT 81,000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE SERVICED IT ON A REGULAR BASIS AND HAVE ALWAYS TAKEN THE BEST POSSIBLE CARE OF IT . DAMAGE RESULTING I'M NOW LEFT WITH A CAR THAT NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE DEALERSHIP WILL HAPPILY PUT ONE IN FOR $5800. OR I CAN PROBABLY HAVE SOMEONE REBUILD IT -- BUT IT WILL STILL COST ME BIG BUCKS. FROM MY RESEARCH - THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON THING HAPPENING WITH THE BMW 3 SERIES. WHY ISN\'T BMW BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE? I DID EVERYTHING RIGHT. I ALWAYS SERVICED MY CAR AT THE DEALERSHIP AND USED THEIR PARTS. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON AN EXPRESSWAY APPROX. 55 MPH WHEN THE CAR STALLED. TURNED OFF IGNITION AND RESTARTED CAR. I COULD ONLY DRIVE 30 MPH AND TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER. THE CAR HAS ONLY 26,000 MILES. I WAS TOLD THE WIRING HARNESS AND THROTTLE BODY HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $ 1700.00 BUT THE WARRANTY WAS UP LAST YEAR. THERE WAS TSB ISSUED IN 2003. WHY WEREN'T THE OWNERS TOLD ABOUT THIS? *JB