2008 BMW 335I

PASSENGER SAFETY RESTRAIN SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS, WHEN A PASSENGER IS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, THE SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS. THIS MEANS THE AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY SHOULD THERE BE A CRASH. THIS VERY ISSUE IS A CAUSE OF A RECALL BY BMW IN 2008, BUT THIS MODEL IS NOT CURRENTLY COVERED DESPITE THIS BEING A VERY COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL.

2008 BMW 335I COUPE PURCHASED ON JULY 15TH, 2013 FROM CARMAX. CURRENTLY DRIVABLE BUT HAS MAJOR MECHANICAL PROBLEMS. THE EXTENDED SERVICE CONTRACT IS STILL UNDER COVERAGE AND IS VALID AT THE BMW DEALER OR ANY CARMAX NATIONWIDE. WHEN CARMAX CAN'T FIX THE CAR IT'S HAULED OVER TO THE BMW DEALERSHIP TO COMPLETE THE REPAIR AND A CHECK WOULD BE WRITTEN BY MAXCARE TO THE BMW DEALER. THE ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT I'VE HAD TO TAKE THIS VEHICLE IN FOR MAJOR REPAIRS SEVERAL TIMES AND I'M NOT COUNTING MAINTENANCE VISITS. MOST OF THESE MAJOR REPAIRS WERE REPETITIVE MAJOR JOBS SUCH AS OIL LEAKS, FUEL PRESSURE SYSTEM, INJECTORS. AT ONE TIME MY CAR PING PONGED BETWEEN CARMAX AND BMW FOR CLOSE TO 2 MONTHS. CONSIDER THE TIME I'VE OWNED THIS CAR FOR AND HOW LONG AND HOW MANY TIMES IT'S BEEN OUT OF MY POSSESSION. I WAS PAYING A CAR NOTE FOR A BMW BUT DRIVING AROUND IN A A BASE MODEL RENTAL CAR MOST OF THE TIME. I'VE GOT INVOICES/ESTIMATES WHERE THE CAR WENT IN FOR MAJOR REPAIR OR DIAGNOSIS DURING THESE DATES: 07/22/2013 05/30/2014 06/13/2014 07/01/2014 11/05/2014 06/25/2015 THE REPAIR INVOICE/ESTIMATE ON 11/05/2014 WAS THE BIGGEST ONE. I WAS VERY FRUSTRATED WITH THE AMOUNT OF WORK BEING DONE ON THE VEHICLE SO I GOT THE CAR APPRAISED TO SELL BACK TO CARMAX AND THEY TOLD ME $10,000 WHICH I THOUGHT WAS RIDICULOUS. THE WORK DONE ON THAT CAR AMOUNTED TO ALMOST $7,000 OR MORE JUST ON THAT ONE INVOICE WHICH IS 70% OF THE CAR VALUE. ALSO, WHILE THE CAR WAS IN THE SHOP I ACQUIRED THE HISTORY OF THE VEHICLE DIRECTLY FROM BMW. THE HISTORY STATED THAT THE CAR HAD OIL LEAK REPAIR AT THE PAN AND GASKET AND THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAD A LEAK IN 03/06/2013 AND THE MILEAGE FOR THIS RECORD WAS COMPLETELY OFF. AS YOU CAN SEE THE DATE OF THIS DIAGNOSIS WAS A FEW MONTHS PRIOR TO ME PURCHASING THE VEHICLE.

THE ENGINE MALFUNCTION "REDUCED POWER " MESSAGE KEEPS COMING ON AND OFF , LOW ENGINE OIL MESSAGE KEEPS COMING ON EVEN THOUGH ITS GOOD ON OIL , THE STEERING WHEEL WAS HARD TO TURN WHILE I WAS DRIVING CAUSING ME TO HAVE TO PULL OVER AND TURN THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON AND THE STEERING WAS OK AFTER THAT. IT'S CURRENTLY BEING LOOKED AT MY THE DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED IT ONLY 3 MONTHS AGO.

VEHICLE 2008 BMW 335I LOST ALL POWER WHILE ACCELERATING ON HIGHWAY (APPROX. 55MPH). FORCED TO WEAVE THRU LANES / TRAFFIC TO A COMPLETE STOP ON SHOULDER OF ROAD. IN ADDITION, VEHICLE 2008 BMW 335I HAS ENGINE LIGHT ON DURING "COLD START". DURING COLD START VEHICLE STATES "REDUCED POWER, ENGINE MALFUNCTIONING". CAR DIAGNOSED: DIAGNOSIS <REPLACE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP AND LOW PRESSURE SENSOR>

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW 335I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EXTREMELY SLOW TO PICK UP SPEED. THE CONTACT APPLIED FORCE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO PICK UP SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL INJECTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000.

ABS SYSTEM FAILURE LIGHT CAME ON AFTER 20000 MILES. DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT IT WOULD COST $4800 TO FIX BUT THAT BMW WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT PEOPLE WERE HAVING AND TYPICALLY OFFERED A BREAK ON THE COST OF THE PARTS AS A "GOODWILL" GESTURE. THIS SO CALLED "GOODWILL" WAS NOT OFFERED TO US AND WERE ADVISED THAT THE CAR COULD BE DRIVEN WITHOUT THE REPAIRS AS LONG AS WE REALIZED THAT WE "WERE DRIVING A CAR FROM THE '70S". HOW CAN YOU GARAGE KEEP A $52000 CAR AND HAVE SUCH A SYSTEM/SAFETY BREAKDOWN AFTER 20,000 MILES. IN ADDITION, HOW CAN A MANUFACTURER RECOGNIZE THIS FAILURE IN THE FORM OF "GOODWILL" GESTURES UNTIL THEY TIRE OF DOING SO? I WOULD ASK THE NHTSA TO PLEASE ENCOURAGE THE MANUFACTURER OF THIS VEHICLE (BMW) TO FIX THIS FAULT IN THEIR PRODUCTION/DESIGN AT THEIR COST. THANK YOU *TR

THE DOORS WILL NOT UNLOCK. THE LIGHTS FLASH ON THE OUTSIDE BUT EVEN WHEN PUSHING THE UNLOCK BUTTON FROM THE INSIDE OF THE CAR THE DOORS STAY LOCKED. WIFE HAD TO EXIT MY CAR WAS BY CRAWLING OUT OF THE WINDOW. ABLE TO USE THE KEY FOR MANUAL UNLOCK OF DRIVER DOOR ONLY; GAS TANK DOOR REMAINS LOCKED SO I CANNOT PUT GAS IN MY CAR AND, THEREFORE, CANNOT DRIVE MY CAR. *TR

I HAD NOTICED A MELTING PLASTIC SMELL FOR A FEW WEEKS BUT COULDN'T IDENTIFY THE SOURCE AND SHORTLY AFTER THIS MY HEADLIGHT BURNT OUT SO I WENT TO REPLACE THE BULB. BY THIS TIME, I NOTICED SMOKE COMING OUT OF MY HEADLIGHT MOUNT. UPON OPENING THE HEADLIGHT I NOTICED ALL OF THE WIRE SHIELDING HAD FALLEN OFF OF THE WIRES INSIDE THE HEADLIGHT MOUNT, CAUSING THE WIRES TO ARK AND MELT. UPON COMPARING AGAINST THE OTHER HEADLIGHT, I FOUND THE SAME THING- ALL OF THE WIRE SHIELDING HAD FALLEN OFF. I WENT TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME, SIMPLY DUE TO HOW HOT AND DRY THIS MODEL GETS UNDER THE HOOD AND THE HEADLIGHTS BEING SEALED. THEY SAID IT'S USUALLY COVERED BY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY, HOWEVER NOT IN THE CASE OF MY VEHICLE'S MILEAGE. SINCE THE HEADLIGHT IS A SEALED UNIT, YOU CANNOT ACCESS THE WIRES TO REPLACE THEM AND CANNOT PURCHASE A HARNESS, THE WHOLE UNIT MUST BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $800 EACH. I GOOGLED AND FOUND SEVERAL COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME ISSUE. UPON CONTACTING BMW HQ DIRECTLY, THEY SAID IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE, BUT NOT COVERED, AND GOT BACK TO ME SEVERAL WEEKS LATER OFFERING TO PAY $200 TOWARD THE COST OF THE $1600 REPAIR IF I HAD IT DONE AT THE DEALER, OR $2000 TOWARD THE PURCHASE OF A NEW BMW. *TR