2003 BMW 525I

UPON TURNING ON THE MANUFACTURER INSTALLED DRIVERS SEAT HEATER, THE DRIVERS SEAT HEATER SHORTED OUT CAUSING EXTREME HEAT AND SMOKE TO RISE FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SEAT. ALTHOUGH THIS DID NOT CAUSE A FIRE, IT WAS EXTREMELY CLOSE TO CAUSING A FIRE. THE HEATER WAS TURNED OFF, AND THE SMOKE AND HEAT SUBSIDED. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL. CONTACTED A BMW MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE AND A KNOWN ISSUE WITH BMW. HE CITED A CASE WHICH CAUSED A CUSTOMERS LEATHER SEAT TO BURN AND ALSO BURNED HIS SPORTS COAT. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THIS PROBLEM HAPPENS OVERTIME DO TO THE BREAKDOWN OF THE WIRING WHICH IS CAUSED BY THE DRIVER GETTING INTO AND OUT OF THE VEHICLE. OVER TIME, THE WIRES RUB BARE CAUSING THE DETERIORATION OF THE WIRING AND THE INSULATION. THE WIRING IN TURN BUILDS RESISTANCE WITH THE IN ABILITY OF THE ELECTRICITY TO PASS THROUGH THE DAMAGE WIRING, WHICH CAUSES THE EXCESSIVE HEAT. *TR

2003 525I BMW FRONT PASSENGER DOOR JAMMED IN "DOUBLE LOCK." THIS CONDITION OCCURRED WITHOUT USER INVOLVEMENT AND COULD HAVE LEFT THE PASSENGER WITH NO MEANS OF A QUICK EXIT IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT OR OTHER EVENT REQUIRING A QUICK EXIT. ONLY MEANS OF EGRESS WAS TO CRAWL THOUGHT THE WINDOW OR OVER DRIVERS SEAT. THERE IS NO WAY TO MECHANICALLY OVERCOME THE PROBLEM, I.E., NO KEY ON ANY DOORS EXCEPT DRIVER'S. *TR

BEGAN TO HEAR A "CLICKING NOISE" UNDER FRONT END OF VEHICLE. UPON INVESTIGATION, BMW SERVICE DEPARTMENT DETERMINED RMFD HYDRO STEERING BOX DEFECTIVE AND REPLACED IT. SERVICE DEPARTMENT STATED NOISE WOULD GET WORSE IF NOT REPLACED BUT COULDN'T ADVISE ME AS TO SAFETY ISSUE. VEHICLE METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED WITH UNDER 40,000 MILES. CONTACTED BMW VIA EMAIL WITH NO RESPONSE. *TR

ON 8 MARCH 2005 AT APPROXIMATELY 3:20PM, [XXX] (SPOUSE) AND [XXX] (4 YEAR OLD CHILD) WERE HEADING WESTBOUND ON GRAND RIVER AVE. IN NOVI MICHIGAN. [XXX] WAS SECURED IN A GRACO BOOSTER SEAT IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLE IN THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE. THE GRACO BOOSTER SEAT WAS TETHERED TO THE REAR BENCH SEAT PER MANUFACTURERS INSTRUCTIONS WHILE [XXX] WAS HELD IN THE BOOSTER SEAT BY BMW'S SHOULDER RESTRAINT BELT AND SECURED INTO THE OEM LATCH. UPON TURNING SOUTHBOUND ONTO TAFT ROAD, THE SUBJECT 525I BMW [XXX] WAS STRUCK IN THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE BY A EASTBOUND (GRAND RIVER AVE.) VEHICLE. THE COLLISION RESULTED IN [XXX] BECOMING A PROJECTILE IN THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE OEM SHOULDER BELT LATCH AND CLASP GAVE WAY NOT HOLDING THE CHILD IN THE BOOSTER SEAT. THE BOOSTER SEAT WAS STILL SECURED TO THE BMW REAR BENCH SEAT. [XXX] DID CONFIRM THAT UPON INITIALLY SECURING [XXX] AT THE INCEPTION ON THE TRIP, SHE HAD LATCHED THE SHOULDER BELT ACROSS [XXX] AND THE BOOSTER SEAT AND TUGGED UPON IT AS A FORCE OF HABIT TO INSURE A PROPER LATCHING ACTION.*AK *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

WHILE SHIFTING GEARS FROM FIRST TO SECOND, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE BY ENGAGING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THE CONSUMER PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER AND NOTICED THAT THE GAS PEDAL WAS STUCK. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO RELEASE THE PEDAL.*AK THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND IT TOOK 5 DAYS FOR THEM TO REPLACE THE BROKEN PEDAL. *JB