2004 BMW 525I

SUDDEN ACCELERATION ON A BMW 525I 2004. NO PREVIOUS INCIDENTS. WHILE TURNING INTO A PARKING SPACE, PERPENDICULAR TO THE ROAD, IN FRONT OF A BAKERY, DURING THE FINAL APPROACH THE ENGINE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, ABRUPTLY AND WITHOUT A REASON, GOING OVER THE BUMP STOP. THE CAR ENDED UP IN THE SIDEWALK, NO INJURIES (FORTUNATELY NO PEDESTRIANS WERE ON THE SIDEWALK AT THE TIME). LUCKILY THE DRIVER HAD THE FOOT ON THE BREAK PEDAL AND COULD TAKE ACTION PREVENTING A CRASH WITH THE BUILDING'S DOOR AND AVOIDING HITTING THE PEOPLE INSIDE THE SHOP. CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND WILL UNDERGO TESTING. SERVICE ADVISER CLAIMS NO ISSUE LIKE THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE, ONLY IN TOYOTA'S. NOT TRUE AT ALL. *TR

I STARTED MY CAR AND TURNED THE SEAT HEATER ON LOW. APPROX 5 MINS LATER, SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT OF THE DASH BECAUSE THE SEAT HEATER HAD BURNED TWO HOLES IN THE LEATHER AND SMOKE HAD CIRCULATED IN MY CAR. I STOPPED THE CAR, TURNED IT OFF, AND TURNED IT BACK ON AND THE SMOKE CLEARED. I HAD CONTACTED MY LOCAL DEALER AND BMW NA IN DEC 2012 BECAUSE I FELT THE SEAT HEATERS WERE GETTING TOO HOT - THE DRIVERS SEAT REGISTERED 132 DEGREES AT THAT TIME. THE DEALER TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE SEAT HEATER AND BMW NA NEVER RESPONDED, OUTSIDE THE STANDARD FORM EMAIL TELLING ME THEY WOULD GET BACK TO ME. TODAY, THE SEAT HEATER FINALLY BURNED THROUGH THE LEATHER AND I WAS FORTUNATE NOT TO HAVE BEEN BURNED. *TR

THERE IS A COMPONENT CALLED MPM(MICRO POWER MODULE) BENEATH THE SPARE TIRE AND IS COMPLETELY BURNT DUE TO SOME WATER IN THE TRUNK. THE PLASTIC CASE WHICH COVERS THE COMPONENT IS BURNT AND THERE IS CLEAR INDICATION OF FIRE. SPOKE TO BMW CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND THEY ADVISED ME TO FILE A COMPLAINT HERE . PLEASE LOOK IN TO THIS ISSUE AS THIS MAY BE HAZARDOUS. *TR

THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT IS ON AND WILL NOT TURN OFF. I HAVE CALLED THE BMW DEALERSHIP AND THEY STATED THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO RUN A DIAGNOSTICS TEST WHICH WILL COST OVER $100 JUST TO FIND OUT WHAT IS WRONG WITH IT. THEY STATED THAT MY VIN NUMBER WAS ONE OF THE CARS THAT WAS FIXED IN A PREVIOUS RECALL FOR THE SAME ISSUE. I TOLD THEM I DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY TO SEE WHAT IS WRONG IT. WHAT IF THE PASSENGER AIRBAG FAILS AND SOMEONE IS ACTUALLY INJURED DO TO THIS ISSUE. THE WARNING NOTIFICATION ON THE DASH HAS BEEN ON FOR TWO YEARS. THE CAR CURRENTLY HAS 80,000. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE SAME ISSUE HAPPENS FOR A PREVIOUS RECALL AND THEY CANNOT TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THE RECALL. VERY DISAPPOINTED. THE CAR HAS A VERY HIGH PRICE TAG AND YOU WOULD EXPECT SOME SORT OF OWNERSHIP AND HONESTY FROM THE BMW CORPORATION. *TR

MY NAVIGATION AND RADIO SYSTEM JUST STOPPED WORKING AND I HAD TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAS COMMON FOR THE CAR COMMUNICATIONS COMPUTER TO GO BAD AND THAT THEY WOULD REPLACE IT FOR 1300.00 AND THE FACT THAT IT WAS COMMON THAT THE PART WENT BAD THAT OFTEN WAS CONFUSING AND I THINK SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THAT PART. *TR

IN JUNE 2012, I RECEIVED SERVICE FOR THE BATTERY CABLE RECALL FOR MY 2004 525I AT BEVERY HILLS BMW SERVICE CENTER. ONE WEEK AFTER MY SERVICE A SERVICE INDICATOR ON MY I-DRIVE SAID THERE WAS PASSENGER RESTRAINT/AIRBAG MALFUNCTION. THE BEVERLY HILLS BMW SERVICE DEPARTMENT DETERMINED THAT THIS SERVICE INDICATOR WAS TRIGGERED BY A MALFUNCTION OF THE BATTERY SAFETY TERMINAL WHICH HAPPENED SHORTLY <1000 MILES AFTER THE REPAIR OF THE BATTERY CABLE RECALL. THE RECALL SERVICE DONE AT BEVERLY HILLS BMW WAS RELATED TO THE MOUNTING OF THE BATTERY CABLES TO A CONNECTION IN THE MID-TRUNK, AND THE POSITIVE TERMINAL CABLE THAT CONNECTS THERE RUNS BACK TO THE RIGHT CORNER OF THE TRUNK AND CONNECTS TO THE BATTERY, COMMUNICATING DIRECTLY WITH THE BATTERY SAFETY TERMINAL. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ, THE BATTERY SAFETY TERMINAL CAN MALFUNCTION IF ANY CONNECTION TO IT IS LOOSE CAUSING AN ABRUPT CHANGE IN IMPEDANCE IN THE CIRCUIT, OR ON THE CONTRARY CAN BE CAUSED BY BLOWN FUSE RELATED TO A RAPID RISE IN VOLTAGE. ANOTHER POSSIBILITY IS THAT HEATING OF THE BATTERY CABLE (THE ISSUE THE RECALL EXISTS IN THE FIRST PLACE), COULD HAVE CAUSED THE BATTERY TERMINAL TO MALFUNCTION, THOUGH THAT DOES NOT EXPLAIN WHY THIS PROBLEM WOULD SURFACE ONLY AFTER THE REPAIR WORK. FURTHERMORE, THE BATTERY SAFETY TERMINAL IS NOT A WEARABLE PART, SO IT SEEM ILLOGICAL TO THINK THAT'S IT'S MALFUNCTION, TIMED TO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS JUST A COINCIDENCE. BMW OF BEVERY HILLS IS ATTMEPTING TO CHARGE ME FOR THE BATTERY SAFETY TERMINAL REPAIR $870.00 EVEN THOUGH THIS IS A DIRECT RESULT OF THEIR FALLED ATTEMPT TO REPAIR THE RECALL. BMW OF NORTH AMERICA WAS NOTIFIED OF THIS PROBLEM. *TR

MY PROBLEM WITH MY VEHICLE WAS ALL OF A SUDDEN WHEN I TRIED TO UNLOCK MY CAR ONLY THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER DOORS UNLOCKED. MY REAR DOORS REMAINED LOCKED. I CANNOT OPEN MY DOORS FROM THE OUTSIDE OR INSIDE AND I AM WORRIED IF I EVER HAVE AN EMERGENCY AND MY PASSENGERS HAVE TO GET OUT THEY CANNOT. ALSO WITH THIS PROBLEM MY INTERIOR LIGHTING WENT OUT. THIS ISN'T AN ISSUE BUT MY DOORS ARE. *TR

I BELIEVE MOISTURE COLLECTED IN THE BOTTOM OF THE "SPARE TIRE WELL" IN THE TRUNK- DUE TO CHANGING FLAT TIRE AND OPENING TRUNK IN THE RAIN. THERE IS AND ELECTRONIC MODULE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE "SPARE TIRE WELL BMW STOCK #W61 35 6 982 347) IT WENT ON FIRE-BECAUSE OF MOISTURE. REPAIR WAS MADE, MODULE WAS RELOCATED TO UPPER LEFT LOCATION OF TRUNK (AS WAS DONE ON MODELS AFTER 2004 LD PART IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. *AK