1997 BMW 528I

TWO THINGS SPECIFICALLY WHICH APPEARS TO BE A VERY WIDESPREAD ISSUE. FIRST, THE TRANSMISSION HAS LOST ITS REVERSE FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE GOES IN DRIVE WITHOUT A SINGLE PROBLEM AT ALL. THIS APPEARS TO BE RELATED TO A DEFECT IN THE DRUM ON THE VEHICLE. (A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH WILL SHOW YOU AND UNBELIEVABLE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM) ALSO, THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT STAYS ON EVEN AFTER THE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF. THIS IS CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE TRANSISTOR IN THE LCM (LIGHT CONTROL MODULE). MY LIGHT STAYED ON IN MY 97 BMW 528I AND CAUGHT FIRE, BURNING THE HEADLIGHT CAUSING A FIRE HAZARD. THE HEADLIGHT CAUGHT AFIRE BECAUSE THE LCM MODULE DIDN'T TURN THE LIGHTS OFF. ALSO,THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT FOR REVERSE. *TR

ON 8/23/05 MY BMW 528I VIN#[XXX] BROUGHT IN FOR REPAIRS. ONE OF MY COMPLAINTS THAT DAY WAS THE CAR WOULD HESITATE AND SOME TIMES STALL. MY CAR WAS CONNECTED TO A "CHECK ENGINE COMPUTER SYSTEM" TO DIAGNOSIS THE PROBLEM. MY MECHANIC INFORMED ME THE PROBLEM WAS A "CRANK SENSOR" WHICH HE INFORMED ME WAS RECALLED. HE MADE A CALL TO TULLEY BMW (LOCATED IN NASHUA, NH) IN REGARDS TO THE RECALL BUT THEY CLAIMED THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THAT VEHICLE. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME HE COULD FIX IT HOWEVER HE FELT IT WAS WORTH MY EFFORTS TO PERSUE THE ISSUE FURTHER AT TULLEY BMW. AFTER PICKING UP THE CAR AND GETTING ALL OF THE INFORMATION FROM MY MECHANIC THAT DAY I WENT HOME AND CALLED BMW OF NORTH AMERICA. I GAVE THEM THE RECALL # 99E-A01AND MY VIN #. I WAS INFORMED BY NORTH AMERICA BMW THAT THE RECALL INFORMATION IS CORRECT AND ACCORDING TO THEIR RECORDS MY CAR WAS FIXED BY TULLEY BMW 5/2002. AFTER RECEIVING THIS INFORMATION I CALLED TULLEY BMW AND SPOKE WITH A "PETER" IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. I EXPLAINED MY SITUATION AND PETER CAME BACK WITH THE SAME INFORMATION THAT HIS RECORDS INDICATE IT WAS DONE. WHEN I TOLD HIM IT WASN'T DONE BECAUSE THE PART IN MY CAR IS THE ORIGINAL SENSOR AND EXPLAINED THAT THE REPLACEMENT PART CONNECTED DIFFERENT. AFTER ARGUING SOME MORE HE FINALLY AGREED TO LOOK AT THE CAR ON 8/30/2005. I BROUGHT THE CAR IN ON 8/29/2005 SO IT WOULD BE THERE IN THE AM. IMMEDIATELY THE SERVICE PERSONAL HAD A MECHANIC LOOK AT THE SENSOR. HE CONFIRMED IT WAS IN FACT THE ORIGINAL PART. WHEN I ASKED FOR A RENTAL CAR I WAS TOLD THAT THEY FIRST HAD TO FIND OUT WHO WAS GOING TO PAY FOR THE RECALL. I THEN INFORMED THEM THEY WERE BECAUSE I CALLED BMW OF NORTH AMERICA SAID IT WAS ALREADY DONE THEREFORE TULLEY BMW RECEIVED THE REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE RECALL. NEEDLESS TO SAY THEY GAVE ME A RENTAL CAR THAT NIGHT. *NM UPDATED 07/19/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)