2012 BMW 528I

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW 528I. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND AN UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000. UPDATE 01/15/16 MA *CN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW 528I. WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP, THE VEHICLE VIBRATED EXCESSIVELY AND THE CONTACT HEARD AN UNUSUAL NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF THE DEFECTIVE OIL RESERVOIR. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE ENGINE OIL TO MIX WITH THE COOLANT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000.

LAST MONTH MY CAR WAS APPROXIMATELY 52,200 MILES (OUT OF WARRANTY) AND LEAKING OIL ALL OVER MY DRIVEWAY AND UNDER THE HOOD. IT COST ME $1570 TO FIX BY REPLACING THE FITER CASING. LUCKILY THAT THE OIL LEAK WAS IN MY DRIVEWAY. WHAT IF I WAS ON THE FREEWAY? THIS IS TOTALLY UNSAFE CAR TO DRIVE. THE LOCAL SHOP TOLD ME THAT THE FILTER HOUSING (2012 VERSION) WAS MADE OF PLASTIC AND THE CURRENT BMW ONE 2014 IS MADE OF METAL. THE LOCAL SHOP TOLD ME TO CALL BMW IF THERE IS ANY RECALL FOR THIS. SO BEFORE FIXING IT LOCAL SHOP, I DID CALL THE CREVIER BMW IN SANTA ANA, CA AND THE SERVICE ADVISOR TOLD ME THAT THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THE FILTER HOUSING AND MY CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. I TOLD THE BMW ADVISOR THAT I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT A 2012 BMW 528I WITH 52K MILES ON IT AND LEAKING OIL ALL OVER THE PLACE. THE BMW ADVISOR TOLD ME THAT I DROVE TOO MUCH. WHAT KIND OF SERVICE IS THAT? AND BMW WILL NOT COVER IT. SO BMW CANNOT BE DRIVEN OVER 50K MILES. I ALSO DID CALL BMW CORPORATE AND SOMEONE FROM BMW CORPORATE CALLED ME BACK THAT AND SAID NOTHING BMW CAN DO ABOUT THIS. NOW I FOUND OUT BECAUSE OF THE OIL LEAK, THE ALTERNATOR IS HAVING PROBLEM. I WANT TO REPORT THIS INCIDENT SO THAT BMW SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE TO SIMILAR CASES OF THEIR UNSAFE CARS. [XXX] 'INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

DRIVING IN THE HOV AT APPROXIMATELY 9PM WHEN AN ALERT MESSAGE "DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION, DRIVE MODERATELY" DISPLAYS. CAR ENGINE IMMEDIATELY CUTS OUT AND WE HAVE NO PROPULSION. WE ARE UNABLE TO MOVE TO A SAFE LOCATION AND WIND UP ON A NARROW SHOULDER OF THE LIE IN NY. POLICE COME AND CLOSE DOWN 2 LANES TO PREVENT COLLISION (EXTREMELY DANGEROUS ROAD CONDITIONS). WE WERE UNABLE TO START THE CAR OR SHIFT IT INTO NEUTRAL. CAR WAS TOWED. BMW NOTIFIES US THAT FUEL SENSORS MALFUNCTIONED RESULTING IN US RUNNING OUT OF GAS EVEN THOUGHT THE INDICATOR SHOWED WE HAD 1/2 TANK. HOWEVER BECAUSE WE WERE OVER THE 50,000 MILE WARRANTY WE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPLACING. . BMW IS LOOKING FOR US TO PAY $3,100 TO HAVE THE FUEL SENSORS REPLACED. I RESEARCHED THIS AND FOUND THAT BMW HAD ISSUED A RECALL ON ITS 2011 5 SERIES SEDANS AND 2012 5 SERIES GT FOR A FUEL SENSOR MALFUNCTION THAT MIRRORS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO US. WE PURCHASED OUR BMW NOV 2011. WE STRONGLY BELIEVE THIS FUEL SENSOR DEFECT BOTH IN DESIGN AND FUNCTIONALITY IS THE REASON BEHIND WHAT HAPPENED TO US. PUT MY FAMILY AND 6 POLICE PATROL MEN IN HARMS WAY. NOTIFIED BMW THAT THEY NEED TO EXTEND THEIR RECALL TO OTHER 2012 5 SERIES SEDANS GIVEN OUR EXPERIENCE. FELT COMPELLED TO NOTIFY YOU AS THERE MAY BE OTHER DRIVERS WHO WILL BE PUT IN HARMS WAY IF THIS PROBLEM IS NOT RECONCILED ON ALL 2012 5 SERIES SEDANS. WE WERE LUCKY WE WERE NOT INJURED. SOMEONE ELSE MIGHT NOT BE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING AT 30, AND HIT A POT-HOLE. ALL OF SUDDEN MY RARE PASSENGER DOOR POPPED OPENED. MY DASH BOARD STARTED LIGHTING, AND ALSO THE INTERIOR LIGHTS STARTED LIGHTING. TAKEN TO THE DEALER IMMEDIATELY AS WE CARRY OUR BABY OFTEN TIMES IN THE REAR SEAT (HE WAS NOT IN THE CAR WHEN INCIDENT HAPPENED), AND THEY SAID NOTHING WRONG, BUT SUGGESTED TO PUT CHILD LOCK. I SEE A SIMILAR COMPLAINT BY ANOTHER USER. *TR

WHILE DRIVING IN METRO DETROIT LAST NIGHT MY 2012 BMW 528I XDRIVE SUDDENLY FLASHED A "FUEL SYSTEM MALFUNCTION" MESSAGE, LURCHED AND CAME TO A DEAD STOP JUST PAST THE INTERSECTION OF NOVI ROAD AND 10 MILE. I WAS TWO MILES FROM THE EXPRESSWAY AND MY WIFE AND CHILDREN WERE WITH ME IN THE CAR. HAD I MADE IT TO I-96 - JUST TWO MILES UP THE ROAD - AND THIS HAPPENED, WE VERY LIKELY WOULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT. POLICE WERE CALLED BECAUSE I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. THE CAR WAS ELECTRONICALLY LOCKED. I COULD NOT PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL TO MOVE IT OUT OF THE ROADWAY. BMW SERVICE FINALLY MANAGED TO GET THE CAR TOWED 8 HOURS LATER BECAUSE FEW TOW TRUCKS LACKED THE EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO MOVE THE CAR WITHOUT DAMAGE. THERE IS NO MANUAL OVERRIDE TO ALLOW YOU TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, IT CAN ONLY BE ACCESSED BY A SERVICE TECH UNDERNEATH THE CAR. MY SERVICE ADVISOR WAS WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THIS IS A MAJOR HAZARD AND HUGE DESIGN FLAW. THERE IS NO MECHANICAL LINKAGE TO EITHER THE START/STOP BUTTON OR THE SHIFTER. IT'S ALL ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED. I SHUDDER TO THINK WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED HAD THE CAR STALLED ON THE INTERSTATE. NOW I'M STUCK WITH A CAR I DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING. *TR

THE CAR WAS LEASED NEW. A HEAVY 'CHEMICAL ' SMELL OCCURED WHENEVER THE VENTILATION SYSTEM WAS ACTIVATED. DRIVER SUFFERED HEADACHES AND SINUS PROBLEMS. AT 14 MONTHS INTO THE LEASE, DRIVER HAD AN AIR QUALITY TEST DONE ON INSIDE OF THE CAR. RESULTS CAME BACK WITH ELEVATED UNSAFE LEVELS OF BENZINE. OTHER PERSONS RIDING IN THE CAR EXPERIENCED VISION PROBLEMS. BENZINE IS A KNOWN CARCINOGEN AND SOMETHING WAS VERY, VERY WRONG WITH THIS CAR. BMW IS NOW IN POSSESSION OF THIS CAR. *TR

I RAN OVER A POT HOLE, ABOUT 4" DEEP, AND BOTH PASSENGER SIDE RIMS WERE BENT SO BAD THAT THEY HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE TIRES ALSO HAD TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING MODULE. TOTAL COST OF REPAIR WAS $8,229 I PREVIOUSLY HAD A BMW 750IL 2008. I ALSO HIT A POT HOLE AT ABOUT 45 MPH AND THE FRONT RIM CRACKED AND BACK RIM BENT. BOTH THE RIMS AND TIRES HAD TO BE REPLACED AND COST OVER $3000. THE BMWS ARE JUST TO HEAVY FOR THE ALUMINUM RIMS THEY COME WITH. IN OVER 40 YEARS OF DRIVING I HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH RIMS UNTIL I STARTED DRIVING BMWS, AND I HAVE HIT A NUMBER OF POT HOLES BEFORE. SOMEONE SHOULD MAKE BMWS COME EQUIPPED WITH STEEL RIMS. THEIR CHEAP RIMS ARE GOING TO GET SOMEONE KILLED. *TR

I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 50 MPH. ALL OF A SUDDEN, WITHOUT ANY WARNING, I HEARD POP, AND NOTICED THAT THE RIGHT PASSENGER DOOR HAD POPPED LOOSE. IMMEDIATELY, WARNING LIGHTS AND THE INTERIOR LIGHTS CAME ON. THE PASSENGER DOOR WAS COMPLETELY CLOSED AND LOCKED WHEN I STARTED MY COMMUTE. I HAD DRIVEN ABOUT 8 MILES AT THE POINT WHEN THIS HAPPENED. ONCE I PULLED OVER, I NOTICED THAT THE DOOR WAS STILL LOCKED, BUT IT WAS CLEARLY AJAR. NOT SURE WHAT CAUSED THIS, BUT FEEL LIKE THIS IS COULD BE A POTENTIALLY SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. *TR