2004 BMW 530I

THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY PRODUCED BY HELLA CONTAINS APPARENTLY DEFECTIVE WIRING. THE INSULATION ON THE ELECTRICAL WIRES TO THE HIGH BEAM BULBS AND THE PARKING LIGHT BULBS DETERIORATES AND CRUMBLES OFF LEAVING EXPOSED ELECTRICAL WIRES IN THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. MOVING THE WIRES DURING REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT OF BULBS CAUSED THE INSULATION TO BREAK OFF COMPLETELY. THE PROBLEM WAS JUST DISCOVERED, BUT WAS OBVIOUSLY IN A STATE OF DECAY FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.

SUBJECT: 2004 BMW 535I ON OCTOBER 30,2012 JUST AFTER HURRICANE SANDY HIT THE EAST COAST OF NEW JERSEY, I HAD OCCASION TO USE MY 535I. WHILE DRIVING I NOTICED VARIOUS WARNING AND FAULT LIGHTS FLASHING ON THE CONTROL PANEL, LOSS OF POWER AND THE CABIN BEGAN FILLING WITH SMOKE. WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY, I MANAGED TO PULL ACROSS SEVERAL LANES TO THE SIDE OF THE MULTI-LANE HIGHWAY I WAS ON (ROUTE 42N). UPON INSPECTION I FOUND 6-8 INCHES OF WATER IN THE TRUNK WHEEL WELL. UNDER THE SPARE TIRE I OBSERVED A BURNING AND SMOKING MSM POWER MODULE. I SUBSEQUENTLY BROUGHT THE CAR TO MY LOCAL BMW DEALER IN TURNERSVILLE, NJ. THE DEALER REFUSED ANY LIABILITY OR FAULT FOR THE $3000 REPAIR WHICH INCLUDED REPLACING AND RELOCATING THE MSM POWER MODULE, REPLACING THE RADIO SYSTEM, CLEANING WATER STAINS FROM THE HOOD LINER AND TRYING TO ALLEVIATE THE SMOKE ODOR. I CAME TO FIND OUT THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN TO RELOCATE THE MSM POWER MODULE HIGHER IN THE TRUNK FROM ITS ORIGINAL POSITION AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WHEEL WELL. THE DEALER LIED AND TOLD ME WATER HAS LEAKED INTO THE TRUNK VIA LOOSE TRUNK RIVETS. I LATER DETERMINED THE WATER ENTERED THE TRUNK FOLLOWING CLOGGED SUNROOF DRAINS. THE DEALER DID NOT DENY THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED BUT REFUSED TO COVER THE DAMAGES. BMW SHOULD BE SUED AS I'VE DETERMINED THIS ISSUE IS NOT ATYPICAL AND COULD LEAD TO A DISASTER. [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).'*JB

EVERYTIME, COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, TRANSMISSION HAS A NOTICEABLE "BUMP"/ROUGH SHIFT INTO 1ST GEAR, TOOK THE VEHICLE TO BMW DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSIS/REPAIR, PROBLEM WAS NOT SOLVED TIME AND TIME AGAIN. NOW, APPROXIMATELY OVER A YEAR LATER, TRANSMISSION WARNING LIGHT ON, TRANSMISSION WENT INTO LIMP MODE. BMW DEALER STATES, TRANSMISSION HAS TO BE REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE DUE TO 3-2-1 DOWNSHIFT. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE AND VEHICLE SINCE PURCHASE HAS BEEN MAINTAINED METICULOUSLY AT THE SAME BMW DEALERSHIP.

I OWN A 2004 BMW 530 I MY DAGHTER JUST CAME BACK FRO WORK SHE PARKED THE CAR IN MY DRIVE WAY AND SHE CAME INSIDE SHE HAD DIINNER AND WE GOT READY FOR BED AT APPROXMENTLY 11PM WE GET A NOCK ON THE SIDE WINDOW WERE FROM THE POLICE DEPT SAY TO EVECUATE AND TO COME OUT NOW WHEN WE CAME OUT THE CAR WAS IN A FIRE AND THE SAINT CLOUD FL MARSHAL SAID THE FIRE START CAUSE DUE TO THE BATTERY OR THE WIRE IN THE TRUNK I CALLED BMW COPPERT OFFICE TO LET THEM KNOW AND THEY SAID THEY WILL NEED TO PICK UP THE CAR TO HAV ENGINER TO LOOK AT THE CAR WAS TOTTLED BMW AFTER THEY TOOL 40 DAY FOR EVALUATION THEY CALLED ME TODAY AND ONLY OFFERED TO PAY $5000.00 TOWARD A CERTIF USED OR NEW BMW I TOLD THEM THAT THIS WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE AND I TOLD THEM I WILL CALL YOUR COPANY AND THEY SEEM NOT TO CARE I WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERY OWNER OUT THERE NEED TO KNOW THIS CAN HAPPEN TO THEM AND THAT RECALL THAT BMW HAD BY REPLACING THE ONLY ONLY A RUBER PART ON THE RED WIRE IN THE TRUNK DOES NOT HELP PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU CAN HELP ME RECOVER MY MONEY ON THE CAR.I DID NOT HAVE FULL COVERGE I ONLY HAD LIBLTY INSURANCE SO THIS DID NOT HELP I HAVE BEEN DOING MY HOMEWORK AND FOUND OUT THAT THERE HAVE BEEN 1.2 MILLION BMW RECALL AND ONLY 1 FIRE MY CAR IS THE 2ND AS I READ MORE ABOUT THE ISSUE AND ALSO FOUND SOME NEWS COMPANY SUCH NBC HAD A ARTICLE ON THIS ISSUE .

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 530I. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, "PASS RESTRAINT SYSTEM, FAULT IN PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM, AFFECTING AIR BAG BELT TENSIONER OR BELT FORCE LIMITER" DISPLAYED ACROSS THE MESSAGE BOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR MAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 92,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 530I. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT AND THE SEAT BELT SENSOR LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE ALONG WITH A MESSAGE INDICATING THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT RESTRAINT SYSTEM WAS FAULTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 108,800.

STARTED CAR IN THE MORNING TO LET IT WARM UP AND TURNED ON SEAT HEATER. GOT IN CAR 5 MIN LATER TO HEAD TO WORK AND SMOKE WAS COMING THROUGH SEAT MATERIAL ON DRIVER SEAT. SEAT HEATER CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED THROUGH LEATHER AND BURNT ME AND MY CLOTHES. BURNT LEFT HAND THUMB AND INDEX FINGER TRYING TO PUT FIRE OUT. FROM SEARCHING ONLINE THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH NO DEALERS OR MANUFACTURE OF CAR DOING ANYTHING TO PREVENT THIS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY CAR, WITH MY WIFE AS A PASSENGER, I'VE NOTICED THAT THE "PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF" LIGHT IS STILL ON (EVEN THOUGH THERE IS A PASSENGER IN THE SEAT). I WENT TO THE STEVENS CREEK BMW DEALERSHIP TO DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE AND THEY SAID THAT THE REASON THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON IS BECAUSE THE SENSOR IS NOT SENSING A PASSENGER DUE TO CABLE CORROSION. THAT SEEMS ODD, GIVEN I KEEP MY CAR IN THE GARAGE AND IT NEVER HAD ANY WATER DAMAGE. ALSO, I BELIEVE THAT IT IS A POOR ENGINEERING ON BMW'S SIDE, SINCE IN CASE OF CORRODED CABLE OR FAULTY SENSOR THE DEFAULT BEHAVIOR SHOULD BE TO ALWAYS KEEP THE AIRBAG "ON". IT IS BETTER BE SAFE THAN SORRY AND (IN CASE OF ACCIDENT) DEPLOYING AN AIRBAG WHEN THERE IS NO PASSENGER IS BETTER THAN NOT DEPLOYING AN AIRBAG WHEN THERE IS A PASSENGER... THIS IS A CASE OF "POTENTIALLY SAVING SOMEONE'S LIFE" VS "POTENTIALLY SAVING A FEW DOLLARS"... *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY I NOTICED A SMELL OF BURNING MATTER RAPIDLY INCREASING IN THE CAR, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY A SHARP BURNING SENSATION IN MY RIGHT THIGH. WHILE HALF-STANDING I WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER MY CAR TO THE HIGHWAY SHOULDER. (WHICH WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO DO SAFELY, GIVEN THE TRAFFIC WAS DENSE AND MOVING WITH HIGHWAY SPEEDS.) AFTER I PULLED OVER, TURNED OFF THE CAR, CAME OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND LOOKED AT THE SEAT, I NOTICED A BURN MARK ON THE LEATHER, EXACTLY WHERE MY THIGH WAS WHEN IT GOT BURNED. IT SEEMED THAT THE SEAT WARMER OVERHEATED AND BURNED A HOLE IN THE LEATHER. I VENTILATED THE CAR FROM THE BURNING ODOR, WHICH GAVE ENOUGH TIME FOR THE SEAT TO COOL DOWN. AFTER GETTING TO A SAFER LOCATION I TESTED MY THEORY BY TURNING ON THE SEAT WARMER ? THE ISSUES WAS REPRODUCIBLE. I WENT TO STEVENS CREEK BMW DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSTICS AND REPAIRS. THEY CHARGED ME $210.88 DIAGNOSTIC FEE AND QUOTED WITH AROUND $1,500 FOR THE REPAIRS, IMPLYING THAT THEY WILL NOT FIX THIS ISSUE AS ?A GOOD WILL? SINCE MY CAR IS TOO OLD AND HAS TOO MANY MILES ON IT AND THAT IT HAS NONE OF THE WARRANTIES LEFT. I STILL THINK THEY SHOULD HAVE FIXED IT AS "A GOOD WILL" SINCE THE DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED A SHORT CIRCUIT IN THE SEAT WARMER. THE SEAT WARMER SHOULD HAVE FAILED IN A FAIL-SAFE WAY BY NOT WARMING OR AT LEAST BLOWING A FUSE (AND AGE & MILES HAVE LITTLE TO DO WITH POOR ENGINEERING). *TR