2008 BMW 535XI

The vehicle's engine caught fire approximately 13 1/2 hours after last having been driven. I parked it in my driveway at 9pm on April 15, 2022. I was alerted to a fire in the engine by my neighbor at 10:30am on April 16, 2022. The entire engine was engulfed in flames, melting all of the plastic components. It burned through my hood and affected every part of the engine. We were able to get the fire out with a garden hose before it spread to the house and my parents' two other vehicles parked next to it. No one was burned while putting out the fire, but several neighbors and family members did breathe in the toxic smoke. 911 was called and the fire department confirmed the fire was out. The driveway under the vehicle has burn damage, but we haven't moved the vehicle yet to see the extent of it. The check engine light had been on since purchase. The vehicle had been maintained by a mechanic specializing in import motors. He was unable to determine the cause of the check engine alert, and said it was a problem that BMW has with several of their models of this era. The vehicle was only covered under liability insurance, so our insurance company has not required an inspection. It has not yet been inspected by a mechanic or any other entity. The vehicle is available for inspection if requested.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW 535XI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ENGINE MISFIRED THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER BMW OF COLUMBIA LOCATED AT (1900 I70 DR. SW, COLUMBIA MO) WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE CYLINDER NUMBER 4 MISFIRE WAS DUE TO DEFECTIVE FUEL INJECTORS. THE FUEL INJECTORS WERE REPLACED AND THE FAILURE WAS REMEDIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 93,450.

FOR OVER THE PAST YEAR, THE (SMALL) ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN REPEATEDLY & CONSTANTLY GOING ON/OFF. I'VE HAD SENSORS, SPARK PLUGS, TUBES & EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN REPLACED AND HAVE TAKEN (OR TOWED IN MOST CASES) THE CAR TO MANY DIFFERENT AUTO REPAIR SHOPS FOR MULTIPLE QUOTES & REPAIRS. THE LATEST PROBLEM IS THE SMALL ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON & THE CAR WAS STUCK IN PARK AND WOULD NOT ENGAGE IN DRIVE OR REVERSE. IT WOULDN'T SHIFT. AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN, THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS COMPLETELY GONE & THE CAR WAS FINE TO DRIVE/REVERSE. AFTER DRIVING THE CAR A FEW BLOCKS, THE ENGINE MALFUNCTION/REDUCE SPEED LIGHT CAME ON, THE POWER WAS DRASTICALLY REDUCED & I ALMOST GOT HIT BY A DUMP TRUCK. IN 2008, I BOUGHT MY BMW BRAND NEW BECAUSE I WANTED NO CAR ISSUES BECAUSE I AM NOT A MECHANIC. EVERY SINCE I BOUGHT THIS CAR I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT REPEATED & DIFFERENT ISSUES THAT NO MECHANIC CAN IDENTIFY. AND IT ALL STARTED WITH THE HIGH-PRESSURE FUEL PUMP WHICH WAS REPLACED THREE TIMES (HPFP). AFTER THE THIRD HPFP WAS REPLACED, AND THE CAR WAS IN THE SHOP LITERALLY FOR THREE MONTHS STRAIGHT, I GOT A LAWYER INVOLVED AND BMW CORP APOLOGIZED & SAID I COULD HAVE A CHOICE OF: 1/ GETTING A DIFFERENT CAR THAT THEY PICKED OUT (A 535I NOT THE XI I BOUGHT BECAUSE OF SNOW AND ICE CONDITIONS) 2/ THEY CUT ME A CHECK FOR A FEW THOUSAND AND TOLD ME TO SHUT UP AND I COULD NEVER SPEAK OF WHAT HAPPENED OR BE PART OF FUTURE LAWSUITS OR CLASS ACTIONS. I'VE NEVER FELT SAFE DRIVING MY 2008 BMW (116K MILES ON IT OVER 12.5 YEARS) EVERY BMW OWNER THAT BOUGHT A BMW BETWEEN THE RANGE OF YEARS KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT RE: THE CONSTANT AND NEVER-ENDING ISSUES THAT ALL START WITH THE HPFP & ESCALATE FROM THERE. REPAIR SHOPS CAN'T FIX THE ISSUES & BMW COVERS UP. NHTSA HASN'T DONE ANYTHING ABOUT THIS MASSIVE BMW ISSUE AFFECTING THE VAST MAJORITY OF OWNERS. JUST GOOGLE IT!

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW 535XI. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE OVERHEATING WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRIC WATER PUMP FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW 535XI. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND OVERHEATED. IN ADDITION "PLEASE SHUT ENGINE OFF DUE TO OVERHEATING " WAS DISPLAYED ACROSS THE MESSAGE BOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

THE CAR WAS SHUDDERING DUE TO MISFIRING FUEL INJECTORS AND HAD ERRATIC ENGINE OPERATION. NOTE: BMW IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND ISSUED A VOLUNTARY RECALL IN DECEMBER 2010. BMW NOTED IN THE RECALL THAT THIS REPAIR IS TO BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY REGARDLESS OF TIME OR MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE. IN MY EXPERIENCE, BMW IS NOT HONORING THE VOLUNTARY RECALL NOTICE. *JS