2008 BMW 535XI

COLD START IN THE MORNING FOR DRIVE TO WORK, CAR SUFFERED SLOW START AND ROUGH IDLE. THEN CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND REDUCED POWER NOTIFICATION ON IDRIVE WITH HIGH COOLANT FAN RPM. SHUT DOWN CAR FOR 30 MINUTES, RESTARTED WITH NO ISSUE INDICATED IN IDRIVE BUT YELLOW CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON DASH. DROVE TO DEALER FOR SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT ON SAFETY RECALL FOR TAIL LAMP ASSEMBLY (13V-407). WHILE AT 40 MPH AND APPROXIMATELY 1/4 MILE FROM DEALER, ENGINE SURGED THEN REDUCED POWER NOTIFICATION AND CHECK ENGINE ON IDRIVE. RADIATOR FAN WENT TO HIGH RPM AND CAR SLOWED TO APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH RAPIDLY ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT ON A TWO LANE ROAD. VEHICLE MADE IT TO THE DEALER WITHOUT INCIDENT. DEALER INDICATES IT IS FAILURE OF HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP. THIS IS THE SECOND REPLACEMENT OF THE PUMP. LAST ONE OCCURRED WITHIN 27 MONTHS AND 16K MILES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW 535XI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AS THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE DISPLAYED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OVERHEATING AND THE ENGINE FAILED INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WATER PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,400.

ON JANUARY 5, 2014 DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY APPROX. 55 MPH THE VEHICLE'S DISPLAYED ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION DROPPED MY RATE OF SPEED TO APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH (SAFETY MODE) ALMOST SUSTAINED A REAR END COLLISION I THEN PULLED OVER ONTO THE SHOULDER I TURNED THE CAR OFF WAITED 10 MINUTES AND TURNED IT ON WITHOUT ANY ISSUES. I TOOK THE CAR TO BMW OF TENAFLY, NJ THEY INSPECTED THE VEHICLE MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS AND SAID THE CAR WAS GOOD TO DRIVE ON THE WAY HOME TRAVELING APPROX. 45 MPH THE CAR AGAIN DISPLAYED ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION DROPPED MY RATE OF SPEED TO APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH (SAFETY MODE) I PULLED OVER I TURNED THE CAR OFF WAITED 10 MINUTES AND TURNED IT ON THE MALFUNCTION CONTINUED THE NEXT DAY I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE BACK TO BMW OF TENAFLY, NJ THEY CHANGED THE CONTROL MODULE AND SOME OTHER COMPONENT IN THE ENGINE. ON JUNE 10, 2014 DRIVING ON I95 TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH THE CAR ONBOARD DISPLAY SHOWED A TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION AND DROPPED MY RATE OF SPEED TO APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH (SAFETY MODE), I PULLED OVER ONTO THE SHOULDER I TURNED THE CAR OFF WAITED 10 MINUTES AND TURNED IT ON WITHOUT ANY ISSUES. TRAFFIC CONDITIONS WERE LIGHT, BUT COULD POTENTIALLY BE A SERIOUS ISSUE (ACCIDENT OR FATALITY) DURING NORMAL TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. ON JUNE 9, 2014 I FILED A REPORT WITH BMW USA AND I HAVE SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT BMW OF TENAFLY, NJ. *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE 2008 BMW 535XI, THERE WAS A LOUD SOUND FROM THE ENGINE. A MESSAGE APPEARED "CAR OVERHEATED" AND THE CAR STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. THE WATER PUMP FAILED WITH ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING. THE ACCELERATION WOULD NOT WORK AT ALL AND THE CAR WAS ESSENTIALLY INOPERABLE. IT WAS A VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION WITH VEHICLES APPROACHING ME FROM BEHIND ESPECIALLY WITH NO SHOULDER SPACE AVAILABLE TO PULL THE CAR OVER. I MANAGED TO TURN ONT HE HAZARD LIGHTS AND BARELY MANAGED TO ESCAPE THIS SITUATION WITHOUT AN INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER AND I WAS INFORMED THAT THE AUXILIARY WATER PUMP HAD FAILED AND WILL HAVE TO REPLACE IT, THE COST OF WHICH WOULD BE AT LEAST $1,200. WHEN I LOOKED UP ON THE INTERNET REGARDING THIS ISSUE, I HAVE SEEN MANY INDIVIDUALS COMPLAINING ABOUT THE WATER PUMP IN LESS THAN AS LITTLE AS 30,000 MILES. I ALSO STUMBLED ONTO A NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN (NO. 11V-521: "ELECTRIC AUXILIARY WATER PUMP") ON CERTAIN 2008 BMW 5-SERIES. I WAS SHOCKED TO KNOW THAT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS CAMPAIGN NUMBER. WHAT TYPE OF QUALITY CHECKS ARE THESE PUMPS SUBJECTED TO? I HAVE HEARD OF MANY SUCH INSTANCES WITH THIS YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL. MOST OTHER VEHICLES HAVE WATER PUMPS LASTING OVER 100,000 MILES AND WELL BEYOND. WHY HASN'T BMW ISSUED A RECALL? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW 535XI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT UNKNOWN SPEEDS, THE ENGINE HIGH TEMPERATURE WARNING MESSAGE APPEARED AND THE VEHICLE LOST ACCELERATION POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE AUXILIARY WATER PUMP HAD FAILED. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V521000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 50,056.

I OWN A 2008 BMW 535XI. ONLY MONTHS AFTER THE BUMPER-TO-BUMPER FACTORY WARRANTY EXPIRED, THE WATER PUMP FAILED. A CAR IS RENDERED INOPERABLE WITHOUT THIS CRITICAL COMPONENT. BECAUSE OF THIS FAILURE, I WAS LEFT STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF A MAJOR HIGHWAY, WITH MY WIFE AND KIDS IN THE CAR, UNABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR TO THE NEAREST EXIST. THE WATER PUMP FAILED IMMEDIATELY AND COMPLETELY WITH LITTLE-TO-NO WARNING. I WAS EXTREMELY SURPRISED AND DISAPPOINTED THAT THE ORIGINAL BMW WATER PUMP COULD NOT EVEN LAST FOR 50,000 MILES. HOW COULD THIS BE? WHAT TYPE OF BMW QUALITY CHECKS WAS THIS CRITICAL COMPONENT SUBJECTED TO? I HAVE ALSO HEARD THAT THIS FAILURE IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR MY MODEL VEHICLE. IT'S A KNOWN ISSUE. WOW! MOST OTHER VEHICLES HAVE WATER PUMPS LASTING OVER 100,000 MILES AND WELL BEYOND. GIVEN THE CRITICALLY OF THIS POTENTIAL PREMATURE COMPONENT FAILURE, WHY HASN'T BMW ISSUED A RECALL? AFTER BEING LEFT STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND OUT MORE THAN $1,200 FOR THE REPAIR (PLUS TOWING), I AM LEFT WITH A MUCH LOWER OPINION OF BMW QUALITY AND SAFETY. *TR