2005 BMW 545I

COMING TO A STOP SIGN, HAD TO EXERT AN UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF FORCE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP. GOING TO THE DEALER TO HAVE MY BRAKES CHECKED UNDER THE BMW BRAKE RECALL, I WAS TOLD I HAD NO OIL IN MY BRAKE LINE, BUT THE CAR WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A VACUUM PUMP OIL LEAK. REMEDY WAS TO REPLACE PUMP AND CLEAN, FOR $1300. IF YOU LOOK ON THE BMW E60 FORUM, AND OTHERS, THERE ARE NUMEROUS IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS. SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE.

I HAVE BEEN REVIEWING BLOGS ON THE 2005 BMW 545I SERIES. ABOUT A MONTH AGO I STARTED EXPERIENCING ISSUES WITH MY CAR. THE CAR IS ACCELERATING AT TIMES ON ITS OWN AS I SWITCH THE TRANSMISSION INTO DRIVE AND I LET GO OF THE BRAKE. IT GIVES A BOOST OF ACCELERATION WHERE I ALMOST HIT MY GARAGE DOOR. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHEN I ROLL FROM A STOP SIGN THE CAR EXPERIENCES A BIG JOLT AS IF I JUST GOT REAR ENDED. IT IS SO HARD THAT MY 4 YEAR OLD GOT FLUSTERED AND STARTED TO CRY. AT 30-40 MILES THE CAR STARTED TO JERK AS WELL. I TOOK IT INTO BMW BUT SINCE THE SENSOR DOES NOT PICK UP THE PROBLEM THEY WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ACCORDING TO THEM. THEY INFORMED ME THAT IT IS HARD TO TELL WHAT IS WRONG IT COULD BE TRANSMISSION, SENSOR, BRAKES, ENGINE, ETC...I FEEL THEY KNOW BUT DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE EXTEND OF THE PROBLEM IS. THERE IS A PROBLEM AND THEY NEED TO ADMIT IT AND IT MIGHT BE AN ELECTRONIC ISSUE WITH THE GEAR BOX FUNCTIONALITY. IT SEEMS THEY NEED SOME PRESSURE BEFORE IT CAUSES A FATALITY. THE ACCELERATION AND JOLT ARE A BIG PROBLEM. PLEASE ADDRESS AND LET'S NOT ADD TO YOUR NUMBER OF DEATHS COLUMN BEFORE YOU REACT.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW 545I. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH AND APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT COME TO A STOP. THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY EXCESSIVE PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL IN ORDER FOR THE VEHICLE TO STOP. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY WHEN THE CONTACT APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE CONTACTS VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 10V446000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM). RECALL REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE DEALER STATED THE RECENT REPAIRS WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER THE RECALL BECAUSE THE RECALL REPAIRS HAD ALREADY BEEN PERFORMED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 94,000.

2005 BMW 545I. IF THE CAR DOES NOT COME TO A COMPLETE STOP, AND I ACCELERATE WHILE IN A SLOW ROLL, THERE IS AN EXTREMELY HARD SLAM FROM THE TRANSMISSION. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM THROUGHOUT BMW OWNER OF THE 545I SERIES. BMW HAS TO KNOW ABOUT THE FAULT IN EITHER THERE PROGRAMMING OR THERE TRANSMISSION AND SHOULD RECALL AND FIX PROPERLY. ANYONE CAN GO TO THE NUMEROUS BMW FORUMS THROUGHOUT THE INTERNET AND FIND THE MANY THREADS REGARDING THIS ISSUE. *TR

I OWN A 2005 545I. I WAS PULLING INTO THE GAS STATION TO REFUEL. I BEGAN TO HIT THE BRAKE THE CAR STARTED TO JERK BACK AND FORTH AND THEN IT ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. I BEGAN TO PUMP THE BRAKE AND THE CAR STOP SHORT OF THE MINI MART THANK GOD! AFTERWARDS A GEAR INDICATOR APPEARED AND THE CAR WENT INTO SAFE MODE AND SHUT OFF. I COULDN'T START THE CAR AND I TRIED FOR THIRTY MINUTES AND ONLY THE GEAR INDICATOR WOULD COME ON. I THEN CALLED A TOW TRUCK COMPANY AFTER THIRTY MINUTES, RIGHT BEFORE THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED THE CAR STARTED. I TOOK THE CAR TO BMW OF ROXBURY AND I WAS TOLD THAT SINCE MY DSC LIGHT WAS ON THAT NEEDED TO BE REPAIR TO ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM. AFTER CHALLENGING THEM, HOW CAN A ADD ON FEATURE (TO INCREASE STABILIZATION AND TRACTION) THAT I NEVER USED WHEN IT WAS WORKING CAUSE THE CAR TO DRIVE BY ITSELF. THEY DROPPED THE ISSUES CALLED ME BACK AFTER A HOUR AND SAID THEY DROVE THE CAR AROUND FOR 25 MIN AND NOTHING IS WRONG. ALSO THERE WAS NO RECORD OF THE GEAR INDICATOR COMING ON EVEN THOUGH IT CAME ON TWENTY OR SO TIMES WHEN I WAS TRYING TO START THE CAR. SO I GUESS I WILL GET MY CAR BACK AND PAY THEM A FEW HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR NOTHING. IS FINE AND THERE IS NO RECORD THE GEAR LIGHT EVER CAME ON. SO. *TR

I HAVE 2005 545I BMW, LAST WEEK I RECEIVED RECALL ON BRAKING SYSTEM ASKED TO TAKE MY CAR TO DEALER AND GET IT FIX. TOOK THE CAR TO DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE DEFECTED PART. THEY CHECKED EVERYTHING AND MENTION EVERYTHING IS FINE. TODAY AT APPROXIMATELY 1:30 PM I HAVE RECEIVED ACTIVE STEERING MALFUNCTION MESSAGE . I WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND WHILE DRIVING MESSAGE POPPED UP. FLUID LEVEL LOOKS FINE BUT DID NOT GET IT CHECKED BY ANYONE YET. BMW NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING WITH THEIR CARS AS THEY SEEMS TO HAVE A LOT OF ISSUES. I ALSO RECENTLY REPLACED THE SMG PUMP AS WELL AS ENGINE MODULE. *TR

I HAVE A 2005 BMW 545I. WHEN I AM DECELERATING AND ROLLING TOWARDS A STOP AND THEN ACCELERATE BEFORE A FULL STOP I WILL GET A LARGE JERKING TRANSMISSION BANG COMING FROM THE BACK OF THE CAR. IN ADDITION WHILE DRIVING THE CAR AROUND 35-40 MPH THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS FROM ONE GEAR TO THE NEXT AND BACK CAUSING THE CAR TO SURGE AND JERK SLIGHTLY. *TR

I AM THE SECOND OWNER OF A CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED 2005 BMW 545I. I PURCHASED THE CAR IN JAN 2009 FROM BMW OF PLEASANT GROVE IN SALT LAKE CITY UTAH WITH APPROX. 35,000 MILES. WHEN I DROVE THE CAR OUT OF THE DEALERSHIP IT HAD DUNLOP RUN-FLAT TIRES ON IT. BY AUGUST 31ST 2010 THE CAR HAD APPROXIMATELY 58,000 MILES ON IT AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT TIRES. I TOOK IT TO DISCOUNT TIRE IN SAN DIEGO(PACIFIC BEACH LOCATION) AND HAD (4) NEW MICHELIN TIRES INSTALLED. I DROVE HOME AND THE NEXT DAY ON SEPTEMBER 1ST 2010 WHILE DRIVING TO WORK ONE OF THE TIRES WENT FLAT. I RETURNED TO DISCOUNT TIRE THAT EVENING AND THEY RE-INFLATED THE TIRE AND PLACED IT INTO A WATER TANK TO CHECK FOR LEAKS. THAT IS WHEN THE EMPLOYEE TOLD ME THAT I HAD A CRACKED RIM. I CONTACTED THE BMW OF SAN DIEGO DEALERSHIP REGARDING THIS ISSUE AND AFTER INSPECTING THE RIM THEY STATED THE RIM CRACKED AND "FAILED DUE TO IMPACT" AND CLAIMED THAT I HAD MOST LIKELY HIT A CURB OR A LARGE POT HOLE WHICH CAUSED THE RIM TO CRACK. I WAS FORCED TO BUY A NEW RIM FOR $363 DOLLARS. I AM NOT THE ONLY BMW OWNER WITH THIS PROBLEM. WHILE I WAS AT DISCOUNT TIRE ON SEPTEMBER 1ST 2010 A GENTLEMEN DRIVING A 2005 645I CAME IN AND WAS DIAGNOSED WITH THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM- CRACKED REAR RIM. THE MANAGER AT DISCOUNT TIRE STATED HE SEES 4-5 BMW'S PER WEEK THAT COME IN WITH CRACKED RIMS. BMW REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE RIMS ON THEIR VEHICLES ARE NOT PROPERLY DESIGNED, ENGINEERED, OR MANUFACTURED TO WITHSTAND NORMAL DAILY DRIVING CONDITIONS. I HAVE OWNED AND DRIVEN 6 CARS IN MY LIFE AND NEVER ONCE HAVE I CRACKED A RIM IN THE COURSE OF NORMAL DAILY DRIVING. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. IF A RIM WERE TO CRACK AND FAIL AT HIGH SPEED DURING INTERSTATE DRIVING CONDITIONS OVER 65 MPH THIS COULD CAUSE A FATALITY. GREAT BRITAIN CURRENTLY HAS AN INVESTIGATION ONGOING TO LOOK INTO THE PROBLEM WITH ALL OF THE CRACKED/FAULTY BMW RIMS IN THEIR COUNTRY. THE NHTSA NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE THIS AS A MATTER OF PUBLIC SAFETY. *TR

I PURCHASED MY USED 2005 BMW 545I WITH ONLY 55K MILES ON IT IN MAY 2009. ON OR ABOUT MARCH 2010, THE VEHICLE STARTED JERKING DURING ACCELERATION AND SOMETIMES A HARD "JOLT" AS IF YOU HIT A LARGE OBJECT IN THE ROAD OR HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE FROM THE REAR. ON ACCELERATION, THE CAR WILL SOMETIMES REV WAY UP, WITHOUT ENGAGING THE TRANSMISSION, AND THEN SLAM INTO ACTION SO FAST THAT IT FEELS LIKE BEING HIT FROM BEHIND. IT IS LIFE-THREATENINGLY DANGEROUS, BECAUSE WHEN IT HAPPENS, IT IS SUCH A SHOCK YOU ARE DISTRACTED FROM DRIVING. IT NORMALLY HAPPENS FROM A FULL STOP, BUT HAS HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY NUMEROUS TIMES AS I WAS TRYING TO MOVE FROM A SLOW LANE TO A FASTER LANE. WHEN IT SLAMS, THE NATURAL TENDENCY IS TO LET OFF THE GAS, HOWEVER, THERE WAS FASTER TRAFFIC APPROACHING FROM THE REAR, AND I ALMOST GOT HIT. AFTER CHECKING POPULAR BMW OWNER WEBSITES SUCH AS BIMMERFEST, I NOTICED THERE WERE COUNTLESS OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE SAME MODEL YEARS (2004-2005 545I) WHICH HAS THE V-8 ENGINE AND DRIVE TRAIN. BMW HAS NOT RECALLED THIS DEFECT AS OF THIS DATE AND WILL NOT UNLESS SOMEONE GETS KILLED, SERIOUSLY INJURED, OR RECEIVE MAJOR PUBLIC EMBARRASSMENT LIKE TOYOTA'S ACCELERATOR PROBLEMS. I WAS INFORMED THAT THERE IS A SOFTWARE UPGRADE (FIX) AVAILABLE FROM BMW THAT WILL FIX THIS PROBLEM, BUT THEY PREFER CUSTOMERS TO PAY OUT OF POCKET (OUT OF WARRANTY CUSTOMERS) OPPOSED TO VOLUNTARY RECALLS FORCED BY THE GOVERNMENT OR BAD PR FROM THE MEDIA PRESS. THE BMW SERVICE INFORMATION BULLETIN (SIB) THAT ADDRESSES THIS PROBLEM IS: 24 03 05 SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR TRANSMISSION. I PLAN TO TAKE THIS MATTER TO THE MEDIA PRESS IF SOLUTIONS AREN'T OFFERED FROM BMW OR THE GOVERNMENT. *TR

MY 2005 BMW 545I HAS A HESITATION, AND STRONG HARD DOWNSHIFT PRESENT, UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY I COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS, AND NOW OUTSIDE OF FACTORY WARRANTY I AM STILL HAVING ISSUES, AND NO ONE IS WILLING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT AT MY DEALER BASNEY IMPORTS. WHEN CALLING BMWNA THEY ARE UNWILLING TO HELP UNTIL A "HARD CODE" IS PRESENT, EVEN THOUGH THE SERVICE ADVISOR, AND TECHNICIANS HAVE ROAD AROUND WITH ME IN THE CAR, AND FELT THE SITUATION. *TR