2011 BMW 550I

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW 550I. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE STARTED SHAKING AND LOST ALL POWER. THE DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE HIGH PRESSURE SENSOR, LOW PRESSURE SENSOR, AND DRIVE TRAIN WERE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 41,900.

I AM CURRENTLY HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY VEHICLE AND THE LOCAL AUTHORIZED DEALER/SERVICE CENTER, I BELIEVE THEY HAVE BEEN NEGLIGENT WITH THEIR ACTIONS TO MULTIPLE PROBLEMS THAT HAVE OCCURRED, INCLUDING THE REPAIR AND INSPECTION PERTAINING TO A RECALL OF THE N63 ENGINE VEHICLES. THE VEHICLE HAS HAD MULTIPLE ISSUES IN THE PAST, INCLUDING SEVERAL "DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTIONS" FOR WHICH I BELIEVE HAVE THE DATES AND SERVICE RECORDS THEY RELATE FUEL INJECTORS, BATTERY, PUMPS, ECT.. SINCE JANUARY 2015 I HAVE CONTACTED THE SERVICE CENTER, AUTOGERMANA BMW OF PUERTO RICO, TO REQUEST AN INSPECTION AND REPAIR OF THE VEHICLE DUE TO RECURRENT ISSUES AND CONCERNS, THE REPRESENTATIVE INITIALLY TOLD ME THAT THE DEALER HAD RECEIVED NO INFORMATION ABOUT THE "RECALL" OR SERVICE BULLETIN "B001314". IN MARCH THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED AGAIN AND THE "RECALL" WAS INCLUDED IN THE SERVICE ORDER BUT THEY ALLEGED THAT THEY DID'T HAVE THE PARTS AVAILABLE AND THAT THEY WOULD CONTACT ME AS SOON AS THEY BECAME AVAILABLE. THE REPRESENTATIVE EVEN RECOMMENDED AGAINST EXTENDING THE VEHICLE WARRANTY FOR REPAIRS UNTIL THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND/OR INSPECTED AS IT RELATED TO THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE IS NOW PAST THE 50K MILE WARRANTY AND THE ISSUES HAVE NOT BEEN RESOLVED, AND AGAIN IT IS AT THEIR SERVICE CENTER BECAUSE OF A NEW "DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION". THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE CALLED ME AND TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD AGAIN INSPECT THE VEHICLE TO DETERMINE IF THE MALFUNCTION HAD ANY RELATION TO THE PREVIOUS ISSUES AND /OR THE RECALL, IF IT HAS NO RELATION THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE REPAIRED WITHOUT THE WARRANTY COVERAGE. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE SYSTEMATIC NEGLIGENCE OR QUITE POSSIBLY INTENTIONAL IRRESPONSIBILITY. AT THIS POINT LEGAL ACTION IS THE NEXT LOGICAL STEP. I APPEAL TO THE NHTSA FOR RESPONSIBLE ASSISTANCE WITH THESE SERVICE ISSUES AND A RESOLUTION OF THE PROBLEMS.

I BOUGHT THE CAR ON MAY 6, 2015 WITH ABOUT 53K MILES ON IT. DROVE IT FOR ONLY ABOUT 45 DAYS AND WHILE DRIVING THE CAR THE DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION AND OTHER LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE CAR LOST POWER AND STOPPED IMMEDIATELY. AT FIRST, I THOUGHT IT WAS THE BATTERY AND HAD THE CAR JUMPED BUT THAT DIDN'T WORK. THE CARE ENGINE WAS TOTALLY DEAD, NO SOUND NO ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE ENGINE LIGHT THAT POPPED ON BEFORE IT STOPPED. I HAD PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FROM GWC AT THE PURCHASE OF THE CAR SO INFORMED THEM. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A PLACE (LMC AUTO IN NORCROSS GEORGIA) THAT GWC WAS WILLING TO PAY FOR REPAIRS. LMC SAID THE ENGINE WAS LOCKED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. GWC REFUSED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE BECAUSE OF THE EXPENSE AND INSTEAD HAD LMC AUTO REPAIR THE ENGINE. NEEDLESS TO SAY, LMC IS STILL REPAIRING THE ENGINE ALMOST 5MONTHS LATER. I HAD CALLED GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OF CONSUMER PROTECTION, [XXX], ETC.. TRYING TO GET HELP WITH GETTING THE CAR FIXED. WHEN I TALKED TO BMW OF NORTH AMERICA THEY SAID THEY WARRANTY IS UP AT 50K MILES SO THEY CANNOT COMMIT TO DO ANYTHING. I AM AT MY WITS END AND THE CAR STILL DOES NOT SEEM TO BE ANY CLOSER TO GETTING FIXED. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET AND SHIFTED INTO 3RD GEAR. THE CAR BEGAN TO BUCK VIOLENTLY. I PUSHED IN THE CLUTCH TO STOP THE BUCKING. I WAS APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION. I ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE AND THE GAS PEDAL WAS NON-RESPONSIVE. THE VEHICLE THEN INDICATED THAT IT HAD A DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER, TURN THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON AND DRIVE 0.5 MILES TO MY DESTINATION. WHILE PARKED, THE PARKING BRAKE ALSO MALFUNCTIONED AND I WAS UNABLE TO TURN IT OFF. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT DESIGN DEFICIENCY WITH THIS VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM WITH MY CAR HAD TO DO WITH A BROKEN PLASTIC PART ON THE WATER CHANNEL THAT LEADS AROUND THE TRUNK. THE PLASTIC COVER IS SUPPOSED TO SNAP INTO A GROMMET THAT IS IN A HOLE, THUS SEALING THE HOLE FROM WATER. IN MY SITUATION, THE GROMMET WAS MISSING. GIVEN THE DESIGN OF THE PLASTIC PART, THERE IS NO WAY TO KNOW THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE WITHOUT REMOVING THE PLASTIC PART. THE HOLE THAT THE PLASTIC PIECE SNAPS INTO LEADS DIRECTLY INTO THE TRUNK. IN THE BOTTOM OF THE TRUNK ARE SENSITIVE ELECTRONIC MODULES THAT CONTROL THE FUEL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND THE PARKING BRAKE. THERE IS NO DRAIN IN THE TRUNK THAT WOULD ALLOW WATER TO LEAVE THE VEHICLE. MY VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A PARKING LOT DURING A RAIN STORM. AS A RESULT OF THE DESIGN, I GOT WATER IN THE TRUNK, WHICH RUINED THESE TWO MODULES, RESULTING IN THE VEHICLE BECOMING DISABLED WHILE DRIVING. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS: I) AS A CONSUMER, I HAD NO IDEA THAT THE ELECTRONICS THAT ENABLE THE VEHICLE TO MANAGE FUEL WERE LOCATED IN THE TRUNK; II) THE DESIGN OF THE WATER CHANNEL AROUND THE TRUNK SEEMS INADEQUATE GIVEN THAT ANY FAILURE OF THE PLASTIC SHIELD / GROMMET COMBINATION WOULD LEAD TO WATER IN THE TRUNK AND EXPOSE THESE CRITICAL COMPONENTS. *TR