2011 BMW 550I

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW 550I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V746000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

THE 2011 BMW 550I HAD JUST RECENTLY BEEN PARKED AND TURNED OFF. AFTER NO MORE THAN 10 MINUTES AFTER IT WAS PARKED, IT BURST INTO FLAMES COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THEN VERY QUICKLY SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CAR. THE CAR WAS PARKED IN AN ATTACHED GARAGE THUS NOT ONLY COMPLETELY BURNING THE CAR TO THE GROUND BUT ALSO PARTIALLY BURNING THE HOME DOWN AS WELL. RESULTING IN OVER $250,000 IN DAMAGE. THIS VEHICLE HAD ONE OF THE N63 ENGINES IN IT WHICH BMW HAD THREE VOLUNTEER RECALLS TO "CORRECT" THE FUEL INJECTOR ISSUE. 5 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE FIRE, A CERTIFIED BMW DEALERSHIP EXECUTED THE THIRD ATTEMPT AT THIS RECALL. THIS BMW WAS ALSO UNDER A FULL COVERAGE MAINTENANCE WARRANTY, THUS IT HAD ONLY BEEN TO CERTIFIED BMW SERVICE CENTERS. DURING THE LAST RECALL UNDER CAMPAIGN 0013480200 SIB 11 16 14 IN CONJUNCTION WITH SIB 11 06 14 AND 61 30 14, THE OIL LIFE MILEAGE WAS REDUCED FROM 15,000 MILES TO 10,000 MILES WITH THE BMW SERVICE CENTER EXPLAINING THAT WAS PART OF THE CAMPAIGN BMW NA REQUESTED TO SERVICE THE VEHICLES MORE FREQUENTLY. WHEN I ASKED THE BMW REPRESENTATIVE ABOUT THIS SPECIFICALLY AT THE FIRE INVESTIGATION HE SAID IT WAS DUE TO "EPA REQUIREMENTS". HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE KNOWN ENGINE ISSUES THAT BMW HAS BEEN ATTEMPTING TO ADDRESS SINCE 2013.

MY 2011 BMW 550I HAS THRICE HAD THIS WEIRD RESPONSE IN THE PAST 6 MONTHS. AFTER DRIVING FOR 30M-1H SUDDENLY GOT MULTIPLE DIFFERENT WARNING LIGHTS BEFORE I LOST CONTROL OF STEERING (STIFF LIKE A DEAD BODY) AND BRAKES FOLLOWING WHICH THE CAR STALLED. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO SAID THIS WAS A BAD BATTERY WHICH DID NOT MAKE SENSE BUT THE CAR WAS RUNNING THEREAFTER SO I TOOK IT HOME. THE SECOND TIME THE DEALERSHIP WAS CLOSED - I WAS ABLE TO START THE CAR A FEW MINUTES LATER AND TOOK THE RISK OF DRIVING HOME. THE DEALERSHIP SAID SINCE THE CAR WAS RUNNING THEY COULD NOT RUN ANY DIAGNOSIS. THEREAFTER THE CAR RAN FINE FOR 3 WEEKS AND THEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN. THIS TIME I COULD RESTART IT BUT THE CAR WOULD ONLY MOVE A FEW FEET BEFORE STALLING. AFTER TOWING IT TO THE DEALER THEY TELL ME THAT THE BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR BOTH ARE BAD. I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT BUT THERE SHOULD NEVER BE A TOTAL LOSS OF CONTROL ON STEERING AND BRAKES. THAT TO ME IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND BMW NEEDS TO FIX IT BUT THE DEALERSHIP DOES NOT SEEM TO KNOW WHAT TO DO. THEY JUST WANT TO FIX THE BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR AND CALL IT "PROBLEM RESOLVED" WITHOUT DIGGING FURTHER. I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY RECALLS EITHER. I AM NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE IT COULD GET ME KILLED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW 550I. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE DRIVE TRAIN WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE LOST MOMENTUM. ALSO, THE BRAKE PEDAL DID NOT STOP THE VEHICLE WHEN IT WAS DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE BY DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH BOTH FEET. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VACUUM PUMP FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 101,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW 550I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE OIL WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED EVERY TWO WEEKS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS REPAIRED. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSIS WAS NOT PROVIDED. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, THE FAILURE STILL RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 40,000.