2001 BMW 740I

DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE, CLEAR WEATHER, AVERAGE TRAFFIC, AND DURING A LANE CHANGE THERE WAS AN UNUSUAL FEEL TO THE STEERING RESPONSE. I SLOWED AND MOVED TO THE LEFT, SHIMMIED THE CAR GENTLY SIDE-SIDE. MAYBE A TIRE LOSING PRESSURE, I THOUGHT. I TOOL THE FIRST EXIT, GOT OUT AND FOUND NO OBVIOUS PROBLEM. I STARTED OUT AGAIN BUT AS I TURNED BACK TO GO STRAIGHT, THE STEERING WHEEL DID NOT ALIGN WITH ITS USUAL 'STRAIGHT' POSITION. I PARKED IT AND CALLED FOR A TOW. AGAIN NOTHING OBVIOUS UNTIL WE LOWERED THE CAR OFF THE FLATBED. THE LEFT REAR TIRE TURNED WITH THE FRONT EDGE IN TOWARDS THE CENTER OF THE CAR AND THE OUTSIDE EDGE TURNED OUT. THE TIRE LIGHTLY RUBBED THE INSIDE VENDOR LINER. THE MECHANIC FOUND THE TIE ROD BOLT SHEARED IN HALF WITH THE NUT SIDE MISSING AND THE HEAD SIDE LAYING ON TOP OF THE LOWER CONTROL ARM! NO DAMAGE TO THE TIE ROD ENDS INDICATES NO LOOSENING PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. BY SHEER BLESSINGS, THE STUB OF THE BOLT HELD THE TIE ROD IN PLACE WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT INTERSTATE SPEEDS! THAT RESULT WOULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC IF THE TIE ROD HAD TOTALLY FREED AS SPEED, ESPECIALLY DURING RUSH HOUR. THIS PART HAD NEVER BEEN SERVICED DURING MY OWNERSHIP OR ACCORDING TO SERVICE RECORDS HELD BY BMW. I ENTER THIS JUST IN CASE THIS PROBLEM TURNS OUT TO BE MORE WIDESPREAD THAN I BELIEVE IT TO BE. I AM LUCKY- FOR $150 AND TOWING, MY CAR IS GOOD. THIS FAILURE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN FOUND PRIOR TO PARTS BREAKING. THE BOLT SHEARED FAIRLY CLEANLY. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT SUSPENSION. A LOUD RATTLING NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE SUSPENSION AREA. A MECHANIC REPLACED THE FRONT CONTROL ARMS AND SWAY BAR LINKS. A MONTH LATER A SIMILAR NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE SUSPENSION. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THE CENTER TIE ROD ASSEMBLY, TIE ROD ENDS, AND IDLER ARM FAILED. THE VEHICLE IS AT THE MECHANIC SHOP WAITING FOR THE REPLACEMENT PARTS. THE MANUFACTURER CLAIMED THIS PROBLEM WAS NORMAL. *AK

DRIVER'S WINDOW REGULATOR FAILED/BROKE WITH WINDOW IN DOWN POSITION. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT PARTICULAR REGULATOR HAS FAILED. LAST YEAR, THE RIGHT REAR WINDOW REGULATOR FAILED - I WAS ABLE TO RAISE THAT WINDOW MANUALLY. IF THE RIGHT REAR WINDOW SWITCH IS ACTIVATED, THE MOTOR WILL CONTINUE TO RUN UNTIL THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION IS SELECTED ON THE SWITCH. BOTH FAILURES WERE ACCOMPANIED BY A SOUND SIMILAR TO BREAKING GLASS. I NOTED TODAY WHEN OPERATING THE LEFT REAR WINDOW (TO MINIMIZE THE BUFFETING AT SPEED BECAUSE OF THE LEFT FRONT WINDOW WHICH IS STUCK HALF-WAY DOWN), THE SAME TYPE OF NOISE WAS EVIDENT WHEN OPERATED. I HAVE PURPOSELY NOT OPERATED THE WINDOWS EXCESSIVELY BECAUSE I HAVE BELIEVED THE WINDOW REGULATOR TO BE A WEAK POINT ON THE SEVEN SERIES BMW'S. A FELLOW CO-WORKER WITH THE SAME YEAR AND MODEL REPLACED BOTH REAR REGULATORS ON ONE VISIT TO THE DEALERSHIP. I BELIEVE THAT THIS CONDITION COULD POTENTIALLY BE SERIOUS AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED, AND NOT DISMISSED AS ROUTINE WEAR & TEAR OR MAINTENANCE. *NM