1998 BMW 740IL

HI, I BROUGHT THIS CAR FROM ANOTHER PERSON (ORIGINAL OWNER),HE TOLD ME THAT THE CAR MAKES A WEIRD NOISE WHEN SITTING OR DRIVING HE COULDN'T TELL ME WHY IT WAS HAPPENING UPON FURTHER INSPECTION FOUND FUEL TANK TO BE SUCKING IN AND OUT I DIDN'T PAY TO MUCH ATTENTION THINKING WASN'T MUCH TO IT UNTIL ONE DAY WENT TO REFUEL VEHICLE WASN'T ABLE TO GET ANY GAS INTO VEHICLE,UPON INSPECTION FOUND GAS TANK HAD IMPLODED BEYOND REPAIR,I SPOKE TO AN ADVISOR AT LOCAL BMW DEALER IF THERE WAS ANY BULLETINS ON ISSUE HE TOLD ME NO AT FIRST,HE THEN ASKED A TECH AT DEALER ABOUT ISSUE HE SAID THE EVAP CANISTER SYSTEM HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH ,SO THERE IS SOME KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ISSUE MY QUESTION IS DUE THINK THAT THERE SHOULD OF A RECALL OR CAMPAIGN OUT THERE REGARDLESS OF YEAR OF VEHICLE SINCE I THINK ITS A SAFETY ISSUE TO ME AND MY FAMILY AS WELL AS TO THE NEXT PERSON WHO GETS THIS VEHICLE,ASWELL ITS VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR WHEN I BELIEVE ITS BMW RESPONSIBILITY TO RECALL ALL THESE DANGEROUS TANK ISSUE. HOPE YOU CAN HELP ME AND GUIDE ME IN RIGHT DIRECTION RESOLVE PROBLEM OVERALL I LIKE THE VEHICLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BMW 740IL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT DRIVE FORWARD AND WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO FOURTH GEAR WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE WORDS "FAILSAFE MODE" ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THERE WERE NO WARNINGS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE DEALER STATED THAT A NEW TRANSMISSION WOULD BE NEEDED AT THE COST OF $6,000. BOTH THE MANUFACTURER AND THE DEALER STATED THAT NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 99V005000 (POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION) DID NOT APPLY TO HIS VIN. THE CONTACT PAID FOR THE VEHICLE TO BE REPAIRED ON NOVEMBER 26, 2008. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 91,695 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 91,690.

NOTICE A BUMPING SOUND FOR REAR OF CAR WHEN STOPPED AND RUNNING. FUEL TANK IS IMPLODING!! ALSO, NOTICED THAT GAS TANK MAKES A WHOOSING/SUCKING SOUND WHINE THE GAS CAP IS REMOVED. HEAVY GAS FUMES WHEN THE CAR IS SITTING. NOTICED VERY STRONG GAS FUMES.....GAS TANK IS NOW LEAKING! I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND AM AWAITING TO HERE BACK FORM THEM. WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS A NORMAL ISSUE WITH THE 740IL. WAS TOLD THAT I NEED TO HAVE THE TANK REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH A NEW UNIT. QUITE COSTLY!!! WAS TOLD THAT BMW HAS A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR VENT LINES BUT THEY WERE NOT VERY HELPFUL. CALLED SALVAGE YARDS HOPING TO FIND A USED TANK AND WAS TOLD THAT 740 TANKS ARE VERY HARD TO FIND BECAUSE THEY ALL SPRING LEAKS. IF THIS IS HAPPENING OFTEN WHY NOT HAVE BMW ADDRESS THE ISSUE?? *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL ON THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DETERMINED THAT THERE WERE METAL SHAVINGS IN THE OIL LEVEL OF THE DIFFERENTIAL. THE MECHANIC MADE THE CONTACT AWARE OF RECALL # 98V142000 SIMILAR TO THIS DIFFERENTIAL PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN A SERVICE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL SERVICE DEALER.

DT: THE CONSUMER STATES APPROXIMATELY 4 DAYS AGO THE CLUSTER ON THE DASH WENT OUT THE TURN SIGNAL STOPPED WORKING ON THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE, BUT THEY WERE WORKING ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. CALLED DEALERSHIP, THEY INFORMED CONTACT TO BRING IN THE VEHICLE. MONDAY, MAY 9, THE VEHICLE STARTED CHUGGING, AS IF RUNNING OUT OF GASOLINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE FUEL TANK. THE CONTACT SEARCHED THE VEHICLE BUT HE DID NOT SEE ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE FUEL TANK. *NM *SB THE CONSUMER FOR THE LAST 4 YEARS HAS BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE REAR LIGHTS (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER HAS CHANGED THE BULBS FOR THE LIGHTS SEVERAL TIMES AND THE SAME PROBLEM OCCUR. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY DETERMINED THAT IT IS A DEFECT IN THE REAR LIGHTS, SUCH AS MELTING PLASTIC CONCEPTS, AND THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN SOLVED. BY THE REAR LIGHTS GOING OUT AND HAVING A DEFECT IN THEM THIS CAN CAUSE A REAR END ACCIDENT, WHICH THE CONSUMER IS WORRIED ABOUT. *SB

LOW COOLANT MESSAGE CAME ON WHILE DRIVING. WITHIN A FEW MILES, RADIATOR CAP OVERPRESURED AND STEAM BURST OUT WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY. PULLED OVER AND WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. REPLACED COOLANT HOSES. 4 MONTHS LATER, LOW COOLANT MESSAGE CAME ON AGAIN WHILE TRAVELING; STOPPED AT A SERVICE STATION TO CHECK LEVEL; LEVEL WAS VERY LOW, AND A SLOW LEAK WAS VISIBLE. REPLACED COOLANT RESERVOIR ASSEMBLY. 6 MOS LATER, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. DEALER REPLACED SENSOR. ONE WEEK LATER, THE LOW COOLANT MESSAGE CAME ON AGAIN (3RD TIME). COOLANT WAS LOW; TOOK TO DEALER FOR REPAIR. ALL WORK WAS AT OWNER'S EXPENSE (NON-WARRANTY).*AK