2008 BMW X3 Sav

I BOUGHT MY CAR AT 88,000 MILES AND SHORTLY AFTER (5 DAYS) MY AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY FIGURED OUT WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT, THEN REPLACED THE DRIVER SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAG. ABOUT A MONTH LATER MY LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND HAS BEEN ON SINCE. SINCE THE SECOND TIME THE LIGHT HAS COME ON I TOOK IT TO A DIFFERENT DEALER (BECAUSE I MOVED) AND THEY SAID IT IS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE PASSENGER AIRBAGS BUT THEY WOULD HAVE TO PLUG IT UP TO A COMPUTER TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT IT IS. *TR

I WAS INFORMED BY AN INDEPENDENT BMW REPAIR SHOP THAT THE REAR SPRINGS WERE BROKEN. A SUBSEQUENT VISIT TO A BMW DEALER CONFIRMED THIS. I WAS ALSO INFORMED BY BOTH THE INDEPENDENT SHOP AND THE DEALER THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 3 SERIES BMWS. BMW OF NORTH AMERICA TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS NOT AN ITEM THAT WOULD BE COVERED UNDER THEIR CPO WARRANTY OR ANY OTHER WARRANTY. I WOULD THINK THAT BROKEN SPRINGS WOULD AFFECT HANDLING AND THEREFORE CONSTITUTE A SAFETY HAZARD. BOTH THE DEALER AND INDEPENDENT SHOP STRONGLY RECOMMENDED THAT I HAVE THEM REPLACED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. *TR

THE SEAT OCCUPANCY DETECTION MAT FAILED AT 7,285 AND WAS REPLACED, THEN WAS FAILING AGAIN AT 31,592 AND BMW DID NOT REPAIR/REPLACE WHEN SERVICED BUT DID CONFIRM THE PROBLEM. KNOW THE SEAT OCCUPANCY MAT IS IN TOTAL FAILURE AT 59,000. BMW WILL NOT ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM IS PART OF A RECALL FOR MOST VEHICLE OF THIS AGE BUT FOR SOME REASON NOT THE X3. *TR

PASSENGER SEAT ALARM WOULD ACTIVATE FOR NO APPARENT REASON ON A DAILY USE. UNDER WARRANTY SEAT PAD WAS REPLACED. REPORTED SAME SEAT MALFUNCTION ONE MONTH AFTER WARRANTY RAN OUT AND BMW AGREED TO PAY FOR SEAT PAD AND I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR LABOR OF $300.00. AT THIS TIME SEAT NO LONGER SOUNDING ALARM. SEAT ALARM WOULD MALFUNCTION AGAIN THE ENTIRE HOT WEATHER SEASON OF 2013. AFTER CONTACTING BMW IN DEC OF 2013 I WAS TOLD NO COVERAGE. AFTER RESEARCHING INTERNET I DISCOVERED THIS TO BE A REGULAR COMPLAINT SINCE 2003 WHEN 1ST X3 WAS MANUFACTURED. I DISCOVERED LAST WEEK THAT AS LONG AS THIS PAD IS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY THE AIR BAG MAY NOT WORK IN AN ACCIDENT. THIS A VERY SERIOUS DRIVING SITUATION THAT COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY. BMW NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND MADE TO ADDRESS THIS SAFETY HAZARD IMMEDIATELY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW X3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SEAT BELT WARNING CHIME ACTIVATED INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT THE SEAT BEING OCCUPIED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE SEAT SENSOR MAT IN THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SEAT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE RECURRED AFTER THE REPAIR. ADDITIONALLY, THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE DMTL PUMP WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000.

SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON. DIAGNOSED AT DEALERSHIP THAT IT WAS THE DMTL PUMP THAT SENSES AND GAS LEAKS. I WAS TOLD BY SERVICE MANAGER THAT IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND I DIDN'T HAVE TO REPLACE IT SINCE I LIVED IN PA IN AN AREA THAT DIDN'T REQUIRE IT TO WORK UNDER OUR STATE INSPECTIONS. THE ONLY PROBLEM WAS THAT THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT WOULD BE ON AND I WOULD NOT KNOW IF SOMETHING ELSE WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR. LATER I WAS TALKING TO SERVICE MANAGER AT LEXUS WHO WAS A FORMER BMW SERVICE MANAGER WHO STATED IT WAS COVERED UNDER PA EMISSION LAWS. I CONTACTED MANAGER AT BMW WHO INFORMED ME THAT I WOULD HAVE TO CONTACT BMW. I REGISTERED A COMPLAINT WITH BMW WHO CAME BACK 3 WEEKS LATER DENYING ANY COVERAGE. WHEN ASKED WHY GENTLEMAN COULD NOT ANSWER STATING HE WAS NOT A TECHNICIAN. I REPEATEDLY STATED FROM MY RESEARCH THAT PA ADOPTED CALIFORNIA EMISSION LAW IN 1996 AND FROM MY UNDERSTANDING IT SHOULD BE REPLACED BY BMW. ONCE AGAIN I WAS TOLD NO COVERAGE AND I ASKED IF HIS 3 WEEKS OF RESEARCH INVOLVED A CORPORATE ATTORNEY. HE WOULD NOT ANSWER.IT APPEARS THAT A BMW BUYER IS GIVEN 4 YEAR WARRANTY BECAUSE AFTER THAT EVERYTHING IS DENIED WITH NO EXPLANATION AS TO WHY. THIS DMTL PUMP IS A SENSOR FOR FUEL LEAKS AND COULD REALLY CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT IF NOT REPLACED. I BELIEVE PA EMISSION LAWS UNDERSTAND THE HAZARD AND THAT IS WHY THEY STATE IT SHOULD BE REPLACED. THIS PROBLEM WITH BMW GOES BACK OVER 10 YEARS ACCORDING TO INTERNET FORUMS.. I CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY THEY HAVE NOT BEEN HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND MADE TO CORRECT THIS HAZARDOUS SITUATION. *TR

PASSENGER SEAT ALARM WOULD GO OFF CONSTANTLY WITHOUT ANYONE OR ANYTHING IN THE SEAT. BMW REPLACED SENSOR UNDER WARRANTY. PROBLEM APPEARED TO BE FIXED UNTIL THE FOLLOWING SUMMER 2012 WHEN ALARM ON SEAT WOULD GO OFF AGAIN ON A REGULAR BASIS. BMW REFUSED TO REPLACE UNTIL COMPLAINT FILED AND I STATED IT WAS A DRIVING HAZARD DUE TO ATTEMPTING TO FUMBLE WITH BELT WHILE DRIVING TO STOP ALARM BY SECURING BELT. BMW OFFERED TO REPLACE ALARM SENSOR I HAD TO PAY $300.00 FOR LABOR. THIS WAS LATE SEPT 2012. SHORTLY AFTER DUE TO COLD WEATHER ALARM DID NOT GO OFF ANY LONGER.I DID NOT HAVE ALARM SENSOR REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS NOW WORKING PROPERLY UNTIL APRIL OF 2014 WHEN ALARM AGAIN BEGAN TO SOUND AND CONTINUED THROUGHOUT THIS PAST SUMMER. ACCORDING TO INTERNET AND FORUMS ON THE INTERNET THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT HAS EXISTED ON X3S FROM THE FIRST YEAR THE CAR WAS SOLD. BMW APPARENTLY AVOIDS DOING ANYTHING TO PREVENT THIS FROM OCCURRING EVEN IN THE NEWER MODELS.THIS IS AN ANNOYING AND DANGEROUS SITUATION WHICH SHOULD BE ADDRESSED .IN MY COMPLAINT THEY STATED I DIDN'T ACCEPT THEIR OFFER EVEN THOUGH THE ALARM WAS NO LONGER GOING OFF AND THAT MY WARRANTY WAS OVER. SOMEONE NEEDS TO MAKE THEM ACCOUNTABLE AND THEIR CARS SAFER.. *TR

I NOTICED WATER ON THE GARAGE FLOOR ABOUT A WEEK AGO AND THAT THE COOLANT WAS LOW. I TOOK IT TO BMW DEALER EXPECTING A RADIATOR LEAK. I WAS TOLD THAT ALL 4 ALUMINUM SUPPORT BOLTS HAD BEEN SHEARED AND THAT THE ENGINE WAS RESTING ON THE WATER PUMP CAUSING THE LEAK. THE SOLUTION, WHILE COVERED BY MY EXTENDED WARRANTY, IS STILL COSTING ME $50 DEDUCTIBLE AND ANOTHER $200 OR SO TO FLUSH AND REPLACE THE COOLANT (WHICH WAS CAUSED BY THE WATER PUMP DAMAGE). IF I DIDN'T HAVE THE WARRANTY AND WAS FORCED TO PAY FOR THE LABOR, BOLTS, SUPPORT BRACKETS AND A WATER PUMP - I WOULD BE EVEN MORE IRATE THAT BMW HASN'T ISSUED A RECALL ON THIS WELL KNOWN ISSUE. *TR

I BROUGHT MY CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE IT STALLED AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON BRIEFLY AND SHUT OFF. THE CAR WAS ALSO HESITATING ON ACCELERATION. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE CAUSE WAS A NEEDED THERMOSTAT REPLACEMENT. HOWEVER, ONCE UNDER THE CAR, THE TECHNICIAN NOTED 3 OF 4 ENGINE MOUNT BOLTS WERE "BROKEN" AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. HE SAID IT WAS CONSIDERED "WEAR AND TEAR" AND WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH ONLY ONE BOLT WAS NOW HOLDING THE ENGINE FROM FALLING OUT. THIS REPAIR WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $400. UPON INVESTIGATION, I NOTICED THIS WEBSITE: HTTP://WWW.BIMMERFEST.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=528870 WHERE PEOPLE POST ABOUT THEIR BMWS. IT SEEMS THAT SEVERAL OTHERS HAVE HAD THIS SERIOUS PROBLEM AROUND THE SAME MILEAGE POINT WITH THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL, AND SEVERAL COMPLAINED THAT THE REPAIR WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, EVEN THOUGH IT APPEARS TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AS THE BOLTS ARE MADE OF ALUMINUM, NOT A STRONG MATERIAL, AND ONE THAT EASILY BREAKS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 25 MPH ON RESIDENTIAL STREET, FELT AN UNUSUAL "BUMP", CONTINUED DRIVING HOME WITH NO APPARENT PROBLEM. STARTED CAR NEXT MORNING AND FELT AN UNUSUAL VIBRATION AND NOISE WHICH DISAPPEARED WHEN DRIVING. VIBRATION AT IDLE CONTINUED, TWO DAYS LATER, AFTER DRIVING ON FREEWAY, I FOUND A BROKEN BOLT UNDER THE CAR IN GARAGE, I IMMEDIATELY TOOK CAR TO DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT. WAS TOLD THAT SEVERAL MOTOR MOUNT BOLTS HAD SHEARED AND WAS LUCKY NO SERIOUS DAMAGE OCCURRED. QUICK INTERNET SEARCH INDICATED SHEARED MOTOR MOUNT BOLTS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH BMW X3 YEARS 2007 & 2008. BROKEN MOTOR MOUNT BOLTS COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS ACCIDENT AND/OR INJURY - AGAIN, I WAS LUCKY. *TR