2004 BMW X3

I WAS HELPING ONE OF OUR CONSUMERS RESOLVE AN ISSUE WITH THIS MFG. WHEN I LOOKED AT THEIR STREET LEGAL MOTORCYCLES, I DISCOVERED THAT THEY HAVE NO EMISSION CONTROL EQUIPMENT AT ALL, YET THEY CLAIM THEY ARE C.A.R.B., D.O.T. AND E.P.A. CERTIFIED. HERE IS A LINK TO THE IMPOSTERS WEB PAGE. HTTP://WWW.BI-TANK.COM/ IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO E-MAIL ME OR CONTACT ME BY PHONE. RANDY CASTLEMAN PROGRAM REPRESENTATIVE II'S (949) 320-2041 *NOTE* I PUT IN VEHICLE INFORMATION FOR A MOTORCYCLE MFG. THAT IS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS MFG THAT THE COMPLAINT IS ABOUT. YOUR WEB COMPLAINT FORM WOULD NEED AN "OTHER" OPTION WHEN SELECTING VEHICLE MFG INFO. *NM

SINCE BUYING MY CAR, I HAD ISSUES WITH THE FLAT TIRE MONITOR INDICATOR LIGHT COMING ON. I CONTINUALLY CHECKED THE PRESSURE OF ALL 4 TIRES AND VENTUALLY, THIS PAST SEPTEMBER, AFTER ONLY 1,845 MILES, HAD TO HAVE A TIRE REPAIRED (COST $15). THE DIAGNOSIS WAS SIMPLY A LEAKING BEAD. AT 2,651 MILES, ANOTHER TIRE SUFFERED IRREPARABLE DAMAGE CAUSED. ALSO, FROM A LEAKING BEAD. A REPLACEMENT TIRE WILL NEED TO BE ORDERED ($217+), AND SINCE THERE'S NO SPARE WITH MY MINI, I NEED TO MAKE OTHER TRANSPORTATION ARRANGEMENTS. I AM EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED THAT LEAKING BEADS, A VERY RARE PROBLEM WITH ANY OTHER CAR BUT THIS ONE, CONTINUE TO BE PROBLEMATIC WITH MY MINI BEING SO YOUNG.*AK I HAVE CHECKED THE MINI OWNER'S MANUAL AND THE DISTANCE AND SPEED DRIVEN WITH THE RUN FLAT PIRELLI TIRES WERE WELL BELOW BOTH THE SPEED AND DISTANCE LIMITS INDICATED. I FEEL STRONGLY THAT BOTH MINI AND PIRELLI ARE SERIOUSLY DEFICIENT IN THIS CIRCUMSTANCE. THE ACTUAL MOUNTING OF THESE TIRES WAS OBVIOUSLY NOT DONE VERY WELL, NOR DOES THE ADVERTISED CAPABILITIES OF THE RUN FLAT PIRELLI EUFORI TIRE SEEM TO BE REASONABLE.

COPY OF EMAIL SENT TO BMW USA RE: X3 I LEARNED TODAY THAT MY NEW X3 HAS NO DISPLAY PANEL WARNING LIGHT OR SOUND TO WARN WHEN DOORS ARE UNLATCHED OR AJAR. THIS TYPE OF WARNING -- OFTEN USING BOTH PANEL LIGHTS AND SOUND -- HAS BEEN STANDARD EQUIPMENT IN MOST CARS FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS TO PROTECT PASSENGERS, ESPECIALLY CHILDREN, FROM ACCIDENTALLY FALLING OUT OF VEHICLES. MY OWN BMW DEALER REFUSED TO BELIEVE THAT MY X3 HAD NO SUCH WARNING DEVICE UNTIL HE FINALLY CHECKED HIS INVENTORY AND FOUND NO X3'S WITH ANY DOOR WARNING LIGHTS OR SOUNDS. HE SAID THERE IS NO APPLICABLE REPAIR OR UPGRADE KIT. THIS EXCLUSION IS SHOCKING IN VIEW OF BMW'S PLEDGE OF SAFETY. YOUR US HEADQUARTERS ADMITTED THE EXCLUSION AND SAID THERE WAS NO EXPLANATION FOR IT, ADDING THAT IT MUST BE INTENTIONAL SINCE "BMW ENGINEERS DON'T DO THINGS ACIDENTALLY." IN THE EVENT AN OCCUPANT IS INJURED OR KILLED IN A LOOSE LATCH DOOR RELEASE ACCIDENT, THIS EXCLUSION COULD ESTABLISH LIABILITY. AS SUCH, IN BMW'S OWN INTEREST, I URGE YOU TO CONTACT ALL OWNERS AND IMMEDIATELY LAUNCH A VOLUNTARY RECALL OF ALL X3'S TO INSTALL A DOOR/TAILGATE LOOSE LATCH WARNING DEVICE ON THE DASHBOARD DISPLAY PANEL. NO NEED TO CONTACT ME. TO AVOID RETALIATION, I HAVE ELECTED NOT TO DISCLOSE MY NAME. THANK YOU. COPIES TO US NHTSA, CENTER FOR AUTO SAFETY AND CONSUMER UNION

BLINDED BY HIGH INTENSITY HEADLAMPS. ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE. FIRST, LET ME THANK YOU FOR CLOSING DOWN THE DISTRIBUTION OF AFTER-MARKET HI DEVICES MADE BY AMTEX IN DAYTON, TX. THE AFTER-MARKET ONES ARE PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS BECAUSE THEY ARE PLACED IN HEADLIGHTS NOT DESIGNED FOR THE HI INTENSITY LAMPS. THESE HEADLAMPS ARE A CONTINUING PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY THE BLUE-WHITE LAMPS. SOME ARE SO INTENSE AS TO CAUSE PAIN - LIKE LOOKING INTO A WELDER'S ELECTRIC ARC. THESE LAMPS MAY BE OK ON THE AUTOBAHN, BUT THEY HAVE NO PLACE IN URBAN CROWDED FREEWAYS. NOT ONLY ARE THE DIRECT BEAMS DISTRACTING AND DANGEROUS, BUT EVEN REFLECTED (FROM OTHER VEHICLES AND WET ROADWAYS) LIGHT CAUSES PROBLEMS. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM, AND ONE THAT IS ADMITEDLY HARD TO QUANTIFY - WHO CAN SAY HOW MANY ACCIDENTS HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY DRIVERS BLINDED BY THESE LIGHTS. NOTABLE OFFENDERS ARE BMW-LATE MODELS, HONDA - ESPECIALLY ACCORD & ACURA, LEXUS, AND AUDI. MANY OF THE HIGH-END, EXPENSIVE FOREIGN-MADE VEHICLES TEND TO HAVE THESE OBNOXIOUS LAMPS AS STANDARD EQUIPMENT. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! IT'S TIME TO GET THESE DANGEROUS IRRITANTS OFF THE ROAD!*AK

CAR WAS IN PARK WHILE RUNNING. I PUT IN DRIVE (NOT COLD START) HAD BEEN DRIVING FOR 2 HOURS(STOPPED AT STORE). I PUT IN DRIVE AND THE ENGINE REVVED LIKE THE GAS PEDAL WAS FLOORED. I TRIED TO MAKE IT STOP BY PUTTING IN PARK. I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO CUT OFF THE ENGINE TO MAKE IT STOP. I AM GLAD NO ONE WAS NEAR THE CAR BECAUSE THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN INJURED. IT JUMPED FORWARD VERY HARD AND I WAS HOLDIING DOWN THE BRAKE. IT LURCHED FORWARD AND MADE A LOUD CLUNKING SOUND AND I SHUT THE CAR OFF. I THINK IT HAS TO DO WITH THE TRANS. I JUST BOUGHT THE CAR NEW 4 DAYS AGO AND THE DEALER AND BMW SAID THIS HAD BEEN FIXED THOUGH A SOFTWARE FIX . I HAD READ ABOUT THE STEPTRONIC PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD IT WAS NO LONGER AN ISSUE. OBVIOUSLY THIS IS NOT THE CASE.*AK