2004 BMW X3

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW X3. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE HEATED SEATS BECAME HOTTER THAN NORMAL. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER, EXITED THE VEHICLE, AND NOTICED THAT THE HEATED SEAT COILS BURNED HOLES THROUGH THE LEATHER SEATS AND THE SEAT COVERS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 109,000.

I TURNED ON MY SEAT HEATERS TO THE LOWEST SETTING (1OUT OF 3) JUST AS I LEFT WORK. AFTER ABOUT 20 SECONDS AS I DROVE DOWN THE ROAD, I FELT A SHARP BURNING THROUGH MY WOOL JACKET IN MY LEFT THIGH/BUTT AREA. I TURNED IT OFF IMMEDIATELY. WHEN I GOT HOME AND LOOKED AT THE SEAT, IT HAD LEFT A BURN AREA IN THE LEATHER. AFTER LOOKING AT DIFFERENT WEBSITES AND FORUMS ONLINE, IT SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL. HOWEVER, BASED ON OWNER'S COMMENTS, THE DEALERS AREN'T TAKING RESPONSIBILITY.

WHILE I DRIVE MY CAR , I TURNED ON MY SEAT HEAT , I START FEELING BURNING PAIN WHILE AM DRIVING ON HIGHWAY , THE SECOND TIME WHEN I FINISHED MY WORK AND I START MY CAR TO HEAD HOME , I START SMELLING BURNING AND MY LEG WAS BURNING SO BAD , I GOT OUT OF THE CAR , AND MY SEAT LEATHER WAS BURNING , I SAW HOLE IN MY SEAT AND THE WIRES INSIDE WAS BURNED AND SMELLED TERRIBLE , THAT IS SAFETY ISSUE , IF IT HAPPENED WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY , I WOULD GET IN AN ACCIDENT

THE ENGINE MOUNT BRACKET BOLTS HAVE ALL SHEARED OFF INSIDE THE ENGINE BLOCK CAUSING A SAFETY CONCERN WITH THE ENGINE NOT BEING FULLY SUPPORTED. THIS PROBLEM IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT, BUT RATHER VERY COMMON ON ALL X3 MODELS. THE INTERNET IS FULL OF CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I AM THE SECOND OWNER OF THE CAR AND JUST AFTER PURCHASE I FOUND THE PROBLEM. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THIS FAILURE OCCURRED A LONG TIME AGO, CONSISTENT WITH THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF FAILURE AT 60,000 MILES. THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW AND BMW SHOULD HAVE PROVIDED A LONG TERM SOLUTION. YET TO THIS DAY, NONE EXISTS. REPLACEMENT BOLTS WILL STILL HAVE THE SAME FAILURE MODE.

I WAS ARRIVING AT MY DAUGHTER'S HOME IN DECATUR GA JUST BEFORE 9:00 A.M. ON FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2015. I PULLED INTO HER DRIVEWAY BUT COULD SEE HERE WAS NO ROOM TO PARK THERE DUE TO THE CONSTRUCTION DEBRIS NEXT DOOR (FROM THE NEW HOUSE BEING BUILT). I DECIDED TO BACK OUT OF HER DRIVEWAY AND PARK ON THE STREET. I PUT THE BMW X3 IN REVERSE AND IT SLOWLY (AS USUAL) BEGAN MOVING BACKWARDS. WITH NO FOOT ON GAS PEDAL, MY CAR CAME TO A STOP AT A SLIGHT INCLINE. I REACHED MY RIGHT FOOT OVER AND TAPPED THE TIP TOP OF MY GAS PEDAL, HOPING JUST A SMALL TAP OF GAS COULD GET ME OVER THE INCLINE. JUST AS I DID THIS, THE PEDAL DROPPED TO THE FLOOR AND THE CAR REVVED, THEN LUNGED BACKWARDS. I WAS HOLDING THE BRAKES AS TIGHT AS I COULD AND WITHIN A FEW SECOND BROUGHT MY LEFT LEG TO HELP PUSH ON BRAKE WITH BOTH FEET. THE BRAKE COULD NOT STOP THE FULL FORCE OF THE CAR MOVING BACKWARDS AT FULL THROTTLE, AND LEFT BLACK SKID MARKS IN HER DRIVEWAY. MY CAR SPEED IN REVERSE AT FULL THROTTLE ACROSS THE STREET NARROWLY MISSING A DUMPSTER PARKED NEXT DOOR AND ANOTHER VEHICLE DRIVING UP THE STREET WHO WITNESSED THE INCIDENT. MY CAR PROCEEDED INTO THE NEIGHBOR'S YARD (DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET), CRASHED INTO THE NEIGHBOR'S CAR, PUSHING THEIR CAR INTO THE FRONT PORCH OF THEIR HOUSE. BOTH CARS WERE TOTALED AND THE HOUSE SUSTAINED DAMAGE. THIS INCIDENT MUST BE INVESTIGATED. PLEASE CONTACT ME FOR MORE INFO AND TO GET ACCESS TO MY CAR FOR INSPECTION. PEOPLE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED!!! *TR

THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME CAME TO A STOP WITH A DEFECTIVE BRAKE LIGHT, SO WE WERE IN TRAFFIC SO I WASN'T GOING MORE THAN 5 MPH, SO APPLIED THE BRAKES. UNFORTUNATELY I STILL BUMPED THE BUMPER OF THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME WHICH CAUSED THE AIR BAG TO DEPLOY. WHEN THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED IT CAUSED DAMAGE TO MY ARM AND FACE LOOSENING 6 TEETH WHICH HAS SINCE HAD TO BE PULLED OUT. THERE WAS NOTHING WITH THE ACCIDENT THAT SHOULD HAVE CAUSED THE WINDSHIELD TO BE COMPLETELY SMASHED, BUT IT WAS COMPLETELY SHATTERED. THE EMT KEPT ASKING ME IF I HIT MY HEAD ON THE WINDSHIELD AND I REPEATEDLY SAID "NO". I CAN ONLY EAT SOFT FOOD OR SMOOTHIES NOW SINCE LOSING MY TEETH. I DON'T REMEMBER ANYTHING ONCE THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED LEADING THE EMT PERSONNEL TO FEEL I LOST CONSCIOUSNESS. DUE TO THE DAMAGE THE AIR BAG CAUSED TO MY VEHICLE ALONG WITH ACCELERATING ONCE THE AIR BAG HIT ME IN THE FACE CASUED MY VEHICLE TO BE A TOTAL LOSS BY MY INSURANCE ADJUSTOR USAA.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW X3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE 4X4 WARNING LAMP AND THE ABS WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY INVOLVED IN TWO SEPARATE CRASHES. AFTER THE MOST RECENT CRASH, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE AUTHORIZED DEALER AND UNKNOWN REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED AND THE WARNING LAMPS CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE FOR THE ABS WARNING LAMP AND THE 4X4 WARNING LAMP. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE DETAILS OF THE CRASH WERE UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

FOR SOME TIME WE HAD TO KEEP THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT HEATER NO HIGHER THAN "1". AT LEVEL 2 & 3 IT BURNED YOU OR FELT LIKE YOU WERE BEING STUCK WITH SOMETHING. ON THE DATE IN QUESTION, I DROVE ABOUT 2 MILES, WENT INTO A STORE, CAME BACK OUT, STARTED THE CAR, TURNED THE HEATER ON AGAIN (LEVEL 2 FOR ABOUT 2 SECONDS THEN BACK TO LEVEL 1. I SMELLED A STRONG BURNING ODOR, THEN A SMELL ALMOST LIKE CIGAR SMOKE. THEN IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE HEATER. THE SMELL SUBSIDED WITHIN 3-4 MINUTES. HOWEVER, IT LEFT A BLACK BURN MARK ON THE LEATHER SEAT ABOUT THE SIZE OF A PENCIL ERASER. OBVIOUSLY, CONTINUED USE WILL CAUSE A FULL OUT FIRE RATHER THAN JUST BURNING THE LEATHER. *JS