2004 BMW X3

THERE WAS A VERY MILD RAIN LAST TWO DAYS IN MADISON. NOW MY CAR HAS CENTRAL LOCK PROBLEM AND ALSO WET FLOOR. I'M HAPPY THAT I WAS NOT DRIVING THE CAR WHILE IT WAS RAINING. I READ OVER THE INTERNET THAT MANY BMW X3 HAVE THIS WATER LEAKAGE AND ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. A WET INTERIOR AND A LIVE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, AND YOU KNOW WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN. *TR

I WAS DRIVING THE 405 FWY S CLOSE TO LAX WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEARD LIKE WIND BLOWING INSIDE MY CAR THEN I HEARD A LOUD SOUND THAT SOMETHING FELL OR THINKING THAT MY CAR MUST HAVE STEPPED ON SOMETHING I LOOKED AT THE WINDOWS AT THE BACK SEAT AND BOTH ARE CLOSED THEN I SAW THE DRIVER OF ANOTHER CAR THAT WAS DRIVING BEHIND ME A SPORT CONVERTIBLE BMW TRIED TO SIGNAL SOMETHING TO ME WHEN I LOOKED AT MY RIGHT SIDE VIEW MIRROR WHILE I WAS DRIVING I SAW A TIRE LYING AT THE FREEWAY,I KNEW AT THAT TIME THAT IT WAS MY SPARE TIRE/COMPACT WHEEL THAT IS LOCATED UNDER THE CARGO AREA ON THE FLOOR OF A VEHICLE. I TRIED TO EXIT ON THE NEAREST GAS STATION, SAFELY PARKED AS SOON AS I WAS WALKING TOWARDS THE BACK OF MY CAR TO CHECK I IMMEDIATELY SAW THE COMPARTMENT TIRE TOUCHING THE GROUND AND THE TIRE IS GONE. THE HANDLE IS SUPPOSED TO BE SCREWED AND MOUNTED APPARENTLY GOT LOOSE..HOW IT HAPPENED I DON'T KNOW, THE CABLE IS CUT. I STRONGLY SUGGEST BMW SHOULD HAVE A RECALL ON THIS BECAUSE THIS IS TOTALLY DANGEROUS MATTER, GOOD THING THE DRIVER BEHIND ME WAS ALERT AND WHEN SHE SAW THE TIRE FALLING FROM IT'S COMPACT SHE IMMEDIATELY CHANGE LANE AND SIGNALED ME BY POINTING HER FINGER AT MY CAR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW X3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER RAINY WEATHER CONDITIONS, ONE GALLON OF WATER WOULD ACCUMULATE ON THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE FLOORBOARD. THE FAILURE ALSO OCCURRED WHENEVER THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING THROUGH A CAR WASH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 101,000.

FELT A BURNING UNDER MY LEG AND SMELLED BURNING PLASTIC. PARKED THE CAR AND MY SCARF WAS MELTED TO THE SEAT AND SMOKE WAS COMING FROM IT. PULLED ON MY SCARF TO GET IT OFF AND NOTICED A HOLE BURNT IN THE SEAT FROM THE HEATED SEAT ELEMENT. PARTS OF THE SEAT WERE STUCK TO MY SCARF AND PANTS. MADE SURE THE SEAT STOPPED SMOKING AND WONT USE THE HEATED SEATS ANYMORE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW X3. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED UNINTENTIONALLY. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO STEER THE VEHICLE AWAY FROM A PARKED VEHICLE BUT CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT APPLIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND POWERED OFF THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED FOUR DIFFERENT TIMES INTERMITTENTLY. ON THE LAST OCCURRENCE OF THE FAILURE, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE AND A WOODEN POST. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED. THE POLICE REPORTED THE SCENE AND A REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,000.

DRIVING IN NEIGHBORHOOD WITH STOP SIGNS AND CROSS STREETS. SPOUSE DRIVING. OTHER PASSENGER IN FRONT. ME IN REAR SEAT PASS SIDE. 10 MIN INTO TRIP. APPROACHING STOP SIGN, A FEW SECONDS AFTER BRAKE INITIALLY APPLIED, ENGINE BEGINS TO REV. HEAVY BRAKING STOPS VEHICLE, BUT ENGINE STILL REVVING. FROM BACK SEAT, I HAVE CLEAR VIEW OF DRIVER'S FEET AND CAN SEE THAT PROBLEM IS NOT MISAPPLICATION OF PEDALS. CAN ALSO SEE THAT HAND POSITION IS "10 & 2" AND NOT NEAR CRUISE CONTROL BUTTONS DRIVER TURNS OFF ENGINE TO STOP REVVING. WE CHECK FLOOR MATS TO SEE IF THIS WAS PROBLEM. THEY WERE NORMAL POSITION AND NOT NEAR ACCELERATOR PEDAL. WHEN ENGINE RESTARTED, PROBLEM DISAPPEARS. FRIGHTENING INCIDENT. THERE WAS A PEDESTRIAN IN CROSSWALK WHO WALKED IN FRONT OF VEHICLE WHILE THIS HAPPENED. *TR

"PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF" OVERHEAD CONSOLE LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY EVEN WHEN 140 LB PASSENGER OCCUPIES THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. SOMETIMES WHEN PASSENGER MOVES AROUND IN THE SEAT THE LIGHT WILL GO AWAY. TALKED TO SERVICE ADVISOR AT BMW OF STERLING, VIRGINIA ON 4/5/12. THEY ACKNOWLEDGED FOUR FACTS (1) IT IS A PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY DETECTION MAT FAILURE, AND (2) IF THE LIGHT IS ON IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT, THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY NO MATTER HOW SEVERE THE ACCIDENT IS, AND (3) THE MAT IN QUESTION WAS REPLACED ON 02-16-2007 AT 40,788 MILES FOR AN IDENTICAL PROBLEM UNDER MANUFACTURER DEFECT CODE 6577081500, AND (4) THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE ISSUE, BUT MY VIN IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL. THEY TOLD ME THEY WILL NOT COVER THE PREVIOUS REPAIR AND WILL CHARGE ME $1,290 FOR IT. RESEARCH ON THIS WEB-SITE SHOWS NHTSA ACTIVE EA08001 PERTAINS TO AN IDENTICAL ISSUE. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAS ALREADY ACKNOWLEDGED ON CERTAIN CARS AND THEY SHOULD COVER MY CAR FOR THE SAME DEFECT AS WELL. *TR