2002 BMW X5

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW X5. THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED ISSUES WITH THE FRONT DOORS ON HER VEHICLE. SHE WOULD BECOME LOCKED INSIDE THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE DOORS WOULD NOT OPEN. SHE ATTEMPTED TO UNLOCK THEM WITH THE POWER DOOR LOCK MECHANISM, WHICH WORKED PROPERLY, BUT THE DOOR HANDLES WOULD NOT ALLOW THE DOORS TO OPEN. THE CONTACT HAD TO EXIT THROUGH THE BACK DOORS. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 93,140.

ON DECEMBER 24, 2008, MY WIFE WAS ON HER WAY TO THE BMW OF DARIEN DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS REPLACED WHEN OUR BMW X5 STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION WITH HER PARENTS ALSO IN THE CAR. SHE WAS NEARLY HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE, BUT MADE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. SHE SPOKE WITH SAUN, A SERVICE REP, AND TOLD HIM ABOUT THE STALLING INCIDENT. SHE SCHEDULED A SERVICE APPOINTMENT FOR DECEMBER 30, 2008. WE DROVE THE CAR OUT OF TOWN FOR THE HOLIDAYS AND THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON DECEMBER 26, 2008. IT WENT OFF AND WE KEPT THE APPOINTMENT WITH BMW SERVICE DEPARTMENT IN DARIEN, CT ON DECEMBER 30. THEY RAN A DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND SAID WE NEEDED TO UPDATE THE COMPUTER SOFTWARE AND REPLACE THE THERMOSTAT IN THE ENGINE. WE PAID $657 FOR ALL SUGGESTED REPAIRS AND WERE ASSURED THIS WAS WHY THE ENGINE STALLED AND THE SERVICE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. WE DROVE THE CAR LESS THAN 6 MILES BEFORE IT STALLED AND STOPPED ON THE HIGHWAY ENTRANCE RAMP AS THREE LANES MERGE ON JANUARY 1, 2009 WITH MY WIFE AND ME IN IT. BMW OF DARIEN WAS CLOSED AND THE RECORDING DIRECTED US TO CALL BMW ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. AFTER 45 MINUTES OF UNSUCCESSFULLY WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO PICK UP THE PHONE, MY WIFE HUNG UP, BECAUSE I HAD ALREADY CONTACTED OUR INSURANCE COMPANY AND A TOW TRUCK. WE SAT ON THE HIGHWAY FOR APPROXIMATELY TWO HOURS IN 18 DEGREE WEATHER UNTIL THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED. THE TOW TRUCK TOOK THE X5 TO THE BMW OF DARIEN DEALERSHIP. ON JANUARY 2, 2009, A SERVICE REP, PAT, TOLD THAT THE CRANKCASE VENT VALVE WAS BROKEN DUE TO THE COLD WEATHER AND THAT THIS PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD AND WE WERE QUOTED $1,000 TO REPAIR IT AND THE SPARK PLUGS. AS WE RESEARCHED ONLINE, WE FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ACROSS BMW MODELS. ADDITIONALLY, BMW HAS REDESIGNED THIS PART AND ADDED INSULATION TO FIX THIS DESIGN FLAW. THIS SEEMS TO BE A FAULTY DESIGN AND BMW REFUSES TO INFORM THE CONSUMER. OUR CAR STOPPED TWICE AND PUT MY WIFE, HER PARENTS, AND ME IN HARM OF BODILY INJURY. *TR

TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS ON A 2002 BMW X5 3.0 AUTOMATIC WITH 69000 MILES. THE VEHICLE SLIPS IN REVERSE, AT TIMES IT DOES NOT WORK AT ALL. I'VE CONDUCTED ALL SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE SINCE PURCHASED FROM ORIGINAL OWNER. I TOOK CAR TO A SHOP WHO SERVICES BMW'S AND THEY CHECKED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID, WHICH WAS OK. LATER AFTER DOING RESEARCH ON PROBLEMS WITH BMW TRANSMISSION I WAS AMAZED ON HOW MANY COMPLAINTS THERE ARE WITH THE BMW TRANSMISSION. IF I WOULD OF KNOWN OF THE PROBLEM I WOULD OF NOT BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE OR ANY BMW. I WAS TOLD FROM MECHANICS THAT WORK ON THIS VEHICLE IT WILL COST ME AROUND $5000.00 TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AND SOONER OR LATER IT WILL FAIL BECAUSE THEIR TRANSMISSIONS ARE SEALED AND DO NOT REQUIRE FLUIDS OR MAJOR SERVICING. AFTER DOING ADDITIONAL RESEARCH ONLINE FOR ANY RECALL INFORMATION BMW HAS NOT SUBMITTED ONE WHATSOEVER. I AM PRETTY SURE BMW IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND KNOWING A RECALL WILL COST THEM ALOT OF MONEY, THEY REFUSE TO ADMIT AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THEIR TRANSMISSIONS. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE AT A REASONABLE PRICE BUT WITH ME BEING THE ONLY INCOME IN MY HOUSEHOLD (MILITARY) I SIMPLY CANNOT AFFORD THE REPAIR. I DO NOT EXPECT ANY RESOLUTION FROM BMW, HOWEVER, I WANT TO FILE THIS COMPLAINT TO CREATE AWARENESS FOR FUTURE CONSUMERS OF BMW AUTOMOBILES. THIS WILL BE MY FIRST AND ONLY BMW. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION. *TR

BMW 4.4I X5. HAD SECOND OF TWO VALVE COVER LEAKS DUE TO OIL SEPARATOR BLOCKAGE. BOTH HAPPENED UNDER COLD WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE ORIGINAL OIL SEPARATOR DESIGN WAS PRONE TO BLOCKAGE AND BMW HAD REDESIGNED THE SEPARATOR TO A "HEATED PART" ACCORDING TO MY DEALER. IN BOTH INSTANCES OF MY CAR'S FAILURE, THE VALVE COVER GASKET FAILED UNDER PRESSURE AND OIL LEAKED OUT ONTO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO FIRE. BMW DEALERSHIPS ACKNOWLEDGED THE COMMON FAILURE OF THE OIL SEPARATOR DESIGN. ALTHOUGH BMW OF NORTH AMERICA WOULD NOT RESPOND TO MY INQUIRIES. SINCE MY VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY I PAID FOR ALL REPAIRS. I HAVE UPDATED THE VEHICLE TO THE NEW "HEATED PART" BUT HAVE NOT HAD A FULL WINTER ON THE VEHICLE TO STATE WHETHER OR NOT THE RE-DESIGN WAS SUCCESSFUL. *TR

MY 2002 BMW X5'S ENGINE SUDDENLY STALLED ON MY WIFE FEW HOURS AGO TODAY, 09/16/08, WHILE SHE WAS JUST PASSING THROUGH A STOP LIGHT AROUND WHERE SHE WORK AT. THE MILEAGE ON THE CAR IS ABOUT 47000 MILES. I'D TO THANK GOD SHE WAS NOT DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY WHEN IT STALLED. NOW THE CAR WITH MY MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS. ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO, THE CAR'S FRONT FAN THAT COOLS THE ENGINE FAILED TO WORK ALL OF A SUDDEN WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT ON A HIGHWAY WITH THE AC ON. I HAD TO PULL OVER ON SIDE OF THE ROAD AS THE TEMP GAUGE WENT STRAIGHT INTO THE RED ZONE. I HAD TO GET IT REPLACED WITH A NEW ONE. THEN, ABOUT A MONTH AGO, THE CAR'S FAN MOTOR THAT DISTRIBUTES THE AC/HEAT INTO THE CAR STOPPED WORKING. I'D TO HAD IT REPLACED ALSO WITH A NEW ONE. THAT'S ALL & THANKS. *TR

WE WERE BACKING UP THE CAR FROM THE RESTAURANT AND DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG AND CURTAIN AIR BAG POPPED OPEN BUT NOT DEPLOYED WITH AIR FOR NO REASON. TOOK THE CAR TO DEALER THEY SAID SENSOR UNDERNEATH THE CAR INITIATED, AND TO REPAIR COSTS WILL BE $4,000.00. I DON'T HAVE MONEY TO FIX THE CAR AND THEY RELEASED THE CAR TO ME. THE BAGS ARE NOT DEPLOYED AND AFRAID OF DEPLOYING WHILE DRIVING. *TR