This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
The contact owns a 2008 BMW 335xi. The contact stated after parking the vehicle at a parking lot, he noticed smoke exiting the center dashboard. The contact detached the plastic kickboard and saw the fire located in the wires. A bystander had a fire extinguisher available and was able to extinguish the fire. The contact burned his left hand but declined medical attention. The fire department arrived at the location and filed a fire report. The fire department informed the VIN was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number:?17V676000 (Electrical System). A police report was not filed. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where they associated the failure with the recall. The contact stated a manufacturer inspector, later on, informed the recall was not associated with the fire. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 123,000.
My car hasn't start up for 2 years now. 1st it started with a dead starter, then alternator, then the radiator and water pump bursted, and as i was standing outside of my car the passenger air bag deploys while the car was off and key out of the ignition. Luckily no one was in my car but now my car doesn't and wont crank or turnover, it makes a buzzing noise for a split second when i hit the start/stop button and thats all. I'm getting full voltage to it. Every time i run my scanner, i get different codes every time, i bought a 2nd scanner (carly) to compare and both threw out different codes every time but the main ones was the starter and pcv code; which i got 3 different starters put in, all new and the code was still ahowing. Ive spent more time researching and more money buying parts to fix my car then what I bought the car for which was $6k. Worst part is that My car wont even start so i cant take it to the shop and im definitely not paying a toll fee just to have the shop tell me what i already know. Ive looked up forums and multiple people is facing the same issues as i am with their results ending with a "please help if anyone finds out what this issue is". I've replaced the battery 3 times and registered the batteries each time. I have a new starter, alternator, radiator, radiator fan, water pump, thermostat, reservoir, crankshaft and camshaft position sensor, battery, ibs cables, power distribution box, ground straps, oil filter, oil filter housing, spark plugs, coil packs, manifold and gaskets, pcv valves, start/stop switch, relays, fuses, and I still get the same results which is no crank/no start and a buzzing noise. When i spoke with BMW customer support i told them that the closest BMW repair shop is 2 hours away from me and the lady replied "that's going to be a huge chunk of money for towing". I mean seriously, BMW should be paying for or that and fixing their mess but won't own up to it.
The engine and all electrical components including power steering spontaneously cutout while driving, usually while engine isnt being stressed at all, sometimes while idling. If the car is rolling, i have to restart the engine while driving and using manual power to steer. Obviously, this is a huge safety problem. I've just had the alternator and battery replaced, and they test fine. This has happened at least 50 times and I've reduced time driving vehicle until I solve the issue, which has persisted at least 6 months. I asked the BMW dealer about the following recall, and they claim they already performed it years ago after I already owned the car, without my recalling being told it was done. However, the symptoms are back, and BMW refuses to do anything about it at this time: Report Receipt Date: FEB 07, 2013 NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V044000 Component(s): ELECTRICAL SYSTEM Potential Number of Units Affected: 504,545 All Products Associated with this Recall Details 2 Associated Documents Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC SUMMARY: BMW is recalling 2007-2011 3-Series sedans manufactured March 2007 through October 2011. The connector for the positive battery cable connector and the corresponding terminal on the fuse box may degrade over time. Over time, the high current flow and heat from electrical resistance may lead to a breakage of the connection, and a loss of electrical power to the vehicle. CONSEQUENCE: If there is a loss of electrical power to the vehicle, the vehicle may unexpectedly stall, increasing the risk of a crash. REMEDY: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the positive battery cable connector and secure it with an improved method, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in March 2013.
Encountered difficulty exiting the car. Manufacturer's dealer had to install "updated door latch on both front" doors. At the time the vechicle was stationary in my driveway.
Car has issues with cold start, long crank, RPM surge, cylinder misfires. Car has index 5 and index 8 fuel injectors. The car is showing codes for issues with the high pressure fuel pump.
- Florence, SC, USA
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My 2008 BMW 335xi with 42000 miles was stored in my heated shop. The car started on fire and destroyed the contents of my shop and the car. BMW sent an inspector to check the damage and took hundreds of pictures. Clearly the fire started under the glove compartment area and continued to burn until the front of the car, windshield and interior was destroyed. Contents in my shop were destroyed and the interior of the building had to be gutted to the studs. BMW offered nothing. Damages totalled more than $150,000. I received a recall letter from BMW 3 weeks after the fire. * (recall related incident)
Went to replace an obviously burned out brand new xenon hid ballast. Confused about why it burned up(failure rate of 1 per 1,000 quoted by the manufacturer) I took off the back cover for the housing. To my surprise, the power cable's that plugs into the hid ballast insulation was completely gone. Bare. Wires. This is obviously an extreme fire and safety hazard. Curious if my other headlight wiring was the same way, I popped the back housing of it to inspect for another hazard. Lord and behold, it was exactly the same way. Not just the power supply insulation on the wires for the ballast was chipping, all of it was chipping. The drl, angel eye and turn maker wiring insulation was all..gone. Someone had recently discovered this issue beforehand as there was electrical tape & solder on some of the wires keeping them together. ---------------------------- this is a fire hazard! ----------------------------
Vehicle overheated during high speed driving and began rapidly slowing forcing an emergency exit from the highway. Fortunately I was near an exit. BMW dealership replaced the water pump but person at the dealership explained that the water pump was probably blown as a result of the failure of the "ibs" cable. Dealer had to replace the "negative ibs cable." Therefore, it appears that failure of this cable will require emergency stopping or emergy handling at any speed. The highway speed I was traveling made this particularly dangerous. I have the repair invoice showing the required replacement of the negative ibs cable.
I received a recall letter telling me to stand by for another recall letter to then tell me to have the car fixed. The car blown up parked outside of my house it has not been used for 24 hours prior to the incident. I have just now recently recieved the second recall letter months later no. 17V-676
The contact owns a 2008 BMW 335xi. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 17V676000 (electrical system). The contact called BMW of greenwich and BMW of mamaroneck at 914-881-3600 (located at 110 midland ave, port chester, NY 10573) and was informed that the parts were not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and was not able to confirm when the parts were to become available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owned a 2008 BMW 335I. While the vehicle was parked and occupied, the contact noticed smoke coming from the dashboard and through the air vents in the vehicle. The contact and his family were able to exit the vehicle without injuries. The vehicle burst into flames. The fire department extinguished the fire. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The vehicle was destroyed. The VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 17V676000 (electrical system). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and did not assist. The approximate failure mileage was 135,000.
The contact owns a 2008 BMW 335I. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 17V676000 (electrical system). The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact called flow BMW (2565 peters creek pkwy, winston salem, nc 27127, (888) 896-2985) and was informed that the parts were not available. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the supply of parts were scheduled to arrive in thirty days. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2008 BMW 335I. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 17V676000 (electrical system); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. BMW of macon (located at 4785 riverside dr, macon, ga 31210, (866) 980-4231) was contacted and confirmed that the part was not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The wires on the inside of my headlights are cracked, and have a lot of bare copper showing. The plastic sheathing (cable jacket) has become brittle from the heat, and is falling apart, exposing the conductor. This is creating the risk of an electrical fire or damage to the electrical system. The right headlight and the angel lights of my car is not working it when off while the car was in motion - all it takes is to touch a cable with your fingers and the cooper will be expose. I'm requesting immediate recall from BMW - several cars are having the same electrical and fire hazard issues. Please fix this problem before somebody get's hurt.
A recall was issue for blower motor wiring. It has almost been a year and every time I inquire with the dealer they say they don't have the remedy available. Should I be concerned about the vehicle catching flames while in my garage?
The contact owns a 2008 BMW 335I. The contact was not notified by the manufacturer that the vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 17V676000 (electrical system). The recall was issued on October 25, 2017. Without warning, smoke appeared from under the hood and a fire started. A passerby extinguished the flames. The fire inspector arrived and was unable to determine the cause of the fire. The vehicle was damaged extensively and towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was notified of the recall by the manufacturer after the fire occurred. The failure mileage was not available. * (recall related incident)
Manufacturer has not remedy the safety recalls in a timely manner as it's been almost a year since the recalls and there are still no parts/fixes available. There are 2 recalls from Oct 2017 and as of today Aug 2018 there are no parts available to fix the issues: Positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve heater and blower motor wiring. Safety risks: Over time, it could deteriorate and, in rare cases, could lead to overheating. And connection between the wiring and this system could deteriorate and, in rare cases, could lead to overheating.
The contact owns a 2008 BMW 335I. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 17V676000 (electrical system); however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. Peter pan BMW (2695 S el camino real, san mateo, ca) was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not available for the recall remedy. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and was not able to confirm when the parts were to become available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Sioux City, IA, USA