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 vehicle backfires and stalls on the road due to BMWs defective pcv crankcase valve. The valve put pressure inside engine which it couldn't handle causing a blown gasket and oil leak, the leak fell on the serpentine belt and AC belt and they slipped off. Causing the power steering to lock up on me while driving. The engine has a whistling noise coming from it. I'm parking and towing to bmw. I can diagnose it without there scanner. This is crazy and very dangerous.
After sitting idle in the car for 5 minutes I decided to drive off, the steering wheel started to lock and a burning smell came from the ac, after turning off the ac the steering wheel worked normal but when turning it back on the smell came and the steering wheel locked.
The engine idler pulley bolt broke while vehicle was in motion on highway. Vehicle iost all power steering. Alternator warning lamp illuminated along with warning message "charging malfunction". the bolt had previously been replace in 2012.
Vehicle is subject to recall 12V550000 due to idler pulley bolt which can break, causing accessory drive bet to dislodge and loss of power steering, alternator, etc. This vehicle's idler pulley and bolt were replaced as part of the recall 2.5 years and 35,000 miles ago, but experienced the exact same failure, again, last month. BMW usa and the local dealer were contacted, both refused to fix the issue, stating that the repair is only valid for two years. The new idler pulley bolt that was installed sheared off at its mounting point, just as the original bolt that was subject to recall did. It is clear that the replacement bolt is subject to the same failure as the original - worse, as this failure occurred in under 3 years and 40,000 miles, it appears that the "fix" is worse and more dangerous than the originally recalled part. In my vehicle, the pulley bolt snapped while the vehicle was being driven on a city street, causing a "bang" noise and the complete loss of power steering.
The contact owns a 2009 BMW X5 diesel. The contact stated that when completing a turn, the steering wheel would become extremely stiff. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where they advised him that the steering bolts were loose and needed to be tightened. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 41,000. The current mileage was approximately 42,000.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Las Vegas, NV, USA