BMW Complaints

I HAVE THE DCT TRANSMISSION WITH MY 2008 BMW M3 AND THE LAG IS VERY UNSAFE. DEALER SAYING NO FIX AND PROBLEM NOT UNSAFE. *TR

CARS RPM WILL NOT STAY STABLE . GO UP @DOWN WHEN IDLING. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON GOES OUT WHEN ACCELERATING. REPLACE THERMOSTAT . RADIATOR. FAN AND FUEL PUMP PRIOR TO THIS DUE TO CAR OVER HEATING THEN CAME FAILURE OF CRACKED CYLINDER IN ENGINE. STILL NO MECHANIC CAN DIAGNOSIS EVEN WITH COMPUTER SCOPE HELP. *TR

MY 1996 BMW 318TI - DRIVER SIDE FRONT WINDOW HAS 3 TIMES IN LAST 5 YEARS FALLEN INTO THE DOOR INTERIOR WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE HAD THIS REPAIRED NOW 3 TIMES IN 5 YEARS AT A TOTAL COST TO BE OF $1300. THIS IS A SYSTEMIC DESIGN AND SAFETY PROBLEM THAT OCCURS NOT MOST OF THE 3 SERIES BMW FROM 1995 TO 2002. BMW UTILIZES A VERY POOR CHANNEL DESIGN TO RETAIN THE WINDOW SAFELY AND SECURELY WITH 3 CHEAP INADEQUATE PLASTIC / METAL CLIPS THAT FAIL CONSISTENTLY AND REPEATEDLY AFTER REPAIR OVER A SHORT TIME IT IS A HUGE DESIGN PROBLEM AND THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL AND NEW DESIGN IMPLEMENTATION TO CORRECT THIS SYSTEMIC DESIGN SAFETY FAILURE. IN MY LAST FAILURE LAST WEEK I WAS DRIVING 60 MILES AND HOUR ON A FREEWAY AND WINDOW DROPS INTO DOOR ALMOST CAUSING A CRASH. *TR

BMW AUTO JACK PART # 71 10 6 773 536 USED WITH 2007 BMW 328I SPORT WAGON. THIS FLOOR JACK IS AN ACCESSORY FOR BMW AUTOMOBILES AND AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE FROM BMW DEALERS. ALTHOUGH SOLD AND MARKETED BY BMW, IT APPEARS TO BE MANUFACTURED BY BILSTEIN. THIS JACK FAILED ON ITS 4TH USE. THE MAIN SCREW MECHANISM STRIPPED RESULTING IN THE VEHICLE FALLING. THE JACK WAS ON A SECURE GARAGE FLOOR, WAS SECURELY LOCKED INTO THE BMW JACK POSTS ON THE VEHICLE, AND WAS USED ACCORDING TO DIRECTIONS IN EVERY RESPECT. THE CAR WAS SECURE AND THE JACK WAS IN A PROPER VERTICAL ORIENTATION. THE FAILURE WAS SUDDEN AND THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT THE THREADS IN THE MAIN SCREW-TYPE MECHANISM HAVE STRIPPED. I WILL ATTEMPT TO OBTAIN A REPLACEMENT FROM BMW. *TR

A LITTLE WHILE BACK AN ERROR MESSAGE CAME UP ON THE DASHBOARD OF MY CAR SAYING THERE WAS A MALFUNCTION WITH THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR. NOT LONG AFTER, I LEFT MY OFFICE ONE NIGHT; I GET IN MY CAR WITH MY COWORKER AND BEGIN DRIVING. AS I DROVE WE BOTH HEARD A SCREECHING NOISE FROM MY CAR AND THE CAR WAS STRUGGLING TO ACCELERATE, CARS BEHIND ME BEGIN TO HONK AND DRIVE AROUND ME LEAVING ME IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHERE A CAR MAY HIT ME OR MY CAR. I WAS STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC WITH MY CAR ALMOST COMPLETELY DISABLED. THE NEXT DAY I HAD THE CAR PICKED UP FROM MY HOME AND DROPPED OFF BY A SERVICE CENTER. THEY CALL ME A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER SAYING THERE WAS DAMAGE DONE TO ALL THE TIRES OF THE CAR AND THE PRESSURE MONITOR FOR THE TIRES. THE TIRES FOR THIS CAR ARE SPECIAL TIRES WITH PRESSURE MONITORS TO INDICATE WHEN THEY ARE LOW ON PRESSURE OR FLAT. I'VE ONLY PUT 6500 MILES ON THE CAR AND DRIVEN IT WITH A LOT OF CARE UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS. THE SERVICE CENTER IS SAYING I INFLICTED THE DAMAGE AND THEY WANT ME TO PAY FOR IT. I HAD BEGUN SPEAKING WITH FRIENDS WHO HAVE THE SAME CAR AND THEY ALL SAID THEY ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE LOOK INTO THE SITUATION AND RESPOND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THIS CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS. *TR

IN APRIL 2008 LOW COOLANT WARNING CAUSED ME OPEN HOOD AND ADD COOLANT. THE COOLANT LEVEL WAS PERFECT BUT I STILL ADDED MORE. THE LIGHT FOR LOW COOLANT WAS STILL APPEARING EVERY TIME I DROVE THE CAR. EVERY PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN DONE BY BOOK ON THIS BMW. THE CAR HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER TWICE AFTER THIS LOW COOLANT LIGHT BUT NOT FOR THE COOLANT RELATED SERVICE. THEY COULD HAVE CHECKED THIS AND ADVISED ME OF POTENTIAL PROBLEM. CAR HAS 65,000 MILES. PLASTIC WAS FOUND HARDENED BY HEAT AND BRITTLENESS CRACKED THE SAME. 385 OTHER BMW 740IL OWNERS HAVE FILED PETITION ON INTERNET FOR SAME CRACKED PLASTIC RADIATORS (ON BMW 740I ,AND IL MODELS BETWEEN YEARS 1995 THROUGH 2001. BMW IGNORED OUR PLEAS FOR FREE REPLACEMENT. MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE NOT EXPECTED ON PREMIUM CAR LIKE THIS. *TR

MY 1999 BMW 540I SPORT CAUGHT FIRE 12/19/08 WHILE IT WAS SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY OF MY HOME. I NOTICED FLAMES ABOUT 1:30 AM COMING FROM THE SIDES OF THE HOOD. I HAD DRIVEN THE CAR TO DINNER THAT NIGHT AND IT WAS PARKED AND LOCKED IN MY DRIVEWAY. I JUST HAPPENED TO NOTICE THE FLAMES THROUGH THE WINDOW OF MY HOUSE. CALLED FIRE DEPARTMENT AND CAR WAS TOTALLY BURNED AND MELTED. ONLY THE REAR TRUNK AREA WAS LEFT. I COULD FIND NO MENTION OF THIS TYPE OF FIRE OCCURRING ON THE WEBSITES OF CONSUMER COMPLAINTS. NO RECALLS THAT I COULD FIND. MY CAR WAS WELL MAINTAINED WHILE I HAD IT. THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAD GOOD RECORDS ALSO. I HAD ONLY OWNED IT ABOUT 6 MONTHS. IT WAS BOUGHT FROM THE PREVIOUS OWNER. *TR

I OWN A 2003 BMW Z4 AND HAVE HAD TWO FUEL PUMPS AND FILTER REPLACEMENTS. THE CAR HAS APPROXIMATELY 21,500 MILES. THE FIRST FAILURE WAS JUNE 2008. THE SECOND FAILURE OCCURRED WITHIN 1,000 MILES OF THE FIRST REPLACEMENT. BMW DEALER MAINTAINS IT IS ETHANOL IN THE PREMIUM GAS I BUY, WHICH IS FROM CHERVRON. THE FUEL PUMP IS SUPPOSEDLY SUBJECT TO FAILURE IF THE ETHANOL CONTENT EXCEEDS 10% OR MORE. I HAD THE CHEVRON FUEL TESTED AND IT FALLS WITHIN THE 10% LIMIT. ALL FUELS IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST CONTAIN UP TO 10% ETHANOL. I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT BMW CANNOT DESIGN A FUEL PUMP TO HANDLE THE FUELS SOLD IN THE U.S. I SUPECT THE FUEL PUMP DESIGN IS FAULTY. ANYWAY I AM OUT ABOUT $2000 AND I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR VERY FAR FROM TOWN. *TR

IN RUSH-HOUR TRAFFIC, (CLEAR WEATHER, 45 DEGREES, SUNNY, DRY) I WAS FOLLOWING BEHIND A DUMP TRUCK. HE STOPPED, AND I APPLIED MY MOTORCYCLE'S BRAKES. THEY GRABBED, AS THEY ALWAYS DO, BUT THEN RELEASED. I CONTINUED TO SQUEEZE THE BRAKES, HOPING THE ABS WOULD RE-APPLY, BUT IT NEVER DID. THE FRONT END OF MY BIKE SLID UNDER THE REAR OF THE DUMP TRUCK AT ABOUT 5MPH, DAMAGING THE WINDSCREEN, INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, AND RIGHT MIRROR. THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS) IS NOT RELIABLE ON THIS MOTORCYCLE! *TR

I HAVE A 2006 3 SERIES WITH A MALFUNCTIONING AIR BAG INDICATOR SYSTEM. THIS VEHICLE SERIES WAS RECALLED UNDER NHTSA ACTION NUMBER EA08001. I HAVE CONTACTED BMW NORTH AMERICA TWICE AND THEY WILL NOT CONFIRM THAT I AM IN THE RECALL BUT EACH TIME ASK ME TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE ISSUE REPAIRED AT MY EXPENSE. THE SEAT BELT AND AIRBAG LIGHT IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE "AIRBAG IS NOT ACTIVE" IN THE PASSENGER SEAT IS ALWAYS ON WHEN A PASSENGER IS IN THE SEAT. THIS MALFUNCTION HAS BEEN ON GOING FOR AT LEAST SIX MONTHS. BMW NA ALSO CLAIMS NOT TO HAVE A VIN NUMBER LIST THAT THEY HAVE IN THEIR POSSESSION, ALTHOUGH THEY DO SAY RECALL NOTICES ARE BEING SENT OUT. THIS SEEMS RATHER ODD IF THEY ARE SENDING OUT RECALLS FOR VIN NUMBERS THAT THEY DON'T KNOW ARE BEING RECALLED. I AM CONCERNED FOR THE PASSENGERS AND CANNOT SEEM TO GET BMW TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE NHTSA RECALL OR THE VEHICLE. *TR