2000 BMW 528I Complaints

2000 BMW 528 IDLES ROUGH IN COLD CLIMATES (2002/2003). THIS PRODUCES NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS. THE PROBLEM GOES AWAY ONCE THE CAR IS WARMED UP OR IN WARMER CLIMATES. DEALER CONSTANTLY STATES "PROBLEM UNREPRODUCABLE". AFTER NUMEROUS VISITS I LEFT THE CAR OVERNIGHT AT DEALERSHIP AND THE FOLLOWING MORNING WENT BACK, GRABBED A TECHNICIAN AND HAD HIM SIT IN THE CAR WITH ME. AFTERWARDS TECHNICIAN SAID IT'S PROBABLY A PART CALLED THE VANOS UNIT. HAD PART REPLACED THEN PROBLEM WENT AWAY. THIS WINTER (2003/2004), PROBLEM RESURFACED.*AK

YESTERDAY I PAID MY BMW DEALER $262.43 TO FIX A PROBLEM WHICH RESULTED DIRECTLY FROM A POOR ENGINEERING DESIGN. SPECIFICALLY, THE CHARGE WAS TO REPLACE THE SWITCH AND FRONT SEAT TRIM COVER WHICH HAD BROKEN, FOR THE FOURTH TIME, DURING NORMAL OPERATION (THE SWITCH SHORTED OUT, BECAME INOPERABLE, AND IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO ADJUST THE SEAT OR STEERING WHEEL FORE/AFT, UP/DOWN, ETC. ). APPARENTLY, BMW IS UNWILLING TO ADMIT TO POOR ENGINEERING DESIGN OF THESE PARTS, PREFERRING INSTEAD TO ATTRIBUTE BREAKAGE TO IMPROPER ENTRY/EXIT TECHNIQUE BY THE CUSTOMER. AFTER IT BROKE THE FIRST TIME, AND WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY, MY SERVICE MANAGER WARNED ME THAT BMW IS RELUCTANT TO PAY FOR THIS REPAIR MORE THAN ONCE, AND HE INSTRUCTED ME ON THE PROPER TECHNIQUE OF EXITING THE VEHICLE SO AS TO PRECLUDE A RECURRENCE OF THE PROBLEM. AFTER OVER SIXTY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AT SUCCESSFULLY ENTERING AND EXITING A VARIETY OF VEHICLES, WITHOUT EVER PREVIOUSLY BREAKING ANY PART OF A SEAT, I WAS OFFENDED THAT BMWS SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM WAS TO ABROGATE RESPONSIBILITY FOR FAULTY ENGINEERING DESIGN AND TO BLAME ME FOR NOT KNOWING HOW TO GET OUT OF A CAR. THOSE OF US WITH BAD KNEES (THAT INCLUDES MY WIFE, ME, AND MANY PEOPLE MY AGE) SIMPLY ARE NOT ABLE TO CONSISTENTLY EXECUTE THE ACROBATICS NECESSARY TO EXIT THE VEHICLE WITHOUT PUTTING ANY PRESSURE ON THE OUTSIDE EDGE OF THE SEAT AND CONSEQUENTLY, I EXPECT THAT WE WILL, FROM TIME TO TIME, BREAK A SEAT WHICH IS DESIGNED TO BREAK DURING THE NORMAL OPERATION OF PUTTING WEIGHT ON THE EDGE - A CLEAR VIOLATION OF GOOD ENGINEERING DESIGN. *AK

CAR STALLED MULTIPLE TIMES ON THE ROAD AND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION. THE ABILITY TO ACCERLATE DECREASED ALSO. *AK

THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. THE ENGINE SPUTTERED PRIOR TO IT DYING OUT. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP AND OTHER COMPONENTS IN AN ATTEMPT TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. ` *JB

THE STEERING WHEEL OF THE CAR BECAME 'FREE SPIN' WITH NO CONTROL ON THE WHEELS WHILE THE CAR WAS MAKE A TURN. APPARENTLY, THE STEERING WHEEL ROD BROKE. THE CAR IS BMW 538I YEAR 2000 PURCHASED BRAND NEW. WIN NUMBER: [XXX]. IT HAS 34,900 FILES ON IT AND IS UNDER WARRANTY. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

BOTH SIDE DOOR AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH FOR NO KNOWN REASON. VEHICLE AT THE DEALER. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED FOR UNKNOWN REASON IT CAUSED INJURY. *YD

WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER STATED THE FRONT AND SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON, INJURING CONSUMER. *JB

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING A SLIGHT IMPACT TO UNDERBODY SHIELD RESULTED IN THE AIR BAG TO DEPLOYING CAUSING INJURY TO CONSUMER (CLAIM#30-V241-449). *YD

CONSUMER STATES AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT ANY WARNING WHILE DRIVING (CLAIM # 03-3160-903). *YD

WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED UNEXPECTEDLY. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK