2001 BMW 530I Complaints

I'M WRITING YOU THIS EMAIL AFTER WHAT HAPPENED ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK LAST NIGHT. I GOT INTO MY CAR AFTER A DAY OF MEETINGS AND TURNED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEATED SEAT. AFTER ABOUT 5 MINUTES I REALIZE THAT THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SEAT CUSHION WAS GETTING VERY, VERY HOT. I THEN NOTICED THE SMELL OF SOMETHING BURNING. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE HEATED SEAT AND THEN PULLED INTO A GAS STATION. WHEN I GOT OUT OF MY CAR I NOTICED A HOLE BURNED INTO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SEAT. THE BURN MARK IS ABOUT THE SIZE OF A QUARTER. I'VE ATTACHED A PICTURE OF THIS SPOT. THIS ALSO CAUSE A SMALL MARK ON THE JACKET THAT I WAS WEARING, BUT THAT'S NOT MY ISSUE. AFTER THIS HAPPENED, I ALSO NOTICE THAT MY AIRBAG LIGHT HAS COME ON MY DASH BOARD. WHEN I CALLED MY LOCAL DEALER THIS MORNING TO ASK THEM ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND TO SEE IF THEY HAVE HEARD ABOUT THIS IN THE PAST THEY TOLD ME THEY'VE HEARD NOTHING OF THIS ISSUE, BUT THAT IT WOULD BE $125.00 JUST TO LOOK AT IT. I SAID NO THANK YOU, APPRECIATED THEIR TIME AND HUNG UP. I'M JUST SHOCKED THAT WITH BMW BEING SUCH A REPUTABLE CAR COMPANY, THAT AN ISSUE SUCH AS THIS WOULD NOT BE SOMETHING THEY WOULD TAKE CARE OF IN GOOD FAITH. ALL I WANT IS THE ISSUE CORRECTED. *KB *TR

2001 BMW 530IA REVERSE?!?! THE CAR HAS NEVER BEEN ABUSED AND ALWAYS SERVICED AS RECOMMENDED BY THE ON BOARD COMPUTER AND OWNERS MANUAL. REVERSE FOR NO REASON STOPPED WORKING AT THE WORST POSSIBLE TIME!!! IT HAS ENOUGH POWER TO ROLL VERY SLOWLY IF YOU REV THE MOTOR OUT OF A FLAT PARKING SPOT BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE ANY POWER TO BACK UP ANY INCLINE AT ALL. I HAVE NEVER ABUSED THE CAR OR HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE DRIVE TRAIN. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME IT HAS A SEALED TRANSMISSION AND YOU CAN'T CHECK OR ADD FLUID. I GOT STUCK AGAINST A CURB WHILE TRYING TO PERFORM A U-TURN BLOCKING ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND HAD TO GET A TOW TRUCK TO REMOVE MY CAR A FEW FEET BACK. I THOUGHT THAT I DID SOMETHING WRONG BUT AFTER RESEARCHING I SEE THAT TONS OF PEOPLE HAVE ENCOUNTERED THIS SAME DEFECT!! WHY HASN'T THIS BEEN RECALLED? IT'S A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR COSTING THOUSANDS FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION. I WORKED AT A BMW DEALERSHIP IN SALES AND THE SERVICE PROVIDER I SPOKE TO SAID IT'S A COMMON PROBLEM WITH BMW THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED. *TR

2001 BMW 530I WITH 74,000 MILES- WELL MAINTAINED, BUT SUDDENLY THE CAR WON'T GO IN REVERSE. I'M TOLD THAT THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED, AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I'VE FOUND HUNDREDS OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THE WEB- NHTSA SHOULD INVESTIGATE AND FORCE BMW TO ISSUE A RECALL. *TR

2001 BMW 5301 WITH 105K MILES WON'T GO INTO REVERSE. CAR WILL MOVE IN REVERSE AT IDLE ON A FLAT SURFACE BUT WILL NOT ACCELERATE. I'VE NOTICED 100'S OF PEOPLE HAVE HAD SIMILAR ISSUES AND THAT GM (TRANS MFG) HAS RECALLED SIMILAR ISSUES ON GM VEHICLES BUT BMW WILL NOT ISSUE A RECALL ITSELF. WE NEED THE HELP OF NHTSA TO REQUIRE BMW TO RECALL THIS DANGEROUS AND FAULT TRANSMISSION PART. *LN

I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT ON BEHALF OF MY DAUGHTER WHO IS THE OWNER OF THE CAR. BMW 530I 2001 THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY, WENT TO BACK IT OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY BUT IT WOULD NOT ENGAGE. THE ENGINE STARTS EVERYTHING IS OK BUT THE VEHICLE REFUSES TO REVERSE. NO PROBLEM WITH REVERSE BEFORE. ALSO THERE ARE NO WARNING LIGHTS OR ANYTHING INDICATING THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE CAR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW 530I. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG LOCATED IN THE DOOR AND THE SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT SUFFERED A MINOR INJURY TO THE LEFT ARM. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO CHECK THE VEHICLE FOR DAMAGES. THERE WERE NO DAMAGES TO THE VEHICLE THAT WOULD CAUSE THE AIR BAG TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT DUE TO THE VIN NUMBER THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE CONTACT FEELS THIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE CURRENT RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 128,000.

CAR FAILED TO OPERATE IN REVERSE WHEN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WAS PLACED IN REVERSE. *TR

RADIATOR FAN MAKES A LOUD NOISE, DREW CURRENT WHILE ENGINE WAS OFF. DEALER REPLACED BATTERY TWICE. 5,900 MILES. *TR

BMW 530I 2001. FAILURE OF REVERSE GEAR ALMOST CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT EVIDENTLY, THIS IS THE MOST COMMON FAILURE ON 3 & 5 BMW SERIES WITH STEPTRONIC TRANSMISSION YEARS 2001-2003. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW 530I. THE CONTACT HAS EXPERIENCED CONTINUOUS FAILURES WITH THE RADIATOR SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE TOP HOUSING OF THE RADIATOR DETACHED AND CAUSED THE ENGINE TO FAIL. THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE UNDER THE HOOD. UPON OPENING THE HOOD, WATER BEGAN SPRAYING FROM THE RADIATOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY DETERMINED THAT THE SYSTEM OVERHEATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DESIGNED WITH A PRESSURE RELEASE CAP, WHICH CAUSED THE RADIATOR TO EXPLODE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT THE COST OF $1,500. TWO YEARS LATER, WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE RADIATOR FAILED AND EXPLODED. THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED AND WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE PLASTIC ON THE OVERFLOW TANK DETACHED AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT THE COST OF $400. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE RADIATOR WAS DESIGNED CORRECTLY; THEREFORE, NO COMPENSATION WOULD BE PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,319 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 64,699. UPDATED 020209 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE DID NOT EQUIPPED WITH A PRESSURE RELIEF SYSTEM FOR THE RADIATOR. UPDATED 02/03/09.*JB