2001 BMW 530I Complaints

The contact owns a 2001 BMW 5301. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the warning light that the engine was overheating was displayed on the instrument cluster. The contact stated that the failure had occurred at various speeds, and the vehicle stalled due to the engine overheating. The contact was constantly refilling the coolant reservoir monthly. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic, and the radiator hoses were replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact had researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 02V138000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was informed of the failure and advised the contact that the vehicle was not included in the recall and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

MAJOR FUEL LEAK UNDER ENGINE OF CAR ON A COLD START (COLDER TEMPS ~40 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT OR LESS). FUEL SMELL IMMEDIATELY ON START UP, WITH A STEADY STREAM FUEL DRIPPING UNDER THE CAR...FUEL LINES THE DRIVEWAY WHEN BACKING OUT. DRIPPING APPEARS TO STOP AFTER CAR WARMS UP, SO MULTIPLE FAILED ATTEMPTS TO DIAGNOSE ISSUE. HOWEVER, NOW CAN SEE THAT ALL INJECTORS LEAK AND SPRAY FUEL FROM THE HOUSING...APPEARS TO BE WHERE THE PLASTIC AND METAL MEETS. CAR RUNS FINE THROUGHOUT THIS TIME. AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET, IT APPEARS THAT THE FUEL INJECTORS ARE KNOWN TO BE FAULTY AND THE PROBLEM WAS SUBSEQUENTLY CORRECTED AT SOME POINT. THERE IS ENOUGH FUEL POURING OUT TO QUICKLY IGNITE AND BURN UP THE CAR, GARAGE, AND HOME IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. SHOP QUOTED WELL OVER $2K TO REPLACE THE INJECTORS, AND WAS UNCERTAIN IF IT WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM. ASKED ME TO TOW THE CAR FROM THEIR LOT, FOR FEAR IT WOULD IGNITE. CLEARLY A DANGEROUS ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN AND IT I AM SHOCKED TO SEE THERE IS INFO ONLINE AND AT NHTSA, BUT NO SAFETY RECALL.

AIR BAG INDICATOR LIGHT RECENTLY ILLUMINATED UPON STARTING CAR. NOW COMES ON EACH TIME CAR IS DRIVEN.

VEHICLE WAS PARKED AT WALMART. LESS THEN 5 MINUTES AFTER WALKING INTO THE STORE THE VEHICLE BURST INTO FLAMES. THE FIRE STARTED IN THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE.

I PARKED MY CAR AND FOUND THAT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM HAD ALMOST CAUGHT FIRE, MELTING THE CARPET AND PLASTIC INTERIOR, GLOVEBOX AND MULTIPLE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS AND WIRING HARNESS. THE AIRBAGS HAD DEPLOYED AND THERE WAS BLACK SOOT COVERING THE INTERIOR. I FOUND THAT THERE WAS WATER ACCUMULATED BENEATH THE PASSENGER FOOTWELL, WHERE THERE IS A MAJOR ELECTRICAL FUSE PANEL. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY IN FRONT OF MY HOME AND I'VE HAD TO FIND A REPLACEMENT VEHICLE DUE TO THE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE WIRING HARNESS AND MODULES. ALSO THE SMOKE DAMAGE WOULD PREVENT ME FROM WANTING TO DRIVE THE CAR. IT HAD BEEN RAINING REGULARLY FOR THE PREVIOUS MONTHS DURING WINTER AND I BELIEVE IT'S POSSIBLE THAT WATER WAS BEING DIVERTED TO THIS AREA WHERE THE MAIN ELECTRICAL FUSES WERE LOCATED. THERE DO NOT APPEAR TO BE ANY PROVISIONS TO KEEP WATER FROM ACCUMULATING OR TO PROTECT THE FUSES FROM WATER INTRUSION. THE ANGLE AT WHICH THE CAR WAS PARKED WAS WITH THE FRONT POINTED UP AT AN INCLINE OF APPROXIMATELY 15 DEGREES. THIS OCCURRED ON A CITY STREET. THE CAR IS IRREPARABLE AND MUST BE DISPOSED OF.

WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK 2.3 MILES NO A/C ON PULLED IN DRIVEWAY CAR WAS WISSLING SMOKE WATER POUR OUT EVERYWHERE . TEMP GAGE DID NOT SHOW OVER HEATED. ALL COOLANT GONE BURST AND LEAKED OUT BUTTOM OF ENGINE.

REVERSE TRNSMISSION NOT WORKING WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING. ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIENT.

FUEL INJECTORS LEAK IN EXTREME COLD TEMPERATURES. EXACT TEMPERATURE UNKNOWN BUT HAS BEEN -5F FOR THE PAST 3 DAYS AND THE CABIN FILLS WITH THE SMELL OF GAS WITHIN MOMENTS AND UPON OPENING THE HOOD YOU CAN SEE A MIST OF FUEL FROM THE INJECTOR. TRIED IT LAST NIGHT AT 8F AND NO NOTICEABLE LEAK, ALTHOUGH STILL FAINT SMELL. RESEARCHED ONLINE ONLY TO DISCOVER THIS APPEARS TO BE A CONSISTENT PROBLEM WITH PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN VERY COLD AREAS AS MYSELF. I PURCHASED IT USED FROM A MUCH MILDER CLIMATE. VERY THANKFUL IT DIDN'T CATCH ON FIRE WITH MY KIDS IN IT. CAR WILL REMAIN PARKED UNTIL FIXED. I REALLY HOPE THIS GET LOOKED INTO. AS AN INSURANCE AGENT THIS IS VERY CONCERNING TO ME, BOTH ON A PERSONAL LEVEL AND AS A PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY. I AM NOT VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT CARS AND WHEN I SMELLED IT I THOUGHT IT WAS AN EXHAUSTIVE LEAK OR MY FUEL RUNNING TOO RICH BECAUSE OF THE COLD, AT FIRST. BUT AFTER GETTING A HEADACHE DRIVING TO WORK I DECIDED IT WAS MORE. INVESTIGATED TRYING TO FIGURE WHERE IT CAME FROM AND ONCE I DISCOVERED THE SMELL WAS MORE INTENSE UNDER THE HOOD I GOT WORRIED. MY HUSBAND INVESTIGATED WHEN I GOT HOME FROM WORK AND THOUGHT I WAS OVERREACTING SINCE HE ONLY SMELLED A FAINT SMELL AND LOOKED EVERYTHING OVER AND SAW NOTHING. THIS MORNING THOUGH, BEING COLD AND HIM RUNNING LATE FOR WORK, MY CAR WAS RUNNING WHEN HE WENT TO LEAVE.HE COULD SMELL IT AS HE WALKED BY. HE OPENED IT UP AND COULD SEE THE MIST OF FUEL. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MY 3 KIDS TO SCHOOL THE LAST TWO DAYS WITH FUEL SPRAYING IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THIS IS A POTENTIALLY DEADLY SITUATION, BUT BECAUSE IT ONLY OCCURS IN EXTREME COLD IT IS EASILY OVERLOOKED AND MISDIAGANOSISED. ESPECIALLY AS THE VEHICLES ARE GETTING OLDER, THE DRIVERS ARE MORE LIKELY TO OVERLOOK ISSUES THINKING THEY LEAKING IN THE EXHAUST OR TANK ETC DUE TO DETERIORATION, AS I DID AT FIRST. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW 530IA. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 206,000.

TAKATA RECALL 2001 BMW 530I SEVERAL RELATED TO CAR ACCELERATES HAS BEEN REPORTED FOR THE 2001-2005 BMW 530I. CAR ACCELERATES ON ITS OWN PROBLEM 1 FAILURE DATE: 12/15/2015 WE OWNS A 2001 BMW 530I. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE PULLING OUT OF A BANK OF AMERICA IN MIAMI , FLORIDA PARKING SPACE AT 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE RAPIDLY ACCELERATED CRASHING INTO BANKS WALL AND THE ATM MACHINE CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE AND THE DECORATION AROUND THE ATM, BUT NOT THE ATM MACHINE ITSELF. BRAKES WERE APPLIED BUT FAILED DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF ACCELERATION. ONLY MY WIFE WAS INJURED DURING THE CRASH. AFTER THE CRASH WE CONTACT THE DEALERSHIP, THEY ARE TRYING TO DISREGARD OUR COMPLAINT AND LEAVE US ON HOLD UNTIL THE LINE DROPS. THE FAILURE HAPPENED WITH LOW MILEAGE AT JUST UNDER 47,000 MILES. OTHER VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL RELATED PROBLEMS OF THE 2002 BMW 530 VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL PROBLEMS 4 CAR ACCELERATES ON ITS OWN PROBLEMS 1