2008 BMW 550I Complaints

FRAYED AND DISINTEGRATING HEADLIGHT WIRING PRESENT THROUGHOUT MY HEADLAMPS. THESE ARE SEALED ENCLOSURES FOR WHICH THERE ARE NO PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE ITEMS. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AS THE HEADLIGHTS MAY FAIL WITHOUT WARNING, PARTICULARLY IN HOT WEATHER. THESE ARE NON CONSUMER REPLACEABLE PARTS AND PROHIBITIVELY EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE AND SHOULD NOT BE FAILING AFTER ONLY 8 YEARS OF SERVICE.

I HAD A PARKING LIGHT GO BAD AND WHILE I WAS REPLACING IT I NOTICED THAT THE WIRING INSIDE THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY IS NO LONGER INSULATED. THE INSULATION HAS BECOME BRITTLE AND IS FLAKING OFF. I REMOVED THE COVER FOR THE OTHER HEADLIGHT AND THE SAME THING HAS HAPPENED TO THAT LIGHT. IT WOULD SEEM THAT THESE BARE WIRES COULD CAUSE A VEHICLE FIRE.

BOUGHT A 2008 BMW 550I AND EXPERIENCED HEADLIGHT FAILURE WITH THE HEADLIGHT FUSE BLOWING REPEATEDLY WHEN I WENT TO CHANGE THE BULBS NOTICED THAT ALL THE WIRES IN THE HEADLIGHT WERE BARE. USED LIQUID INSULATION TO FIX THE ISSUE HOWEVER HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS OF THIS CAR CATCHING FIRE FROM THE ISSUE AFTER SOME RESEARCH

CONSISTENTLY RECEIVING 'PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM' WARNING INDICATING LOSS OF AIRBAG PROTECTION ON ONBOARD WARNING SYSTEM. DEALERSHIP SUPPORT NOTIFIED SEVERAL TIMES WHILE UNDER MANUFACTURER AS WELL AS PURCHASED EXTENDED WARRANTEES WITHOUT ANY REMEDY. 'NO FAULT' FOUND BY DEALERSHIPS - REPORTEDLY THEIR DIAGNOSTICS INDICATED NO CURRENT ISSUE WITH PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM. PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM CONTINUES TO INDICATE SHUT-DOWN WHILE UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. LIMITED ONLINE RESEARCH INDICATES THAT THIS IS A PERSISTENT PASSENGER SAFETY CONTROL SYSTEM ISSUE SPECIFIC TO THIS MANUFACTURER AND MODEL.

WARING LIGHT FOR SEAT BELT RESTRAINT STAYS ON, ONLY ON PASSENGER SIDE. NOT SURE IF THIS AFFECTS INTEGRITY OF SEAT BELT OR AIR BAGS.

PURCHASED USED WITH 83,000 MILES. CURRENTLY 100,000. THE INTERMITTENTLY REPORTS A FAILURE IN THE PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM. WHEN EXAMINED BY A QUALIFIED MECHANIC, THERE IS NO INDICATION OF AN ISSUE WITH ANY OF THE PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEMS. WHEN THIS WARNING IS PRESENT ON THE VEHICLE, I DO NOT KNOW WHAT SAFETY SYSTEMS (IF ANY) HAVE BEEN COMPROMISED. DEALERSHIP HAS STATED THERE IS A RECALL ON SIMILAR VEHICLES DURING THE SAME YEAR, BUT NOT THIS VEHICLE EVEN THOUGH IT USES THE SAME COMPONENTS.

PASS RESTRAINT SYSTEM ERROR. PLEASE HELP! I GET THIS WARNING EVERY SO OFTEN WHEN I GET IN MY CAR AND REGARDLESS OF A PASSENGER PRESENT OR NOT. SEVERAL TIMES THE BEEPING SIGNAL WILL BEGIN TO MAKE NOISE, TO BUTTON THE SEAT BELT, EVEN WHEN NOTHING IS IN THE SEAT. THIS IS CREATING A VERY ANNOYING DRIVING EXPERIENCE.

I RECENTLY STARTED EXPERIENCING FUSES BLOWING ON MY RIGHT FRONT HEAD LIGHT UNITS. ERRORS WOULD INDICATE IT WAS THE 'RIGHT DAYLIGHT PARKING UNIT' AND THEN WOULD CLEAR OR STAY CONSTANT. WHEN IT WAS CONSTANT, IT WAS DUE TO A BLOWN FUSE. IT TURNS OUT WHEN I HAD A BMW CERTIFIED TECHNICIAN LOOK AT THE ISSUE HE SAID THAT THE PROBLEM WAS RELATED TO THE WIRING INSIDE THE FRONT HEAD LIGHT. THE WIRING HAD INSULATION THAT WAS STARTING TO FLAKE OFF ALLOWING CONTACT OF THE TWO WIRES GOING TO THE BULB AND WAS EVEN APPARENT ON OTHER WIRES WITHIN THE HEAD LIGHT ASSEMBLY. IF I HIT A BUMP OR WENT OVER RUMBLE STRIPS THESE WIRES COULD TOUCH AND SHORT CAUSING THE FUSE TO BLOW AND/OR ERROR MESSAGE. AFTER 3 FUSES AND BUYING AN UNNECESSARY SET OF H8 BULBS, THE TECHNICIAN FIXED THE WIRING WITH SOME ELECTRICAL TAPE BUT SUGGESTED THAT A FILE A COMPLAINT HERE SINCE THERE IS NO OPEN RECALL FOR THIS COMMON ISSUE. HE ALSO TOLD ME THIS PROBLEM WITH WIRE INSULATION FALLING OFF WAS VERY COMMON ON BMW'S THAT WERE 5-7 YEARS OLD. I COULD SEE BURN MARKS ON THE WIRE AN INSTALLATION FROM WHERE THE SHORT OCCURRED AND WAS SHOCKED THAT ALL THE WIRING WITHIN THE HEAD LAMP ON BOTH THE RIGHT AND LEFT FRONT SHOWED THESE FLAKING AND CRACKING. AFTER RESEARCHING ONLINE AT SEVERAL BMW FORUMS I FOUND MANY SIMILAR ISSUES AND IMAGES ALMOST IDENTICAL TO THE ONES MY TECHNICIAN TOOK. I WOULD LIKE A RECALL TO BE ISSUED BY BMW TO REPLACE THE HEAD LIGHT ASSEMBLIES OR INTERNAL WIRING WITH WIRES THAT HAVE A BETTER/PROPER INSULATOR THAT DOESN'T FLAKE OFF. I'VE NOT HAD THE BACK LIGHTS CHECKED, BUT FOUND THAT THIS IS COMMON ON MOST IF NOT ALL BMW LIGHT ASSEMBLIES FRONT/BACK FOR A FEW ONLINE RESEARCH QUERIES. ALSO WHERE CAN I SEND THE DIGITAL PICTURES MY TECHNICIAN TOOK OF THE WIRING?

I GOT THIS ZENNA TIRES FROM CARSHOEZ.COM AND THE TIRES HAVE A TREAD PATTERN WRONG. IT DOES NOT FOR WITH THE FLOW OF ROTATION OF THE TIRE. THE INSIDE SIDE TREAD IS GOING BACKWARD AND THE OUTSIDE TREAD IS BACKWARD ON TWO TIRES AND FORWARD ON THE OTHER TWO TIRES. TIRES SIZES IS 275/30/19 REAR AND 245/35/9 FRONT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW 550I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO RECOMMENDED THAT THE PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000.