2011 BMW 550I Complaints

SINCE JANUARY 2014 THE FUEL INJECTORS FAILED AND REPLACED TWO TIMES AND THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE POSITION OF CRTIZ BMW DEALERSHIP IN SAVANNAH, GA SINCE FEBRUARY 12/2015 TO REPLACE THE FUEL INJECTORS FOR THE THIRD TIME AND ALSO TO REPAIR THE SEAT BELT MALFUNCTION ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE THAT WERE FAILED TO WORK SINCE FEBRUARY OF 2014. ON FEBRUARY OF 2014 I HAVE REACHED OUT TO CRITZ BMW SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND ALSO CONTACTED BMW OF NORTH AMERICA IN JUNE OF 2014 TO CUSTOMER CARE INDIVIDUALS MANY TIMES FROM OVER SIX MONTHS ABOUT THE SEAT BELT MALFUNCTION SAFETY ISSUE SINCE THEN TO HAVE THIS ISSUE FIXED BUT I WAS TOLD THAT BMW COULDN??T DUPLICATE OR REPAIR THE SEAT BELT. THREE PASSENGERS INCLUDING MY WIFE WERE AT RISK AND SAW THE LIGHT FOR SEAT BELT MALFUNCTION WARNING LIGHT TURNED ON IN THIS VEHICLE WHILE SETTING ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AND I ALSO HAVE PHOTOS DATED SINCE FEBRUARY 2014. THE WARNING INDICATED THAT THE AIR BAG WON??T DEPLOY IN CASE OF ANY ACCIDENT AND I HAD TO STOP THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY FOR THE PASSENGER??S SAFETY AND I ALSO CONTACTED BMW EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE AND I WAS TOLD TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTIONS. THE CRITZ BMW MENTIONED THAT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND BMW OF NORTH AMERICA ARE AWARE OF THE ISSUE WITH THE SEAT BELT AND THAT THEY ARE IN CONTACT TO REPLACE THE SEAT MAT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE SENSOR. I WAS OFFERED BY BMW OF NORTH AMERICA TO TRADE THIS VEHICLE AND I TOLD BMW THAT I WILL NOT TRADE THIS VEHICLE UNTIL ITS FIXED SINCE I DON'T WANT TO PUT SOMEONES LIFE IN DANGER DUE TO THE SEAT BELT ISSUE THAT BMW COULDN'T FIX AND I TOLD THEM THAT THEY CAN SIMPLY REPURCHASE, REPLACE OR REPAIR THIS VEHICLE. ON MARCH 12/2015 THE BMW OF NORTH AMERICA COULDN'T DUPLICATE OR REPAIR THE SEAT BELT MALFUNCTION ON THE PASSENGER SIDE SEATBELT. *TR

1- SEAT BELT MALFUNCTION FOR PASSENGER SIDE NOT FIXED AFTER MANY COMPLAINTS TO BMW OF NORTH AMERICA AND THE DEALERSHIP. I CAN'T HAVE A PASSENGER OR MY WIFE IN MY CAR DUE TO THE SEAT BELT SAFETY ISSUES. 2- FUEL INJECTORS FAILED AND WILL BE REPLACED FOR THE THIRD TIME 3- THE CAR IS VIBRATING AT 40MPH. BMW FOUND IRREGULAR TIRE WEAR ON THE FRONT TIRES BUT I HAVE A FULL WARRANTY ON ALL TIERS WITH BMW THAT I PURCHASED, THE WARRANTY IS BASED ON ALL THE ROAD HAZARDS AND THE CAUSE OF THE VIBRATION IS ROAD HAZARDS. BMW IS NOT REPLACING THE TIRES. 4- ENGINE MAKES BIG NOISE AT THE START AFTER PARKED FOR 8HRS OR MORE. 5- THE BACKUP CAMERA IS STOP WORKING SOMETIMES AND THE NAVIGATION IS LOADING SLOWLY. I BROUGHT THESE ISSUES TO CRITZ BMW DEALERSHIP AND ALSO CONTACTED BMWUSA CUSTOMER CARE BUT THEY SIMPLY COULD NOT FIX THE ISSUE AFTER MANY VISITS TO THE DEALERSHIP. I HAVE APPROXIMATELY 45 DAYS OF WARRANTY LEFT ON THIS VEHICLE SO BMWUA IS GIVING ME A RUN AROUND AND EACH TIME SUPPORTING AND BACKING THE DEALERSHIP UNTIL MY WARRANTY EXPIRES. BMWUSA AND THE CRIZTE BMW DEALERSHIP BASICALLY DID NOT HONOR THEIR ORIGINAL MANUFACTURE WARRANTY CONTRACT TO FIX THE ISSUES THAT ARE STILL EXISTS ON THIS BMW. I TOOK THIS VEHICLE TO CRITZE BMW DEALERSHIP FOR MORE THAN FIVE TIMES AND EACH TIME THEY KEPT IT FOR 4 DAYS AND NOW FOR 21 DAYS AND THEY MIGHT KEEP IT FOR ANOTHER 14 DAYS TO FIX THE ONGOING ISSUE BUT THE RESULTS ARE FAILING AND THE ISSUE IS UNRESOLVED THE VEHICLE WENT FOR REPAIRS THIS YEAR FOR MORE THAN 40 DAYS. BMW IS HOLDING MY VEHICLE UNTIL THE MANUFACTURE WARRANT EXPIRES SO THEY CAN'T HAVE AN EXCUSE FOR NOT FIXING. I HAVE FILED A COMPLAIN WITH BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU BUT BBB REFERRED ME TO YOUR OFFICE SINCE GA LEMON LAW DOSE NOT APPLY TO A USED VEHICLE PURCHASED FROM BMW EVEN THOUGH WITH ORIGINAL MANUFACTURE WARRANTY. *TR

HAVE TO ADD OIL EVERY 500 MILES, AND I DID NOTICE THERE'S A RECALL ON THE CAR BUT BMW DOES NOT WANT TO CALL IT A RECALL.I THINK IT MAY EFFECT CAR 5 YEARS FROM NOW, TIMING CHAIN IS NOT ALWAYS GOOD NEWS. I THINK BMW SHOULD OFFER EXTENDED WARRANTY. *TR

I BOUGHT THE CAR ON MAY 6, 2015 WITH ABOUT 53K MILES ON IT. DROVE IT FOR ONLY ABOUT 45 DAYS AND WHILE DRIVING THE CAR THE DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION AND OTHER LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE CAR LOST POWER AND STOPPED IMMEDIATELY. AT FIRST, I THOUGHT IT WAS THE BATTERY AND HAD THE CAR JUMPED BUT THAT DIDN'T WORK. THE CARE ENGINE WAS TOTALLY DEAD, NO SOUND NO ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE ENGINE LIGHT THAT POPPED ON BEFORE IT STOPPED. I HAD PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FROM GWC AT THE PURCHASE OF THE CAR SO INFORMED THEM. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A PLACE (LMC AUTO IN NORCROSS GEORGIA) THAT GWC WAS WILLING TO PAY FOR REPAIRS. LMC SAID THE ENGINE WAS LOCKED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. GWC REFUSED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE BECAUSE OF THE EXPENSE AND INSTEAD HAD LMC AUTO REPAIR THE ENGINE. NEEDLESS TO SAY, LMC IS STILL REPAIRING THE ENGINE ALMOST 5MONTHS LATER. I HAD CALLED GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OF CONSUMER PROTECTION, [XXX], ETC.. TRYING TO GET HELP WITH GETTING THE CAR FIXED. WHEN I TALKED TO BMW OF NORTH AMERICA THEY SAID THEY WARRANTY IS UP AT 50K MILES SO THEY CANNOT COMMIT TO DO ANYTHING. I AM AT MY WITS END AND THE CAR STILL DOES NOT SEEM TO BE ANY CLOSER TO GETTING FIXED. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE ENTIRE CAR STARTED SHAKING. I GET MULTIPLE ENGINE MALFUNCTION LIGHTS AND THEN GET A "REDUCED POWER" ALERT ON MY DASHBOARD. THE CAR GOES INTO "LIMP-MODE", WHICH MEANS IT'S INCAPABLE OF GOING PAST 40-45 MPH AND GOING ANYTHING ABOVE 25 RESULTS IN VIOLENT SHAKING OF THE CAR. ALSO AT RED LIGHTS, THE ENTIRE CAR VIBRATES. THE FAULT WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE FUEL INJECTORS IN THE ENGINE, HOWEVER I ALREADY KNEW THAT BY SIMPLY LOOKING UP THE SYMPTOMS. THOUSANDS OF BMW 5-SERIES MADE BETWEEN 2011-2012 HAVE THIS ISSUE, YET BMW IS NOT RECALLING THEM, BUT RATHER FIXING THEM ON A ONE-BY-ONE BASIS. IF SOMEONE IS OUT OF WARRANTY, LIKE ME, THEY ARE THEN CHARGING NEARLY $6,000 FOR A FAULT THAT AFFECTS OVER 50% OF 2011 BMW 550I'S MADE! BMW FORUMS EVERYWHERE TALK ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND AS CARS MADE IN 2011 START RUNNING OUT OF THEIR WARRANTY IN LATE 2014, EARLY 2015, MORE AND MORE OF THEM WILL START SHOWING SYMPTOMS AND CONSUMERS WILL BE FORCED TO SHELL OUT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR A FIX BMW SHOULD HAVE ADDRESSED IN A MANDATORY RECALL. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 2011 BMW 550X M SPORT ON THE OHIO TURNPIKE IN JULY 2014 WHEN TWO BUBBLES STARTED TO FORM ON THE GOODYEAR LS-2 245/40R19 FRONT LEFT TIRE. GIVEN I ONLY HAD 70 MILES TO MY DESTINATION I CONTINUED AT THE 65 MPH. WELL, NEEDLESS TO SAY, AS I EXITED THE TURNPIKE THE FRONT LEFT TIRE FAILED. LOST ALL PRESSURE. THIS WASN'T EVEN THE TIRE I THOUGHT MIGHT FAIL. I WAS FORCED TO DRIVE 30 MILES ON THE HIGHWAY ON TWO DANGEROUS TIRES SO I COULD GET TO A SAFE PLACE TO CALL FOR A TOW. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE BMW DEALERSHIP 70 MILES AWAY. THESE WERE NEWLY REPLACED TIRES WITH ABOUT 5K MILES ON THEM. I'M ATTEMPTING TO GET THE TIRES REPLACED AT NO COST EVEN GIVEN THE UNSAFE TIRE RESULTS BUT IT'S MY ONLY OPTION AT THIS POINT GIVEN MY LOCATION. THE DEALER IS TRYING TO CHARGE FULL PRICE FOR THE REPLACEMENT TIRES. I FIND THIS UNACCEPTABLE. *TR

DRIVING MY 69 YEAR OLD WIFE'S 2011 BMW 550IX WITH M SPORT PKG. WITH GOODYEAR RUN FLAT'S O.E.M. GERMAN TIRE'S WHEN THE LEFT FRONT TIRE SIDE WALL RUPTURED FOR NO REASON. CAR ALWAYS GARAGED AND 4900 MILES ON CAR. *TR

ADD OIL LIGHT CAME ON APPROXIMATELY EVERY 4000-5000 MILES STARTING AT 5000 MILES. OIL LEAKED ONTO GARAGE FLOOR. BMW DEALERSHIP REPEATEDLY CLAIMED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. AROUND 25,000 THEY TOLD ME THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD ISSUED A DATA SHEET SAYING THEY WERE CHANGING THE MAXIMUM OIL FILL CAPACITY. THE DEALER RESET THE OIL SENSOR AND ADDED MORE OIL. AT APPROXIMATELY 30,000 MILES THE TURBOS FAILED AND WERE REPLACED BY THE DEALERSHIP UNDER WARRANTY. AT 32,000 MILES THE VACUUM PUMP FAILED AND WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALERSHIP UNDER WARRANTY. WHEN THE VACUUM PUMP FAILED, THE CAR HAD A HORRENDOUS BURNING OIL SMELL AND THE BRAKES WERE VERY SPONGY. THE DEALERSHIP ADVISED NOT TO DRIVE THE CAR AND IT HAD TO BE TOWED. THESE FAILURES AND REPAIRS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF BMW HAD TAKEN MY COMPLAINTS SERIOUSLY ABOUT THE OIL PROBLEM AND, IN MY OPINION, ENGINE DEFECTS AT 5,000 MILES WHEN I FIRST COMPLAINED. BMW REFUSES TO ISSUE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE ENGINE DESPITE THE FACT THAT IT HAS HAD TWO SERIOUS PROBLEMS THAT STARTED AT 5000 MILES. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET AND SHIFTED INTO 3RD GEAR. THE CAR BEGAN TO BUCK VIOLENTLY. I PUSHED IN THE CLUTCH TO STOP THE BUCKING. I WAS APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION. I ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE AND THE GAS PEDAL WAS NON-RESPONSIVE. THE VEHICLE THEN INDICATED THAT IT HAD A DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER, TURN THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON AND DRIVE 0.5 MILES TO MY DESTINATION. WHILE PARKED, THE PARKING BRAKE ALSO MALFUNCTIONED AND I WAS UNABLE TO TURN IT OFF. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT DESIGN DEFICIENCY WITH THIS VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM WITH MY CAR HAD TO DO WITH A BROKEN PLASTIC PART ON THE WATER CHANNEL THAT LEADS AROUND THE TRUNK. THE PLASTIC COVER IS SUPPOSED TO SNAP INTO A GROMMET THAT IS IN A HOLE, THUS SEALING THE HOLE FROM WATER. IN MY SITUATION, THE GROMMET WAS MISSING. GIVEN THE DESIGN OF THE PLASTIC PART, THERE IS NO WAY TO KNOW THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE WITHOUT REMOVING THE PLASTIC PART. THE HOLE THAT THE PLASTIC PIECE SNAPS INTO LEADS DIRECTLY INTO THE TRUNK. IN THE BOTTOM OF THE TRUNK ARE SENSITIVE ELECTRONIC MODULES THAT CONTROL THE FUEL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND THE PARKING BRAKE. THERE IS NO DRAIN IN THE TRUNK THAT WOULD ALLOW WATER TO LEAVE THE VEHICLE. MY VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A PARKING LOT DURING A RAIN STORM. AS A RESULT OF THE DESIGN, I GOT WATER IN THE TRUNK, WHICH RUINED THESE TWO MODULES, RESULTING IN THE VEHICLE BECOMING DISABLED WHILE DRIVING. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS: I) AS A CONSUMER, I HAD NO IDEA THAT THE ELECTRONICS THAT ENABLE THE VEHICLE TO MANAGE FUEL WERE LOCATED IN THE TRUNK; II) THE DESIGN OF THE WATER CHANNEL AROUND THE TRUNK SEEMS INADEQUATE GIVEN THAT ANY FAILURE OF THE PLASTIC SHIELD / GROMMET COMBINATION WOULD LEAD TO WATER IN THE TRUNK AND EXPOSE THESE CRITICAL COMPONENTS. *TR

MY 2011 BMW 550IGT DRIVEN FOR 43200 MILES WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY WITH IGNITION TURNED OFF (FOR AT LEAST 45 MINUTES). NOTICED SMOKE COMING OUT FROM THE TRUNK, WHERE THE BATTERY IS LOCATED. *TR