2011 BMW 328I

IN LATE 2017-EARLY 2018 THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT WARNING CHIME WOULD COME ON OCCASIONALLY WHEN SOMETHING LESS THAN 5 POUNDS WAS ON THE SEAT AND NO ONE WAS SITTING ON THE SEAT. EVENTUALLY, IT HAPPENED ALL THE TIME WHEN NOTHING AT ALL WAS ON THE SEAT. I ALWAYS NEEDED TO DRIVE THE CAR WITH THE SEAT BELT CONNECTED. I LEARNED IT WAS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND CONTACTED BMW DEALER IN EARLY 2018 WHEN THE CAR HAD 88254 MILES AND THEY SAID IT WAS NO LONGER COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND WOULD COST ABOUT $1300 TO FIX THE AIRBAG SENSOR MAT. I FOUND A REPAIR PLACE TO REPLACE THE OC3 PASSENGER SEAT MAT WITH BMW PART FOR ALMOST $900. I HAD NO IDEA THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM UNTIL AUGUST 2018 I RECEIVED A NOTICE FOR THE EXACT SAME PART FOR OUR OTHER CAR, A 2004 X3 WHICH GAVE A WARRANTY EXTENSION AND OFFERED REIMBURSEMENT IF THE PART HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED. I CONTACTED BMW AND THEY REFUSED TO OFFER SAME EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR AIRBAG SENSOR MATTS IN MY 2011 328I. SINCE MY CAR EXPERIENCED THE EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS AS THOSE COVERED BY THE WARRANTY EXTENSION AND, I HAVE FOUND ONLINE THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MANY BMWS, THE LOGICAL CONCLUSION WOULD INDICATE THAT THERE IS A FLAW WITH THE SENSOR ITSELF NOT SPECIFIC TO THE X3 MODEL. IN FACT THE SENSOR HAS NOT YET FAILED IN OUR 2004 X3 THAT HAS OVER 160,000 MILES. THE 2011 328 SENSOR HAD THE SAME EXACT SYMPTOMS WITH A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE FOR THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. I'VE OWNED MANY VEHICLES WITH THIS SAME FEATURE AND HAVE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS. AT THE VERY LEAST A NEW INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE DONE TO DETERMINE WHETHER THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE FOR ALL BMW MODELS. I DROVE FOR OVER A YEAR WITH THIS PROBLEM UNTIL I REALIZED IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE AND THE AIRBAGS MIGHT NOT WORK IF THE SENSOR WAS BROKEN. IT WAS VERY EXPENSIVE TO FIX. MY ONLINE RESEARCH SHOWED THERE MAY ALREADY BE A NHTSA CLAIM RELATED TO THIS. THANK YOU

AFTER GETTING MY CAR SERVICED AT TOM BUSH I HAD SEVERAL NEW ALERTS GO OFF FOR SENSORS GOING OUT AND ELECTRICAL ISSUES THAT RESULTED IN MORE THAN $3,000 IN REPAIRS I WAS REQUIRED TO PAY OUT OF POCKET. I CAME TO FIND OUT THESE ELEMENTS WERE CAUSED BY 2 OF THE OPEN RECALLS BECAUSE THE VEHICLE KEPT OVERHEATING AND CAUSED SENSORS ETC TO BURN OUT. I CALLED THE NUMBER PROVIDED IN DOCUMENTATION I RECEIVED AFTER REPAIRS HAD BEEN MADE AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO REMEDY AVAILABLE. I ASKED THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP WHAT TO DO SINCE MY VEHICLE WAS ALREADY AFFECTED AND I HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET. THE REP SAID TO CONTACT THE BMW SERVICE CENTER FOR ASSISTANCE. I CALLED THE SERVICE CENTER SEVERAL TIMES AND EVEN CALLED AND LEFT VOICEMAILS FOR THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE SERVICE CENTER ONLY TO NEVER RECEIVE A CALL BACK FROM ANYONE. THIS ORDEAL LASTED SEVERAL MONTHS AND I EVENTUALLY TRADED THE BMW IN FOR A NEW CAR BECAUSE I WAS NOT RECEIVING ANY COMMUNICATION BACK FROM BMW OR THE DEALER SERVICE CENTER AND COULD NOT AFFORD TO KEEP PAYING FOR COSTLY REPAIRS DUE TO RECALLS WITH NO REMEDIES AVAILABLE. THIS IS THE FIRST COMPLAINT I AM SUBMITTING RELATED TO MY 2011 328I BMW. THE OTHER COMPLAINT I HAVE TO FILE NEXT IS FOR THE AIRBAG RECALL WHICH ALSO CAUSED MAJOR DAMAGES TO THE VEHICLE.

MY BMW WAS PARKED AND TURNED OFF WHEN IT STARTED ON FIRE. IT WAS PARKED IN A SOCCER FIELD AT CAMP MINIKANI ON JULY 1, 2018 IN RICHFIELD, WISCONSIN. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SAID THE FIRE WAS CAUSED IN THE BLOWER MOTOR UNDER THE DASH. BMW HAD A RECALL ON THIS CAR, AT THE TIME OF FIRE, WHICH THEY REFUSED TO FIX. I RECEIVED AN INITIAL NOTICE FROM BMW IN NOVEMBER OF 2017. AFTER RECEIVING THE NOTICE I PHONED BMW WHO SAID THEY DID NOT HAVE A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM AND WOULD CONTACT ME WHEN THEY DID. IN THE MEANTIME MY CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS DUE TO THE FIRE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW 328I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 17V676000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) AND 17V683000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. PERILLO BMW (1035 N CLARK ST, CHICAGO, IL) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW 328I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 17V676000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) AND 17V683000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIRS WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIRS. THE DEALER (BMW OF EL PASO, 6318 MONTANA AVE, EL PASO, TX 79925, (915) 778-9381) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDIES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW 328I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MOLDINGS FOR THE FRONT AND REAR WINDSHIELDS WERE CRACKED AND DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BEVERLY HILLS BMW (5070 WILSHIRE BLVD, LOS ANGELES, CA 90036) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE MOLDINGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,261.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW 328I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 17V676000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) AND 17V683000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). NEW COUNTRY BMW (1 WESTON PARK RD, HARTFORD, CT 06120, (860) 522-6134) WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE PARTS WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHEN THE MANUFACTURER WOULD PROVIDE THE PARTS FOR THE RECALL REPAIRS. THE CONTACT NOTICED A BURNING ODOR COMING THROUGH THE VENTS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED REGARDING PARTS AND A LOANER VEHICLE OPTION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. - (RECALL RELATED INCIDENT) TS