2007 BMW 328XI

MY CAR FAILED A VEHICLE INSPECTION TODAY FOR "SAFETY REASONS" BECAUSE I'M TOLD THE 2 FRONT TIRES ARE WORN OUT. I HAVE A 2007 BMW 328XI THAT CAME WITH BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL 42 RUN FLAT TIRES. AFTER 8114 MILES IN RESPONSE TO MY COMPLAINS WITH THE HANDLING, AND NOISE, THE TIRES WERE FOUND TO BE SCALLOPED AND ALL 4 WERE REPLACED (WITH SAME MAKE AND MODEL) FREE OF CHARGE IN 2007. AT 22K MILES (14K ON NEW TIRES) THE NOISE BECAME UNBEARABLE AND AT 28,555 (20K ON TIRES) I TOOK THE CAR BACK IN AND WAS TOLD TO REPLACE THE TIRES FOR CLOSE TO $1000 (SINCE THE DEALER SAID THEY COULD ONLY REPLACE TIRES ONCE) WITH ADVISE TO SHOP FOR A BETTER PRICE. GIVEN THAT MY STATE INSPECTION GUIDELINES CONSIDER THIS A SAFETY ISSUE, AND I'M ASKED TO CHANGE TIRES TWICE UNDER 29K MILES, I WOULD HAVE HOPED BMW OR BRIDGESTONE WOULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. BUT I'M REQUESTING THE NHTSA TO LOOK INTO IT. *TR

I DISCOVERED FEW WEEKS AGO THAT THE CAR I LEASE SINCE 2008 DOES NOT HAVE A SPARE TIRE. WHEN I INQUIRE THE REASON WHY, THE MANUFACTURER EXPLAINED THAT THE CAR USES ESPECIAL TIRES CALLED RUN FLAT WHICH IN THE EVENT OF A TIRE PROBLEM WOULD ALLOW ME TO GO TO THE NEXT TIRE SHOP. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PROBLEMS WITH THIS ARGUMENT. FIRST, THE RATIONALE FOR ELIMINATING A SPARE TIRE IS FLAWED AND UNSAFE: A SPARE PROVIDES DRIVERS WITH AN EXTRA WHEEL ' INCLUDING BOTH TIRE AND RIM, IN CASE SOMETHING HAPPENS WITH EITHER COMPONENT. ELIMINATING THE SPARE BECAUSE A CAR HAS RFTS (RUN FLAT TIRES) FAILS TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT THE WHEELS OF THE CAR CAN ALSO SUFFER DAMAGE TO THE POINT OF IMMOBILIZING THE VEHICLE. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT SAFETY HAZARD THAT WOULD BE EASILY SOLVED WITH A SPARE TIRE. SECOND, AFTER RESEARCHING ABOUT RFTS I FOUND OUT THAT MOST TIRE SHOPS IN THE METROPOLITAN AREA WHERE I LIVE DON'T CARRY THESE TIRES (ONE NEEDS TO PRE-ORDER THEM) AND CANNOT EVEN REPAIR THEM. I CANNOT IMAGINE WHAT WOULD BE THE AVAILABILITY OUTSIDE METROPOLITAN AREAS. THIRD, THESE TIRES ARE TWICE OR THREE TIMES AS EXPENSIVE AS A REGULAR TIRE ' THE CHEAPEST RFT FOR MY CAR ARE $200 PER TIRE; AND ACCORDING TO TIRE SHOP EMPLOYEES THEY TYPICALLY LAST HALF THE MILEAGE OF A REGULAR TIRE. FOURTH, AND PERHAPS THE MOST CONCERNING ISSUE, WHEN I WAS BUYING THE CAR NOBODY AT THE DEALERSHIP DISCLOSED THE TYPE OF TIRES THE CAR HAD OR THE LACK OF SPARE TIRE. IF I WOULD HAVE KNOWN THIS INFORMATION I SIMPLY WOULD NOT HAVE LEASED THE VEHICLE. I CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY SAID THAT EVEN THOUGH THEY SUGGEST THEIR DEALERS DISCLOSE THIS INFORMATION, THEY CANNOT MONITOR NOR CAN THEY DO ANYTHING TO MAKE THE DEALERS COMPLY. I THINK BOTH MANUFACTURER AND DEALERS ARE TO BLAME FOR PUTTING PEOPLE AT RISK BY ELIMINATING THE SPARE TIRE, AND FOR NOT BEING FORTHCOMING AND EXPLICIT ABOUT THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES THAT MAY AFFECT THE PURCHASE DECISION. *TR

EARLIER THIS YEAR I WENT ON A WEEKEND TRIP WITH MY FAMILY: MY WIFE ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT, ON THE REAR SEAT MY SISTER AND MY TWO AND A HALF YEAR OLD NIECE ON HER CAR SEAT. WHEN WE ARRIVED TO OUR DESTINATION NONE OF THE PASSENGER DOORS WOULD OPEN; THEY WERE COMPLETELY SHUT AND THEY WOULD NOT OPEN WITH THE INTERNAL CONTROLS, THE REMOTE OR IN ANY OTHER WAY. ONLY THE DRIVERS' DOOR, WHICH IS ALSO THE ONLY DOOR THAT HAS A KEY HOLE, WOULD OPEN. ALL OTHER DOORS ARE KEY-LESS AND REMAINED LOCKED. MY FAMILY HAD TO CLIMB THROUGH THE WINDOWS TO GET OUT OF THE CAR. THIS WAS ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT WITH MY LITTLE NIECE IN THE BACK SEAT. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY FOUND THE PROBLEM'S CAUSE WAS A BLOWN FUSE. FORTUNATELY WE DID NOT HAVE AN EMERGENCY THAT REQUIRE A QUICK EXIT OF OR ENTRY INTO THE CAR. BUT MY FAMILY AND I ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY HAZARD THIS DESIGN REPRESENT. IN THE EVENT WE WOULD HAVE BEEN REQUIRED TO LEAVE THE VEHICLE IN A RUSH WE COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT. MY WIFE IS NOW PREGNANT I AM REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT HOW SAFE THIS VEHICLE REALLY IS. THE DEALERSHIP AND THE MANUFACTURER ARGUE THAT THIS IS A SIMPLE MALFUNCTION AND THEY CANNOT GUARANTEE IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. THEY ARE OBVIOUSLY DISMISSING THE CASE; I BELIEVE THE SYSTEM SHOULD BE DESIGNED TO ALLOW FOR MANUAL LOCK/UNLOCK OF THE DOORS EVEN IF THE FUSE BLOWS - AT LEAST FROM THE INSIDE. GOOD SAFETY ENGINEERING POLICIES SHOULD STATE THAT IN THE EVENT OF A FUSE BLOW NO SYSTEM SHOULD GET PASSENGERS LOCKED INSIDE THEIR CARS; THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE. FAILURE TO FIX THIS REPRESENTS A PASSENGER'S CASUALTY WAITING TO HAPPEN. I HOPE YOU SEE IT THIS WAY TOO. *TR

SINCE APPROXIMATELY JAN./2008 THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT ON MY 2007 BMW 328XI COMES ON AND OFF PERIODICALLY AT APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEK INTERVALS. I HAVE HAD THE BMW SERVICE DEPT. LOOK AT IT FIVE(5) TIMES TO NO AVAIL. THE DANGER LIES IN THE COMPULSION TO IGNORE A REAL PROBLEM BECAUSE OF SO MANY FALSE INDICATIONS, LEADING TO A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE ON A PUBLIC ROAD RESULTING IN INJURIES. INTERNET BLOGS REPORT POSSIBLE INSTRUCTIONS BY PARENT COMPANY BMW FOR SERVICE DEPTS. TO IGNORE THE PROBLEM DELIBERATELY. *TR

UNABLE TO OPEN FRONT PASSENGER DOOR AND REAR PASSENGER DOOR DUE TO FAILURE OF FUSE CAUSED BY DEFECTIVE DOOR LOCK ACTUATORS CREATING AN UNSAFE CONDITION IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. THIS IS KNOWN PROBLEM BY BMW AS SERVICE BULLETIN WAS ISSUED. AS A TECHNICAL EXPERT IN THIS FIELD I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL. THE FAILURE MODE IS UNSAFE AND CAN OCCUR DURING DRIVING, IF FAILURE OCCURS DURING DRIVING PASSENGERS CANNOT EXIT THE VEHICLE. THE LOCKING SYSTEM DOES NOT COMPLY TO FMVSS206 S4.1.3 AS THERE IS NO ABILITY TO UNLOCK THE MECHANISM ONCE THE DOOR IS LOCKED AND THE FUSE FAILS. *TR

DASHBOARD INDICATES, "ELECTRIC STEERING LOCK ENGAGED". CAR IS CURRENTLY DRIVABLE, HOWEVER THE DEALER HAS INFORMED ME THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED OFTEN IN THIS YEAR AND MODEL OF BMW, AND WILL CONTINUE TO WORSEN UNTIL THE CAR WILL NO LONGER TURN ON. THE MALFUNCTIONING FEATURE (STEERING WHEEL LOCK) HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM SUBSEQUENT MODELS, INDICATING THAT THE MANUFACTURER RECOGNIZES THE MALFUNCTION. REPAIR INCLUDES REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN, COST TO REPAIR IS APPROXIMATELY $1300. *TR

PASSENGER SEAT BELT SENSOR IS FAULT CAUSING MY AIRBAG SENSOR TO GO OFF WHICH INDICATES THAT THERE IS A "FAILURE IN THE PASSENGER RESTRAINING SYSTEM." ONE DAY THE LIGHT WAS OFF - THE NEXT DAY THE LIGHT WAS ON. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT. THIS OCCURRED ON MY 2007 BMW 328XI. THERE ARE SIMILAR RECALLS ON 2009 BMWS? IS THERE ONE FOR THE 2007 MODEL? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BMW 328XI. THE VEHICLE HAS BRIDGESTONE TIRES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HER TIRES ARE DEFECTIVE AT 18,000 MILES. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE BEGAN SWERVING TO THE LEFT AND THE TIRES FELT HARD. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TIRES ARE DEFECTIVE AND ALL FOUR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE TIRES ARE CALLED "FLAT" TIRES AND NO SPARE TIRE WAS AVAILABLE. IF THE "FLAT" TIRES EVER GO FLAT, SHE CAN STILL DRIVE ON THEM FOR AT LEAST 125 MORE MILES. THE DEALER WILL REPLACE TWO OF HER TIRES FOR FREE, BUT THE OTHER TWO MUST BE PURCHASED AT THE COST OF $625. THE TIRE SIZE WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,025.