2008 BMW 328XI

ON THE MORNING OF JULY 25TH, 2015, MY FRIEND WENT TO PICK ME UP FROM NEWARK LIBERTY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN MY 2008 BMW 328 XI COUPE. MY CAR HAS BEEN PARKED AT HER HOME IN FAIRFIELD, NJ FOR APPROXIMATELY 7 DAYS WHILE I WAS AWAY ON BUSINESS. SHE DROVE MY CAR TO THE AIRPORT FROM FAIRFIELD, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 35 MINUTES. THEN ON OUR WAY BACK TO MY HOUSE, ABOUT 30 MINUTES INTO OUR RIDE, THE SUNROOF EXPLODED DURING THE DRIVE. I HAD THE INSIDE PIECE, CLOSED WHICH SAVED ANY PERSONAL INJURY FROM THE GLASS. I BROUGHT IT TO BMW TO GET THE WINDOW FIXED AND THE TOTAL COST WAS APPROXIMATELY $1,250. BMW SAYS THAT IT WAS NOT A MANUFACTURER DEFAULT, BUT ON A CAR THAT HAS ONLY 53K MILES, IT WAS RATHER ODD FOR THAT SUNROOF TO JUST EXPLODE. ALSO TO NOTE, THAT DURING OUR DRIVE BACK BECAUSE IT WAS 7AM ON A SATURDAY MORNING, THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS OR TRUCKS AROUND US THAT MAY HAVE CAUSED THIS DAMAGE WHICH IS WHAT BMW SUGGESTED.

WHILE DRIVING AND EXITING A PARKING LOT, VEHICLE AUTO-LOCKS ENGAGED. DRIVER DOOR AUTO-LOCKED AND UNLOCKED REPEATEDLY ABOUT 6 TIMES; STOPPING IN THE LOCKED POSITION. ONCE ARRIVING HOME, DRIVER DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN WITH THE DOOR HANDLE OR THE INTERIOR UNLOCK BUTTON. I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND REMOVED THE KEY FOB AND HAD TO UTILIZE THE KEY FOB TO LOCK AND UNLOCK THE DOOR. THE DRIVE DOOR WAS AT THIS POINT ON THE OPPOSITE POSITION OF ALL THE OTHER DOORS. WHEN THE DRIVER DOOR IS LOCK, THE PASSENGER DOORS ARE UNLOCKED AND VICE VERSA. THE NEXT DAY THE DRIVER DOOR WOULD OPEN WITH THE KEY, BUT NOT WITH THE KEY FOB. THIS IS OF GREAT CONCERN BECAUSE THE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. LOOKING AT THE DATABASE AND ONLINE FORUMS, THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE THAT HAS YET TO BE ADDRESSED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW 328XI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE DOORS WERE CLOSED, THE DOOR ACTUATORS FAILED AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR, ALONG WITH BOTH REAR DOORS, FAILED TO OPEN FROM INSIDE OR OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE DOOR ACTUATORS MALFUNCTIONED. THE ACTUATORS WERE REPLACED AND THE FAILURE WAS REMEDIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,700.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW 328XI. WHILE WAITING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE VEHICLE VIBRATED AND IDLED ROUGHLY. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT WHEN MAKING SHARP LEFT TURNS, A THUMPING NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE DEALER STATED THAT ALL FOUR MOTOR MOUNT BOLTS WERE FRACTURED OUT OF THE BLOCK AND THAT THE ENGINE SHIFTED SIGNIFICANTLY, WHICH WAS POTENTIALLY CAUSED BY A POTHOLE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 43,000.

DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WOULD NOT UNLOCK. I TRIED TO UNLOCK THE DOOR WITH THE FOB, CENTRAL BUTTON ON THE DASH, AND THE METAL KEY STORED INSIDE THE FOB AND NOTHING WILL UNLOCK THE DOOR. THE ONLY WAY TO GET INTO THE CAR IS TO OPEN THE PASSENGER DOOR AND REACH OVER TO THE DRIVER SIDE AND PULL THE HANDLE. WITH A CHILD IN THE CAR IN A SAFETY SEAT, MY CONCERN IS THAT ALL OF THE DOORS WILL SUBSEQUENTLY FAIL AND I WILL BE UNABLE TO GET MYSELF AND MY CHILD OUT OF THE CAR. I'VE SEEN NUMEROUS REPORTS ONLINE ABOUT THIS VERY SAME ISSUE FOR THIS YEAR MODEL VEHICLE AND TWO YEARS OLDER - EITHER DRIVER'S DOOR ONLY, PASSENGERS DOORS ONLY, OR ALL OF THE DOORS - AND THE ONLY WAY TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE THEN IS THROUGH THE SUNROOF. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

THE POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD REPORTED IN THIS COMPLAINT TAKES PLACE WHEN THE PASSENGERS CANNOT EXIT THE CAR BY OPENING THE DOORS, GETTING TRAPPED INSIDE THE CAR. IT WILL WORSEN TO A CRITICAL LEVEL WHEN THIS FAILURE HAPPENS WITH PASSENGERS WITH LIMITED MOBILITY INSIDE THE CAR OR IN CASE THERE IS A BABY SITTING IN A CHILD SEAT INSTALLED IN THE REAR SEAT. WHEN THE DESCRIBED FAILURE MODE HAPPENS, ALL PASSENGERS WILL NEED TO EXIT THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE SUN ROOF (IF AVAILABLE) OR THROUGH THE WINDOWS. IN CASE OF FIRE THIS COULD BE A LETHAL SAFETY HAZARD FOR ALL PASSENGERS. AND IN CASE OF VOLUMINOUS PERSONS SITTING IN SEATS OTHERS THAN THE DRIVER'S SEAT, IT WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. HOW THE FAILURE HAPPENED: AFTER DRIVING FOR APROX. 10 MINUTES AND HAVING PARKED, THE DOORS OF THE CAR DID NOT UNLOCK. THEY DID NOT UNLOCK EITHER USING THE FOB, NEITHER THE DOOR HANDLE OF THE DRIVER'S DOOR NOR THE UNLOCK BUTTON IN THE CENTRAL DASHBOARD. THE ONLY WAY TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE WAS THROUGH THE SUN ROOF OR CLIMBING OUT THE WINDOW. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS THE DRIVER'S DOOR FINALLY UNLOCK AND COULD BE OPENED. ONCE OUTSIDE THE CAR, I COULD LOCK AND UNLOCK THE DRIVER'S DOOR (BUT NOT ANY OTHER DOOR) MANUALLY WITH THE METAL KEY INSIDE THE FOB. THE OTHER PASSENGER HAD TO EXIT THE CAR THROUGH THE DRIVER'S DOOR. I HAVE BEEN TO A BMW DEALERSHIP AND I MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO REPAIR IT. THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE ISSUE SEEMS TO BE A BLOWN FUSE DUE TO OVER CURRENT IN ONE OF THE ACTUATORS OF ONE OF THE DOORS. THE EFFECT IS THAT THE PASSENGERS CANNOT COME OUT OF THE CAR AS THERE IS NOT ANY MANUAL MECHANISM TO UNLOCK. THERE IS OTHER COMPLAINTS IN NHTSA ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE (FOR EXAMPLE NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10459121). I RECOMMEND THAT NHTSA CONDUCTS A SAFETY INVESTIGATION ABOUT THIS POTENTIAL SAFETY RISK ON THIS OR ANY OTHER AFFECTED MODEL. *TR

- FEBRUARY 18TH, BMW 328XI, ON/PARKED, BEGAN TO SHAKE/ROCK ROUGHLY/POWERED OFF. THE LIFT/CAR ICON CAME ON. CAR WOULD CRANK, NO START. AFTER 10 MINUTES, NO START. AFTER 40 MINUTES, 328XI STARTS. - ON MARCH 2ND, DROVE ABOUT 30 MIN AND CAME TO A TRAFFIC LIGHT. 328XI BEGAN TO SHAKE/ROCK ROUGHLY/POWERED OFF. THE LIFT/CAR ICON CAME ON. CAR WOULD CRANK, NO START. AFTER A NUMBER OF ATTEMPTS, 2 GENTLEMEN STATED THEY WOULD PUSH 328XI TO SIDE IF I CAN GET CAR IN N. AFTER SEVERAL FAILED ATTEMPTS, REGAINED SMALL POWER TO SWITCH TO N AND THEY MOVED ME OVER TO THE SIDE. AFTER 10 MINUTES, 328XI TURNED OVER BUT BMW SERVICE CENTER IN NYC WAS CLOSED. - MARCH 3RD, TOOK 328XI TO EUROPEAN CAR SPECIALIST (ECS) AND EXPLAINED THE ABOVE. 328XI WAS PLACED ON THE COMPUTER AND READING STATED: EXCEED FUEL AMOUNT, BUT FURTHER TEST WERE NEEDED. - MARCH 6TH, 328XI DID SAME TO ECS. CONCLUSION, INOPERABLE FUEL PUMP. ORDERED/INSTALLED/RETURNED ON MARCH 11TH. - MARCH 16TH, 328XI SHOOK/ROCKED ROUGHLY/POWERED. AFTER 30 MINUTES OF FAILED ATTEMPTS TO START, CALLED A TOW TRUCK. TOWED TO ECS. - MARCH 17TH, ECS WITNESSED 328XI WOULD NOT START. PUSHED INTO GARAGE TO DIAGNOSE. DENOTED, DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMP/NEED REPLACING. CAR RETURNED ON MARCH 24TH. - MARCH 26TH 328XI BEGAN TO SHAKE/ROCK ROUGHLY/POWERED OFF. ECS NOW SUSPECTS FUEL GAUGE OFF AND GIVING FALSE READING THOUGH 1/4 (57MILES) OF GAS WAS IN CAR. WANTS CAR FILLED UP AND DRIVEN. - MARCH 27TH WHILE ON I-80 (FULL TANK) DOING HIGHWAY SPEEDS, 328XI BEGAN TO SHAKE/ROCK/POWERED OFF WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY. GOT 328XI OVER TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER. AFTER 20 MINUTES OF NOT STARTING, CALLED TOW TRUCK AND STATE POLICE. 328XI STARTED WHEN RELEASED FROM TOW TRUCK AT SHOP. PUT ON COMPUTER: EXCEED FUEL AMOUNT. MORE INVESTIGATION DETERMINED DEFECTIVE FUEL MODULE AND FUEL TANK. - APRIL 11TH, TOOK CARE FROM ECS TO BMW BLOOMFIELD. DIAGNOSIS: EXCESSIVE FUEL PRESSURE. *TR

CAR SHUTOFF COMPLETELY IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. GOT IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY STATED THAT THE FUEL LINE CAME OFF WHICH IS LOCATED ABOVE THE FUEL TANK. NO WAY ANYBODY CAN GET TO IT WITHOUT TAKING OFF THE FUEL TANK. FORTUNATELY I WAS NOT DRIVING AT A HIGH SPEED AND ON THE HIGHWAY. THE FUEL LINE COULD HAVE IGNITED OR WORSE, IF THE CAR SHUTDOWN ON THE HIGHWAY, IT COULD HAVE BEEN MY LIFE. *TR

DOOR LOCKS FAILED, WITH DOORS IN THE LOCKED POSITION. NO WAY TO OPEN THE 3 PASSENGER DOORS. DRIVER CAN ESCAPE BY DOUBLE PULLING THE HANDLE, BUT ONLY IF THERE'S A PERSON (WEIGHT SENSOR?) ON THE DRIVER'S SEAT. PASSENGERS CANNOT GET OUT! READING THE ONLINE MESSAGE BOARDS, THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH E90 BMWS (AND A SIMILAR ONE WITH THE PREVIOUS GENERATION E46). THERE ARE HUNDREDS (THOUSANDS?) OF POSTS DESCRIBING THIS EXACT PROBLEM. A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE.