2007 BMW 530I

MY CAR AUTOMATICALLY SHUT OFF AND I SMELLED A BURNING PLASTIC ODOR COMING FROM THE ENGINE. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE BMW LICENSED MECHANIC THAT I NORMALLY SEE WHO REPAIRED THE ISSUE THAT WAS DEEMED TO BE THE PCV VALVE HEATER. THIS HAPPENED AT THE END OF MAY. THEN AT THE END OF JUNE, I RECEIVED A LOWER FROM BMW ANNOUNCING RECALL # 17V-683: PCV VALVE HEATER. BMW TOLD ME TODAY THAT THEY CAN NOT REFUND ME FOR THE REPAIRS THAT I HAD DONE BECAUSE THESE REPAIRS HAD TO BE PERFORMED AT A BMW DEALERSHIP. I HAVE ALL MY RECEIPTS. TOTAL REPAIRS COST $2626.91 + RENTAL CAR EXPENSES OF $204.16 AND $76.71. * (RECALL RELATED INCIDENT) TS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BMW 530I. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS A TICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE, A BURNING ODOR, AND SMOKE EMITTED THROUGH THE VENTS. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V683000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 179,688.

THIS SEEMS TO HAPPEN WHEN THE WEATHER IS HOT AND IN MAJOR TRAFFIC OR WHEN I AM OUT ON THE OPEN HWY DRIVING FOR ABOUT 1 TO 2HRS ON A HOT DAY. THE CAR WILL AUTOMATICALLY CUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. NO ALARM OR IDIOT LIGHT INDICATOR. THE PROBLEM IS YOU CAN BE DRIVING 60 TO 75 MILES PER HOUR ON THE INTERSTATE AND LOOSE CONTROL OF YOUR POWER STEERING AND ABILITY TO MANEUVER THE CAR TO A SAFE STOPPING POINT. IT WILL NOT START BACK UP UNTIL 15 TO 20 MINUTE LATER AS IF THE CAR NEEDS TO COOL DOWN. ONCE TIME PERIOD HAS ELAPSE THE CAR WILL RUN AS NORMAL. THIS HAS HAPPEN SEVERAL TIMES. DRIVING HOME FROM WORK IN TRAFFIC AND WE ONLY GOING 45 MPH BUT ITS HOT OUTSIDE AND THE CAR WILL CUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. I NOTICE ON THE BMW FORUM THIS IS PROBLEM THAT IS ACROSS THE BOARD WITH OTHER VEHICLES. THE CAR WILL CUT OFF AT A LIGHT AFTER DRIVING FOR LONG PERIOD OF TIME IN HOT WEATHER IN THE CITY LIMITS BUT ALSO ON THE HWY AFTER LONG PERIOD OF DRIVING.

MY 2007 BMW 530I ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE ON APRIL 15 THE MOMENT CAR WAS IGNITED IN THE EARLY MORNING. I WAS WITH MY WIFE AND 2.5 YEARS OLD SON AT THE TIME OF INCIDENT. IT COULD HAVE BEEN A MAJOR DISASTER OR EVEN BLAST IF WE WERE NOT HOME OR WITH FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO CONTROL THE FIRE ON TIME. WE REPORTED ABOUT THIS LIFE-THREATENING INCIDENT TO BMW NA MULTIPLE TIMES BUT THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE FROM CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS BETSY HOHMANN CALLED OUR CONCERNS AS HYPOTHETICAL UNLESS THERE WERE PERSONAL INJURIES INVOLVED. BMW OF FREMONT SERVICE CENTER IDENTIFIED THAT PCV HEATED HOSE SHORTED OUT AND BURNT OTHER COMPONENTS. THE WIRE HARNESS AND INTAKE MANIFOLD WERE BURNT OUT AND MELTED. THE DEALERSHIP VERBALLY ACCEPTED THIS ISSUE A DESIGN FLAW THAT CAUSED ALMOST 6-9 INCHES FLAMES INSIDE THE ENGINE. BMW NA CUSTOMER SERVICE OFFERED A DEAL TO FIX THE PROBLEM AS LONG AS WE SIGN A CONFIDENTIAL NDA TO HIDE THE FACTS. BMW NA ALSO RECOMMENDED US TO SELL THIS CAR AFTER REPAIRS BUT WE DON'T WANT TO RISK ANYONE ELSE'S LIFE BY NOT DISCLOSING THE FIRE EVEN IF WE AGREE TO BMW NA'S PROPOSED RESOLUTION. OUR CONFIDENCE IN BMW BRAND HAS ALREADY SHAKEN FROM THE OUTCOME OF OUR CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE AFTER ALL THIS IS THE MATTER OF CUSTOMER LIFE, SAFETY, TRUST AND BRAND. *TR