2000 BMW 740IL

MICHELIN TIRE: SIZE 2554518 A/S PILOT; UPON WALKING AWAY FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, THE CONSUMER DISCOVERED A WHITE SUBSTANCE ON THE REAR TIRE. AFTER EXAMINING CLOSER, IT WAS THE TREAD BELTS SHOWING THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE TIRE. THIS PROBLEM IS ALSO SHOWING ON THE OTHER REAR TIRE. MICHELIN HAS BEEN IN CONTACT BUT ISSUE NOT RESOLVED. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. *NM

I HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING SLIGHT VIBRATIONS IN THE STEERING WHEEL WHILE ON I-95. A WHILE LATER, I BEGAN TO SENSE A VERY SLIGHT CONTROL ISSUE WITH THE CAR AS IT SEEMED TO WOBBLE JUST A BIT AND DECIDED IT WAS BEST TO PULL OFF AT THE APPROACHING EXIT. AT THE TOP OF THE EXIT I BEGAN TO MERGE WITH THE OTHER ROAD WHEN I HEARD AND FELT A "THUMP-THUMP" SOUND. I THEN FELT THE REAR OF MY VEHICLE DROP TO THE PAVEMENT WITH A LOUD SCRAPING SOUND AND AN INSTANT LATER I SAW ONE OF MY WHEELS WHIZZING PASS THE DRIVER'S WINDOW AND ACROSS THE ROAD INTO THE WOODS ABOUT 150 FEET FROM MY VEHICLE. THE TIRE WAS RETRIEVED AND IT SEEMED TO BE PROPERLY INFLATED AND MOUNTED ON THE WHEEL. INSPECTION OF THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE HUB SHOWED THAT ALL FIVE LUG NUTS HAD BEEN SHEARED WITH THE ENDS STILL FIRMLY IN PLACE. I RETRIEVED THREE OF THE OTHER ENDS OF THE LUG NUTS THAT HAD BROKEN OFF AND THE THREADED PORTIONS DID NOT SHOW ANY SIGNS OF UNUSUAL WEAR. THEY SIMPLY ALL SHEARED OFF. A PASSER-BY TOOK DIGITAL PICTURES OF THE HUB, TIRE, AND WHEEL ALONG WITH THE LUG NUTS THAT I NOW HAVE. I AM EXTREMELY CONCERNED ABOUT THE PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES RAISED BY THIS INCIDENT SINCE IT SEEMS TO BE A CASE OF EITHER (1) MATERIAL FAILURE, OR, (2) PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE INSTALLATION OF THE WHEELS BY THE DEALER. SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSIONS WITH THE DEALER AND BMW MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY HAD ABSOLUTELY NO INTEREST IN DETERMINING THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THEY WERE SIMPLY INTENT ON HAVING IT CLASSIFIED AS AN "ACCIDENT" THAT WOULD HAVE FINANCIAL CONSEQUENCES FOR ME AND MY INSURANCE COMPANY AND NONE FOR THEM. I'M LEFT WONDERING WHETHER MY EXPERIENCE WITH THIS VEHICLE IS AN ISOLATED CASE OR ANOTHER UNSUSPECTING DRIVER WILL EXPERIENCE THE SAME PROBLEM UNDER MUCH LESS ADVANTAGEOUS CIRCUMSTANCES THAT COULD EASILY RESULT IN THE LOSS OF LIFE. CONSEQUENTLY, I'M HOPEFUL THAT SOMEONE AT NHTSA WILL BE ABLE TO GET SOME SOLID ANSWERS ABOUT THE CAUSE AND NOT LEAVE IT TO CONJECTURE BY BMW. *LA

THE DEALER SAYS US SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE HEADLIGHTS CANOT BE ADJUSTED FOR SAFETY REASONS. CONSUMER STATES' THE HEADLIGHTS DO NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE LIGHTING FOR THE ROAD AHEAD. CONSUMER FEELS ITS A MANUFACTURES DEFECT. THE HEADLIGHTS ARE AT AN ANGLE WERE THEY ARE POINTING DOWNWARDS INSTEAD OF STRAIGHT AHEAD. DEALER WANTS TO REPLACE BOTH HEADLIGHT BUCKETS WITH SAME BUCKETS THAT ARE DEFECTED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. MR

TRAVELING AT 65MPH ON FREEWAY, TIRE BLEW OUT ON INNER SIDE. HAD TO PULL OVER ON LEFT SIDE OF FREEWAY. HIGHWAY PATROL HAD TO STOP TRAFFIC ON FREEWAY AND HAD ME DRIVE ON FLAT TIRE TO NEAREST EXIT TO A SAFE SPOT FOR CHANGE OFF TIRE. TIRE DEALER FOUD A SMALL NAIL ON FACE OF TIRE. CALLED MICHELIN AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS TYPE OF TIRE WOULD BLOW OUT WHEN AIR GOT LOW AND TIRE WAS ON FREEWAY BECAUSE TEMPERATURES GOT UP TO 250 DEGREES ON INSIDE OF TIRE. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS NOT CONSIDERED A TIRE FAILURE AND WAS NOT COVERED UNDER ANY WARRANTY. I WAS TOLD THAT AS A COURTESY THEY WOULD ALLOW ME 50% OFF A REPLACEMENT. I CONSIDER THIS A VERY SERIOUS TIRE FAILURE.*AK I WAS PUT IN A DEADLY SITUATION AND HAD TO BE EXTRICATED BY THE HIGHWAY PATROL BECAUSE THE BLOW OUT DID NOT ALLOW ME TO SAFELY GET OUT OF THE LEFT LANE AND OUT OF HARMS WAY. IF A TIRE BLOW OUT ON THE FREEWAY IS THE EXPECTED RESULT OF A SLOW LEAK FROM A SMALL NAIL, THIS TIRE SHOULD BE RECALLED. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP AT MICHELIN (PHONE 800-847-3435) TOLD ME THAT IF I MADE ANY FURTHER COMPLAINTS TO THE CAR DEALER OR ANYONE ELSE, THEY WOULD DISALLOW THE 50% DISCOUNT ON THE REPLACEMENT TIRE. THIS ALONE SHOULD TELL YOU THAT THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM HERE. (DOT NUMBER: UCX289 TIRESIZE: 235 60 16)

NO CHILD SEAT TETHER APPARATUS, SAME VEHICLE DELIVERED 1 MONTH LATER HAS (3) TETHER APPARATUS HOOKS BUILT INTO CAR. DEALER WANTS OVER $200 TO INSTALL SAME IN MY VEHICLE. MY 1995 BMW 540I HAD ACCESSIBLE HOLES IN WHICH TO INSTALL TETHER HOOKS AT A COST OF $3. WHY WOULD SAME MODEL DELIVERED ONE MONTH LATER BE FULLY EQUIPPED WITH THE SAFETY FEATURE AND MY VEHICLE IS NOT. PLEASE RESPOND. I APPRECIATE YOUR ASSISTANCE. THANK YOU.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, A CAR IN THE OTHER LANE HIT A PIECE OF FIREWOOD AND KNOCKED IT UNDER OUR CAR. THIS CAUSED (FOR SOME REASON) THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG ON THE DOOR (THE SIDE AIRBAG) TO DEPLOY. WHEN IT DEPLOYED, IT TORE LOOSE A STRIP OF DECORATIVE METAL ON THE INTERIOR. THE STRIP WAS ABOUT 2-3 FEET LONG AND HAD BETWEEN 3 AND 5 1" BOLTS PROTRUDING FROM IT. THE METAL STRIP HIT THE PASSENGER ON THE ARM AND CAUSED AN ABRASION. WE WERE GREATLY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS FOR TWO REASONS: (1) WHY DID THAT PARTICULAR BAG DEPLOY WHEN THERE WAS ONLY DAMAGE UNDERNEATH THE CAR AND (2) THE METAL STRIP THAT RIPPED OFF COULD HAVE HIT SOMEONE IN THE EYE OR IN ANOTHER PLACE THAT WOULD CAUSE A SERIOUS INJURY. EVEN AS IT WAS, THE PASSENGER'S ARM WAS TOTALLY BRUISED FROM WRIST TO SHOULDER. THIS INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED TO THE DEALER AND THE BMW COMPLAINT DEPARTMENT, WHO TOLD US WE WOULD HEAR FROM THEM WITHIN 3 DAYS. THIS WAS 4 WEEKS AGO, SO WE OBVIOUSLY ARE NOT GOING TO HEAR FROM THEM NOW.