2001 BMW 740IL

RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2001 BMW 740IL. AFTER A MONTH OF OWNING THIS VEHICLE I STARTED NOTICING A LOUD THUMP FROM BEHIND THE DRIVERS SEAT. I THOUGHT IT COULD OF BEEN A TRANSMISSION ISSUE BUT LATER ON A GASOLINE ODOR STARTED TO DEVELOP IN MY GARAGE PARKING SPACE. AFTER TAKING A QUICK LOOK UNDERNEATH MY CAR, I SAW MOISTURE BUILDING UP RIGHT UNDER THE LEFT REAR PASSENGER SEAT. IT WAS A HAIRLINE CRACK AND FUEL WAS SLOWLY LEAKING FROM THE FUEL TANK. DOING SOME SHORT RESEARCH, I'VE FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE MODEL BMW I OWN. HOWEVER, NO RECALLS HAVE BEEN ISSUED. THIS ISN'T A BROKEN WINDOW REGULATOR OR A RADIO BUTTON THAT DOESN'T WORK. IT IS A SERIOUS, SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

APPROXIMATELY A YEAR AGO I STARTED SMELLING MILD GASOLINE FUMES EMANATING FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF THE CAR. AT THE TIME I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE CAUSED BY SOME SPILLAGE WHEN REFUELING. OVER TIME THE ODOR HAS BECOME STRONGER. UPON INSPECTION BY THE BMW DEALERSHIP IT WAS ASCERTAINED THAT A CRACK EXISTED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE FUEL TANK AND SIGNIFICANT RUST WAS PRESENT. THESE DEFECTS ALLOW GAS TO SEEP OUT AND DRIP TO THE GROUND. THE AUTOMOBILE HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED AND THE DEALER VERIFIED THAT THERE WAS NO ROAD/ACCIDENT DAMAGE TO THE AREA. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THEY HAD NEVER SEEN THIS FAILURE BEFORE. THEY ALSO INDICATED THAT THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY (7 YEARS/100,000 MILES). THE CAR HAS ABOUT 110,000 MILES. I ALSO SPOKE WITH BMW NORTH AMERICA AND THEY ALSO RETURNED THE SAME "VERDICT" MY CONTENTION IS FIRST THAT THIS IS A VALID AND SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE WHICH IN ALL LIKELIHOOD EXISTED WHILE UNDER WARRANTY. SECOND, THAT BMW HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM BECAUSE A TYPICAL FUEL TANK SHOULD NOT STRUCTURALLY FAIL AFTER ONLY 8 YEARS IN SERVICE. TO ASSURE MY SAFELY I HAVE LIMITED USE OF THE VEHICLE AND ONLY FILL IT WITH 5 GALLONS OF FUEL AT A TIME. AT THIS MUCH LOWER LEVEL IT DOES NOT LEAK. THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING MY REQUEST. *TR