What 198 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 BMW 528i

The contact owns a 2011 BMW 528I. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal sound and stalled. The check engine warning light and brake warning light repeatedly illuminated on and off. The vehicle was difficult to control, causing the contact to drive over a pothole, causing the rear window glass to shatter. The contact's two children were in the rear seats, and one was cut in the back of the neck with the shattered glass. No medical attention was sought. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V707000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) prior to the failure; however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact believed that the failure was caused by the recall. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle was drivable and was driven back to the residence. The vehicle was not repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 170,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11605182

275R70/20

NHTSA ODI 11467911

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW 528I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EMITTED AN ABNORMAL BURNING ODOR WHILE TRAVELING VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V683000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. GLOBAL IMPORTS BMW (500 INTERSTATE N PKWY, ATLANTA, GA) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 92,000. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI 11065995

WE BOUGHT A 2011 BMW 528I WHILE IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY. WE STARTED TO HAVE ISSUES RIGHT AFTER THAT. PULLING RIGHT, ELECTRONICS FREEZING, CAN NOT UNLOCK THE DOORS WITH KEY FOB, CAN NOT GET OUT FROM CAR BECAUSE DOOR HANDLES DO NOT WORK TIME TO TIME AND OUR 2 YEAR OLD SON GOT LOCKED INSIDE(CAR LOCKED BY IT SELF) AND WE HAD TO BREAK THE WINDOW WHICH TOOK ALMOST 30 MINUTES. BMW SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM AND WENT EVEN FURTHER SOME OF THE ISSUES ARE FEATURES OF THE CAR. OUR KIDS GETTING LOCKED IN THE CAR IS A SERIOUS ISSUE, CAN NOT GETTING FROM THE CAR IS ANOTHER SERIOUS ISSUE. WHAT IF CAR CATCHES A FIRE IN AN ACCIDENT AND WE GET STUCK IN THE CAR. PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT IT. I DO HAVE VIDEO RECORDINGS IN MULTIPLIABLE OCCASIONS. EVEN BMW SERVICE TOOK THE CAR FOR THE SAME ISSUES AND CONFIRM IT WAS AN ISSUE. BUT COULD NOT PROVIDE ANY SOLUTION. IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO SOMEONE BECAUSE OF THE ISSUES, IT WILL BE ON YOU GUYS IF YOU DO NOT TAKE ACTION IN THE ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI 10872459

WHILE DRIVING FOR 15 MINUTES WITH SEAT WARMERS ON MY HUSBAND (DRIVER) TURNED IT OFF. WE WERE TRAVELLING ON SUBURBAN ROADS AROUND 40 MPH. THEN AT A STOP LIGHT HE NOTICED A BURNING SMELL. WE CONTINUED DRIVING WHEN LIGHT TURNED GREEN. THEN I NOTICED THE SMELL A FEW SECONDS LATER, SO I OPENED A WINDOW EXPECTING TO FIND SMELL A FIRE NEARBY OR HEAR SIRENS. AT THAT POINT WE SAW A PLOOM OF SMOKE COME FROM UNDER HIS SEAT TOWARDS THE PASSENGER SIDE OPEN WINDOW. HE IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER, JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR AND TURNED EVERYTHING OFF. THE SMOKE TOOK SOME TIME TO CLEAR BUT DID STOP. SEVERAL MINUTES LATER WE DROVE 1 MILE TO THE BMW DEALERSHIP. WE WERE TOLD ITS NOT UNDER WARRANTY, AND WOULD COST $1,700 TO FIX. I DECLINED TO PAY $1,700 TO FIX AND REQUESTED THEY DISCONNECT SEAT HEATER. BMW PERSONNEL INFORMED ME IT COULD NOT DISCONNECT POWER TO SEAT HEATER WITHOUT DISCONNECTING THE ENTIRE AC/HEAT SYSTEM. THIS IS A PERSONAL SAFETY ISSUE, NOT A WARRANTY ISSUE. FOR A SEAT HEATER TO CAUSE SMOKE IT CAUSED A FIRE AND THIS IS A DEFECT. THE CAR WILL CATCH ON FIRE IF THE SEAT WARMER IS ACTIVATED. I ASKED DEALERSHIP WHAT IF I LOAN MY CAR TO SOMEONE WHO DOES NOT KNOW ABOUT THE DEFECT, THEY SUGGESTED PUTTING TAPE OVER THE BUTTON. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE SAFETY MEASURE TO PREVENT BURNS, FIRE, OR EVEN DEATH. CONSIDER FOR A MOMENT PEOPLE HAVE SMALL CHILDREN THAT RIDE IN THIS VEHICLE. ON A COLD MORNING I COULD HAVE BUCKLED KIDS IN, TURNED ON CAR, SEAT HEATER, AND TALK TO A NEIGHBOR FOR 2 MINUTES, OR TEACHER AT THE CARPOOL LINE.... WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO THE CHILDREN? THERE IS NO VISIBLE DAMAGE TO VEHICLE BUT BMW PERSONNEL DID AGREE THERE WAS SMOKE SMELL IN VEHICLE CAUSED BY SEAT WARMER.

NHTSA ODI 10870649

INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. OTHER VEHICLE GOING SOUTHBOUND CROSSED OVER MEDIAN STRIP OF HIGHWAY, HIT THREE CARS GOING NORTHBOUND, MINE WAS THIRD CAR TO BE STRUCK. OFFENDING CAR DID A 360 IN FRONT OF ME, I SLOWED TO ABOUT 25 AND HE MOVED INTO ME. I STRUCK HIS REAR PASSENGER SIDE CORNER. I HAD FRONT END DAMAGE OVER $5K. NO AIRBAG, BUT DEFAULT MESSAGES AND AN AIRBAG ICON CAME ON THE VIDEO SCREEN AND THE FRONT INSTRUMENT PANEL. IT STATES "DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIRBAG OR RESTRAINT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION." *JS

NHTSA ODI 10661924

PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 528I BMW AND WITHIN MONTHS I HAD A COOLANT SIGNAL INDICATING LOW COOLANT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE COOLANT SIGNAL CAME ON EVERY SIX WEEKS, DESPITE HAVING IT TOPPED OFF AT DEALERSHIP. CAR HAD INADEQUATE POWER AND FELT LIKE IT DRAGGED. BMW SERVICE CENTER REPEATEDLY FAILED TO IDENTIFY A PROBLEM. EVENTUALLY, THE SIGNAL CAME ON AND AN INTOLERABLE FUEL ODOR EMERGED UPON TURNING ON THE CAR. FUEL AND CHEMICAL ODORS REMAIN. I HAVE READ OF OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ONLINE AND BELIEVE THERE IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT MAKES THE CAR UNSAFE. THE EXPOSURE TO CARCINOGENIC COOLANT FUMES AND THE GAS FUMES ARE DANGEROUS. COOLANT MAY BE LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE. OTHER MECHANICAL ISSUES MAY BE CAUSING THE DRAG AND CONTINUED LOSS OF POWER. IN ONE INSTANCE I LEFT THE VEHICLE AT THE BMW SERVICE CENTER WITH A FULL TANK AND WHEN IT WAS RETURNED TO ME, THE FUEL LEVEL HAD DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY DESPITE HAVING BEEN DRIVEN A VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF MILES BY THE SERVICE PEOPLE. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THESE PROBLEMS POSE A SAFETY HAZARD TO NOT ONLY MYSELF, BUT THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND OTHER BMW OWNERS WHO MAY BE UNAWARE OF THESE ISSUES. I FEEL THE CAR IS COMPROMISED BY THE MANUFACTURING DEFECTS AND THAT EFFORTS TO REPAIR THE PROBLEMS CONTINUE TO EXIST. I FEEL THE CAR IS UNSAFE AND POSES A SAFETY AND HEALTH HAZARD AND THAT BMW IS UNWILLING TO INVESTIGATE HOW PERVASIVE THE PROBLEM MAY BE. I WANT AN INVESTIGATION AND FEEL THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THIS IS NOT "THE ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE." PLEASE INVESTIGATE THESE PROBLEMS AND HELP PREVENT OTHERS FROM BEING UNNECESSARILY SUBJECTED TO TOXIC FUMES AND CHEMICALS WHICH MAY COMPROMISE THE PUBLIC'S HEALTH AND THE SAFETY OF PEOPLE ON THE ROAD.

NHTSA ODI 10594058

JUST PARKED THE VEHICLE, TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE AND SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. EXITED THE VEHICLE, OBSERVED SMOKE FROM UNDER THE HOOD, OPENED THE HOOD AND OBSERVED FLAMES FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ENGINE, MOSTLY ON THE TOP LEFT OF THE ENGINE NOW. CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WHO EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES, AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE IS NOW IN THEIR LOT WAITING FOR THEIR INVESTIGATORS TO LOOK AT THE VEHICLE. THE FIRST COMMENT OUT OF THE DEALERSHIP, MAYBE AN ANIMAL BUILT A NEST IN THE ENGINE AREA. THIS VEHICLE ONLY HAD 3000 MILES ON IT, PURCHASED IN JUNE OF 2011, AND IS GARAGE KEPT. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10456604

THERE ARE 3 MAJOR ISSUES. 1. VEHICLE TENDS TO VEER TO THE RIGHT. FEELING IS QUITE LIKE A VEHICLE THAT HASN'T BEEN ALIGNED FOR A WHILE. 2. THE MOST DANGEROUS. UPON ACCELERATION AND/OR AT LOW SPEED, THE VEHICLE RANDOMLY JERKS FORWARD WITHOUT ANY NOTICE- MAKING IT TOO LATE FOR THE DRIVER TO SLAM THE BRAKES. IF YOUR VEHICLE IS STANDING THREE FEET BEHIND ANOTHER VEHICLE IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, YOU CAN EASILY CRASH AND REAR END INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF YOU. AND OF COURSE, YOU WILL BE SUED FOR NOT KEEPING YOUR DISTANCE. THIS CAN EASILY CAUSE SOME SERIOUS INJURIES. 3. VEHICLE WOBBLES AS IF THE TIRES WERE NOT BALANCED. THERE ARE CLEARLY UNKNOWN DEFECTS THAT CAN NOT BE LOCATED. TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL BMW DEALER, THEY KEEP ASCRIBING IT TO "NORMAL" CHARACTERISTICS AND THEY KEEP INFORMING ME THAT BMWS ARE BUILT THAT WAY, THEY ARE NOW SPORTIER. HOWEVER, TO ANY NEW OWNER, IT IS NOW DEADLIER. THE LOCAL BMW DEALER ALSO STATE UNLESS THEY VEHICLE DOESN'T INFORM THEM ABOUT THE ISSUE THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING. ITS MORE LIKE, UNTIL SOMEONE DOESN'T SUE THEM IS WHEN THEY WILL DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. BMW SERIOUSLY NEEDS TO LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE IMMEDIATELY BEFORE A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT BEGINS AGAINST THEM.

NHTSA ODI 10418816