What 198 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 BMW 528i

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

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