What 51 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 BMW 320i

This is a serious problem with the handling of this car in standing water situations. This car immediately begins to hydroplane when it encounters standing water, every time. We had been lucky so far of the numerous instances we had encountered with this vehicle hydroplaning and rotating. Always slowing down when encountering rain to avoid these situations. Tonight 08-13-2022, we were driving on the highway where the posted speed limit was 70mph. We were encountering on and off heavy rain. Crossing a bridge at approximately 15 mph under the speed limit in moderate rain when the car completely lost it's grip on the road and went out of control, like on ice and was unrecoverable. We were hit by a vehicle passing us who was not experiencing the same hydroplaning problem. This has been an ongoing problem with this vehicle and I notified my service advisor at BMW about the problem, but he said it was common and he had even been in an accident with his BMW due to hydroplaning. He said there was nothing they could do about it. The tires were in good condition, recently purchased, and there is not reason this vehicle should not have handled the situation like all of the other vehicles on the road were.(We were the slowest vehicle).

NHTSA ODI 11479180

ON THE NIGHT OF OCTOBER 18 2020 AROUND 3:30AM I WAS WOKEN BY MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORS NOTIFYING ME THAT ME 2014 BMW WAS CURRENTLY ON FIRE IN A UNCONTROLLABLE BLAZE. FROM THE ENGINE BAY OF THE CAR DOWN TO MY FUEL TANK AND PUMPS WERE SHOOTING OUT FLAMES COVERING THE CAR ITSELF BY THE TIME I WAS ABLE TO RUN FROM MY ROOM TO MY CAR I CAN SEE THAT THE DAMAGE WAS DONE. I PROCEEDED TO CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND PUT OUT THE FIRE MYSELF WHILE I WAITED FOR THEM TO ARRIVE, I DID NOT DRIVE THE CAR FOR A TOTAL OF 8+ HOURS AND IT WAS SITTING AND PARKED IN FRONT OF MY DRIVE WAY. MY CAR SHOWED NO SIGNS OF CATCHING ON FIRE ON ITS OWN, IT JUST RANDOMLY CAUGHT ABLAZE, AFTER I PUT OUT THE FIRE AND TALKED WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FROM FIRST GLANCE WE KNEW THIS WASN'T ARSON BUT A POSSIBLE ELECTRIC AND OR MALFUNCTION WITH THE CAR ITSELF. I CONTACTED MY INSURANCE COMPANY THE NEXT DAY AND TOLD THEM WHAT HAPPENED, THEY THEN PROCEEDED TO PICK UP THE CAR THE NEXT DAY VIA TOW TRUCK AND TOOK IT TO A PROFESSIONAL TO LOOK AT WHAT CAUSED IT, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FIRE STARTED NEAR THE ENGINE BAY AND AS STATED BEFORE A MALFUNCTION WITH THE VEHICLE (SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION), IT WAS THEN LABELED A TOTAL LOSS AND MY INVESTMENT WAS GONE.

NHTSA ODI 11375256

I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT ON 9/9/20, WHERE MY CAR CRASHED IN TO SIDE WALL OF INTERSTATE. DRIVERSIDE HAD IMPACT WITH WALL. CURTAIN AIRBAGS DEPLOYED SUCCESSFULLY. DRIVER SEAT AIRBAG CAME OUT WITH BLAST. THEY IGNITED FIRE AND MY SHIRT(DRY-FIT POLO ) BURNED. I WAS INJURED WITH BURN MARKS ON MY ABDOMEN. EACH BURN MARK CORRESPONDS TO WHOLE IN AID BAG.

NHTSA ODI 11354118

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 BMW 320I. THE CONTACT STATED THE AC, HEATER AND THE DEFROSTER WERE INOPERABLE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED TOXIC FUMES WAS ENTERING THE CAB OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN MULTIPLE TIMES TO LOCAL DEALER BMW OF MINNETONKA SERVICE LOCATED AT 15802 WAYZATA BLVD, WAYZATA, MN 55391, WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OF REPAIRED AS OF YET. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN INFORMED OF FAILURE AND HAD PROVIDED ENGINEER TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED HE HAD 2 TURBINATE SURGERY THAT WERE RELATED TO TOXIC FUMED ON THE CARPET. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,000.

NHTSA ODI 11321933

RECENTLY PURCHASED VEHICLE. AFTER ABOUT A WEEK, HAD ISSUES WITH BOTH HEADLIGHTS AND ONE BRAKE LIGHT. I REPLACED ALL THE BULBS. ABOUT ANOTHER WEEK LATER, HEADLIGHTS WORK BUT NOTIFICATIONS POP UP SAYING FRONT LEFT AND RIGHT HEADLAMP MALFUNCTION. REAR RIGHT BRAKE LAMP AFTER REPLACING BULB HOWEVER IS MALFUNCTIONING ONLY AFTER CHANGING IT OUT 1-2 WEEKS EARLIER.

NHTSA ODI 11165516

RENTAL OF 2014 BMW 320I IN JUNE 2014. PARKED AUTO IN LEVEL PARKING LOT BY PLACING FOOT ON BRAKE AND DEPRESSING "PARK" BUTTON ON GEAR SHIFT, AFTER WHICH WIFE EXITED PASSENGER SEAT TO RETRIEVE PACKAGE IN REAR SEAT. WHEN BRAKE RELEASED TO TURN OFF ENGINE, AUTO ROLLED FORWARD ONTO WIFE'S LEFT FOOT, CRUSHING IT INTO THE PAVEMENT UNDER THE WEIGHT OF REAR WHEEL OF AUTO AND CAUSING HER TO FALL HARD ON CONCRETE PAVEMENT. GEAR SHIFT WHEN "PARK" BUTTON ENGAGED HAD GONE INTO "NEUTRAL" ONE GEAR ABOVE "PARK." BECAUSE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF AND HAS TO BE DEPRESSED TWICE VERY SLOWLY - WITH SPACE IN-BETWEEN EACH DEPRESSION - OR ENGINE WILL NOT ENGAGE, REAR WHEEL WAS CRUSHING WIFE'S FOOT FOR 1-2 MINUTES BEFORE ENGINE WOULD RE-ENGAGE AND AUTO COULD BE ROLLED OFF HER FOOT. PLEASE NOTE THAT 2014 MBW 320I GEAR SHIFT HAS "PARK" IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GEAR SHIFT, NOT AT THE TOP AS IS CUSTOMARY, WITH "NEUTRAL" ONE SLOT ABOVE "PARK." WE TESTED PUTTING THE CAR IN PARK SEVERAL MORE TIMES AFTER THE INCIDENT DESCRIBED ABOVE AND NEARLY 50% OF TIME WHEN THE "PARK" BUTTON IS DEPRESSED, THE GEAR SHIFT SLIDES FORWARD ONE SLOT PAST "PARK" INTO "NEUTRAL." IF AUTO WERE ON A SIGNIFICANT INCLINE OR IF PARKED IN FRONT OF CONCRETE OR BARBED WIRE BARRIER WITH SOMEONE WALKING IN FRONT OF AUTO WHEN "PARK" BUTTON IS ENGAGED, MISTAKENLY SLIDING INTO "NEUTRAL," SOMEONE COULD BE INJURED MUCH MORE SERIOUSLY OR EVEN FATALLY. WE NOTE PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS TO THE NHTSA REGARDING SAME GEAR SHIFT DEFECT IN 7-SERIES BMW'S MADE BETWEEN 2001 AND 2008 THAT RESULTED IN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT, WHICH WAS DISMISSED BECAUSE PLAINTIFF'S FAILED TO PROVE THAT BMW KNEW ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THAT CAN HARDLY BE A LEGITIMATE EXCUSE IN THIS INSTANCE WITH A BMW 320I MADE IN 2014.

NHTSA ODI 10816527

I WAS EASING INTO A PARKING SPACE WHEN THE BRAKES FAILED AND I ROLLED OVER THE PARKING BUMPER AND THE CURB AND HIT A POLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10576432