What 51 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 BMW 320i

Timing chain issue that is common with the BMW n20 engines. The chain is starting to loosen and have some slack. Afraid it could brake and jump teeth as it does it so many online horror stories wrecking the car's engine after it breaks and gets sucked into it. I believe a recall should hopefully happen. A sorts of class action lawsuits and settlements but no recall yet.

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i purchased this car in 2014 and since then i keep bringing my car for repairs the dealer keep finding so many problems, every time i take it for service. this car has stalled on me few times, and i almost have an accident with my two grandbabies with me, supposedly the dealer fixed it but few months later it broke again with the same issues, they said it was still under the warranty and i didnt pay for that, but they charge of other problems. i told them from the beginning that this car was almost new when i bought it and ,its was not possible that since then, its been having too many problems, and they were the only one that has been taking care of the car. now iit has scaled, to even more and major issues. such as breaks, tires, alternator drive belt, break pads, fuel injection, , engine oil filter housing gaskets, parkin brake cable clip, brake fluid, differential fluid exchange, battery replace and much more,. and that is why i really need your help. i am very scare of the safety of my love ones, my self and others. the car it has been inspected by the same dealer, where i been taking it since i bought it, for maintenance and mechanical and other issues. my vehicle always have the message (symbol) of either engine, tire. it appears since 2014, it goes away after i have taking it to the dealer.

NHTSA ODI 11421216

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.

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CAR WHILE DRIVE TO WORK ALL OF THE SUDDEN STARTED SHAKING AND FELT LIKE A MISS TILL LOST ALL POWER AND WHEN I FULL STOPPED IT DIED AND I WAS ON THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY I CHECK MY CODES AND HAD INJECTION SHUTDOWN AND MULTIPLE MISFIRES DETECTED AND THAT WAS AROUND 2 OR 3 WEEKS AGO I STARTED RESEARCHING AND FOUND THAT I SHOULD CHECK TO SEE IF MY TIMING CHAIN OR ITS GUIDES HAD ANY PLAY WHICH IT DID AND A AMOUNT AS A MECHANIC IN COLLEGE TRAINING WAS NOT HEALTHY WHEN IT MOVED SIDE TO SIDE ABOUT A QUARTER INCH AND HAS FINE METAL SHAVINGS IN OIL AND SHINY MARK ON TIMING CHAIN

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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

ON WEDNESDAY, OCT 30TH 2019, I WAS DRIVING MY 2014 BMW 320 (VIN: [XXX]) FROM MY DOCTOR OFFICE IN CARMEL (INDIANA) TO ZIONSVILLE (INDIANA) DURING LUNCH TIME, MY ENGINE ABRUPTLY SHUT DOWN AT MILE 55 ON THE HIGHWAY 465. FORTUNATELY, I WAS CLOSE ENOUGH TO PARK THE CAR ON THE RIGHT ROADSITE OF THE HIGHWAY 465( 1 MILE CLOSE TO EXIT 27). WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE CAR ON THE ROADSIDE, THE STARTER TURNED OVER, BUT THE ENGINE WOULD NOT START. ACCORDINGLY ARRANGED TO HAVE MY 320I TOWED TO CLOSEBY AUTO SHOP (MATTHEWS AUTO REPAIR SHOP IN 725 EAST 106TH STREET, INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46280), WHICH IS AUTO SHOP CLOSEBY ALMOST 40 YEARS SERVICE. ON OCT 31TH, I RECEIVED A CALL FROM A SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE AT AUTO SHOP. HE TOLD ME THAT MY FUEL PUMP HAD FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO QUALITY PROBLEM. HE SAID THAT HE CHECKED THAT MY CAR MODEL IS IN THE BMW RECALL LIST FOR FUEL PUMP BY RECALL #: 15V-189. HE SAID I SHOULD CONTACT BMW TO DO IT FREE FOR ME. I CONTACTED BMW CUSTOMER SERVICE IMMEDIATELY (BOTH BMW USA CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND LOCAL BMW DEALER), AND BOTH BMW SERVICE PEOPLE TOLD ME THAT NOT ALL THE CARS IN THIS CAR MODEL ARE IN RECALL LIST, AND MY CAR WAS NOT IN THE RECALL LIST. THIS DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. I TOLD THEM THAT I WAS SURPRISED AND CONCERNED THAT THE FUEL PUMP HAD FAILED ON A CAR THAT IS ONLY 5 YEARS, AND IT IS QUALITY PROBLEM. YOU CAN IMAGINE HOW DANGEROUS IT IS TO HAVE ENGINE STOP SUDDENLY ON THE HIGHWAY, AND IT IS VERY DANGEROUS FOR THIS KIND OF CAR ON THE ROAD WITH FAMILY MEMBERS. I ASKED THE LOCAL BMW DEALER ABOUT WHAT I SHOULD DO, AND I WAS EVEN MORE ASTONISHED TO HEAR FROM THEM THAT I SHOULD TOW THE CAR BY MYSELF TO THE BMW DEALER AND PAY $150 FOR INSPECTION FIRST, AND PAY ALL THE COST TO REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP SINCE IT IS NOT IN THE RECALL LIST. [XXX] , PH.D EMAIL:[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

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WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION, THE FUEL PUMP FAILED, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. LUCKILY, I WAS ON A CITY STREET, NOT ON A HIGHWAY! OVER 18,000 SIMILAR YEAR/MODEL CARS WERE RECALLED FOR THIS EXACT SAME REASON A FEW YEARS AGO (NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V189000), BUT NOT MINE. NOW I AM FACED WITH A $2,400 BILL TO GET IT REPLACED!!

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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.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 BMW 320I. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND LOST POWER. IN ADDITION, THE LOW FUEL PRESSURE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 BMW 320I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 15V189000 (FUEL SYSTEM GASOLINE) AND 15V520000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING); 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. BMW OF MINNETONKA (15802 WAYZATA BLVD, WAYZATA, MN 55391, (952) 236-1263) 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 CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

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