What 51 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 BMW 320i

Timing chain malfunction and power train malfunction

NHTSA ODI 11500593

POWER TRAN LIGHT WENT ON, BRAKES LOST PRESSURE, ENGINE IS BLOWN. LOOKED UP THIS SAME YEAR/MODEL BMW AND MY CAR FITS THE RECALL PROFILE TO A TEE BUT MY VIN WASN'T INCLUDED ON THE RECALL LIST. CAR WAS IN MOTION ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN EVERYTHING CAME TO A HEAD APPARENTLY. CAR SHUT DOWN AND I PULLED OFF THE ROAD WITHOUT INCIDENT FORTUNATELY. CURRENTLY AT 96,800 MILES.

NHTSA ODI 11350328

TWICE I HAVE GONE TO START UP MY VEHICLE AND I'M GETTING A MESSAGE THAT STATES SOMETHING WITH MY DRIVETRAIN AND TO SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF, CALL ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND TAKE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP

NHTSA ODI 11172626

THE MISFIRE DETECTION MONITOR, A SOFTWARE STRATEGY BUILT INTO THE COMPUTER, IS DESIGNED TO DETECT AN ENGINE MISFIRE. THE COMPUTER CAN ALSO NORMALLY IDENTIFY THE SPECIFIC CYLINDER IN WHICH THE MISFIRE HAS OCCURRED. A MISFIRE IS NOTHING MORE THAN A LACK OF COMBUSTION, WHICH CAN BE CAUSED BY POOR FUEL QUALITY OR METERING, LOW COMPRESSION, LACK OF SPARK OR UNMETERED AIR ENTERING THE ENGINE. THERE ARE OTHER POSSIBLE, LESS OBVIOUS CAUSES AS WELL, SUCH AS UNCOMMANDED EXHAUST GAS RECIRCULATION (EGR), FLOW. WHEN THE MISFIRE MONITOR DETECTS A MISFIRE, IT WILL TRIGGER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WITH THE SPECIFIC CYLINDER NUMBER AS THE LAST DIGIT IN THE P030X CODE. FOR INSTANCE CYLINDER 1 MISFIRE IS P0301, CYLINDER 2 IS P0302 ETC. IN THIS CASE WE HAVE EITHER MULTIPLE CYLINDERS MISFIRING, OR THE COMPUTER SIMPLY CAN'T DETERMINE THE SPECIFIC CYLINDER, AND AS SUCH WE ARE LEFT WITH THE P0300 IN COMPUTER MEMORY.

NHTSA ODI 10824381

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

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE VEHICLE STOPPED ACCELERATING AND THE POWER TRAIN MALFUNCTION LIGHT CAME ON. THE VEHICLE WAS UNDRIVABLE AND COULD ONLY BE COASTED TO A SAFE POSITION. THIS IS THE SECOND ISSUE WITH THE ELECTRONICS ON THIS CAR, THE AUDIO SYSTEM HAD A SHORT IN IT AS WELL A FEW WEEKS AFTER IT WAS PURCHASED WITH ONLY ABOUT 800 MILES ON IT. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10664632

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 BMW 320I. AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE WITH THE BRAKES ENGAGED, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED GEARS INDEPENDENTLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FLOORMATS DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SHIFT TO OTHER GEARS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER PERFORMED AN INVESTIGATION CONFIRMING THE DEALER'S DIAGNOSIS. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,000. ..UPDATED 12/17/14 *BF UPDATED 9/29/2015 *JS

NHTSA ODI 10650847