What 105 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 BMW X3 Sdrive28i

ON MARCH 4, 2018, WHILE AT A RED LIGHT AT AN INTERSECTION IN BOCA RATON, FL, ALL OF SUDDEN, NO WARNING, MY BMW X3 STARTED TO SMELL OF SMOKE, THEN SMOKE STARTED TO COME OUT OF THE HOOD. I HAD TO BARELY MAKE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, LEAVE IT AT AN ENTRANCE OF A PLAZA, WHICH THEN BEGAN TO SMOKE OVERWHELMINGLY. ONCE I MADE IT OUT OF THE CAR, THE FLAMES CAME OUT OF THE HOOD AND THE CAR BECAME FULLY ENGULFED WITHIN SECONDS.

NHTSA ODI 11076341

I WOULD LIKE TO FILE A COMPLAINT ABOUT BMW OF NORTH AMERICA MISSING RECALLS ON MY VEHICLE IN 2015. I WAS NOT AWARE THE RECALL AND INFORMED ABOUT THE CAMSHAFT TIMING ADJUSTMENT VANOS ENGINE STALL ISSUE. THE ISSUE IS ABOUT THE BOLTS THAT SECURE THE HOUSING FOR THE VARIABLE CAMSHAFT TIMING ADJUSTMENT (VANOS) UNIT LOOSEN OVER TIME AND MAY POSSIBLY BREAK WHICH REDUCES THE POWER OF ENGINE OR STALL. I OWN A 2012 BMX X3 2.8I (VIN: 5UXWX5C58CLXXXXXX), STARTING LAST YEAR, MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON AND OFF FROM TIME TO TIME. I DID NOT UNDERSTAND THIS DEFECTIVE VANOS DESIGN WAS THE REASON UNTIL LAST MONTH I CHECKED MY VEHICLE IN FOR ENGINE PROBLEMS WITH RPM AUTOMOTIVE, THEY RAN A FULL DIAGNOSTICS AND CONFIRMED WITH ERROR CODES 130C01,130108 AND 131508 WHICH INDICATES VANO AND CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSORS FOR MY N52T 6-CYLINDER ENGINE. I CONTACTED BMW DEALER AT ORANGE PARK, FL, THEY IGNORED MY REQUEST AND TOLD ME MY VEHICLE IS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST. I HAVE DONE THE RESEARCH AND CONFIRMED MY VEHICLE X3 XDRIVE 28I IS ON THE RECALL LIST. PLEASE SEE THE RECALL AT HTTPS://WWW.EDMUNDS.COM/CAR-NEWS/BMW-RECALLS-156137-VEHICLES-FOR-LOOSE-BOLTS-THAT-COULD-LEAD-TO-ENGINE-STALL.HTML . I AM CONTACTING YOU TO REPORT THEIR RECALL MALPRACTICES, ENGINE SAFETY ISSUES AND FRAUD WARRANTY PROMISES. *JS PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11054507

WHEN RAINY DAY , MY CAR SOMETIMES CAME OUT SMOKE ON A CITY STREET. I TOOK INTO DIFFERENT BMW DEARLER, BUT THEY CLAIM THAT IS THE DESIGN OF THE CAR, BECAUSE THE AVIATOR TOO CLOSE WHEN RAINING IT WILL CAME OUT SMOKE. I RECORDED AND SHOW TO THE SERVICE ADVISOR AND HE SHOW IT TO THE MECHANIC AND HE TOLD ME THAT IS WHAT THE MECHANIC TOLD HIM.

NHTSA ODI 10870053

THERE WERE A TOTAL OF 4 INCIDENCES. 2/21/15 TOOK BMW X3 XDRIVE28I TO DEALER WITH 112 MILES ON CAR, AFTER CAR ENGINE REVVED HIGHER AS I WAS COMING DOWN A HILL TO A COMPLETE STOP. I HAD TO PRACTICALLY STAND ON THE BRAKE FOR CAR TO STOP. ACCELERATION LASTED ABOUT 4 SECONDS AFTER STOPPING. HAD TO KEEP MY FOOT ON BRAKE DURING THAT TIME. IT HAPPENED A SECOND TIME ON THE WAY TO DEALER; GOING UP A SLIGHT HILL, WHILE COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. PRIOR TO THE ABOVE DATE, ON 2/16/15, CAR ALSO ACCELERATED BY ITSELF WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 55 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAD TO STEP ON BREAK TO SLOW DOWN. LATER THAT DAY THE CAR ACCELERATED BY ITSELF WHILE ROLLING IN A PARKING LOT. I HAD TO BREAK HARD TO STOP IT. ON 2/21/15 THE DEALER REQUESTED BMW NA TO SEND THEIR ENGINEERS TO CHECK OUT THE CAR. 2/24/15 BMW NA ADVISED ME THAT "THE CAR ONLY DOES WHAT YOU TELL IT TO DO WITH ONE OF THE CONTROLS.THE ENGINEERS WILL BE GOING TO THE DEALERSHIP TO CHECK IF ANYTHING IS WRONG WITH" MY 2015 X3 XDRIVE. I ADVISED THEM "THEY WERE LOOKING FOR THE WRONG THING SINCE THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH A CAR THAT ACCELERATES WHEN YOU ARE STEPPING ON THE BREAK." THEY "SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY X3." 3/4/15 BMW NA ADVISED THAT ENGINEERS HAD LOOKED AT THE CAR AT THE DEALERSHIP AND IT WILL TAKE 7 TO 10 BUSINESS DAYS FOR THEIR DECISION. 3/10/15 BMW NA ADVISE ME THAT THE ENGINEERS CHECKED OUT MY X3 AND THE CAR IS "PERFORMING AS DESIGNED". I ASKED "IS THE X3 DESIGNED TO ACCELERATE WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO STOP THE CAR?" THE DEALER ALSO SAYS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. WHEN I TOLD DEALER "IF IT STARTS ACTING UP AGAIN I WILL BRING IT RIGHT BACK" DEALER SAID "THAT'S UP TO BMW". SINCE MY BMW X3 SOMETIMES ACCELERATES WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO STOP AND WHILE AT ROAD SPEED, SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE CAR. EVERYTHING HAS TO GO THROUGH THE COMPUTER. MIGHT IT BE THE COMPUTER PROGRAM DESIGN? *TR

NHTSA ODI 10693873