Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | ||||||||||||||||
| 98V178000 | BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE | from 03/01/1991 to 11/30/1994 | V (Vehicle) | 340000 | 03/31/1999 | MFR | BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE | 08/04/1998 | 08/14/1998 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. a malfunction or failure of a coolant system component, such as a thermostat, water pump, or fan belt, can result in significantly increased coolant temperature and system pressure. if the indications of a critical overheating condition is not noticed by the driver, it is possible that damage to, or failure of, a coolant system component could occur. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | If a crack were to form or a seam were to separate in the heater core end piece, hot coolant could suddenly be expelled, increasing the risk of personal injury to a vehicle occupant. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will install a new design radiator cap to control pressure and provide greater coolant overflow in the event of overheating. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Owner notification began march 31, 1999. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact bmw at 1-800-831-1117.also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236). | |||||||||||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 10/26/1998 | 2 | 05/01/1998 | |
| The water pump locked up, the fan blade broke and the belts burned, dealer replaced the water pump, fan and belts, the oil pan gasket was replaced due to an oil leak. *slc | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 07/01/1999 | 1 | ||
| The radiator cap failed prior to recall notice 98v-178, the consumer believes this is due to improper radiator design. nlm | |||
| 03/15/2001 | 2 | 06/01/1992 | |
| I noted that i was losing coolant and i could not find a leak over more than a year. in a trip to the dealer i reported the problem (at united bmw, duluth, ga) the found no problem with the system. on the highway i noted the windshieln very clowdy and the smell of ethylene glycol coming from the heating system ducts. then suddenly this breat big cloud of white mist in front of the right side of the vehicle. i pulled over and opened the hood only to be sprayed with the remnants of this fluid as it got on the fan. i jumped back and avoided any injury. it appeared that the hose leading from the top of the radiator to the engine block had fallen off! that should be quite simple to fix! on closer inspection, the radiator attachments had completely fractured off!! the fractured portion was stuck in the hose! and the remnant on the radiator is too short to securely anchor the hose to the radiator after removing the broken part from inside the hose. however, i use it this way and keep a supply of water in the cab for short trips. the fractured radiator was chronically leaking and as i recalled over the past several winters there would be a mist on my windshield that was difficult to get rid of. wiping with tissue would leave a steak most of the time!! i note that bmw has recently recalled the radiator cap on this vehicle. gentlemen, from this experience i submit to you that high pressures did not cause the hose to rupture but a defective radiator that is subject to fracture at the point of hose connection resulting in chronic leaks particular at highway speeds and working preasures leading to mist and from the coolant within the vehicle and poor visibility. turning the windchield defogger on does not readily clear this problem but adds to it! bmw need to recall these defective radiators because of the danger of third degree burns and death to the owner as well as unsafe driving from the constant fogging of the windshield. yours truly,md, facs. *ak | |||
| 08/10/2000 | 1 | 02/01/1996 | |
| Car overheated while driving at about 40 mph. exact miles traveled while overheated unknown, but less than 10. subsequent repairs indicated failed water pump (plastic impeller cracked) which caused overheating and damaged head gasket. *ak | |||
| 06/27/2000 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle experienced failure of the coolant system prior to recall notification (93v-015). *mjs | |||
| 05/01/1999 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle engine collant system failed prior to recall notice causing vehicle to overheat and steering to become erratic when the water pump malfunctioned. nlm (98v-178) | |||
| 08/31/1999 | 1 | 07/01/1999 | |
| While traveling on i-5, i noticed that the coolant temperature was increasing to dangerous levels. upon returning to the san francisco area, i took the car to a repair shop and was told that the water pump had failed due to the breakage of the impeller. i was also told that this was a problem in this vintage of bmw since the manufacturer had used a plastic impeller in the water pump, rather than a metal impeller as is usual in other models. the mechanic related that he had performed about 25-30 identical repairs on bmws and that the problem was always attributable to the plastic impeller. i have had the water pump replaced with another pump with a metal impeller, but the event cost me $458 in repairs and approximately $265 for a rental car for the rest of the trip, as well as about $150 in unnecessary hotel bills. i plan to contact the manufacturer to request reimbursement of these costs, as i feel that the use of a plastic impeller over a metal one is a defective and negligent design. i still have the old water pump and the plastic impeller in my possession. | |||
| 01/01/1997 | 7 | ||
| Vehicle experienced failure of the recall (98v-178) prior to notice which caused damage to other engine components. mjs | |||
| 07/01/1996 | |||
| Recall 98v178000 concerning newly designed radiator cap. a recall repairshad negative consequences, oter parts malfunctioned, including water pump/theromast/gasket/o-ring, evaporator, etc, for which consumer should get reimbursted because it was caused by this defect. please provide further information. *ak | |||
| 05/30/1996 | 1 | 02/01/1992 | |
| Water pump failed due to the overflow tank splitting. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | |||
| While traveling vehicle lost power. had vehicle towed to bmw, technician stated plastic cover to radiator had cracked, and had lost coolen. cost to consumer was over thansand dollers. please provide further information.*ak | |||
| 04/01/1999 | |||
| Radiator cord cracked, and the coolant light came on. also, windows fogged up due to defroster working in properly as a result of an electrical short. *ak | |||
| 07/01/1996 | |||
| Recall 98v178000 concerning newly designed radiator cap. a recall repairshad negative consequences, oter parts malfunctioned, including water pump/theromast/gasket/o-ring, evaporator, etc, for which consumer should get reimbursted because it was caused by this defect. please provide further information. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 09/09/1999 | |||
| Vehicle experienced problem with water leaking into the engine control unit, causing vehicle to stalls while driving, dealer notifed and repaired that unit. after two monthsand two weeks, unit needed to be replaced again at consumer's cost. dealer refused to correct problem. can nhtsa provide additional information or help in this matter. *ak | |||
| 07/01/1996 | |||
| Recall 98v178000 concerning newly designed radiator cap. a recall repairshad negative consequences, oter parts malfunctioned, including water pump/theromast/gasket/o-ring, evaporator, etc, for which consumer should get reimbursted because it was caused by this defect. please provide further information. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 10/02/2002 | 01/01/2095 | ||
| Took car through car wash. car came out dead. turns out that this is a common problem where water gets into the main ecm computer and shorts it out. this is terrible. bmw should issue a recall for this. $1100 for going through a simple car wash. owners should be cautioned. mr | |||