Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
09/02/2010171900
 Tl* the contact owns a 1999 bmw 528i. the contact was attempting to park when the vehicle suddenly accelerated forward. she was unable to brake and crashed into tree. the contact was uninjured. the police were called but a police report was not filed. the vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic and the manufacturer was contacted where they advised her that an engineer would be out to investigate the vehicle. the engineer removed the black box from the vehicle and came to the conclusion that the failure was not mechanical. the vehicle was not repaired and was deemed as destroyed. the failure mileage was approximately 171,900. the vin was not available.
09/02/2010171900
 Tl-the contact owns a 1999 bmw 528i. the contact stated that when parking her vehicle it suddenly accelerated forward and was unable to brake and crashed into tree. no one was injured in the crash. the police were called and no report was available. the vehicle was towed to a independent mechanic and they are waiting due to a pending investigation. the manufacturer was contacted and they advised her that a engineer would be out to investigate the vehicle. the engineer removed the black box from the vehicle and came to a conclusion that it was not the vehicle's fault. the vehicle has not been repaired due to it being deemed destroyed. the failure mileage was apporximately 171,900. tb
10/12/201094803
 Common abs asc+t electronic control unit failure disabled odometer, speedometer, cruise control, automatic door locks, locks and alarm disabled, anti-lock brakes disabled, and stability control disabled. the car can no longer be locked to keep out intruders, the odometer is disabled and an unknown amount of mileage is being added to the vehicle(also a violation of california vehicle code cvc), the anti-lock brakes and stability control will not work and the car is out right dangerous to drive in bad weather. bmw is aware of the abs control module problems in these cars and has done nothing to rectify the situation except offer a very expensive replacement part with no upgrades to prevent future failures. my personal vehicle has had the module fail at only 94k miles. there are many others out there with the vary same complaint. if i was the original owner i would be talking with a lawyer about californian lemon laws. the abs system, automatic locking system, and lock system are all major safety hazards. the odometer not working i believe falls under a cvc violation possibly a federal mandate violation.
11/21/200491000500
 Speedometer stops working. problem is well documented on vehicle repair forums. defective module was upgraded by bmw engineering but no recall issued, left to owners to experience failure before getting module replaced. risk of excessive speed. risk of overspeed condition while entering posted speed corners. bmw only repair due to programming, cost of $2000, risk of less affluent owners driving with speedometer inoperative.*ak
01/04/200484000106/07/2003
 Engine surges when cold in cold weather (<45 deg). surging causes vehicle to lurch forward if at a stop. could injur pedestrian if brake not pressed with force. bmw apparently aware of problem but no recall.*ak
08/12/2002202/01/2099
 This is the 2nd incident. the first time was was about 6 months ago. the car had unexpected acceleration (run-away vehicle). the first time this happened my entire family was in car as i merged onto highway. no accident occurred, but a less experienced driver would have been killed. this time, few days ago, exactly the same thing happened, but i reacted more quickly and it was on a straight away, so the situation was not as desperate. the dealer said the accelerator pedal was dislodged, which was precisely what occured the first time. they repaired it, as far as i know, but the possibility of an accelerator pedal becoming loose causing accelerator to get stuck is a terrible, and possible life-threatening hazard. i hope this will not happen again. i wrote a letter to the ceo of bmw and have not yet received a response. *sw*ak
08/12/2002201/01/2099
 No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL - ACCELERATOR PEDAL
12/01/2001103/01/1999
 The dealer fixed without charge, but the throttle got stuck fully accelerating and bmw said it was a broken gas peddle assembly. this was a truly hazardous situation that almost caused an accident. i do not need anything done, i merely wanted to report this serious defect. *ak