ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
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.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW DESIGN RADIATOR CAP TO CONTROL PRESSURE AND PROVIDE GREATER COOLANT OVERFLOW IN THE EVENT OF OVERHEATING.
340,000 vehicles affected
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
THE CRUISE CONTROL AND THROTTLE CABLES ARE ATTACHED TO THE SAME THROTTLE VALVE ACTUATING LEVER AT THE THROTTLE HOUSING. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE PLASTIC BUSHING ON EITHER CABLE COULD BREAK DUE TO ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES COUPLED WITH VIBRATION. IF THE BUSHING BREAKS, THE OUTER CABLE HOUSING CAN SEPARATE FROM THE BUSHING. IN THIS CASE, DURING APPLICATION OF THE THROTTLE PEDAL WITHOUT CRUISE CONTROL BEING ENGAGED, THE OUTER TUBE COULD CATCH ON THE EDGE OF THE BROKEN BUSHING.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A SPRING STEEL CLIP ON THE OUTER TUBE OF EACH CABLE IN THE AREA OF THE ADJUSTING SCREW AND PLASTIC BUSHING. THE CLIP IS DESIGNED TO PREVENT THE OUTER TUBE FROM DISLODGING FROM THE BUSHING.
410,000 vehicles affected
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH
THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH CAN FAIL ALLOWING THE SWITCH TO REMAIN IN THE "BRAKE LIGHTS OFF" POSITION OR IN THE "BRAKE LIGHTS ON" POSITION.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE EXISTING BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED SWITCH.
180,000 vehicles affected
1994 BMW 530I ENGINE'S FAN CLUTCH SEIZED CAUSING THE FAN TO SHATTER VIOLENTLY. *NJ THE FAILURE OF THE FAN CLUTCH CAUSED EXTENSIVE AMOUNTS OF DAMAGE TO MANY COMPONENTS IN THE ENGINE BAY. *JB
DT: THE CONTACT BOUGHT A BMW. SHE COMPLAINED ABOUT ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. ON 4-26-05 SHE GOT INTO THE CAR AND CLOSED THE DOOR AND IT STARTED SMOKING. SHE COULD NOT GET OUT OF THE CAR. SOMEONE GOT IT STARTED. WHEN SHE ARRIVED HOME SHE TURNED IT OFF. WHEN SHE TURNED IT BACK ON VEHICLE STARTED TO SMOKE AGAIN. SHE CALLED THE DEALER, AND HE PROMISED FIX I, BUT IT NEVER WAS FIXED. SHE TOOK VEHICLE TO BMW. IT TOOK BMW 4 WEEKS TO CHECK THE CAR. SHE WAS TOLD BY BMW THE CAR WAS ONLY WORTH $1,500 AND THERE WAS $8,000 IN MINOR DAMAGES , AND OVER $10,000 IN MAJOR DAMAGES. SHE EVENTUALLY HAD TO GIVE THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER. SHE CLAIMED THE DEALER WAS TRYING TO SELL THE CAR TO SOMEONE ELSE. *AK
ENGINE BLOCK FAILS ON ALL M60 BMW V8'S FROM 1993-1995 CONTACT ME FOR DETAILS. *AK
SEAT ROCKS ON RAILS NOTICEABLY. *AK
WATER PUMP WAS REPLACED. ALSO, THERMOSTAT WAS CAUSING THE RADIATOR TO OVERHEAT. ALSO NEEDED A RADIATOR CAP. *AK
WATER PUMP WAS REPLACED. ALSO, THERMOSTAT WAS CAUSING THE RADIATOR TO OVERHEAT. ALSO NEEDED A RADIATOR CAP. *AK
BMW WAS AWARE OF A PROBLEM WHERE SULPHER FROM US FUELS WAS CAUSING THE CYLINDER WALLS OF THE M60 V8 MOTOR TO DETERIORATE. APPARENTLY THEY USED A NEW METAL CALLED NIKASIL (ALUMINUM IMPREGNATED WITH NICKEL AND SILICONE). ONCE THE CYLINDER WALLS BECOME DAMAGED, THE PISTON RINGS CAN NO LONGER SEAL PROPERLY, CAUSING "LEAKDOWN" OR AIR TO ESCAPE PAST THE PISTON AS IT ATTEMPTS TO COMPRESS AIR INTO THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER. ALTHOUGH BMW KNEW OF THE DEFECT, THERE WAS NO RECALL ISSUED. THROUGH REASEARCH, AND TALKS WITH BMW MECHANICS, I FOUND THAT BMW HAS REPLACED THOUSANDS OF THE EFFECTED MOTORS. BMW EVEN EXTENDED THE WARRANTY PERIOD ON THE ENGINE TO 100K MILES. I OWN A BMW 530I WITH THE 3.0 LITRE M60 NIKASIL MOTOR. IT BEGAN HAVING PROBLEMS AT AROUND 96K MILES. I NOW HAVE 109K MILES. THE CAR RAN FINE, BUT HAD A ROUGH IDLE. APPARENTLY THIS IS A SYPTOM OF THE "LEAKDOWN" PROBLEM. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO GIRARD BMW TO HAVE IT TESTED. THEY CONFIRMED THE ENGINE HAD THE PROBLEM ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEFECTIVE ENGINE BLOCK. HOWEVER, WHEN I GOT MY CAR BACK, IT RAN VERY POORLY. BEFORE LEAVING THE DEALER, I TOLD THEM THAT IT WAS RUNNING WORST THEN WHEN I BROUGHT IT TO THEM. THEY INDICATED IT WAS DUE TO THE ENGINE BLOCK PROBLEM. I INFORMED THEM I WAS CONCERNED TAKING THE CAR FOR FEAR I WOULD GET STUCK SOMEWHERE. THEY ASSURED ME I WOULD NOT. TWO DAYS LATER, MY CAR WOULD NOT START. GIRARD HAD A TOW TRUCK PICK UP MY CAR. I HAVE RECEIPTS FROM A LOCAL GARAGE SHOWING THAT THE CAR WAS EXPERIENCING THE PROBLEM WHILE IT WAS STILL COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. AT THE TIME, I WAS UNAWARE THAT BMW HAD EXTENDED THE WARRANTY, OR THAT THERE WAS ANY KNOWN PROBLEMS WITH THE MOTOR, AS I RECEIVED NOTHING FROM BMW INDICATING SUCH. I DID RECEIVE OTHER RECALL INFORMATION ON THE CAR HOWEVER NOTHING REGARDING POTENTIAL ENGINE PROBLEMS. MY CAR IS NOW BARELY OVER THE WARRANTY PERIOD (9K MILES) AND BMW WILL NOT FIX IT. *AK
BMW WAS AWARE OF A PROBLEM WHERE SULPHER FROM US FUELS WAS CAUSING THE CYLINDER WALLS OF THE M60 V8 MOTOR TO DETERIORATE. APPARENTLY THEY USED A NEW METAL CALLED NIKASIL (ALUMINUM IMPREGNATED WITH NICKEL AND SILICONE). ONCE THE CYLINDER WALLS BECOME DAMAGED, THE PISTON RINGS CAN NO LONGER SEAL PROPERLY, CAUSING "LEAKDOWN" OR AIR TO ESCAPE PAST THE PISTON AS IT ATTEMPTS TO COMPRESS AIR INTO THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER. ALTHOUGH BMW KNEW OF THE DEFECT, THERE WAS NO RECALL ISSUED. THROUGH REASEARCH, AND TALKS WITH BMW MECHANICS, I FOUND THAT BMW HAS REPLACED THOUSANDS OF THE EFFECTED MOTORS. BMW EVEN EXTENDED THE WARRANTY PERIOD ON THE ENGINE TO 100K MILES. I OWN A BMW 530I WITH THE 3.0 LITRE M60 NIKASIL MOTOR. IT BEGAN HAVING PROBLEMS AT AROUND 96K MILES. I NOW HAVE 109K MILES. THE CAR RAN FINE, BUT HAD A ROUGH IDLE. APPARENTLY THIS IS A SYPTOM OF THE "LEAKDOWN" PROBLEM. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO GIRARD BMW TO HAVE IT TESTED. THEY CONFIRMED THE ENGINE HAD THE PROBLEM ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEFECTIVE ENGINE BLOCK. HOWEVER, WHEN I GOT MY CAR BACK, IT RAN VERY POORLY. BEFORE LEAVING THE DEALER, I TOLD THEM THAT IT WAS RUNNING WORST THEN WHEN I BROUGHT IT TO THEM. THEY INDICATED IT WAS DUE TO THE ENGINE BLOCK PROBLEM. I INFORMED THEM I WAS CONCERNED TAKING THE CAR FOR FEAR I WOULD GET STUCK SOMEWHERE. THEY ASSURED ME I WOULD NOT. TWO DAYS LATER, MY CAR WOULD NOT START. GIRARD HAD A TOW TRUCK PICK UP MY CAR. I HAVE RECEIPTS FROM A LOCAL GARAGE SHOWING THAT THE CAR WAS EXPERIENCING THE PROBLEM WHILE IT WAS STILL COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. AT THE TIME, I WAS UNAWARE THAT BMW HAD EXTENDED THE WARRANTY, OR THAT THERE WAS ANY KNOWN PROBLEMS WITH THE MOTOR, AS I RECEIVED NOTHING FROM BMW INDICATING SUCH. I DID RECEIVE OTHER RECALL INFORMATION ON THE CAR HOWEVER NOTHING REGARDING POTENTIAL ENGINE PROBLEMS. MY CAR IS NOW BARELY OVER THE WARRANTY PERIOD (9K MILES) AND BMW WILL NOT FIX IT. *AK
WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL, THE FUSE WOULD BLOW. NO INTERIOR LIGHTING OR WINDSHIELD WIPERS, IF RAINING. THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS WOULD BE OUT. TAKEN TO DEALER & MECHANIC FOUND NOTHING WRONG THE FIRST 2 TIMES. FINALLY, THE 3RD TIME, THE PROBLEM (ELECTRICAL) WAS FOUND & REPAIRED. *AK
TRANSMISSION FAILED RESULTING IN SLIPPING.
WHEN TRANSPORTING CARGO BEHIND REAR SEATS, IF CARGO HITS BACK OF SEATS, SEATS FLY FORWARD, HAPPENS WHEN SUDDENLY APPLYING BRAKES, DEALER READJUSTED LATCHES, SNAPPED LATCHES DO NOT HOLD, REFERRED BY GA STATE ATTORNEY, LEMON LAW.. *AK