2010 BMW 3 Series Electrical System

The contact owns a 2010 BMW 335I. The vehicle was a custom-modified vehicle and a company mascot. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V676000 (Electrical System); however, the vehicle was not repaired. The contact self-identified as an independent mechanic who wanted to be present when recall repair was performed; however, the contact preferred to have the recall disassociated with the VIN and to perform the recall repair himself. The local dealer was contacted and declined the contact to be present during the recall remedy process. The manufacturer was contacted, but the contact was advised that the request was denied. In addition, the contact was not advised on the recall reimbursement process. The contact wished to perform the recall repair himself and be granted reimbursement. The contact had not experienced a failure.

RECALL 17V-676: BLOWER MOTOR WIRING was preformed several years ago. Today the wiring connection added during the recall work failed and the blower motor stopped working.

The contact owns a 2010 BMW 328i. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, he felt a sudden surge and observed white smoke emitting from the rear passenger seat. As a result of the distraction, the contact stated that the vehicle crashed into a tree at approximately 35 MPH; the driver's steering wheel and driver's seat air bags both deployed. Upon exiting and inspecting the trunk of the vehicle, the contact observed flames engulfing the trunk liner. The contact stated that he was able to extinguish the fire himself with water. No warning lights were illuminated on the instrument panel. No police report was filed. No fire report was filed. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence, where it remained. The failure had not been diagnosed. After investigating the issue, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V314000 (Electrical System). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 120,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 BMW 328I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH ATTEMPTING TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED WHILE STILL IN MOTION. THE CONTACT CALLED AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO THOUGHT THAT THE ISSUE WAS WITH THE B-PLUS BATTERY CABLE. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET. THE VEHICLE REMAINED UNREPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

TOO LONG TO REMEDY

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 BMW 328I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE AND DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS ALSO TAKEN TO BMW OF MOUNTAIN VIEW (150 E EL CAMINO REAL, MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA 94040, 650-943-1000) WHO INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NEED TO BE DIAGNOSED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT AUTHORIZED THE DEALER TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 18V314000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) AND 13V044000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL CAMPAIGN TO PROVIDE A REMEDY AND ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE BE TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND REPAIR. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

IN NOVEMBER 2017, BMW SENT ME LETTERS REGARDING POSSIBLE FIRE HAZARDS DUE TO DEFECTS OF THE BLOWER MOTOR WIRING AND THE PCV VALVE HEATER (RECALL NUMBERS 17V-676 AND 17V-683). NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED AND NO REPAIR OFFERED TO CORRECT POSSIBLE DEFECTS. I HAVE EXPERIENCED NO PROBLEM RELATED TO THESE PARTS. HOWEVER, DUE TO THE SERIOUS NATURE OF THESE ISSUES, BMW SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO RECALL AND REPAIR AFFECTED CARS PROMPTLY.

I HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED BY BMW OF BLOWER MOTOR WIRING RECALL IN OCT. 2017, AND HAVE YET TO HEAR FROM BMW ABOUT ANY FURTHER PROCESS IN ADDRESSING THEIR PROBLEM. ARE THEY REALLY REQUIRED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT FIXING THEIR PROBLEM, OTHER THAN SENDING OUT A NOTICE?

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 BMW 335D. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V676000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT CALLED A LOCAL DEALER (BMW OF MINNETONKA, 15802 WAYZATA BLVD, WAYZATA, MN 55391) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE PART WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE BATTERY AND THE FUSEBOX FAILED CAUSING A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE WHILE THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN. LUCKILY THE CAR WAS JUST PULLING ONTO THE HIGHWAY AND IT WAS A CITY STREET. THIS APPARENTLY HAD BEEN REPLACED BEFORE UNDER A PREVIOUS NHTSA RECALL AND THE REPAIR DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THE CABLE WAS REPLACED BUT THE FUSE BOX APPARENTLY WASN'T. BOTH THE CABLE AND THE FUSE BOX WERE REPLACED THIS TIME IN HOPE THAT THIS WILL PERMANENTLY SOLVE THE ISSUE.

MY BMWS BATTERY COMPARTMENT IN THE TRUNK WAS FLOODED WITH WATER. THIS CAUSED SHORTING OF THE BATTERY. THE CAR STALLED AND BECAME SUDDENLY INOPERABLE. EVEN THE TRUNK COULD NOT BE ACCESSED FOR A LONG TIME AS ALL THE BATTERY CONNECTIONS WERE LOST. THE BMW SERVICE TECHNICIAN WHO WORKED ON THE CAR SAID THAT THIS COULD HAVE LED TO A SERIOUS BATTERY EXPLOSION. FORTUNATELY, THE STALLING HAPPENED IN MY DRIVE WAY, BUT IT COULD HAVE HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD ALSO. THE CAR WAS SERVICED AS PER BMW'S RECOMMENDATION. BUT STILL THE FLOODING IN THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT WAS NEVER FOUND. IT'S A SERIOUS RISK FOR ANY DRIVER. ANY BATTERY EXPLOSION OR STALLING CAN LEAD TO SUDDEN LOSS OF CONTROL AND CAN ALSO BE FATAL. THIS SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH MANY BMW OWNERS, BUT BMW HAS FAILED TO RECOGNIZE THIS AS AN ISSUE. PLEASE REFER TO THE FOLLOWING FORUM WHERE OTHER OWNERS HAVE ALSO COMPLAINED (HTTP://WWW.BIMMERFEST.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=666420). I HAVE ATTACHED THE BMW SERVICE PERSON'S REPORT AND FIX TO THE ISSUE. I AM HOPING BMW FIXES THIS ISSUE IMMEDIATELY SO THAT NO OTHER DRIVER FACES THE RISK OF BATTERY EXPLOSION WHILE DRIVING. THANK YOU FOR LOOKING INTO THIS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 BMW 328I. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE CRUISE CONTROL WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE HEATER FAILED, THE GAUGES ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FLICKERED, THE TURN SIGNALS FAILED, AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A BMW DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V044000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,000.

I ATTEMPTED TO START THE CAR BY INSERTING THE KEY AND HITTING THE START BUTTON. INSTANTANEOUSLY, ALL POWER HAS BEEN LOST IN THE CAR. THE CAR CANNOT BE JUMPSTARTED. I HAD A PREVIOUS SLOW START DURING COLD WEATHER AND THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED APROX. 3 WEEKS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. I ALSO BELIEVE I SMELLED SOMETHING ELECTRICAL 2 DAYS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL 13V-044, WHICH LOOKS RELATED TO MY CURRENT ISSUE. THE RECALL INCLUDES CARS IN MY MAKE,MODEL,YEAR. HOWEVER MY VIN NUMBER DOES NOT SHOW THE RECALL RELATES TO MY CAR. I CONTACTED BMW CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR AN EXPLANATION AS TO WHY MY CAR IS NOT INCLUDED AND THEY SIMPLY RESPONDED THAT IT DOES NOT INCLUDE MY VIN. I NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHY MY INDIVIDUAL CAR IS NOT PART OF THIS RECALL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 BMW 328I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SERVICE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DETERMINED. THE FAILURE RECURRED AFTER ONE WEEK AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.

RECALL NOTICE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION - CAMPAIGN # 13V044000 - VEHICLE SERVICE HISTORY BY OWNER #1 4/12/10 TO 2/11/2013; 08/02/11 SERVICED FOR FUEL FILLER CAP/FUEL TANK LEAKING; 2/8/12 SERVICED FOR AIRBAG CONTROL MODULE/SAFETY ELECTRONICS SOFTWARE ERROR/INTERNAL DEVICE FAULT; 5/16/12 SERVICED FOR ROOF FUNCTIONS CENTRE FZD PERMANENT MALFUNCTION'; 06/15/12 SERVICED TIRE CONDITION AND PRESSURE MILEAGE 28,151 MILES; OWNER #2: 4/12/13-3/4/13 CAR IS PURCHASED; 4/12/13 RECALL BATTERY CABLE, DEFECT CODE 0061760300; 10/24/13 SERVICED CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON, ENGINE MISFIRE IN CYLINDER #6- REPLACE IGNITION COIL #6: 11/20/13 SERVICED FOR MALFUNCTION NOTICE ON 11/14/13 - SELECT P POSITION BEFORE LEAVING THE VEHICLE, SELECT P POSITION FAULT IN IGNITION TRANSMISSION SELECTOR LEVER SYSTEM; HAVE SYSTEM CHECKED BY NEAREST BMW CENTER; SECOND MALFUNCTION NOTICE 11/19/13 'POSSIBLE R,N,D MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE; R,N,D, MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE, ACTIVATE RELEASE GEAR SELECTOR FOR LEVER IS NECESSARY; GEAR SHIFTER FAULTS- REPLACED GEAR SHIFTER ASSEMBLY, VANOS SOLENOIDS FAULTS - REPLACED VANOS SOLENOIDS AND VALVES; REPLACED GASKETS(3) SIB RECALL 110208; 12/2/13 VANOS FAULTS - REPLACED VANOS GEARS AND VALVE SIB RECALL 121412, BROKEN SCREW HEADS; REPLACED GASKETS (4); 1/16/14 SERVICED REPLACED FAULTY IGNITION COIL, REPLACED GASKETS (3); REPLACED CYLINDER HEAD COVER; 3/4/14 SERVICED ENGINE MISFIRE REPLACED IGNITION COILS 5,2,9,8 AND 7, BALANCED TIRES, REPLACED SPARK PLUGS. *TR