2018 BMW 3 Series Electrical System

I smelt and saw smoke coming from the back of my vehicle. I pulled over on to the left side of [XXX] bound. Then, I jumped out of the car to check the truck. I didn't see anything, then i popped the hood and still did not see anything visible. I then went back to the trunk to check it again, and that is when I saw flames pop out from the back seat area. It was in the area where the back de-frost wires and some other wires are as well. Thank you, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

While driving on the highway, my vehicle unexpectedly caught fire due to no fault of my own. Upon investigation, it appears the fire originated from a short in the rear window defroster wiring, which led to significant damage in the right rear C-pillar area, headliner, rear window, and rear deck. This event was not only hazardous to my physical safety but also deeply traumatic on a personal level. As someone who suffered severe burns as a child, experiencing a fire while operating a vehicle triggered a powerful emotional response. The trauma of the incident has had a profound impact on my mental health and sense of safety. I have always trusted BMW for its engineering excellence and commitment to safety, which makes this situation even more disheartening because they refuse to fix my vehicle.

The contact owned a 2018 BMW 330I. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer for a Manufacturers Recall: 0017150200 related to the Coolant Leak to be completed. The contact stated that after driving 7 miles to her home at 35 MPH, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. All the warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was powered off and the smoke extinguished on its own. A fire report was not filed. There were no visible flames. The local dealer was called and the vehicle was towed back to the dealer where it was confirmed that the pressure test was not completed and there was no coolant in the vehicle. The dealer informed the caller that the struts needed to be replaced however the coolant failure was repaired. The vehicle was repaired for the coolant failure however the contact mentioned that the vehicle was not performing as designed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 51,086.

The electrical call system malfunctions. I’ve done extensive research and actually confirmed with Garret today at A&L BMW that there is a problem in the manufacturing of the shark fin. The gasket that BMW uses does not hole up and the sealant does not keep water from leaking into the fin. Every time it rains/snows or the vehicle is wet the system malfunctions. Currently it only has the ability to affect me if I were in a wreck and won’t notify emergency services. This has the ability to shut down all electrical functions in my car and has been a common issue in BMW dating back as far as 2015. I called them in April to have it looked at, but I didn’t understand the problem and it had ceased. But since the weather has now began to be more frequently wet, this problem has become more persistent. Now they won’t cover because the final warranty expired in December of 2023. This should be recalled because it is a manufacturing issue.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 BMW 320I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT RODENTS WERE FOUND EATING THE WIRES IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE SPEAKERS WERE EMITTING A LOUD NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO PAUL MILLER BMW (1515 NJ-23, WAYNE, NJ 07470) WHERE NO FAILURE WAS DIAGNOSED HOWEVER, THE SPEAKER AND WIRES WERE REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED AS WIRES WERE FOUND CHEWED IN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHOM INFORMED HIM THAT CHIPMUNKS WERE ENTERING THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE VENTILATION SYSTEM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS NO GRILL ON THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE WHICH WAS ALLOWING THE RODENTS IN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000.

INCE DECEMBER OF 2019 I HAVE HAD CONTINUOUS PROBLEMS WITH MY CAR AND MY IPHONE. I HAVE RESPONSIBLY GONE TO DEALERSHIP FAR TOO MANY TIMES TO HAVE THIS REPAIRED. CALLS HAVE DROPPED WHILE I'M ON THE PHONE WITH CLIENTS WHO ARE EMOTIONALLY FRAGILE. (I AM A THERAPIST ). THE CALLS CONTINUALLY DROPPED AND AFTER LOOKING AT THE ISSUE THE SERVICE DEPT DEALERSHIP TOLD ME IT WAS MY PHONE. I WENT TO APPLE AND GOT A BRAND NEW TELEPHONE AND THE ISSUE HAPPENED AGAIN. SO CLEARLY IT WASN'T MY PHONE. THEY REPLACED SOME PARTS BUT I HAVEN'T DRIVEN MY CAR DUE TO COVID. I GOT IN THE CAR TO FIND MY MUSIC FROM MY TELEPHONE NO LONGER PLAYS THROUGH THE STEREO AS IT DID PRIOR. BMW HAS ADMITTED TO ME THEY HAVE AN ELECTRICAL ISSUES WITH THE 2018 BMW AND COMPARABILITY OF THE IPHONE. THE DEALERSHIP HAD A RESPONSIBILITY TO DISCLOSE THIS WHEN I LEASED THE CAR THE OMITTED THIS IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT WOULD CAUSE ME TO PAUSE IN LEASING IT AS ITS IMPERATIVE TO MY JOB AND BUSINESS TO BE ABLE TO TALK AND RECUR VERY CALLS FROM CLIENTS. I TRIED TO RESOLVE THIS WITH BMW CORP AND THEY OFFERED NO MONITORY OR ANY RESOLUTION FOR MY UNREASONABLE NUMBER OF TRIPS TO THE DEALERSHIP, FOR INCONVENIENCING MENTALLY FRAGILE PEOPLE AND MY TIME. THEY ALSO DID NOT DISCLOSE THIS INFORMATION THEY CLEARLY ARE AWARE OF WHEN I LEASED THE VEHICLE.