2008 BMW X5 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE

X5 was off, parked and the engine compartment burst into flames. Car was totaled There was apparently a recall issues in 2022 in which I was unaware and had no direct contact from the BMW dealer I purchased it from. The recall states that in some vehicles, this part could cause a fire. Well, I had a fire and there was zero indication of anything wrong with the car.

On 12/10/2022 I was driving to work and my BMW started smelling of like electrical fire. I pulled over on a exit in Sweetwater, TN and upon exiting the vehicle I noticed flames under the hood of the car. The car was on fire somewhere in the engine. A passerbuyer stopped and called 911 for me Christianburg, TN fire Dept. done the report. But BMW has a recall on this vehicle for over 1yr with no remedy to fix knowing the car can catch on fire. Luckily I was not injured but I suffered a total loss from my vehicle. Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: emission control: crankcase (pcv) NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID: 22V119000 Report Date: Mar 02, 2022 Consequence: An electrical short can cause the PCV valve heater to overheat, increasing the risk of a fire while driving or, soon after driving when parked. What You Should Do: This recall supersedes and expands previous NHTSA recalls 17V-683 and 19V-273. Dealers will install an electrical wiring harness with fuse protection for the PCV Valve heater in potentially affected vehicles, free of charge. This recall supersedes and expands previous NHTSA recalls 17V-683 and 19V-273. Vehicles previously repaired under the prior recalls will need to come back for the new recall remedy. The remedy is currently being developed. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed on April 1, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 22, 2022. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Summary: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2013 1 Series Coupe (128i); 2007-2013 3 Series Coupe (328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive); 2007-2010 X3 SAV (X3 3.0si, X3 xDrive30i); 2008-2013 1 Series Convertible (128i); 2006-2011 3 Series Sedan (325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 330i, 330xi); 2006-2012 3 Series Wagon (328i, 328i xDrive); 2007-2013 3 Series Convertible (328i); 2006-2010 5 Series Sedan (525i, 525xi, 528i, 528xi, 530i, 530xi); 2006-2007 5 Series Wagon (530xi); 2007-2010 X

This car is not safe to drive, when you accelerate lots of black smoke come from tail pipe and loose power at the same time, Its burning through spark plugs Im having to change them at least every 2 wks plugs cost 15$ a piece, Its burning through oil oil leaks popping up random all over every 2 weeks its burning through 5 quarts of oil ,oil is 18$ a quart, Do to the lose of power i have to take the access roads to and from work. Its causing me to miss a lot of work Im afraid for my wife and kids to be in the car with me its just not safe we got the letter from BMW 2 months ago about the recall what is considered a timely manner because 2 months is a ling time we need this resolved asap bmw just giving us the run arounds verses solving this issue. This car has been riding this unsafe way for at least 6 months and its getting worst by the day, its costing us to much money plus lose of work

VEHICLE STARTED SMOKE FROM ENGINE AREA AND CAUGHT ON FIRE. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION DRIVING ON A CITY STREET AT NORMAL SPEED. I PULLED OVER AND GOT MYSELF AND CHILD OUT OF VEHICLE. VEHICLE PRECEDED TO BURN AND WAS FULLY ENGULFED. FIRE FIGHTERS EXTINGUISHED FIRE.

ENGINE STALLED AT TRAFFIC LIGHT. UNABLE TO RESTART CAR. EVERYTHING COMPLETELY LOCKED DOWN. CAR HAD TO BE TOWED.

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

ON FEBRUARY 15, 2014 AT APPROXIMATELY 10:00 AM, MY 2008 X5 3.0SI HAD AN OVERHEATING ENGINE PROBLEM IN THE MIDDLE OF A BLIZZARD-LIKE CONDITIONS IN THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA WHERE MY FAMILY AND I WERE VACATIONING. THIS WAS A VERY UNSAFE SITUATION FOR ME, MY WIFE AND THREE YOUNG CHILDREN WHO WERE ACCOMPANYING ME. THE CAR ENTERED INTO A "SAFE MODE", SLOWED DOWN TO ALMOST A COMPLETE HALT, JUST WITH ENOUGH TIME FOR ME TO PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF A STEEP MOUNTAIN ROAD IN THE MIDDLE OF FREEZING TEMPERATURES. THEN I HAD TO TRY TO FIND A SAFE WAY OUT OF THIS SITUATION. WE HAD TO STAY IN THE CAR FOR SEVERAL HOURS TRYING TO KEEP WARM UNTIL I COULD GET A TOWING SERVICE TO TAKE THE CAR BACK TO THE CLOSEST BMW SERVICE CENTER (85 MILES AWAY) AND FIND A CAR RENTAL SO I COULD GET MY FAMILY TO A SAFE PLACE (I.E. HOME, 115 MILES AWAY). THE SERVICE CENTER FIXED MY CAR AT A COST OF $1,400, AND THEY TRACED THE PROBLEM BACK TO AN ELECTRIC WATER PUMP FAILURE. THIS IS EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING BECAUSE THE VEHICLE HAD MANUFACTURER`S WARRANTY UNTIL BARELY THREE MONTHS AGO, AND THIS EXPENSIVE AND VITAL ENGINE PART FAILS CONVENIENTLY SOON AFTERWARDS. THIS ELECTRIC WATER PUMP OUGHT TO HAVE A LIFE EXPECTANCY OF MORE THAN 6 YEARS/69,000 MILES. IN SHORT, MY FAMILY AND I WERE PUT IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION, AND I HAD TO SPEND MORE THAN $1,800 (INCLUDING TOWING AND CAR RENTAL CHARGES) OUT OF MY POCKET BECAUSE OF A NOTORIOUSLY BAD BMW PART (THE SUBJECT OF NUMEROUS RECALLS AND TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS IN OTHER BMW X5S).

WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 95 IN PHILADELPHIA PENNSYLVANIA JUST NORTH OF THE AIRPORT MY VEHICLE SIMPLY SHUT OFF IN POST GAME RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING AND THE POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES FAILED. IT WAS NOTHING SHORT OF A MIRACLE THAT ME AND MY SON WERE NOT HARMED AND THAT WE WERE ABLE TO MUSCLE TO CAR OFF THE ROAD. THIS CAR HAD 66,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER AND ACCORDING TO BMW, AFTER MY CALL, WAS NOT PART OF THE 2008 X5'S VOLUNTARY RECALL FOR THIS MODEL YEAR WITH NORMALLY ASPIRATED IN-LINE 6 CYLINDER ENGINES TO REPLACE THE LOW- PRESSURE FUEL PUMPS. INTERESTINGLY, IN THE BMW PRESS RELEASE DATED OCTOBER 26, 2010 - 1130 AM EDT THEY STATED THAT THEY HAD NOTIFIED THE NTSBA THAT THESE PUMPS FAIL ON MY MAKE AND MODEL OF WHICH THEY RECALLED 20,800 CARS, THE ENGINE WILL STOP RUNNING AND THE DRIVER WILL LOSE POWER ASSIST FOR THE STEERING AND BRAKES. WOW, AT 50 MPH ON A SUPER HIGHWAY THAT WAS A NIGHTMARE AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. *TR

THE 2008 X5 3.0L STARTED TO SOUND LIKE A JET ENGINE WITH THE SUPER LOUD FAN NOISE. I THOUGHT THE CAR WAS GOING TO BLOW UP. TOOK THE CAR IN FOR REPAIR, AND LUCKILY THE ENGINE HADN'T OVERHEATED YET. THEY FOUND THAT THE WATER PUMP WAS FAULTY, WHICH CAUSED THE WIRING TO BURN OUT, AND OBSERVED OIL LEAKAGE NEAR ENGINE. IF I HAD DRIVEN THE CAR ANY MORE, IT WOULD HAVE CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE OF THE VEHICLE. BMW SERVICE CENTER TOLD ME THAT I HAVE TO REPLACE THE WATER PUMP, THERMOSTAT, AND OTHER PARTS INCLUDING GASKET SOMETHING. THANK YOU. *TR