NHTSA Complaint #10010906 — 1993 BMW 740I

VEHICLE IS A 1993 BMW 740 WHICH WAS SUBJECT TO AN ENGINE RECALL IN SEPTEMBER OF 1996 AT 67,000 MILES. IMMEDIATELY AND SINCE THAT TIME, THE CAR HAS EXPERIENCED DOCUMENTED OIL LEAKS ON THE FOLLOWING DATES: 10/1996, 12/1996, 5/1999, 6/1999, 3/2000, 6/2001, 10/2001, 1/2002, 5/2002, 7/2002, 2/2003. THERE ARE OTHER INCIDENTS OF OIL LEAKS NOT DOCUMENTED. FAIRFAX BMW, OF FAIRFAX VIRGINIA WAS THE SERVICE STATION FOR EACH OF THESE INCIDENTS. MOST OF THE TIME THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DETECTED OR IT WAS A GUESS THAT THE OIL GASKET WAS FAULTY (THE OIL GASKETS WERE REPLACED AT LEAST THREE TIMES, IN WHICH THE CAR WAS IN THE SHOP MORE THAN TWO DAYS FOR EACH REPLACEMENT). FEBRUARY 2003, THE CAR IS LEAKING OIL AGAIN. FAIRFAX BMW WILL CHARGE MORE THAN $4500 FOR THIS REPAIR IF WE CHOOSE TO BRING IT IN AGAIN. WE ARE TRYING TO TAKE ANOTHER APPROACH TO SOLVING THIS PROBLEM BY CONTACTING YOU. THE CAR HAS 98,000 MILES ON IT (11,000 MILES IN FIVE AND A HALF YEARS). WE HAVE WRITTEN AND CALLED TO BMW HEADQUARTERS IN NJ THREE TIMES. THEIR RESPONSE IS THAT ITS NOT THEIR PROBLEM AND THE ENGINE HAD AT MOST, A ONE-YEAR WARRANTY AND THEY SAID THEY WERE SORRY. THE CAR SITS IN THE GARAGE BECAUSE WE FEAR THE OIL SPRAY AROUND THE ENGINE WILL CAUSE A FIRE IF WE USE IT REGULARLY FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME. *JB