NHTSA Complaint #10056442 — 2000 BMW 528IA

YESTERDAY I PAID MY BMW DEALER $262.43 TO FIX A PROBLEM WHICH RESULTED DIRECTLY FROM A POOR ENGINEERING DESIGN. SPECIFICALLY, THE CHARGE WAS TO REPLACE THE SWITCH AND FRONT SEAT TRIM COVER WHICH HAD BROKEN, FOR THE FOURTH TIME, DURING NORMAL OPERATION (THE SWITCH SHORTED OUT, BECAME INOPERABLE, AND IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO ADJUST THE SEAT OR STEERING WHEEL FORE/AFT, UP/DOWN, ETC. ). APPARENTLY, BMW IS UNWILLING TO ADMIT TO POOR ENGINEERING DESIGN OF THESE PARTS, PREFERRING INSTEAD TO ATTRIBUTE BREAKAGE TO IMPROPER ENTRY/EXIT TECHNIQUE BY THE CUSTOMER. AFTER IT BROKE THE FIRST TIME, AND WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY, MY SERVICE MANAGER WARNED ME THAT BMW IS RELUCTANT TO PAY FOR THIS REPAIR MORE THAN ONCE, AND HE INSTRUCTED ME ON THE PROPER TECHNIQUE OF EXITING THE VEHICLE SO AS TO PRECLUDE A RECURRENCE OF THE PROBLEM. AFTER OVER SIXTY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AT SUCCESSFULLY ENTERING AND EXITING A VARIETY OF VEHICLES, WITHOUT EVER PREVIOUSLY BREAKING ANY PART OF A SEAT, I WAS OFFENDED THAT BMWS SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM WAS TO ABROGATE RESPONSIBILITY FOR FAULTY ENGINEERING DESIGN AND TO BLAME ME FOR NOT KNOWING HOW TO GET OUT OF A CAR. THOSE OF US WITH BAD KNEES (THAT INCLUDES MY WIFE, ME, AND MANY PEOPLE MY AGE) SIMPLY ARE NOT ABLE TO CONSISTENTLY EXECUTE THE ACROBATICS NECESSARY TO EXIT THE VEHICLE WITHOUT PUTTING ANY PRESSURE ON THE OUTSIDE EDGE OF THE SEAT AND CONSEQUENTLY, I EXPECT THAT WE WILL, FROM TIME TO TIME, BREAK A SEAT WHICH IS DESIGNED TO BREAK DURING THE NORMAL OPERATION OF PUTTING WEIGHT ON THE EDGE - A CLEAR VIOLATION OF GOOD ENGINEERING DESIGN. *AK