NHTSA Complaint #10148509 — 2005 BMW 5 SERIES

ON SEPTEMBER 14, 2005 I PURCHASED A NEW 2005 BMW 330I. WHILE DRIVING TO WORK ON DECEMBER 1, 2005 I TURNED THE HEATER ON FOR THE FIRST TIME. THE HEATER HAD ONLY BEEN ON FOR A FEW MINUTES WHEN I STARTED TO SMELL A BURNING TYPE OF ODOR. I WAS NOT SURE IF THE ODOR WAS COMING IN FROM THE OUTSIDE OR IF IT WAS INSIDE MY CAR. THE ODOR BECAME STRONGER AND RESEMBLED THAT OF AN ELECTRICAL BURN. I THEN OBSERVED WHITE SMOKE COMING OUT FROM THE HOOD OF MY CAR. WITHIN MINUTES THE SMOKE BECAME GRAY. AT THIS POINT I WAS IN HEAVY EARLY MORNING TRAFFIC. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE LANE WHICH WAS SLOWING DOWN/STOPPING FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT. AS I CAME TO A STOP THE SMOKE WAS TURNING BLACK AND WAS VERY THICK. I PUT THE VEHICLE INTO PARK AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. BY THIS POINT VISIBILITY TO MY FRONT WAS OBSCURED BY THE SMOKE. I KNEW THAT I SHOULD EXIT THE CAR. I BEGAN OPENING THE DRIVER'S DOOR BUT THE CARS WERE MOVING QUICKLY AND I FEARED BEING HIT. I MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY HITTING THE BMW ASSIST BUTTON ON THE REAR VIEW MIRROR. I TOLD THE OPERATOR THAT MY CAR WAS ON FIRE, AND SHE STATED THAT SHE WOULD CONTACT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. DURING THIS I SAW THAT THERE WAS A POLICE CAR ONE CAR BEHIND ME. FORTUNATELY HE MANEUVERED HIS CAR INTO THE LEFT LANE TO BLOCK THE TRAFFIC AND I WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE CAR. THE FIRE TRUCKS RESPONDED QUICKLY AND PUT THE FIRE OUT. THEY DID HAVE DIFFICULTY TRYING TO OPEN THE HOOD. THEY FINALLY HAD TO USE A CROW BAR TO GET IT OPENED. MY CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED IT. TO DATE REPRESENTATIVES FROM BMW HAVE INSPECTED MY CAR. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS. MY CAR REMAINS AT THE DEALERSHIP, THE FRONT END WAS BURNED TO A CRISP AND THERE WAS NO RESOLUTION TO THE SITUATION. *AK