NHTSA Complaint #10176348 — 2000 BMW 740IL

I AM WRITING REGARDING MY 2000 BMW 740IL. FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS), DYNAMIC STABILITY CONTROL (DSC), AND BRAKE LIGHTS ILLUMINATE AT RANDOM INTERVALS. THIS INDICATES THAT THE DYNAMIC STABILITY AND ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEMS ARE NO LONGER WORKING. THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A CONSISTENT REASON FOR THIS TO HAPPEN. I HAVE DRIVEN 50 MILES ON POTHOLE-FILLED, RAIN-SLICKED HIGHWAYS AND THE LIGHTS HAVE REMAINED OFF. ON THE OTHER HAND, I HAVE STARTED THE CAR IN MY GARAGE, STEPPED BACK IN THE HOUSE TO GET SOMETHING, AND COME BACK OUT TO FIND THE LIGHTS ON. TYPICALLY, I'M JUST DRIVING STRAIGHT DOWN A LEVEL ROAD AND NOT TOUCHING THE BRAKE PEDAL WHEN THE LIGHTS COME ON. THERE ARE LOTS OF THEORIES AS TO WHY THIS HAPPENS. I HAVE RULED OUT TIRES BECAUSE I RECENTLY INSTALLED FOUR NEW TIRES ALL THE SAME, ALL PROPERLY INFLATED AND THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. I PURCHASED A NEW BATTERY, BUT THAT DIDN'T HELP. I HAD THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM CHECKED, BUT IT WAS OK. MY INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO IS BMW FACTORY- TRAINED, CLEANED ALL ABS SENSORS, BUT THAT DIDN'T HELP. WE GOT A FAULT CODE TO REPLACE THE RIGHT REAR SENSOR, WHICH WE DID, BUT STILL GOT THE FAULT CODE AFTER INSTALLING A NEW SENSOR. THERE WERE NO OTHER FAULT CODES. THE INFORMATION ABOVE WAS PROVIDED TO BMW NORTH AMERICA, BUT THEY REFUSED TO INSPECT OR REPAIR THE CAR UNLESS I PAID THEM. MY RESEARCH INDICATES THAT THE ABS MODULE BECOMES DEFECTIVE QUITE FREQUENTLY ON BMWS. THERE ARE HUNDREDS, IF NOT THOUSANDS, OF REPORTS OF THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET. IT IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE THE SYSTEM REVERTS TO NORMAL OPERATION, THEN SUDDENLY FAILS WITHOUT WARNING. IN LIGHT OF NHTSA'S RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING THE IMPORTANCE OF ELECTRONIC STABILITY SYSTEMS, I URGE YOU TO ORDER BMW TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE PARTS ON ALL VEHICLES WITH THIS PROBLEM AT NO COST TO THE OWNER. THANK YOU.