NHTSA Complaint #10183778 — 2007 BMW 6-SERIES

THE 2007 BMW 328XI COUPE'S "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT COMES ON ALL THE TIME, AND THE ELECTRONIC ENGINE OIL DIPSTICK (NO MANUAL DIPSTICK IN THIS CAR) OFTEN REPORTS AN INCORRECT READING OF "ADD ENGINE OIL". THESE PROBLEMS ARE DANGEROUS AS THE ENGINE SERVICE LIGHT CAN INDICATE ANY OF A WEALTH OF DANGEROUS FAULTS, AND ADDING ENGINE OIL WHEN THE ENGINE IS FULL CAN CREATE A HAZARD OF SPLASHING AND/OR BURNING OF THE SKIN. IT SEEMS THAT THE ENGINE OIL IS ALMOST ALWAYS FULL DESPITE THE WARNING. NEVERTHELESS IT IS REASONABLE FOR AN OWNER TO WRONGFULLY ADD OIL AND THEREBY INJURE HIMSELF AS THE MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATIONS INDICATE THAT ONE QUART OF OIL MAY NEED TO BE ADDED EVERY 750 MILES. MY CONVERSATIONS WITH BMW OWNERS IN SIMILAR POSITIONS INDICATE THAT THIS PROBLEM IS NOT ISOLATED BUT RATHER IS AN EPIDEMIC. WHEN THE CAR IS BROUGHT INTO THE BMW SERVICE DEPARTMENT ALL THEY DO IS CHANGE THE OIL AND RESET THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE BMW TECHNICIAN THAT BMW IS AWARE OF THESE PROBLEMS IN THIS MODEL, BUT THAT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT IS ONLY AUTHORIZED TO TAKE THESE MEASURES AND NOT MAKE ANY REPAIRS. THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM(S) REAPPEAR IN PART OR IN WHOLE A FEW DAYS LATER. THIS RECURRENCE IS ALSO NOT AN ISOLATED CIRCUMSTANCE, BUT RATHER BORNE BY MANY OWNERS OF THIS PARTICULAR MODEL. NOT ONLY DOES THIS DEFECT RENDER THE VEHICLE DANGEROUS, IT ALSO SEVERELY LIMITS THE CONSUMER'S (MYSELF INCLUDED) USE. *NM