NHTSA Complaint #10228355 — 2007 BMW R SERIES

I PURCHASED A 2007 R1200RT BMW MOTORCYCLE WITH A SAFETY PACKAGE OPTION THAT INCLUDES A TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM (TPM) THAT WAS TOUTED AND ADVERTISED AS A SAFETY FEATURE TO HELP PREVENT AN ACCIDENT DUE TO A CATASTROPHIC TIRE FAILURE WHILE RIDING. THE SYSTEM HAS NEVER WORKED PROPERLY. THE SYSTEM IS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN A TIRE PRESSURE READING ON THE FRONT TIRE AND CONTINUALLY DROPS OUT AND IS UNREADABLE. THEY HAVE ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM ON FOUR (4) SEPARATE OCCASIONS OVER A TWELVE (12) MONTH PERIOD AND THEY HAVE FAILED. THEY HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS ON OTHER BIKES AND HAVE REPLACED THE COMPUTER, BUT ON MINE THEY HAVE REFUSED AND ONLY RE-PROGRAMMED THE SYSTEM. WHEN THE SYSTEM WORKS, IT ALLOWS THE RIDER TO MONITOR THE PRESSURE AND IF THERE IS ANY SUDDEN CHANGE IN PRESSURE THE RIDER IS MADE AWARE OF THE DROP TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. BMW SAYS THAT THEY ARE UNWILLING TO DO ANYTHING ELSE EXCEPT TURN OFF THE TPM SYSTEM. THEY ADVERTISE THE TPM SYSTEM AS PART OF A SAFETY PACKAGE AND YET IT PROVIDES NO MARGIN OF SAFETY AT ALL UNLESS IT WORKS. I HAVE COPIES OF ALL CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE DEALER, AS WELL AS BMW OF NORTH AMERICA. I HAVE COPIES OF ALL WORK ORDERS AS WELL. AT THE VERY LEAST THEY ARE FRAUDULENTLY MIS-REPRESENTING THEIR PRODUCT IN AN EFFORT TO SELL MORE BIKES, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY GIVING PEOPLE A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY THINKING THE BIKE WILL ALERT THEM TO ANY POTENTIAL TIRE PROBLEMS, WHEN IN FACT IT WILL NOT! SHOULD SOMEONE COUNT ON THE SYSTEM TO ALERT THEM TO A LOSS IN PRESSURE VISUALLY AND THE SYSTEM DOES NOT HAVE A READING WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURS THE CONSEQUENCES COULD BE DISASTROUS ENDING IN DEATH. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR THE PAST TWELVE (12) MONTHS. *TR