NHTSA Complaint #10249366 — 2007 BMW 335I

AFTER PUTTING THE CAR IN REVERSE AND MOVING TO REVERSE INTO A PARKING SPACE THERE IS A "CLUNK" LIKE HEAVY LUGGAGE THAT FALLS IN THE BACK OF THE CAR / OR THAT YOU HAVE BANGED INTO AN OBSTRUCTION IN THE ROAD. (NOTICEABLY GETTING WORSE). TOOK IT TO THE DEALER FOR INVESTIGATION AND RESOLUTION. 1) THEY DECIDED IT WAS THE REAR DIFF AND REPLACED IT. TOOK IT ON A TEST DRIVE AND FOUND THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTED - SO THEY PUT THE ORIGINAL DIFF BACK IN THE CAR. THEN THEY DECIDED AFTER REF TO THE CHIEF TECHNICIAN AND CHECKING IN GERMANY - IT WAS THE DRIVE SHAFT. THEY SAID THERE WAS NO DANGER, SO THEY ORDERED THE REPLACEMENT DRIVE SHAFT 2) THEY INSTALLED THE NEW DRIVE SHAFT THREE WEEKS LATER. THE PROBLEM REMAINED. THEY DECIDED IT WAS A NORMAL CONDITION AND SAID THEY TEST DROVE CARS OF SIMILAR AGE/ MILEAGE AND SAID THE NOISE WAS ACCEPTABLE. I DISAGREED. 3) MADE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE NATIONAL TECHNICIAN TO ASSESS (OCT 15, 2008) - HE SAID THE SAME OUTCOME. NORMAL CONDITION, ACCEPTABLE NOISE LEVEL FOR AGE / MILEAGE OF THE CAR. I DISAGREED. 4)I CALLED BMW CUSTOMER SERVICE. THEY SAID AFTER GETTING A REPORT AND FEEDBACK FROM THE DEALER (OCT 20, 2008) THAT A FURTHER OPINION IN ANOTHER DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT CHANGE THE STATUS OF THE ANALYSIS FROM BMW AS THE NATIONAL TECHNICIAN HAD ASSESSED THE FINAL OUTCOME. THE NOISE IS NOTICEABLY GETTING WORSE OVER TIME. I HAVE THE CAR > 12M BUT < 18M AND THE MILLEAGE IS 17,500 TODAY. *TR