NHTSA Complaint #10295804 — 2002 BMW 325I

BRAKE LIGHT FAILURE CAME ON IN MY 2002 BMW325I. I WENT OUT TO LOOK FOR THE FAILED BULB, BUT THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE ALL WORKING. I NOTICED THAT THE LEFT SIDE, REAR LIGHTS WERE MUCH DIMMER THAN THE RIGHT SIDE. I WENT TO THE MECHANIC AND HE SHOWED ME A BURNT WIRE AND MOLTEN PLASTIC CONNECTOR FROM THE REAR LIGHT CLUSTER. HE SAID THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR BECAUSE BMW DID NOT PROVIDE ENOUGH GROUND TO THE CLUSTER AND OVERTIME THE EXTRA HEAT GENERATED BY THE CURRENT WILL BURN THE WIRE AND CONNECTOR. AT OTHER TIMES, HE SAID, THE CONNECTOR WILL SHORT THE GND PIN TO THE PINS AROUND IT AND CAUSES SMALL FIRES. BMW HAS A SIB NUMBER 63 03 06 OUT FOR THIS PROBLEM AND THEY HAVE THE GUTS TO CHARGE CUSTOMERS $400 TO REPAIR THEIR OWN MISTAKE. I THINK THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY VIOLATION AND I BELIEVE THAT BMW SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE BY FIXING ALL THE CARS OUT THERE WITH THIS KNOWN DEFECT. TODAY, I SAW THE SAME THING HAPPENING TO A 2008 BMW 550 AT THIS LINK: HTTP://FORUMS.5SERIES.NET/INDEX.PHP?SHOWTOPIC=90746&ST=0&P=1073957&#ENTRY1073957 PLEASE INVESTIGATE AND KEEP PEOPLE SAFE. THANK YOU.*TR