NHTSA Complaint #10310428 — 2003 BMW 530I

STARTED THE VEHICLE NORMALLY AFTER IT HAD BEEN IN A COLD OUTDOOR GARAGE FOR 3 DAYS. CAR RAN A BIT ROUGH. A HALF MILE DOWN THE ROAD IT BEGAN BILLOWING WHITE SMOKE OUT THE EXHAUST THEN STALLED AND WOULD NOT START. TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP - NOT THE BMW DEALER - WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE HAD SEIZED AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED - A $6000 REPAIR (OR MORE). HE DIAGNOSED THE CAUSE WAS A KNOWN DEFECT DESCRIBED IN THIS BMW SERVICE BULLETIN: HTTP://WWW.BIMMERFEST.COM/FORUMS/ATTACHMENT.PHP?ATTACHMENTID=210092&D=1259409341. THIS VERSION OF THE BULLETIN DIFFERS FROM THE PRIOR ONE WHICH INCLUDE "COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE" AS A POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCE. BASED ON WEB SEARCHES, THIS FAILURE HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES. IT IS CLEAR BMW KNEW THAT THE OIL SEPARATOR IN THIS VEHICLE HAD A SERIOUS DEFECT THAT COULD RESULT IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE AND THEY HAVE A MODIFICATION KIT FIX IT, BUT NO ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO NOTIFY OWNERS OF THIS DEFECT OR THE NEED TO INSTALL THE KIT. BMW STATES THAT HAD THE VEHICLE BEEN BROUGHT TO THEIR DEALER THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO "HELP" WITH THIS REPAIR, AND THAT THE NTSB WOULD HAVE TO ACT BEFORE THEY WOULD TAKE THE ACTION TO NOTIFY OWNERS. *TR