NHTSA Complaint #10314002 — 2002 BMW 745I

VEHICLE: 2002 BMW 745I 7 SERIES 2002 BMW 745I WAS THE FIRST RELEASE OF THIS NEW MODEL AND THE MANUFACTURER (BMW) IS AWARE OF THE SERIOUS PROBLEMS AND HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED AND FIXED THEM IN THE LATER MODELS ON 2/2/10, I TOOK MY CAR IN TO WEATHERFORD BMW FOR SERVICE DUE TO A TRANSMISSION FAILSAFE FAILURE CHECK ENGINE PROBLEM AND INFORMED THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE KNOWN 2002/2003 7 SERIES BMW PROBLEMS. ON 2/4/10, I WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR IS FIXED AND TEST DRIVEN. I DROVE THE CAR FOR A TOTAL OF 10-15 MILES WHEN THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE FAILSAFE FAILURE AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT RECURRED. I CALLED BMW OF NORTHERN AMERICA AND A REPRESENTATIVE ON 2/9/2010. SHE TOOK MY COMPLAINT AND INFORMED ME THAT BMW IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THE 2002 AND 2003 7 SERIES MODEL AND DID EXTEND WARRANTY FOR ALL OWNERS FOR 6 MONTHS TO HELP FIX SUCH PROBLEM. I INFORMED HER THAT I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE KNOWN PROBLEMS AND OF THE WARRANTY EXTENSION. SHE CHECKED THE CAR HISTORY AND INFORMED ME THAT THE OWNERSHIP RECORD WAS NEVER CHANGED TO MY NAME, AND SHE THEN CHANGED IT. A REPRESENTATIVE FURTHER INFORMED ME THAT A COMMITTEE IS SETUP BY BMW THAT DECIDES WHEN AND WHO TO GRANT A ONETIME ASSISTANCE AT NO COST. SHE THEN ASKED IF I HAVE BENEFITED FROM BMW ASSISTANCE IN THE PAST, TO WHICH I ANSWERED NO. A REPRESENTATIVE THEN SAID IN A CASE SUCH AS MINE, THE DECISION MAKING COMMITTEE CAN ONLY EXTEND THIS OFFER ONCE. I FURTHER THAT BMW WARRANTY PRECLUDES OWNERS OF THE 7 SERIES FROM TAMPERING WITH THE TRANSMISSION AS IT IS SEALED. SINCE BMW WARRANTY COVER UP TO 100,000 MILES AND MY CAR IS ONLY 90,000 MILES. A REPRESENTATIVE CALLED ME ON 2/18/2010 THAT BMW HAS DECLINED ANY ASSISTANCE TO ME WITHOUT REASON. BMW ACKNOWLEDGES KNOWN SAFETY PROBLEMS WITH THE 2002 AND 2003 745I MODELS THAT REQUIRED EXTENSION OF WARRANTY TO SOME OWNERS. I CANNOT AFFORD TO FIX THE CAR AND NEED ASSISTANCE OR AN EXTENSION OF THE WARRANTY OFFERED TO OTHER OWNERS. *TR