NHTSA Complaint #10349042 — 2003 BMW 325I

OUR 2003 BMW 325I HAS HAD REPEATED STALLING EVENTS OCCURRING AT INCREASING FREQUENCY. WHILE IDLING AT STOP LIGHTS OR AT HIGHWAY SPEED WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD (EML, HAZARD AND BRAKE) LIGHT AND THE ENGINE LOSES POWER, AND RPM'S DROP. AFTER THE FIRST OCCURRENCE, THE BMW WAS TAKEN TO ADVANTAGE MIDTOWN BMW IN HOUSTON, TX FOR DIAGNOSIS/REPAIR. BMW REPLACED THE THROTTLE CONTROLLER WHICH THEY SAID WAS DEFECTIVE. 1-2 MONTHS LATER THE PROBLEM BEGAN OCCURRING AGAIN WITH INCREASING FREQUENCY. THE CAR STALLED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT WITH THE SAME WARNING LIGHTS/SYMPTOMS. THE CAR WAS RETURNED TO ADVANTAGE BMW AND LEFT FOR SEVERAL DAYS. INITIALLY THE SERVICE STAFF AT ADVANTAGE BMW TOLD US THAT THE COMPUTER HAD FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND WAS UNDER WARRANTY. HOWEVER, AFTER DISCUSSIONS WITH THE BMW CORPORATE OFFICE, ADVANTAGE BMW DID NOT REPLACE THE COMPUTER INSTEAD STATING THE THAT THE PROBLEM MAY BE DUE TO LOW VOLTAGE IN THE SYSTEM. I ASKED THEM WHAT WOULD CAUSE THIS SINCE I DID NOT WANT TO DRIVE THE CAR WHEN IT INTERMITTENTLY COULD STALL. ADVANTAGE KEPT THE CAR A FEW MORE DAYS AND THEN RETURNED IT TO US WITH THE EXPLANATION THAT THE LOW VOLTAGE WAS DUE TO INSUFFICIENT CHARGE ON THE BATTERY. I WAS ADVISED TO PURCHASE A FLOAT CHARGER. SINCE THEN THE CAR HAS BEEN KEPT FULLY CHARGED VIA A CTEK FLOAT CHARGER. HOWEVER LAST WEEKEND THE ENGINE STALLED REPEATEDLY WHILE MY FAMILY AND I WERE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 10 AT FREEWAY SPEEDS. THIS FORCED ME TO PULL TO THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY AND DRIVE WITH REDUCED POWER. AFTER STOPPING THE CAR AND RESTARTING, THE ENGINE RESET AND FUNCTIONED AGAIN FOR A WHILE. SINCE THIS TIME THE PROBLEM HAS REPEATED ITSELF 5 TIMES IN 1 WEEK. I FEEL THAT BMW RETURNING THE CAR TO ME IN THE CONDITION WHERE INTERMITTENT STALLING IS OCCURRING IS UNSAFE - I STATED THIS TO ADVANTAGE BMW WHEN I HAD IT IN FOR SERVICE DURING THE SECOND INSTANCE OF THESE PROBLEMS. I HAVE SERVICE SCHEDULED AGAIN AT ADVANTAGE BMW FOR AUGUST 14, 2010. *TR