NHTSA Complaint #10373591 — 2004 BMW 325XI

A YEAR AGO, I BROUGHT MY 2004 BMW 325 XI IN FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. WHEN I PICKED THE CAR UP, THE BMW SHOP EXPLAINED THAT THEY FOUND PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE CV OUTER AXLE BOOTS. BOTH BOOTS WERE SPLIT AND LEAKING GREASE, AND THE AXLES WERE TURNING DRY.. THEY REPLACED BOTH BOOTS UNDER WARRANTY. IN DECEMBER 2010, CAR WAS VIBRATING WHILE RIDING. THEY STATED THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE RIGHT FRONT CV SHAFT (AXLE). THEY DID THIS AND THE VIBRATION STOPPED. NATURALLY, THIS WAS NOT COVERED SINCE MY CERTIFIED CAR WARRANTY EXPIRED IN JULY 2010. I BELIEVE BMW SHOULD HAVE DISCOVERED THE DEFECT TO THE AXLE WHEN THEY FOUND IT RUNNING DRY IN JANUARY. IN DRIVING THE CAR BEFORE THE REPAIR, I BELIEVE BMW PUT ME IN JEOPARDY BY NOT REPAIRING THE AXLE. THIS COULD DEFINITELY BE A HAZARD, RIDING ON A SHAKY DEFECTIVE AXLE. *TR