NHTSA Complaint #10379172 — 2006 BMW X3

I STARTED MY 06 BMW X3 IN MY DRIVEWAY TO WARM IT UP PRIOR TO DRIVING. IT APPEARED TO BE FINE, I BACKED OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY AND NOTICED IT WAS SMOKING FROM THE EXHAUST. I DROVE ABOUT 100FT TO THE END OF MY STREET AND THE SMOKING WORSENED SO I DECIDED TO RETURN HOME. I TURNED ONTO THE MAIN STREET AND DROVE AT MOST 20MPH FOR A FEW BLOCKS TO GET BACK HOME. THE SMOKE WAS POURING OUT OF THE EXHAUST SO BADLY THAT I COULDN'T SEE OUT MY BACK WINDOW. IT WAS BLUE/GREY COLORED. THE CAR WAS PUTTING AND CHUGGING. I DID NOT MAKE IT HOME. EVENTUALLY THE CAR CHUGGED A FEW TIMES AND COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. THE WARNING LIGHTS ALL LIT UP AND I LOST ALL POWER, INCLUDING POWER STEERING. IT WAS STRANDED ACROSS A DRIVEWAY AND WOULD NOT START. I HAVE FOLLOWED ALL RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE, DRIVE LOCALLY AND USE PREMIUM GAS. THERE WAS NO REASONABLE EXPLANATION TO THIS FAILURE. I HAD IT TOWED TO A LOCAL BMW REPAIR SHOP AND FOUND THAT IT WAS THE "OIL SEPARATOR" THAT FAILED. MY INVOICE STATES THAT IT WAS AN "ENGINE HYDRAULIC LOCK". THE FAILURE OF THE "OIL SEPARATOR", WHICH IS CALLED A CYCLONE SEPARATOR ON MY INVOICE, CAUSED THE CAR TO FLOOD WITH OIL. THE CYCLONE SEPARATOR AND CRANKCASE VENT HOSES WERE REPLACED. RESEARCHING ONLINE I FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH BMW, MOSTLY THE X5 MODELS. BMW N.A. REFUSED TO ASSIST ME, MY WARRANTY EXPIRED 3 MONTHS PRIOR DUE TO THE YEAR OF THE CAR, BUT HAD NOT MET THE MILEAGE REQUIREMENT. THE REPAIR COST $1100 AND I WAS WITHOUT A VEHICLE FOR 3 DAYS. I ALSO HAD TO PAY $70 FOR A TOW AS BMW WOULD NOT HONOR THE ROAD ASSISTANCE. *TR