NHTSA Complaint #10405958 — 2006 BMW X3

AIR CONDITIONER TEMPERATURE BEGAN TO WARM JUST ON DRIVERS SIDE BUT REMAINED COOL ON DRIVERS SIDE. BASED UPON MY MANY YEARS OR WORKING WITH CARS, I ASSUMED THIS WAS A MALFUNCTION OF SOME OF THE "DOORS" IN THE AIR ROUTING SYSTEM HAD FAILED NOT ALLOWING SUFFICIENT COOL AIR ON DRIVERS SIDE. TAKEN TO REGULAR BMW DEALER (HE HAS SERVICED ALL 6 BMW'S I HAVE OWNED) AND WAS TOLD AC CONDENSER NEEDED REPLACEMENT. CAR WAS 4 MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY ALTHOUGH MILEAGE WAS LOWER THAN WARRANTY LIMIT. DEALER STATED THEY CONTACTED BMW AND TOLD ME THAT BMW REFUSED TO COVER REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY. THE REPAIR WAS APPROXIMATELY $2200. HAVING BEEN THE DIRECTOR OF A COUNTY CONSUMER PROTECTION AGENCY IN TAMPA, FL, I FOLLOWED THE PATH OF DIRECTIONS WE GIVE TO OUR OWN CONSUMERS BEFORE WE (AS AN ENFORCEMENT AGENCY) WILL NORMALLY INITIATE A COMPLAINT INVESTIGATION. I WROTE A LETTER TO BMW OUTLINING MY PROBLEM.WITHIN THREE WEEKS MY DEALER CALLED ME AND TOLD ME THAT BMW HAD CONTACTED THEM, VERIFIED THE REPAIR AND THAT I HAD PAID FOR IT. THEY THEN TOLD THE DEALER TO CONTACT ME AND TELL ME THAT THEY WERE GOING TO PARTIALLY REIMBURSE ME FOR THE REPAIR. ABOUT A WEEK LATER I RECEIVED A CHECK FROM BMW FOR A LITTLE LESS THAN HALF OF THE REPAIR COST AND NO EXPLANATION. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW OR WHY THEY CHOOSE TO PAY A PORTION VERSUS ALL OR NOTHING. HOWEVER, SINCE THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, I CONSIDERED THIS A FAIR SETTLEMENT FOR THE BILL. HOWEVER, I STILL BELIEVE THAT THE FAILURE OF THE A/C CONDENSER IN FIVE YEARS OF FULL TIME USE WAS UNACCEPTABLE PERFORMANCE FOR THIS PART. *TR