NHTSA Complaint #10433845 — 2007 BMW 328I

I PURCHASED A 2007 BMW 328I ON 8/6/2011, 59,642 MILES. SHORTLY AFTER THIS PURCHASE, I EXPERIENCED THIS VEHICLE OVERHEATING AND LOSING ALL POWER WHILE DRIVING TWICE IN ONE WEEK, OCTOBER 25 AND OCTOBER 27, 2011. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES OF DRIVING, THE YELLOW WARNING SIGNAL ILLUMINATED AND TEN SECONDS LATER, THE RED WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY LOST POWER AND STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROADWAY. I WAS TOLD TO PICK UP MY CAR AND COME BACK IF IT RAN HOT AND STALLED AGAIN (CUSTOMER TO MONITOR). I PICKED MY CAR UP ON WEDNESDAY EVENING AFTER WORK AND DROVE STRAIGHT HOME. ON THURSDAY MORNING THE YELLOW LIGHT FLASHED AND IMMEDIATELY TURNED RED AND SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROADWAY AGAIN. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN. THIS TIME, WHEN THE CAR WAS PLACE ON THE TOW TRUCK, COOLANT RAN FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE ONTO THE GROUND. THIS IS A VERY FRUSTRATING, UNEXPECTED, EXPENSIVE AND DANGEROUS PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. IF I HAD BEEN TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND THIS VEHICLE SHUT DOWN WITHIN 10 SECONDS, I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SAFELY NAVIGATE THIS VEHICLE TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. FORTUNATELY, I WAS NOT REAR ENDED ON EITHER INCIDENT. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE ENGINE SHUTTING DOWN IS TO PREVENT ENGINE DAMAGE, BUT THERE SEEMS TO BE NO ADVANCE WARNING, WHICH PUTS THE OCCUPANTS IN DANGER OR BEING REAR ENDED. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS SWIFT TOTAL SHUT DOWN OCCURRING WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY AND CAUSING A MAJOR ACCIDENT. ALTHOUGH THE WATER PUMP WAS NOT DEEMED AS THE ABSOLUTE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM, THE DEALERSHIP STARTED THEIR CORRECTIVE ACTION WITH REPLACING THE WATER PUMP AND THERMOSTAT. I RECENTLY DISCOVERED WHILE UNDER WARRANTY, THIS VEHICLE'S CYLINDER HEAD WAS REPLACED AND SLUDGE WAS IN THE ENGINE OIL (PRIOR TO MY PURCHASE). I CONTACTED BMWUSA AND WAS TOLD THAT COMPONENTS BREAK DOWN SOMETIMES. *TR