NHTSA Complaint #10496821 — 2012 BMW 535XI

IT WAS 530AM AND WE WERE TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE. MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING, AND I WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. FEW CARS ON THE ROAD.OUT OF NO WHERE WE HEAR A LOUD BOOM COMING FROM WHAT SOUNDS THE BACK OF THE CAR. AFTER THE BOOM NOTHING HAPPENED FOR ABOUT 2 MINUTES. THEN THE CAR HAD A MESSAGE OF "DRIVE TRAIN ISSUE DRIVE MODERATELY" THEN THE CAR COMPLETELY STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY. WE COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND CALLED THE ILLINOIS STATE POLICE. THEY ARRIVED WITHIN TWENTY MINUTES OF OUR CALL. AS THE OFFICER PULLED UP, AND WE EXPLAINED WHAT WE THOUGHT HAPPENED HE EXPRESSED THAT HE DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING AT ALL IN THE ROAD (HE WAS TRAVELING IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS WE WERE). WE HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO THE NEAREST BMW DEALERSHIP WHICH WAS KIMBERLY BMW IN DAVENPORT, IA. WE RENTED A CAR AND CONTINUED TO CHICAGO SO WE RENTED A CAR AND CONTINUED OUR TRIP. A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER WE RECEIVED A CALL FROM KIMBERLY BMW AND THEY STATED THAT THE GAS TANK BLADDER HAD BEEN PUNCTURED, AND THAT IT WAS OUR FAULT NOT A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT?? WE HIT NOTHING, WE SAW NOTHING, THERE WAS NO SIGN OF ANY DAMAGE TO INSINUATE THAT WE HIT SOMETHING OTHER THAN THE "PUNCTURED GAS TANK". KIMBERLY BMW SAID THEY TOOK PICTURES. WE REPEATEDLY ASKED THEM TO BE EMAIL, TEXT MESSAGE, ANY MEANS NECESSARY SO WE COULD TAKE A LOOK AT THE PICTURES. WE DEMANDED THAT THE PUNCTURED TANK BE LEFT FOR OUR INSPECTION UPON PICKING UP THE CAR, AND WE NEVER RECEIVED IT. UPON CALLING BMW THEY STUCK BY KIMBERLY BMW STATING KIMBERLY BMW HAS "PICTURES" AND LEFT IT AT THAT. NO ONE FROM BMW CAN SAY THAT THEY HAVE ACTUALLY SEEN THE PICTURES. I TRULY BELIEVE THEY ARE COVERING UP A DEFECT IN THE GAS TANK OF THE VEHICLE. WE PAID THE MONEY TO HAVE THE CAR FIXED. ITS NOT AT ALL ABOUT THE MONEY IT IS ABOUT THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY AND THE MOTORIST AROUND US. OUR CONCERNS HAVE FELL ON DEAF EARS. I HOPE YOU CAN HELP. *TR