NHTSA Complaint #10497968 — 2011 BMW X5

STARTED THE CAR AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WITH "ENGINE MALFUNCTION - REDUCED POWER" AND DROVE A FEW HUNDRED YARDS AND THEN THE CAR COMPLETELY DIED. THE 2011 BMW X5 35I PREMIUM JUST DIED - NO POWER WHATSOEVER. BECAUSE THERE WAS NO POWER, THE CAR COULD NOT BE PUT INTO NEUTRAL TO BE PUT ON A FLATBED. THE X5 HAD TO BE PUT ON A CRANE AND LIFTED ONTO A FLATBED TOW TRUCK. BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE IN THE U.S. AND IS U.S. SPEC (CAR WAS IN THE U.S. FOR 2 YEARS) - SHIPPED THE CAR TO GERMANY AND THIS IS WHERE THE INCIDENT HAPPENED (CAR BEEN IN GERMANY JUST A FEW MONTHS). BMW OF MUNICH SAID THAT THERE IS A BOLT THAT CAN BREAK OFF - WHICH IT DID - MUNICH REQUESTED THE LOCAL DEALER TO TAKE THE ENGINE APART TO SEE IF THAT WAS THE FAULT AND THEY CONFIRMED IT WAS. BMW IS REPLACING OUR ENGINE BECAUSE OF THIS FAULT. HOWEVER, THE RECALL AS OF NOW IS ONLY FOR THE X5 DIESELS. THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXPANDED. HAD WE BEEN ON THE AUTOBAHN WHERE THERE AREN'T MANY SPEED LIMIT AREAS, THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A FATAL CRASH IF SOMEONE GOING 100+MPH RAMMED BEHIND US FROM OUR CAR DYING OF CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. AT 16,000 MILES THE VEHICLE SHOULD NOT NEED A NEW ENGINE. *TR