NHTSA Complaint #10500875 — 2007 BMW 328XI

I WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY GEORGIA 400, WHICH IS ONE OF THE MOST TRAVELED HIGHWAY'S IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA. CARS FREQUENTLY TRAVEL 20-30 MPH ABOVE THE SPEED LIMIT AND IF YOU DO NOT GO AT LEAST 75 MPH, THEN YOU ARE OBSTRUCTING THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC. MY 2007 BMW 328XI SEDAN WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 80 MPH UNTIL AN ORANGE ENGINE OVERHEAT LIGHT CAME ON, THEN QUICKLY TURNED RED. IMMEDIATELY THE SAFETY MECHANISM KICKED IN WHICH RESTRICTS MY SPEED AND I COULD NO LONGER ACCELERATE. I WAS IN THE FAST LEFT LANE AND TRIED TO PULL OVER ON THE LEFT HAND SHOULDER BUT THERE IS NOT ENOUGH SPACE. I WAS TRYING TO ACCELERATE TO AT LEAST PULL OVER TO THE RIGHT HAND LANE, BUT COULD NOT. LUCKILY THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC WAS NOT IT'S USUAL BUSY NATURE AND CARS BEHIND ME WERE HONKING AS I KEPT TRYING TO GET OVER TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER (AS CARS WERE TRAVELING HIGH SPEEDS). THE ENGINE NOISE WAS GETTING LOUDER AND LOUDER. I LIMPED OVER TO THE RIGHT HAND SHOULDER AND SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AS IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WOULD EXPLODE. I COULD SMELL SMOKE AS WELL. THE WATER PUMP ENDED UP QUITTING ON ME, CAUSING THE ENGINE OVERHEAT. HOWEVER, NO WARNING AT ALL AND NO INDICATION THAT ALLOWED ME TO TAKE PRE-CAUTION BEFORE I TRAVELED IN MY CAR. THIS IS SIMPLY OUTRAGEOUS AND A DESIGN FLAW. THIS IS AN EXTREME SAFETY ISSUE. YOUR ENGINE SUDDENLY QUITTING ON YOU, WITH NO WARNING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY SYSTEM? CARS IN EVERY LANE TRAVELING AT LEAST 75 MPH OR GREATER WHILE YOU ARE QUICKLY REDUCING IN SPEED TRYING TO PULL OVER? ON TOP OF THAT, THERE IS NO READING IN MY CAR FOR ENGINE TEMPERATURE. BMW NEEDS TO FIX THIS OR SOMEONE WILL DIE BECAUSE OF IT. MANY MAY GET LUCKY THEY ARE ON A SIDE ROAD OR IN A SAFE LOCATION WHEN THEIR WATER PUMP GOES OUT. HOWEVER, MANY ARE ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THIS HAPPENS! THREE PEOPLE WORKED ON MY CAR THE LAST MONTH AND ALL SAY NO WAY TO DETERMINE WHEN YOUR WATER PUMP WILL BLOW. NO EXCUSES FOR THIS! *TR