NHTSA Complaint #10508846 — 2007 BMW 328XI

AT APPROXIMATELY 4:15 PM ON 4/18/13 I WAS DRIVING ON A BUSY ROADWAY AT APPROX 35MPH IN MY 2007 BMW 328XI COUPE, 65540 MILES. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE VEHICLES INDICATOR LIGHT FLASHED ORANGE FOR COOLANT TEMPERATURE WARNING. WITHIN 5 SEC THE INDICATOR FLASHED RED AND THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN AS I PROCEEDED THROUGH AN INTERSECTION. THERE WAS NO ACCELERATION AND I WAS LEFT TO COAST OUT OF THE INTERSECTION. LUCKILY THE INTERSECTION WAS SLIGHTLY DOWN HILL SO I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE CURB WITHOUT BEING T-BONED. APPARENTLY THIS ENGINE SHUT DOWN IS A DESIGNED FEATURE IN THIS MODEL BMW (2007 328XI) TO SAVE THE ENGINE IN THE CASE OF OVERHEATING. WHILE THIS FEATURE MEANS WELL IT IS AN EXTREME SAFETY ISSUE AS OTHER BMW CUSTOMERS HAVE REPORTED SIMILAR EVENTS WHILE TRAVELING ON INTERSTATES AND SPEEDS UP TO 80MPH (SEE BIMMERFORUMS AND ABOUTAUTOMOBILE). THIS TYPE OF EVENT IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS COULD ABSOLUTELY LEAD TO LOSS OF PROPERTY AND/OR LIFE. THE AIR TEMP WAS APPROX 85F AND I HAD BEEN DRIVING THE CAR FOR MORE THAN A 30MIN IN PRE-RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC BEFORE THE EVENT. AT THE TIME,TRAFFIC WAS NOT STOP AND GO AND I WAS MOVING AT A FAIRLY CONSISTENT 30MPH. THERE WAS LESS THAN 10-15 SEC BETWEEN THE FIRST COOLANT WARNING FLASHING ORANGE, PROCEEDING TO RED, AND ENGINE SHUT DOWN. THESE WERE THE ONLY INDICATIVE WARNINGS OF A PROBLEM. THE OIL TEMPERATURE WAS AROUND 230F. AFTER LETTING THE CAR COOL FOR SEVERAL HOURS I CHECKED THE COOLANT WHICH WAS IN THE NORMAL RANGE. I WAS THEN ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR THE REMAINING 1.5 MILES TO MY HOME. AT HOME, I WAS ABLE TO REPLICATE THIS OVERHEATING SHUT DOWN EVENT BY TURNING THE AC ON AND REVVING THE ENGINE FROM 2000 TO 3000 RPM AT A STANDSTILL. AFTER ABOUT 5MIN, ONCE AGAIN THE INDICATOR PANEL FLASHED ORANGE, 5 SECONDS LATER RED, LEADING TO ENGINE SHUT DOWN ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. THIS YET AGAIN REPLICATED THE SHORT 10 SEC WARNING BEFORE COMPLETE ENGINE SHUT DOWN. *TR