NHTSA Complaint #10525919 — 2008 BMW M3

THE ENGINE IN MY BMW DIED AT 74,598 MILES, NO WARNING LIGHTS AND NO WEIRD NOISES. IT DIED WHEN I WAS DRIVING THE SPEED LIMIT (65) ON THE HIGHWAY DOING NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY, WHEELS LOCKED UP IN TRAFFIC SO I HAD TO PUSH IN CLUTCH. IT WAS A VERY LIFE THREATENING SITUATION BECAUSE A BIG RIG ALMOST CRASHED INTO MY CAR. I COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY TO CHECK IT OUT: THE ENGINE WAS NOT OVERHEATING AND THERE WAS NO FLUIDS ON THE GROUND. AS I TRIED STARTING THE CAR UP AGAIN I COULD HEAR THE FUEL PUMP TURNING ON AND THE STARTER MOTOR CLICKING, BUT THE ENGINE WOULDN'T TURN OVER. I GOT THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND A FEW DAYS LATER IT WAS MADE KNOWN TO ME BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT MY ENGINE WAS SEIZED AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY $19,000 FOR A NEW ENGINE AND $6,000 FOR THE LABOR TO INSTALL IT. I MADE THE DEALERSHIP AWARE THAT I KEPT UP WITH THE MAINTENANCE, AND THAT NOTHING WAS INDICATING TO ME THAT MY ENGINE WAS ABOUT TO FAIL. I INSTRUCTED THE DEALERSHIP TO CONTACT BMW NORTH AMERICA (BMW HEADQUARTERS FOR NORTH AMERICA) FOR A "GOOD WILL" REPLACEMENT, BUT MY REQUEST WAS DENIED. THIS PROBLEM IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE ROD BEARING INSIDE THE ENGINE, WHICH GAVE OUT BECAUSE THERE IS NO ADEQUATE LUBRICATION TO THEM, I HEARD OF THESE ROD BEARINGS GIVING OUT ON THE S65 ENGINE ALL OVER WEB FORUMS, MULTIPLE PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN TO THEM. DURING MY WARRANTY PERIOD I DID LET THEM KNOW THAT MY CAR WOULD GO IN LIMP MODE (LOW POWER MODE ON ENGINE, MAX SPEED ABOUT 40MPH) AND I WAS HEARING TICKING NOISES (DEALERSHIP SAID THIS WAS NORMAL) THAT WERE NOT PRESENT WHEN THE CAR WAS REALLY NEW (THE FIRST 5000 MILES I PUT ON THE CAR). THE DEALERSHIP AND BMW NORTH AMERICA DON'T CARE ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS WHICH WERE PRESENT DURING MY ENTIRE OWNERSHIP OF THE CAR (IN WARRANTY PERIOD) AND THEY DENIED THE FREE REPLACEMENT BECAUSE MY CAR IS NOW OUT OF WARRANTY. *TR