NHTSA Complaint #10536758 — 2007 BMW 328I

THE DOOR ACTUATOR SYSTEM ON MY 2007 BMW 3281 HAS FAILED TWICE, ONCE LOCKING ME IN AND THE OTHER TIME IMMOBILIZING THE CAR AND STRANDING ME FOR SEVERAL HOURS.I NOTICED THE FIRST FAILURE WHEN I STOPPED FOR GAS & COULD NOT OPEN THE FUEL FLAP. I DROVE TO THE DEALER BUT THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN, EITHER ELECTRONICALLY OR MANUALLY, AND THE WINDOWS WOULD NOT LOWER AND THE OTHER THREE DOORS WOULD NOT OPEN. FORTUNATELY, THE SUN ROOF WAS NOT ON THE DOOR CIRCUIT & I WAS ABLE TO TOSS OUT THE FOB KEY FOR SOMEONE TO OPEN THE DRIVER DOOR AND LET ME OUT. A MECHANIC REPLACED THE 15 AMP FUSE IN THE DOOR CIRCUIT WITH A 20 AMP FUSE AND SENT ME ON MY WAY. CONCLUSION: THIS CAR IS A DEATH TRAP WAITING TO HAPPEN. THE SECOND INCIDENT OCCURRED AS I DROVE HOME AFTER A STATE INSPECTION. WHEN I PARKED AND HIT THE FOB LOCK BUTTON, I HEARD A MUFFLED NOISE. THE FUSE HAD BLOWN AGAIN. I UNLOCKED THE CAR WITH THE FOB KEY AND AFTER MUCH TIME AND GREAT EFFORT, I INSTALLED A ANOTHER 20 AMP FUSE. BECAUSE THE PASSENGER DOOR WON'T OPEN WHEN THE CIRCUIT BLOWS, REPLACING THE FUSE IS VERY DIFFICULT, NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE. IT REQUIRES AGILITY, KNOW-HOW, AND GOOD CONDITIONS--NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN COUNT ON IN THE GENERAL POPULATION. WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THIS DANGEROUS CONDITION: GO BACK TO MECHANICAL LOCKING, ELECTRONIC LOCKING IS A BAD SOLUTION AT LEAST, YOU CAN GET OUT OF THE CAR. SECOND: REQUIRE BMW TO RECALL THE ORIGINAL ACTUATORS AND REPLACE THEM WITH NEW DESIGNS THAT, IF THEY TOO FAIL, THEY FAIL IN A DOOR-OPEN MODE. AT THE VERY LEAST, CAR MANUFACTURERS SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO OFFER BUYERS A CHOICE BETWEEN MECHANICAL AND ELECTRONIC DOOR OPENING. LIVES ARE AT STAKE. *TR