NHTSA Complaint #10548362 — 2012 BMW X5

WHILE DRIVING THE FRONT WHEELS WILL AUTOMATICALLY FOLLOW A RUT IN THE ROAD CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SWERVE UNEXPECTEDLY TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT. MY WIFE HAD RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS IN HER HANDS AND CANNOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE FOR FEAR OF AN ACCIDENT. WHEN WE TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE THE DEALER GAVE US A DIFFERENT MODEL WITHOUT THE AGGRESSIVE SUSPENSION - THE VEHICLE DRIVE BEAUTIFULLY. WHEN WE ARRIVED BACK AT THE DEALERSHIP THE DEALER HAD THIS MODEL ON THE FLOOR AND OFFERED US A "DEAL" TO PURCHASE IT. HOWEVER, THEY DID NOT MAKE US AWARE OF THE PROFOUND DIFFERENCE IN THE HANDLING. NOW AT 7000 MILES THE FRONT TIRES NEED TO BE REPLACED. DEALER SAYS WE MAY HAVE HIT A CURB. I SEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND ANOTHER OWNER WHO COMPLAINED ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. ACCORDING TO HIS LETTER HE WAS ON THE WAY HOME AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE AND IT "TOOK OFF ALL OVER THE ROAD." HE DROVE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP TO ADVISE THEM THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DANGEROUS. HE FINALLY, WITH APPROXIMATELY 5000 MILES TRADED THE VEHICLE IN. WE ASKED THE DEALER IF THEY WOULD TRADE IT FOR THE MODEL WE TEST DROVE. THEY SAID BECAUSE IT WAS REGISTERED THEY WOULD ONLY GIVE US $45K. WE HAD JUST PAID $62K FOR IT. MY DAUGHTER RECENTLY BORROWED THE CAR, AND DECIDED IT WAS TOO UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THERE IS SOMETHING TERRIBLY WRONG WITH THE STEERING/SUSPENSION ON THE X5 SPORT ACTIVITY. PLEASE LOOK INTO TO IT. WE FEAR THAT WHEN DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, WE WILL EVENTUALLY COLLIDE WITH A PASSING VEHICLE DUE THE PROBLEM. MY WIFE SIMPLY REFUSES TO DRIVE THE CAR CITING IT IS SIMPLY TOO DANGEROUS - SHE IS RIGHT! ON THE WEBSITE "TIRE RACK" THERE IS A DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER OF X5 OWNERS WHO ARE FUMING ABOUT TIRE WEAR ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLE. MOST SEEM TO ACHIEVE NO MORE THAN 10K MILES. *TR