NHTSA Complaint #10558003 — 2009 BMW 328I

TL* I WAS DRIVING ON WHEN MY CAR CAUGHT FIRE. THE FIRE BROKE OUT INSIDE THE CABIN, DIRECTLY BEHIND THE REAR PASSENGER-SIDE SEAT. I BELIEVE THIS FIRE COULD HAVE BEEN EASILY AVOIDED IF THE SONNEN BMW SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAD PERFORMED THEIR JOB MORE DILIGENTLY. A WEEK BEFORE THE FIRE, I BEGAN TO SMELL A BURNING RUBBER ODOR WHEN I TURNED ON MY HEATER/DEFROSTER. I IMMEDIATELY DROVE THE CAR TO SONNEN BMW. THE SERVICE ADVISOR RESPONDED THAT IT WAS NOT BMW'S PROBLEM. I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK INTO BMW FOR SERVICE. I ALSO MENTIONED REPEATEDLY THAT I SMELLED BURNING RUBBER WHENEVER I TURNED ON THE HEATER/DEFROSTER. BMW KEPT THE CAR FOR A WEEK. APPARENTLY, BECAUSE I MENTIONED THE HEATER, BMW GOT FIXATED ON LOOKING FOR THE PROBLEM WITHIN THE HEATING DUCTS AND NEVER THOUGHT TO CHECK THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. AFTER HAVING THE CAR FOR A WEEK, THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD DETERMINED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE ODOR WAS A LEAF THAT HAD GOTTEN SUCKED INTO THE BLOWER ASSEMBLY. THEY CHARGED ME $320 TO OPEN THE ASSEMBLY AND CLEAN OUT THE LEAVES. WHEN I PICKED UP THE CAR I INSISTED TO SPEAKING WITH ONE OF THE SERVICE MANAGERS, AS THIS MADE NO SENSE TO ME. I POINTED OUT THAT BURNING LEAVES DO NOT SMELL LIKE BURNING RUBBER, AND I DOUBTED THIS WAS THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THE SERVICE MANAGER INSISTED THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND ANYTHING ELSE WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE AND THAT, AFTER CLEANING OUT THE BLOWER ASSEMBLY, THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE ISSUE. IT IS APPARENT TO ME THAT BMW NEVER ONCE TURNED ON THE DEFROSTER DURING THE WHOLE TIME THEY HAD THE CAR'EVEN THOUGH I INDICATED THAT THIS WAS PART OF THE ISSUE. IF THEY HAD, THEY WOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY REPLICATED THE ISSUE AND KNOWN THAT IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH LEAVES IN THE BLOWER. RATHER THEN APOLOGIZING, THE ASSISTANT MANAGER IMMEDIATELY TRIED TO SHIFT THE BLAME BE STATING THAT WE TOLD THEM THE ODOR WAS COMING FROM THE HEATING DUCTS.