NHTSA Complaint #10568360 — 2008 BMW X5 SAV

ON FEBRUARY 15, 2014 AT APPROXIMATELY 10:00 AM, MY 2008 X5 3.0SI HAD AN OVERHEATING ENGINE PROBLEM IN THE MIDDLE OF A BLIZZARD-LIKE CONDITIONS IN THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA WHERE MY FAMILY AND I WERE VACATIONING. THIS WAS A VERY UNSAFE SITUATION FOR ME, MY WIFE AND THREE YOUNG CHILDREN WHO WERE ACCOMPANYING ME. THE CAR ENTERED INTO A "SAFE MODE", SLOWED DOWN TO ALMOST A COMPLETE HALT, JUST WITH ENOUGH TIME FOR ME TO PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF A STEEP MOUNTAIN ROAD IN THE MIDDLE OF FREEZING TEMPERATURES. THEN I HAD TO TRY TO FIND A SAFE WAY OUT OF THIS SITUATION. WE HAD TO STAY IN THE CAR FOR SEVERAL HOURS TRYING TO KEEP WARM UNTIL I COULD GET A TOWING SERVICE TO TAKE THE CAR BACK TO THE CLOSEST BMW SERVICE CENTER (85 MILES AWAY) AND FIND A CAR RENTAL SO I COULD GET MY FAMILY TO A SAFE PLACE (I.E. HOME, 115 MILES AWAY). THE SERVICE CENTER FIXED MY CAR AT A COST OF $1,400, AND THEY TRACED THE PROBLEM BACK TO AN ELECTRIC WATER PUMP FAILURE. THIS IS EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING BECAUSE THE VEHICLE HAD MANUFACTURER`S WARRANTY UNTIL BARELY THREE MONTHS AGO, AND THIS EXPENSIVE AND VITAL ENGINE PART FAILS CONVENIENTLY SOON AFTERWARDS. THIS ELECTRIC WATER PUMP OUGHT TO HAVE A LIFE EXPECTANCY OF MORE THAN 6 YEARS/69,000 MILES. IN SHORT, MY FAMILY AND I WERE PUT IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION, AND I HAD TO SPEND MORE THAN $1,800 (INCLUDING TOWING AND CAR RENTAL CHARGES) OUT OF MY POCKET BECAUSE OF A NOTORIOUSLY BAD BMW PART (THE SUBJECT OF NUMEROUS RECALLS AND TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS IN OTHER BMW X5S).