NHTSA Complaint #10583555 — 2008 BMW 750LI

I UNLOCKED MY VEHICLE TO OPEN THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR SO THAT I MAY ENTER. THE DOOR OPENED AS IT NORMALLY SHOULD, I ENTERED THE VEHICLE AND ATTEMPTED TO CLOSE THE DOOR. THE DOOR WOULD NOT LATCH ON TO THE REST OF THE CAR. THE DOOR WILL SWING OPEN AND IN THE CLOSE POSITION PROPERLY, BUT THE LATCH ITSELF WOULD NOT OPERATE, THEREFORE IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE THE CAR IN A SAFE MANNER. UPON RESEARCH AND CONSULTING WITH A GERMAN CAR MECHANIC, IT APPEARS THAT THE "SOFT CLOSE" FUNCTION OF THE DOOR FAILED, CAUSING THE LATCH TO SEIZE AND BECOME INOPERABLE. THE 2005-2007 MODELS FOR THIS EXACT VEHICLE WERE RECALLED ON OCTOBER 28TH, 2012 FOR THE SAME EXACT ISSUE, HOWEVER MY 2008 MODEL WAS NOT INCLUDED AS PART OF THE RECALL. THE 2005-2007 MODELS ARE IDENTICAL TO THE 2008 MODEL, AND USE ALL OF THE SAME EXACT PARTS, INCLUDING THE DOOR LATCH. THE 2008 MODEL SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL, AS THE SAME DEFECTIVE DOOR LATCH MECHANISM IS USED IN THIS CAR AS WELL. A SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH OF "BMW 7 SERIES DOOR NOT CLOSING" ALSO YIELDS SEVERAL HUNDRED REPORTS OF OTHER PEOPLE HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE. DOOR LATCHES SHOULD BE DESIGNED TO LAST THE LIFE OF THE CAR, AS IT IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE TO DRIVE WITH YOUR DOOR OPEN. *TR