NHTSA Complaint #10586797 — 2011 BMW X5

WHILE ACCELERATING TO ENTER THE HIGHWAY, A LOUD POP OCCURRED AT APPROX. 35MPH. THE POP WAS FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF DRIVE TORQUE TO THE FRONT AXLE. I BEGAN TO IMMEDIATELY PULL OVER AND A SECOND LOUD POP WAS HEARD FOLLOWED BY THE SOUND OF METAL CRASHING TO THE GROUND. I EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF DRIVE TORQUE TO THE FRONT AXLE AND COASTED TO RELATIVE SAFETY ON THE ENTRANCE OF AN EXIT RAMP. UPON EXPECTING THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE, I COULD SEE A SEPARATED FRONT DRIVESHAFT, MISSING UNIVERSAL JOINT AND THE TRANSFER CASE WAS TOUCHING THE GROUND AND THERE WAS A PUDDLE OF FLUID DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH THE CAR. THERE WAS A TRAIL OF FLUID ON THE EXIT RAMP LEADING TO WHERE I PULLED OVER INDICATING THAT THE FLUID WAS LEAKING AND EVENTUALLY DUMPED COMPLETELY WHEN I PULLED OVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE NEARED BMW DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE AND DIAGNOSIS. *TR