NHTSA Complaint #10638026 — 2011 BMW X5 SAV

THIS COMPLAINT SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSES THE RECALL LISTED BELOW. EVEN THOUGH THIS RECALL WAS ISSUED IN APRIL, NO RESOLUTION HAS BEEN AVAILABLE. THE VERY THING THE RECALL WAS TRYING TO PREVENT, HAPPENED TO ME AND MY FAMILY. REPORT RECEIPT DATE: APR 10, 2014 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V176000 I WAS STRANDED FRIDAY, 09/19/14, ALONG WITH MY WIFE AND DOG BY MY NEW TO ME X5. YES, IT WAS THE VANOS RECALL BOLTS THAT FAILED. THE CAR ONLY MADE IT A FEW HUNDRED YARDS AFTER THE CEL AND ENGINE MALFUNCTION LIGHTS CAME ON. THE CAR SHOOK, SPUTTERED, AND DIED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. WE WERE LEFT IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION. ADDITIONALLY, SINCE THE CAR WOULD NOT START, WE COULD NOT GET IT INTO NEUTRAL. IT ENDED UP TAKING US MORE THAN 5 HOURS TO GET A TOW TRUCK THAT HAD THE EQUIPMENT THAT WOULD HELP US. NO TOW TRUCK OPERATOR KNOWS HOW OR IS WILLING TO CRAWL UNDER AND REMOVE THE TRANSMISSION COVER AND UNLOCK THE GEARS. THE LACK OF ABILITY TO GO THIS ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION INTO NEUTRAL IS REALLY UNBELIEVABLE. I CANNOT IMAGINE A MUCH MORE UNSAFE SCENARIO. I CHECKED ON THE VANOS BOLTS RECALL TWICE IN THE LAST MONTH AND WAS TOLD NO PARTS WERE AVAILABLE. THIS RECALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN HANDLED IN A TIMELY MANNER AND NOT LEFT UNTIL THE CAR FAILS AND PLACES IT'S OWNERS IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I'M WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM BMW OF NASHVILLE ABOUT HOW EXTENSIVE THE DAMAGE IS TO INTERNALS, BUT THEY ALREADY CALLED AND SAID IT IS SHEARED / BROKEN VANOS BOLTS. SPECIFICALLY THE RECALL ISSUE. P.S. THIS HAPPENED ON FRIDAY. I TRIED TO GET A LOANER CAR, FRIDAY, SATURDAY, AND TODAY AND AM TOLD NONE ARE AVAILABLE. WE NEVER RAN INTO THAT SITUATION WITH OUR LAST 2 VEHICLES, WHICH WERE BOTH INFINITI'S. IT'S RIDICULOUS THAT I AM STRANDED AND CAN'T EVEN GET TO WORK DUE TO A RECALL FOR A CAR THAT ONLY HAS 47K MILES. *TR