NHTSA Complaint #10712239 — 2007 BMW 328I

I WAS DRIVING ON AN EMPTY ROAD WHEN THE CAR SHUT OFF COMPLETELY, THE CABIN LOST ALL POWER AND THE CAR WENT ON BLACK OUT MODE. I BEGAN TO PRESS THE BRAKE BUT IT WAS ROUGH AND UNRESPONSIVE, I PULLED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO CONTINUE TO STOP SLOWLY, ONCE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, I BEGAN TO EXAMINE THE VEHICLE, OPENED THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT IN THE TRUNK OF THE VEHICLE AND SEEMED TO BE FINE, I POPPED THE HOOD OPEN, EXAMINED A LITTLE BIT MORE FOR FLUIDS OR SIGNS OF OVER HEATING AND WAS UNSUCCESSFUL, CALLED A TOW TRUCK, THE DRIVER TESTED THE BATTERY AND SAID THE BATTERY WAS NOT TAKING THE CHARGE, SO HE TOWED ME HOME, THE NEXT DAY I TOOK THE BATTERY TO THE PLACE I PURCHASED IT FROM SINCE IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, THIS BATTERY HAD A 2 YEAR WARRANTY AND WAS USED FOR 8 MONTHS. I INSTALLED THE BATTERY AND THE POWER IN THE CABIN AND DASH WAS REESTABLISHED, A WARNING LIGHT CAME ON THE DASH SHORTLY AFTER I TRY TO START THE CAR AND A CLICKING NOISE FROM WHERE THE FUSE BOX IS LOCATED, ON THE PASSENGER SIDE BEGAN. I PULLED THE KEY OUT, ATTEMPTED TO START THE CAR AGAIN AND AN ICON OF A STEERING WHEEL AND LOCKED POPPED UP, ALL IN RED. I CEASED TO ATTEMPT TO START THE CAR, I RESEARCHED THE FOLLOWING DAY AND IT SEEMS LIKE IT HAD TO BE TAKEN TO THE BMW DEALER, ON TUESDAY 4/22 THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, I WAS INFORMED THE BATTERY WAS DEAD ONCE AGAIN AND THAT THE ISSUE WAS THE STEERING COLUMN MECHANISM WHICH WAS LOCKED, THEY WANTED TO CHARGE $1200 TO PERFORM THE LABOR, APPARENTLY THEY RESET THE CODE AND THE CAR WAS TURNED ON, ONCE I REALIZED THE CAR WAS DRIVABLE AND THAT THERE IS NO SPECIAL CODING TO PERFORM THE JOB, I ASKED FOR THE CAR TO BE RELEASED AFTER PAYING $160. THE VEHICLE HAS AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE THAT CAUSES THE BATTERY TO PUT OUT HIGHER VOLTAGE THAN THE CAR NEEDS AND THEREFORE CAUSES THE BATTERY TO MALFUNCTION. *TR