NHTSA Complaint #10733081 — 1985 BMW 325E

TRAVELING IN FAST HEAVY TRAFFIC AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH WHEN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILED. THUS SPEED WAS UNKNOWN UNTIL THE POLICE PULLED ME OVER FOR EXCEEDING THE SPEED LIMIT BY 25 MPH. AFTER 5 SPEEDING TICKETS AND SUSPENSION OF MY LICENSE I PARKED THE CAR AND MY DAD REPLACED THE PARTS FROM A USED CAR PARTS RECYCLE LOT. HE THEN DROVE IT WITH OCCASIONAL FAILURES THAT HE REPAIRED WITH USED AND NEW CAR PARTS. HE FOUND THAT THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAD RUN OFF THE ROAD INTO A DITCH AND DAMAGED THE FRONT FENDERS AND FRONT SUSPENSION. THE PARTS WERE FROM VARIOUS BMW'S AND WERE NOT MATCHED BY VIN, SO THE VEHICLE DID NOT HANDLE WELL. MY DAD REPLACED ALL THE IMPROPERLY MATCHED PARTS WITH NEW PARTS FROM THE BMW DEALER PARTS DEPARTMENT. THIS 325E IS A PLEASURE TO DRIVE NOW. WITH THE INSTRUMENTS ALLOWING YOU TO KNOW THE SPEED IT IS POSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE 50 MPG AND DRIVE IT CONFIDENTLY AT SPEEDS EXCEEDING THE RECOMMENDED SPEED FOR THE ROAD. IT NOW CORNERS LIKE A RACE CAR, AND EASILY REACHES SPEEDS ABOVE 100MPH. THIS CAR WOULD BE BEST DRIVEN ON THE AUTOBAHN AT SPEEDS CLOSER TO 160 MPH.