NHTSA Complaint #10761125 — 2009 BMW 335

ON 8/21/2015, I WAS DRIVING MY 2009 BMW 335D TO WORK WHEN IT SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND STARTED SPEWING SMOKE ON JEFFERSON AVE. I PULLED OVER NEAR MY WORK AND SAW SMOKE SEEPING IN FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. I EXITED THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY AND OPENED THE HOOD AND SAW THAT THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS ON FIRE. I RAN INSIDE MY WORKPLACE AND GRABBED A FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND CAUTIOUSLY RETURNED TO THE VEHICLE. I WAS ABLE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. AFTER FILING A CLAIM WITH STATE FARM, THE CLAIMS ADJUSTER AND PLAZA MOTOR COMPANY BMW CAME TO THE DETERMINATION THAT THE CAR'S WIRING HARNESS MALFUNCTIONED AND THAT THEY'RE GOING TO REPLACE IT. BUT THAT'S NOT MY ISSUE. I'M CONCERNED WITH HOW THE FIRE STARTED IN THE FIRST PLACE. PLAZA MOTORS NOR STATE FARM CAN TELL ME WHY OR HOW IT HAPPENED BUT THEY ARE WILLING TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE PART AND HAVE ME DRIVE THE VEHICLE AGAIN WITHOUT ANY ASSURANCES THAT THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAD EXITED THE VEHICLE BEFORE THE CAR WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND I WAS ALSO FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAD BEEN CLOSE TO A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT I FEEL LIKE MY CLAIM IS BEING HANDLED IN A VERY LEISURELY, RUN-OF-THE-MILL MANNER AKIN TO CHANGING A FLAT TIRE OR A DENTED BUMPER. BUT A CAR SPONTANEOUSLY CATCHING FIRE IS ANYTHING BUT TYPICAL. PLAZA MOTORS AND STATE FARM'S CASUAL NATURE IS DISCONCERTING TO SAY THE LEAST. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR EVER AGAIN. I DON'T FEEL LIKE BMW IS TAKING ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR CATCH SPONTANEOUSLY CATCHING FIRE. ALSO, ONE WEEK PRIOR TO THE FIRE, I HAD A DIAGNOSTICS TEST CONDUCTED ON MY CAR BY AUTOHAUS BMW IN ST. LOUIS, MO AND THE TWO MINOR ISSUES WERE UNRELATED TO THE ELECTRICAL FIRE.