NHTSA Complaint #10777935 — 2007 BMW X3 SAV

WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 72 IN ILLINOIS, WE NOTED A LOW COOLANT LEVEL LIGHT. CHECKED THE OWNER'S MANUAL, AND IT STATED THAT THIS WAS NOT A MAJOR ISSUE, BUT WE SHOULD CHECK IT AT THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY. COINCIDENTALLY, THE OTHER PARTY WE WERE TRAVELING WITH ASKED IF WE WANTED TO STOP FOR COFFEE AT A LOCATION 1.5 MILES OFF THE INTERSTATE. WHEN WE STOPPED, THE LOW COOLANT LIGHT WENT OFF. BEFORE GETTING BACK ON THE ROAD, NOTICED THAT COOLANT WAS DRIPPING FROM THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGINE. A REPAIR FACILITY WAS NEARBY, AND THEY INVESTIGATED THE LEAK AND DETERMINED THAT IT WAS EMANATING FROM A CRACK IN THE WATER PUMP. ALSO DETERMINED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE CRACK WAS THE ENGINE SAGGING. FURTHER INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THAT A LOWER ENGINE MOUNTING BOLT WAS MISSING ENTIRELY. THIS WAS REPLACED ALONG WITH THE WATER PUMP, WHEN THE ENGINE WAS JACKED BACK INTO PROPER POSITION. AT THIS POINT IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE UPPER MOUNTING BOLTS HAD SHEARED OFF INSIDE THE ENGINE. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE. WE WERE ONE MOUNTING BOLT AWAY FROM THE ENGINE SAGGING EXCESSIVELY, LIKELY CAUSING DRIVE TRAIN SEIZURE.