NHTSA Complaint #10820658 — 2011 BMW 750LI

DURING MY CAR DRIVING ON THE HIGH WAY IN GEORGIA (DECEMBER 2015), THE CAR HAD A HYBRID SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED. THIS CAUSED ALL OF THE WARRANTING LIGHTS TO COME ON IN THE DASH AND THE HYBRID BATTERY STOP CHARGING. ALL OF THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS ARE POWERED BY THE HYBRID BATTERY. WHEN THE BATTERY WAS DEPLETED, ALL OF THE ELECTRONICS IN THE CAR STOP WORKING AS I WAS DRIVING, TO MY MOTHERS HOUSE. THE DASH WOULD NOT SHOW MY SPEED (NOTHING SHOWED ON THE DASHBOARD), MY STEERING WHEEL WAS HARDER TO TURN, AND THERE WERE NO LIGHTS AT ALL IN THE CAR. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN, CONSIDERING I HAD MY WIFE AND 2-YEAR OLD CHILD IN THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME. ALL OF THE ELECTRONICS IN THE CAR COMPLETELY STOP WORKING, EXCEPT FOR THE HEADLIGHTS, ENGINE RUNNING, AND WIPER BLADES STAYED ON. DURING THIS SITUATION, THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE, BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ABS, STABILITY CONTROL, POWER STEERING, AIR BAG, OR ANY OTHER ELECTRONIC SAFETY DEVICE. I CALLED BMW OF NORTH AMERICA AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE IS NO WARRANTY FOR THE HYBRID BATTERY AFTER THE MANUFACTURER WARRANTY PERIOD (4 YEARS), AND THERE ARE NO AFTERMARKET WARRANTY PRODUCTS THAT WILL COVER THE BATTERY. THE HYBRID BATTERY IS $10,000. THE BMW TECH SAID THAT THE BATTERY WAS WEEK AND SHOULD BE REPLACED. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM (ALL OF THE MANUFACTURERS OF HYBRID VEHICLES COVER THEIR HYBRID BATTERIES FOR A PERIOD 6 - 8 YEARS). THIS ITEM NOT ONLY AFFECTS THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE PASSENGERS, BUT ALSO THE ABILITY FOR THE VEHICLE TO BE USED LEGALLY IN THE UNITED STATES.