NHTSA Complaint #10840343 — 2003 BMW 325I

THE FUEL PUMPS OF THE SUPER LOW EMISSION VEHICLES (SULEV) (PZEV) 325I MODELS (IN CA, ME, MA, NY AND VT) ARE ENCLOSED IN THE STAINLESS STEEL FUEL TANK AND THERE IS A KNOWN 100% FAILURE. BMW HAS A 15 YEAR/150K WARRANTY BUT I AM CONTACTING YOU BECAUSE MY CAR HAS 192K AND IS OUT OF WARRANTY. FOR KNOWN DEFECTIVE MATERIAL AND WORKMANSHIP OF THE FUEL PUMP, THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL OR AT LEAST NOTIFICATION TO THE OWNERS OF SUCH VEHICLES. IN MOST CASES, EVEN WHEN UNDER WARRANTY THE BMW DEALERSHIPS GAVE OWNERS DIFFICULTIES AND RESISTANCE WHEN THE FUEL PUMP FAILED, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE THE PART ALONE IS $6000, NOT INCLUDING LABOR. AS MANY OF THESE SULEV MODELS ARE STILL ON THE ROAD AND POTENTIALLY WOULD STOP RUNNING AT ANY POINT WHEN THE FUEL PUMP CLOGS OR GETS BLOCKED, THE DRIVERS ARE POTENTIALLY PLACED IN DANGER. MY 2003 325I DIED ON THE FREEWAY GOING 70MPH BUT FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY MANEUVER TO THE SHOULDER. THIS COULD HAVE EASILY CAUSED A MULTI-CAR ACCIDENT BUT FORTUNATELY THERE WEREN'T MANY OTHER CARS ON THE FREEWAY AT THE TIME. THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO BUT COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. IT WOULD NOT START AGAIN AND IS BASICALLY DEAD IN THE WATER NOW. THE LOCAL BMW DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING SINCE IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY. AGAIN, ALTHOUGH THIS AFFECTS LATER MODEL SULEV CARS, I ASK YOU TO PLEASE OPEN AN INVESTIGATION, AS BMW SHOULD STAND BY THEIR PRODUCT AND REPUTATION BY REPAIRING A KNOWN DEFECTIVE PART THAT AFFECTED OR WILL AFFECT ALL SULEV MODELS. TYPICALLY THE FUEL PUMP FAILS PRIOR TO THE 150K MILEAGE, BUT APPARENTLY SINCE I RARELY ALLOW MY FUEL TANK TO GO BELOW A QUARTER TANK, I WAS ABLE TO GET AN ADDITIONAL 40K. REGARDLESS, I THINK A RECALL FOR THIS MAJOR DEFECT IS MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE REAR LAMP WHICH DID INITIATE A RECALL. BMW SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES AND I WILL NEVER EVEN THINK OF BUYING ANOTHER BMW EVER AGAIN.