NHTSA Complaint #10853653 — 2006 BMW 325XI

BMW 3 SERIES, 2006, E90 BODY TYPE. AFTER INSERTING THE KEY IN THE CONTACT ALL POWER WENT OFF. I EXPERIENCED TWICE SUCH COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER, FOR THE ENTIRE VEHICLE: ENGINE, DOORS, LIGHTS AND EVEN THE KEY CANNOT BE REMOVED FROM CONTACT. ONCE I TOUCHED THE BATTERY WITH A VOLTMETER AND MEASURED THE VOLTAGE (THAT WAS PERFECT) THE POWER CAME BACK. THOUGH AFTER THE POWER WAS RESTORED WHILE DRIVING TO DEALERSHIP THE CAR STARTED TO BEHAVE ERRATICALLY, WINDSHIELD WIPERS STARTING BY THEMSELVES, RADIO TURNING ON AND OFF, NOISE IN THE BACK OF THE CAR ( EITHER SPEAKERS OR ELECTRIC). DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSIS IDENTIFIED THE CONNECTOR ON POWER CABLE BETWEEN THE BATTERY AND THE ENGINE AS THE CAUSE OF THE TOTAL POWER LOSS. THE CABLE CONNECTOR APPEARS TO BE ALMOST ENTIRELY CORRODED. INCIDENTALLY THIS VERY CABLE WAS SUBJECT OF BMW VOLUNTARY RECALL BUT ONLY FOR VEHICLES MANUFACTURED AFTER 2007 ( RCDNN-13V044-8968(1).PDF ). THOUGH IN MY CASE IT APPEARS TO BE THE OTHER END OF THE SAME CABLE THAT IS OUTSIDE OF THE CAR BODY, EXPOSED TO CORROSION. THE PART NUMBER CABLE SUBJECT OF THE RECALL APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN INSTALLED ALSO ON 2005 AND 2006 BMW 3XX MODELS THOUGH THEY WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.