NHTSA Complaint #10864291 — 2012 BMW X5

WE USED OUT 2012 BMW X5 DIESEL FOR A ROUND TRIP OF MN TO FL. OCTOBER OF 2015. WE HAD THE VEHICLE SERVICED PRIOR TO DEPARTURE AND ASKED IF THERE WAS ANYTHING WE NEEDED TO BE AWARE OF FOR THE LONG TRIP. UPON RETURN TRIP BACK TO MN WE WERE ALERTED BY THE SYSTEM MONITOR THAT THE DIESEL EXHAUST FLUID (DEF) WAS LOW. WE WERE 5 HOURS INTO OUR 18 HOUR TRIP FROM FL TO MN. IT WAS SATURDAY AFTER 1:00 PM AND WE STOPPED TO ADD DEF TO THE SYSTEM. THE FILL PORT ON THE X5 WOULD ONLY ACCEPT 4 OZ OF DEF WITH REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO FILL THE RESERVOIR. WE USED THE INTERNET TO SEARCH THE PROBLEM AND FOUND THAT WITH OUT THE BMW CONTAINER OF DEF THE RESERVOIR WOULD NOT ACCEPT ENOUGH DEF TO FILL THE SYSTEM. WE ALSO DISCOVERED THAT THERE ARE TWO RESERVOIRS. THE BMW MANUAL DID NOT STATE THAT THE BMW BOTTLE WAS NEEDED NOR THAT THERE ARE TWO RESERVOIRS. WE COULD NOT PURCHASE THE BMW BOTTLE AS NO BMW DEALERSHIPS WERE OPEN, NOR WOULD THEY BE THE NEXT DAY. THE BMW SYSTEM ALSO STATED THAT THE ENGINE WOULD SHUT DOWN AFTER THE 200 MILE LIMIT WAS REACHED. WE HAD TO STAY OVERNIGHT IN OUR CURRENT LOCATION AND THEN DRIVE 12 HOURS THE NEXT DAY, SUNDAY, WITH OUT SHUTTING THE ENGINE OFF AS IF WE DID THE BMW OVERRIDE WOULD SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN AND WE VERIFIED THAT FACT ON THE WEB. WE MADE IT HOME AND AS SOON AS WE SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN IT WAS DISABLED. WE PURCHASED THE BMW DEF BOTTLE AND FILLED THEY RESERVOIRS. THE SYSTEM DID NOT REST AND THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER. IT TOOK THEM 3 DAYS TO RESET THE SYSTEM AND THEN DISCOVER THE O2 SENSORS WERE NOW NOT FUNCTIONING AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, DUE TO THE DEF ISSUE. COST OF THE O2 SENSOR REPLACEMENT IS $2000.00. THE SYSTEM WILL LEAVE YOU STRANDED.BMW'S OWNER MANUAL IS INCORRECT AND NO ONE WILL TELL YOU THAT YOU NEED THE BMW ENGINEERED DEF BOTTLE TO REFILL THEY SYSTEM. WE CONTACTED BMW NORTH AMERICA WITHOUT ANY RESULTS.