NHTSA Complaint #10871452 — 2011 BMW 535I

BMW HAS DISABLED THE SAFETY AND SECURITY FEATURES OF THE MODEL YEAR 2013 AND OLDER. MY VEHICLE NO LONGER HAS AN ACTIVE SOS BUTTON. AMONG OTHER FEATURES, THE COLLISION NOTIFICATION SYSTEM AND STOLEN VEHICLE RECOVERY SYSTEM ARE NO LONGER OPERATIONAL. BMW HAS CHANGED SOFTWARE FROM 2G TO 3G WHICH MAKES MY DASHBOARD HARDWARE INCOMPATIBLE AND, THEREFORE, INOPERABLE. I PAID FOR THE SAFETY AND SECURITY FEATURES WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, AND NOW THEY HAVE BEEN DISABLED. IN THE EVENT OF A SERIOUS ACCIDENT OR BREAKDOWN, THE SOS BUTTON CANNOT BE USED. AS OF JANUARY 1, 2016, BMW ASSIST SAFETY PLAN IS NON-OPERATIONAL. I HAVE COMMUNICATED WITH VARIOUS DIVISIONS OF BMW, AND THIS IS THEIR REPLY: "WE DO NOT HAVE A RETROFIT OPTION IN ORDER TO UPGRADE EARLIER HARDWARE TO NEWER HARDWARE." RATHER THAN RUN OLD SOFTWARE AND NEW SOFTWARE SIMULTANEOUSLY SO THAT OUR HARDWARE IS OPERATION, BMW WAS DISABLED THE SAFETY AD SECURITY FEATURES. MY DEALER BMW OF SPRINGFIELD NJ (FORMERLY JMK) WAS UNAWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. I AS AN OWNER WAS ALSO UNAWARE THAT THE SAFETY AND SECURITY FEATURES WERE DISABLED UNTIL I TRIED TO USE THE SOS BUTTON. I HAVE ONLY 36,000 MILES ON MY CAR AND CANNOT PURCHASE A NEW VEHICLE AT THIS TIME. BMW MADE AN IRRESPONSIBLE DECISION TO DISABLE VERY IMPORTANT FEATURES AND NEGLECTED TO INFORM THE OWNERS.