NHTSA Complaint #10873239 — 2008 BMW 535XI

I PURCHASED MY CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED 2008 BMW 535XI SPORTS WAGON FROM CONCORD BMW ON 09.01.2015 WITH 81,759 MILES ON IT. ON DECEMBER 15, 2015 I WAS TRAVELING AT FREEWAY SPEED WHEN THE REAR AIR SPRINGS FULLY COLLAPSED. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO CONCORD BMW'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT VERY SAME DAY TO DETERMINE WHAT CAUSED THE FAILURE. ON DECEMBER 17, 2015 I RECEIVED AN EMAIL REPAIR ESTIMATE FROM BMW CONCORD SERVICE ADVISOR JOEY TIONGSON FOR $24,188.17 (I PURCHASED THE USED VEHICLE FOR $17,400.00).THE DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT CLOGGED SUNROOF DRAINS ALLOWED WATER TO TRAVEL DOWN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE VEHICLE AND FLOOD ALL THE ELECTRONIC MODULES. TIMING OF THIS INCIDENT IS SUCH THAT MID-DECEMBER 2015 PRODUCED THE FIRST RAINFALL IN OUR AREA DUE TO CALIFORNIA DROUGHT. MY CAR WAS NOT EXPOSED TO ANY SIGNIFICANT WATER PRIOR TO THESE FIRST RAINS. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A MANUFACTURE DEFECT AND THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS SOLD TO ME WITH THIS PRE-EXISTING CONDITION OF WHICH I WAS NEVER ADVISED. MY RESEARCH AFTER THIS INCIDENT INDICATES THAT OTHER BMW OWNERS HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS BUT NOT TO THIS MAGNITUDE. BMW HAS ALSO ISSUED SERVICE BULLETINS ADVISING DEALERSHIPS OF THIS PROBLEM.