NHTSA Complaint #10916165 — 2006 BMW X5

WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE IN HIGH SPEED LANE ENGINE SUDDENLY LOST POWER CREATING DANGER OF REAR END COLLISION. IN MOVING TO BREAK DOWN LANE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN BUT WOULD NOT PROPEL THE VEHICLE OVER 5 MPH. THIS PROBLEM HAD OCCURRED TWO WEEKS PREVIOUSLY WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO BMW DEALER FOR SERVICE. AT THAT TIME THE VEHICLE WAS ELECTRONICALLY DIAGNOSED AND NO FAULTS WERE FOUND OR REPAIRS MADE.THE VEHICLE WAS AGAIN TOWED TO THE BMW DEALER AND NO ELECTRONIC FAULTS WERE FOUND. THIS TIME A MECHANICAL DIAGNOSIS WAS PERFORMED AND FUEL PRESSURE WAS FOUND TO BE 12 PSI RATHER THAT THE 55 PSI SPECIFIED. SUBSEQUENTLY THE CONTACTS IN THE FUEL PUMP RELAY WERE FOUND TO BE BURNED, THE FUEL FILTER AND PRESSURE REGULATOR WERE FOUND TO CONTAIN METAL SHARDS, THE FUEL PUMP SHOWED NO EXTERNAL SIGNS OF DAMAGE. ALL ITEMS WERE REPLACED AT WHICH TIME FUEL PRESSURE RETURNED TO 55 PSI AND THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN NORMALLY. THE CONCLUSION IS THAT THE FUEL PUMP CAN FAIL INTERNALLY WHICH CANNOT BE DETECTED BY ELECTRONIC DIAGNOSIS AND RETURNING A CAR TO THE ROAD WITHOUT PERFORMING THE MECHANICAL DIAGNOSES SPECIFIED IN THE FACTORY SERVICE LITERATURE IS A DANGEROUS AND NEGLIGENT PRACTICE BY THIS PARTICULAR BMW DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND MAY INDICATE AN INHERENT FLAW IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE FUEL PUMP. PARTS REPLACED: 61 36 8 373 700 RELAY 16 12 6 754 016 FUEL FILTER PRESSURE REGULATOR 16 11 6 768 357 FUEL PUMP