NHTSA Complaint #10918658 — 2011 BMW 535XI

MY CAR IS A 2011 BMW 535 I X DRIVE, HAS 68,000 MILES. I BOUGHT IT NEW ON 10/19/2011 ON FRIDAY 10/21/2016 MY CAR STALLED AND WOULDN'T START WHILE DRIVING IN THE MIDDLE OF A MAIN HIGH TRAFFIC BUSY ROAD IN RUSH HOUR. LUCKILY, I DIDN'T HAVE A CRASH AND I CALLED BMW ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, THEY SAID "THIS SERVICE IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE" TO ME. I CALLED MY INSURANCE ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND THEY TOWED THE CAR TO THE NEAREST BMW DEALER (WHERE I BOUGHT IT FROM). THE DEALER SERVICE DEPT. SAID THAT THE CAR WAS ON EMPTY (NO GAS) EVEN THOUGH THE FUEL SENSOR LIGHT DIDN'T COME ON AND IT SHOWED 70 MILES LEFT TO EMPTY. AFTER RESEARCHING BMW RECALLS I FOUND THIS PROBLEM WAS RECALLED FOR 2010 AND 2011 5 SERIES. I NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER. DEALER SERVICE DIDN'T BELIEVE ME FIRST AND SAID THAT I DROVE IT ON EMPTY AND JUST NEEDED GAS AND WANTED ME TO PICK IT UP AFTER THEY PUT IN 3 GALLONS OF GAS. I INSISTED THAT THAT WHAT HAPPENED, THE SENSOR LIGHT DIDN'T COME ON AND IT SHOWED 70 MILES LEFT. THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM OR THE RECALL. THE CAR IS STILL THERE AND THEY GAVE ME A SMALL CHEAP LOANER CAR WHICH I HAVE NOW. THIS COULD BE A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD AND SHOULD BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY, NOT JUST ADD GAS AND GO. THANKS, REPORT RECEIPT DATE: JUL 22, 2010 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V331000 COMPONENT(S): FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER MAKES/MODELS/MODEL YEARS: BMW/5-SERIES/2010-2011 BMW/5-SERIES GRAN TURISMO/2010-2011 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V-331 MFG'S REPORT DATE: JULY 21, 2010 COMPONENTS: FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:FUEL GAUGE SYSTEM POTENTIAL NUMBER OF UNITS AFFECTED: 6,080 SUMMARY: BMW IS RECALLING CERTAIN 2010 AND 2011 5-SERIES AND 5-SERIES GRAN TURISMO PASSENGER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JANUARY 12 THROUGH JULY 1, 2010. THE VEHICLE'S FUEL LEVEL SENSOR WITHIN THE FUEL TANK CAN BECOME WEDGED AGAINST THE TANK.