NHTSA Complaint #10925403 — 2010 BMW X5

I HAD AN ISSUE WITH MY 2010 BMW X5 CONCERNING THE ENGINE STALLING WHILE IN A PARKING LOT AFTER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. WE HAD IT TOWED TO A BMW DEALERSHIP TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. AFTER THE DEALER INVESTIGATED THE PROBLEM, THEY FOUND THAT THE VANOS BOLTS TO THE EXHAUST CAMSHAFT HAD FALLEN OUT AND CAUSED THE ENGINE TO SHUT DOWN. AFTER DOING SOME ONLINE INVESTIGATION, WE SOON REALIZED THAT A RECALL HAD BEEN INITIATED FROM BMW FOR THIS EXACT FAULT AND ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES WERE TO BE BROUGHT TO A NEARBY SERVICE CENTER FOR REPAIR. THE RECALL NUMBER IS 14V-176. THE RECALL ALSO SPECIFICALLY STATES THAT THERE IS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR ANY VEHICLE WITHIN THIS MODEL YEAR RANGE AND ENGINE TYPE. DUE TO THE FACT THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN GERMANY FROM A US AFFILIATED DEALER AS A US SPEC VEHICLE, THIS RECALL WAS NEVER ACKNOWLEDGED BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS REGISTERED IN GERMANY AND NEVER WARRANTY REGISTERED IN THE US. THIS VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY NOT OPERATIONAL AND BMW CORPORATE IN GERMANY DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THIS VEHICLE FOR RECALL OR WARRANTY REPAIRS BECAUSE THEY DO NOT RECOGNIZE BMW USA SPEC VEHICLES. WE CANNOT GET THIS VEHICLE REPAIRED UNLESS WE SHIP THIS INOPERABLE VEHICLE BACK TO THE USA AT OUR OWN EXPENSE. THIS IS A HUGE LOOPHOLE THAT OUR VEHICLE HAS FALLEN INTO AND THERE ARE OPEN RECALLS AFFECTED ON THIS VEHICLE THAT WE CANNOT GET REPAIRED UNTIL IT IS RETURNED BACK TO THE USA. THIS IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE THAT A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE CAN GO UNADDRESSED AND BMW WILL NOT HONOR IT. THERE NEEDS TO BE RESOLUTION ON THIS FROM BMW TO NOT ONLY ADDRESS THIS OUTSTANDING SAFETY ISSUE BUT TO CAPTURE FUTURE RECALL CONCERNS ON OTHER VEHICLES IN THIS SITUATION. AS AN AGENCY THAT ENFORCES SUCH REGULATIONS PERTAINING TO THESE ISSUES, I'M HOPING THAT YOUR ORGANIZATION WILL BE ABLE TO HELP ME. THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE TRAVELING IN A PARKING LOT, WE HAD JUST LEFT THE AUTOBAHN