NHTSA Complaint #10955181 — 2011 BMW X5

JANUARY 13, 2017, I WAS DRIVING MY 2011 BMW X5, WITH APPROXIMATELY 77,000 MILES, ON A TWO-LANE ROAD AND I ACCELERATED TO PASS A TRUCK. WHILE GOING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH MY X5 UNEXPECTEDLY AND WITHOUT ANY WARNING SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL. THE ENGINE WOULD ONLY REV WHEN I PUSHED ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THIS WAS WITHOUT ANY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT OR NOISE INDICATING CATASTROPHIC MECHANICAL FAILURE. THANKFULLY, I HAD ENOUGH SPEED TO COMPLETE MY PASS BEFORE THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC REACHED ME AND WE AVOIDED A POTENTIALLY DISASTROUS COLLISION. I COASTED TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD HOPING TO BE ABLE TO SHIFT BACK INTO DRIVE. MOVEMENT OF THE SHIFTER DID NOTHING AND THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN AT IDLE SPEED. WHEN I TRIED TO RESTART THE X5, NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN. ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD WERE STILL WORKING AND THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF ANY WARNING INDICATORS. THE TOWNE BMW SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME THAT I WOULD NEED A NEW ENGINE AT AN ESTIMATED COST OF $20,000. THE VEHICLE HAD AN ESTIMATED TRADE-IN VALUE $14,000! THIS OUTCOME IS AFTER I PROPERLY MAINTAINED THE VEHICLE FOR 6 YEARS, HAVING ALL OIL CHANGES DONE WITHIN THE MANUFACTURES SUGGESTED SERVICE INTERVALS. AND SPENT OVER $6,000 WITH THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. MOST RECENT OIL CHANGE WAS DONE AT ON NOVEMBER 15, 2016. I EVEN HAD THE OIL FILTER HOUSING GASKETS REPLACED AT A COST OF $572 BASED ON THE TECHNICIAN'S RECOMMENDATION. IT IS UNFATHOMABLE TO ME AND OTHER PRO MECHANICS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED SUCH A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. DEALER CALLED FEB. 9, 2017, ALMOST ONE MONTH AFTER MY TROUBLE BEGAN, TO EXPLAIN THAT THE #6 CAM SHAFT BEARING FAILED AND SEIZED ONTO THE CONNECTING ROD. I ASKED WHAT WOULD CAUSE SUCH A FAILURE AND THEY SAID IT WAS PROBABLY DUE TO LACK OF OIL OR DIRT IN THE OIL. NEITHER COULD EXPLAIN HOW THIS COULD HAPPEN WITH ROUTINE OIL CHANGES AND MOST RECENT BEING ONLY TWO MONTHS PRIOR.