NHTSA Complaint #10979398 — 2011 BMW 328I

2011 328I WITH 53,500 MILES. ENGINE COLD START HESITATION WITH VIBRATIONS WHILE IDLING STATIONARY. TOOK VEHICLE IN TO DEALERSHIP TO DIAGNOSE ISSUE, OIL CHANGE. WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS THE ECCENTRIC SHAFT SENSOR/GASKETS, BATTERY TESTED LOW TO INCLUDE VVT SENSORS AND LEFT PAD BRAKE SENSOR DUE TO WIRE CUT. TOTAL COST $2300 DOLLARS. NEXT DAY, CONTINUED TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. WENT BACK TO DEALER AND STATED THEY DIDN'T FIND ANY FURTHER ISSUES. DID RESEARCH INTO THE ISSUE WITH OTHER BMW OWNERS WHICH HAD THE VEHICLES SERVICED FOR REPLACEMENTS OF VANOS, MASS AIR FLOW SENSORS, ETC. THESE CODES WEREN'T SHOWING UP ON MY VEHICLE. DECIDED TO TAKE A LOOK AT MY ENGINE MYSELF AND NOTICED OIL LEAKING FROM THE VALVE COVER GASKET AREA AND COULD SEE OIL THAT HAD LEAK ON THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE BAY, NOW AT 60K MILES, TOOK IT IN EARLY FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND DIAGNOSIS AGAIN DUE TO POSSIBLE FIRE IF OIL SPILLS ON MOUNTING STRUTS. THIS REPLACEMENT WILL COST ME ANOTHER $2K+ FOR A VALVE COVER GASKET AND OIL PAN GASKET REPLACEMENTS, YET THIS WASN'T MADE KNOWN WHEN I HAD GOTTEN MY OIL CHANGED PREVIOUSLY. THE SAFETY ISSUE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF AN ENGINE FIRE AND BMW'S NEGLIGENCE IN TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE MANUFACTURING FLAWS, ESPECIALLY WHEN SO MANY OWNERS ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THESE ISSUES STARTING EARLY AT 40K MILES.