NHTSA Complaint #11005332 — 2013 BMW X3

EARLIER THIS YEAR WHILE DRIVING MY 2013 BMW X3 ON THE HIGHWAY IT BROKE DOWN WITH LITTLE WARNING. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO GET TO AN EXIT RAMP BEFORE MY CAR COMPLETELY FAILED. AFTER HAVING IT FLAT BEDDED TO A MECHANIC WHO HAD TO PUSH THE VEHICLE INTO THE SHOP THEY VERIFIED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD CRANK OVER AND NOT START. IT WAS RELATIVELY CLEAR FROM THE SOUND THE ENGINE WAS MAKING DURING THE STARTER ENGAGEMENT THAT THE CAMSHAFT TIMING WAS OFF. THE VALVE COVER WAS REMOVED AND THE MECHANIC VERIFIED THAT THE TIMING WAS INDEED OFF. THE TIMING CHAIN HAD JUMPED TIME ON BOTH THE INTAKE AND EXHAUST CAMSHAFTS. THE TIMING WAS OFF DUE TO EXCESSIVE SLACK IN THE TIMING CHAIN DUE TO A FAILED CHAIN TENSIONER. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN ON A 2013 BMW WITH MAINLY HIGHWAY MILES. I WAS TOLD I NEED A NEW ENGINE THAT WILL COST UPWARDS OF $15,000 OR BUY A SLIGHTLY USED ONE FOR APPROXIMATELY $9,000. I'VE REACHED OUT TOT HE DEALER AND BMW NA WITH NO RELIEF. SIMILAR ISSUES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED IN THE X5 AND OTHER BMW CARS WHICH WERE RECALLED BUT FOR SOME REASON NO RECALL WAS SENT OUT ON THE N20 ENGINE FOR THE X3. FROM A QUICK INTERNET SEARCH THERE ARE MANY X3 OWNERS THAT HAVE THE SAME OR SIMILAR PROBLEMS. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE TO GET RELIEF FOR THESE OWNERS. UNFORTUNATELY THIS ONCE PROUD VEHICLE MAKER THAT NO LONGER BACKS THE LONGEVITY OF THE LUXURY CAR THEY BUILD.