NHTSA Complaint #11056120 — 2010 BMW 5 SERIES

ON SUNDAY 12/03 I SUDDENLY HEARD A KNOCKING NOISE WHILE ACCELERATING AND IMMEDIATELY REACHED THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE CAR CHECKED. THE DIAGNOSIS I RECEIVED IS THAT THERE HAS BEEN A FATAL FAILURE OF BEARING THAT CAUSE THE ENGINE TO GET DAMAGED AND IN NEED TO BE REPLACED. I LOOKED UP ON THE WEB AND FOUND OUT THAT IN 2014 BMW HAD A WORLDWIDE RECALL OF 2010 5 SERIES MODELS FOR A DEFECT IN THE ENGINE WHICH WOULD HAVE GENERATED THE SAME FAILURE I HAVE EXPERIENCE, SUDDENLY, ON SUNDAY. MY CAR WAS NEVER RECALLED, BUT THE FAILURE MODE AND THE YEAR OF THE MODEL ARE STRIKINGLY SIMILAR. THE RECALL I AM REFERENCING IS 14V-176 FOR THE VANOS. THE AFFECTED 5 SERIES MODELS WERE PRODUCED BETWEEN FEBRUARY 2010 ' AUGUST 2011. MY 5 SERIES WAS MANUFACTURED ON OCTOBER 2009, THEREFORE NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. HOWEVER THE FAILURE IS IDENTICAL TO THE ONE DESCRIBED BY THE RECALL AND I FEEL THAT THE RECALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE INCLUSIVE. MY 535 HAD 130 K MILES, WHICH DO NOT WARRANT SUCH A DRASTIC FAILURE, ESPECIALLY SINCE HAS BEEN DILIGENTLY SERVICED BY THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE. LAST OIL CHANGE HAD STILL 9000 MILES TO SPARE AND WHEN THEY REPLACED THE FILTER NOTHING WAS NOTICED. SUCH A DRASTIC AND RAPID FAILURE IT IS NOT OTHERWISE EXPLAINABLE.