NHTSA Complaint #11062694 — 2008 BMW 535XI

THE WIRING HARNESSES IN THE TAILGATE HAVE BEEN BOTH SEVERED AND OTHERWISE DAMAGED BY THE NORMAL OPERATION OF THE TAILGATE AND LIFTGLASS. THE HINGES AND WIRING TRAYS HAVE SHARP EDGES AND THE WIRE INSULATION MATERIAL SEEMS TO BE OF A PVC MATERIAL. IT APPEARS THAT THIS MATERIAL IS VULNERABLE TO FAILURE WITH ONLY REGULAR OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE, HOWEVER, THE SHARP EDGES OF THE HARNESS TRAY IN THE TAILGATE HINGES ACT AS SHEARS THAT HAVE SEVERED THE WIRES. THIS PRESENTS SEVERAL SAFETY ISSUES INCLUDING THE POTENTIAL OF FIRES FROM ELECTRICAL SHORTS, MALFUNCTIONING AND DAMAGE OF CONTROL MODULES DUE TO ELECTRICAL SHORTS, INOPERABLE REAR-DEFOGGER SYSTEM, INOPERABLE KEYFOB REMOTES FOR ENTRY AND LOCKING, LOSS OF RADIO SYSTEM INCLUDING WEATHER BAND FOR SAFETY UPDATES, ETC. THIS APPEARS TO BE NOT ONLY A COMMON PROBLEM, BUT EVERY VEHICLE IN THIS DESIGNATION HAS EITHER SUFFERED FROM THESE PROBLEMS OR IS SUSCEPTIBLE. AS NOTED IN SEVERAL BLOGSITES WHERE OWNERS AND REPAIR SPECIALISTS HAVE COMMENTED, THIS IS AN OBVIOUS DESIGN DEFECT THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY BOTH NHTSA AND THE MANUFACTURER. CLEARLY A RECALL AND MANUFACTURER-PAID REPAIR SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED.