NHTSA Complaint #11082021 — 2011 BMW 328I

WHILE LOOKING UP THE RECALL FOR THE TAKATA RECALL, I NOTICED THERE WAS AN OPEN RECALL ON MY CAR FOR THE VANOS HOUSING BOLTS, I HAD NOT RECEIVED A NOTICE IN THE MAIL EVEN THOUGH I HAD UPDATED MY ACCOUNT WITH BMW AT FIRST NOTICE OF THE TANAKA RECALL. I HAD MY CAR SERVICED FOR THE VANO HOUSING REPAIR WHICH THEY REMOVED THE VALVE COVER TO INSPECT THE BOLTS AND FOUND A BROKEN BOLT ON THE VANOS HOUSING AND REPLACED THE EXHAUST, REMOVED AND INSPECTED THE OIL PAN TO REMOVE THE FRAGMENTS. I PAID FOR AN OIL CHANGE THAT DAY. LESS THAN 7300 MILES AND 2 QUARTS OF OIL LATER I WAS EXPERIENCING AN OIL LEAK THAT WAS CAUSED BY AN IMPROPERLY SEATED VALVE COVER NOT SEATING TO THE CYLINDER HEAD. THEY OFFERED TO REPAIR A BROKEN CYLINDER HEAD BOLT FOR $500 I DECLINED AS MY MECHANIC SAID IT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE AND THEY SHOULD REPAIR A BOLT IF THEY ARE ALREADY IN THERE. I'D ALSO LIKE TO NOTE THAT THE RECALL LISTED THE REPAIR WAS TO TAKE 4 HOURS BUT THEY HAD MY CAR 3 DAYS. NO LOANER WAS GIVEN UNTIL THE END OF THE 2ND DAY. THEY ARE NOW REFUSING TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THE VALVE COVER $1000 REPAIR. I NOTICED ONLINE THAT SEVERAL DEALERS REPLACED THE VALVE COVER AS A PART OF THIS SERVICE TO AVOID THIS PROBLEM, THOUGH BERT SMITH BMW ST. PETERSBURG, FL DID NOT. I ALSO HAVE 2 OTHER OPEN RECALLS ON MY CAR THAT HAVE BEEN LISTED AS A REMEDY NOT AVAILABLE SINCE DECEMBER 2017.