NHTSA Complaint #11093385 — 2013 BMW 535I

AIR SUSPENSION. CAR LEANED LEFT AFTER SITTING, BUT THE AIR SPRING PUMPED UP ON VEHICLE START-UP. CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO IDENTIFIED A LEAKING LEFT REAR AIR SUSPENSION SPRING. IDENTIFIED TECHNICAL BULLETIN (SI B37 01 15) NOTING FAULTY INSTALLATION DURING ASSEMBLY. THE BULLETING RECOMMENDS REPLACING LEFT AIR SPRING (BMW TO SUPPLY LABOR AND PARTS) ON CARS MANUFACTURED THROUGH FEB 2, 2013. MY CAR WAS MANUFACTURED FEB 17, 2013 AND THE BMW CUSTOMER RELATIONS DEPARTMENT REFUSES TO COVER THE COST OF REPLACEMENT SINCE IT IS OUTSIDE THE BULLETIN DATES. CAR HAS 40,500 MILES AND THE FAILURE WAS EXACTLY AS DESCRIBED IN THE TECHNICAL BULLETIN. HENCE, THIS IS EVIDENCE THAT THE VEHICLE DEFECT EXCEEDS THE ASSEMBLY DATES AND THE DATE OF MANUFACTURE SHOULD BE EXTENDED. FURTHER, THE AIR SPRING WAS DEFECTIVE, BUT A WARNING LIGHT WAS NOT ACTIVATED BECAUSE THE AIR BAG WAS INFLATED DURING THE VEHICLE START UP PROCESS. THIS MAY HAVE LED TO A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF A DEFECTIVE AIR SHOCK WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION, AND IS THEREFORE A SAFETY HAZARD.