NHTSA Complaint #11139445 — 2016 BMW 328I

10/07/18 DRIVING BACK FROM FLORIDA AN HOUR INTO MY RIDE ON A 90 DEGREE DAY, I HAD MY SENIOR GREAT DANE IN MY CAR RETURNING TO ATLANTA. THE AC STOPPED, I COULD HEAR IT BEHIND THE DASH, BLOWING FULL FORCE, BUT NOTHING COMING OUT OF THE VENTS. BEING SUNDAY, NO-ONE COULD ADVISE ON A TEMPORARY SOLUTION, CALLED BMW SOS AND ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, THEY COULD DO NOTHING. I THOUGHT IT COULD BE POSSIBLE THE COILS FROZE UP, LIKE IN YOUR HOME, I SHUT THE AC OFF COMPLETELY AND HAD TO DRIVE WITH THE WINDOWS DOWN. THIS CORRECTED THE PROBLEM, BRIEFLY. I HAD TO CONTINUE ON A 4 HOUR DRIVE IN THIS HEAT WITH MY SENIOR DOG, MISERABLE IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT . I LEASE MY CAR, IT IS PERFECTLY MAINTAINED AND HAD JUST BEEN IN FOR SERVICE. MONDAY I CALLED THE SERVICE CENTER AND THEY KNEW EXACTLY WHAT THE ISSUE WAS, ESSENTIALLY FROZE UP AND THEY HAD A SOLUTION, A MANUAL OVERRIDE OF THE SOFTWARE. THANKFUL THEY HAD A SOLUTION BUT MORE CONCERNING, BMW IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE, AS I FOUND OUT ON MANY POSTS. THE CONCERNING PART, I HAVE NEVER TAKEN MY CAR ON A DRIVE LONGER THAN AN HOUR EXCEPT THIS TIME AND THE AC GOES OUT, THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE IN A LUXURY VEHICLE. THEY NEED TO NOTIFY THEIR CUSTOMERS THIS IS A POSSIBILITY AND THAT THEY HAVE A SOLUTION, I WOULD HAVE NEVER TAKEN THIS CAR ON A TRIP KNOWING IT WAS ENDANGERING MY SENIOR DOG, WHAT IF IT WAS A CHILD? BMW SHOULD NOTIFY THEIR CUSTOMERS OF THIS OCCURRING SO PEOPLE CAN BE AWARE AND MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS BEFORE RISKING AND AWFUL DRIVE. UPON EMAILING BMW CORP, THE CUSTOMER SERVICE PERSON STATES THIS HAS HAPPENED TO HER AND SHE SHUT HER CAR OFF FOR 20 MIN AND THEN IT WAS FINE, SO THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM, BUT NOT KNOWN TO OWNERS UNTIL YOU ARE INCONVENIENCED AND ENDANGERED. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A TWO LANE ROAD WITH NO CELL SERVICE, AND I AM TO SHUT MY CAR OFF IN THIS HEAT WITH MY DOG? ABSURD .