NHTSA Complaint #11144760 — 2013 BMW 550XI

I WAS DRIVING MY BMW 550 XI ON THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH WHEN I HAD WHAT WAS TERMED BY THE BMW SERVICE TECHNICIAN AS A "CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE". AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT I SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER TO THE DRIVE TRAIN. I IMMEDIATELY HAD TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT AS ON A BUSY HIGHWAY IN CHICAGO AND SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER IS DANGEROUS. I WAS ABLE TO GET STOPPED AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE. I THEN HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO BMW OF ORLAND PARK WHERE THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN DISMANTLED MY ENGINE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE FAILURE. THE DETERMINATION WAS MADE THAT INDEED THE ENGINE HAD A "ROD BEARING FAILURE" WHICH CAUSED THE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. AS I UNDERSTAND ENGINES VERY WELL IT IS NOT SURPRISING THAT AN ROD BEARING COULD FAIL. WHY I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT IS THAT THIS VEHICLE ONLY HAD 67,500 MILES ON IT AND AS I HAVE NOW DISCOVERED, MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THIS YEAR MAKE AND MODEL OF VEHICLE ARE HAVING THE SAME "CATASTROPHIC FAILURES" PUTTING THEM IN DANGEROUS SITUATIONS AS WELL. AS I CONTINUED TO INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE I HAVE FOUND THAT BMW NA KNOWS ABOUT THIS SITUATION AND HAS TO DATE DONE NOTHING TO EITHER WARN VEHICLE OWNERS OF THIS SITUATION NOR DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I DO KNOW THAT MULTIPLE ROD BEARING FAILURES SUCH AS MINE CANNOT BE COINCIDENCE AND NEED TO BE INVESTIGATED AS ENGINE FAILURES AT HIGH SPEEDS ARE THE MOST DANGEROUS OF ALL FAILURES.