NHTSA Complaint #11150396 — 2014 BMW X3

TAIL LIGHT FAILURE DUE TO A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. LED DRIVER BOARDS ARE FAILING DUE TO BAD SOLDER CONNECTIONS, COMPONENTS DO NOT FAIL BUT THE ASSEMBLY DOES. I BELIEVE THE DEFECTIVE SOLDER JOINTS ARE PROBABLY DUE TO CONTAMINATION ON THE BARE CIRCUIT BOARD. I'VE REPAIRED MINE (ALBEIT PROBABLY ONLY TEMPORARILY DUE TO THE CONTAMINATION). THE FAILED JOINT ON MY ASSEMBLY WAS EXACTLY THE SAME ONE IDENTIFIED IN THIS YOUTUBE VIDEO I FOUND AT HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=JDPBM6CP_YO IT'S APPARENTLY A VERY COMMON PROBLEM, SO MUCH SO THAT THERE ARE MULTIPLE SOURCES FOR REPLACEMENT MODULES COMMON ON THE INTERNET (DO A SEARCH ON B003809.2 AND YOU'LL SEE WHAT I MEAN), EVEN THOUGH THE MODULES ARE "NOT REPLACEABLE," ACCORDING TO BMW. BMW CHARGES HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS TO REPLACE THE WHOLE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY EVEN THOUGH IT IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, NOT A WEAR OUT PROBLEM. FAILURE OF THE LED DRIVE DISABLES THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY WHICH IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE. THE PREPONDERANCE OF PREMATURE FAILURES DUE TO A MANUFACTURING DEFECT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER BUT THEY ARE NOT DOING ANYTHING.