NHTSA Complaint #11155472 — 2009 BMW 535I

WITHIN 15 MIN OF ARRIVING HOME IN SAID VEHICLE, WIFE STARTED CAR IN DRIVEWAY TO GO SHOPPING. IMMEDIATELY, DENSE BLACK SMOKE BEGAN POURING FROM UNDER THE DASH. SHE TURNED THE CAR OFF, BUT LEFT KEY FOB IN COLUMN. SHE SUMMONED ME FROM INSIDE OUR HOUSE AND WHEN I ARRIVED THE SMOKE WAS STILL POURING OUT FROM UNDER CENTER TO DRIVER SIDE OF DASH. I REMOVED THE KEY FOB FROM COLUMN AND APPROX. 1 TO 2 MIN LATER THE SMOKE STOPPED - WAS GOING TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY, BUT SMOKE STOPPED BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO OPEN GARAGE AND GATHER TOOLS. NO FLAMES WERE EVER SEEN AND ABSOLUTELY NO SMOKE FROM UNDER HOOD AREA - ALL INSIDE CAR. MANY WARNING LIGHTS ARE NOW ILLUMINATED - AWD SYS, DSC, ABS, 4X4, LIGHTING SYS (CHECK DISPLAYS, TURN SIGNALS, HIGH BEAMS, HEADLAMP FLASHER AND FOG LAMPS). NONE OF THE EXTERIOR LIGHTS SEEM TO FUNCTION. THIS ALL OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING AND FORTUNATELY HAPPENED WHILE STOPPED IN THE DRIVEWAY. CHECKED RECALL LOG ON NHTSA FOR VIN AND FOUND "0" RECALLS. THE VEHICLE ALSO INCLUDES "X-DRIVE" (ALL WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM).