NHTSA Complaint #11176430 — 2008 BMW 650I

WE HAVE ALMOST DIED IN THIS CAR TWICE. THE FIRST TIME IN 2017, I WAS DRIVING DOWN A CITY STREET AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE HOOD. IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER, AND OPENED THE HOOD TO FIND STARTER IN FLAMES. CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE AND THE CAR SPENT A WEEK IN THE SHOP GETTING "REPAIRED". THIS PAST WEEK, AGAIN WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET, I SMELLED WHAT SMELLED LIKE BURNING METAL. PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY AND LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD HOWEVER NOTHING WAS THERE. FELT A SLIGHT BURN ON MYSELF AND DISCOVERED THAT MY HEATED SEAT HAD BURNED A A HALF DOLLAR SIZE HOLE IF NOT BIGGER INTO THE SEAT AND BURNED THROUGH MY EXPENSIVE JACKET AND A SWEATER! THIS CAR IS UNSAFE. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, WE LEARNED THAT THOUSANDS OF BMW'S CATCH ON FIRE EVERY YEAR. WE SPENT MONEY ON A LUXURY VEHICLE FOR MORE SAFETY AND COMFORT, NOT A DEATH TRAP. I AM SCARED TO DRIVE THIS CAR AND HAVE NOT DONE SO SINCE THE LAST FIRE (BURNED SEAT).