NHTSA Complaint #11186869 — 2008 BMW 528XI

ONE DAY THIS WINTER, I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND SUDDENLY IT SMELT LIKE SOMETHING BURNING. THINKING IT WAS AN OUTSIDE ELEMENT, I THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT. A WEEK LATER, I SMELT THE SAME BURNING SO I GOT OUT OF MY CAR TO INSPECT AND FOUND THREE HOLES WERE BURNT STRAIGHT THROUGH MY LEATHER DRIVER SEAT AND ALSO BURNED RIGHT THROUGH MY WINTER JACKET!! THIS WAS DUE TO AN ISSUE WITHIN THE HEAT TRACKING IN MY SEAT. I BROUGHT WHAT HAPPENED TO BMW NORTH AMERICA, TO WHICH THEY TOLD ME THAT DUE TO MY CARS "AGE AND MILEAGE", THAT THIS WAS A *AND I QUOTE* "WEAR AND TEAR" ISSUE. I'M SORRY, BUT THE LAST TIME I CHECKED, NATURAL WEAR AND TEAR SHOULD NOT CAUSE A HAZARDOUS SITUATION FOR THE DRIVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE. THIS WAS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND IT SHOULD BE RECALLED. THE FACT THAT BMW WAS SO UNWILLING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE HARMFUL SITUATION THAT THIS DEFECT PUT ME IN, (FOR INSTANCE, IF I HAD NOT BEEN WEARING MY THICK WINTER JACKET, WHICH SHIELDED ME FROM BEING BURNED WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY) IS BEYOND DISAPPOINTING.