NHTSA Complaint #11207240 — 2013 BMW 528I

ENGINE IMMEDIATELY LOST POWER ON HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH WITH NO WARNING. THE CAR WENT INTO NEUTRAL STATING TO GET TO A SAFE AREA, WHICH I WAS ABLE TO DRIFT TO. ONCE THE CAR STOPPED IT SWITCHED TO PARK. I TRIED TO RESTART THE ENGINE BUT IT WOULD NOT TURN. BECAUSE THE ENGINE WAS NOT RUNNING YOU CAN NOT PUT THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL. THIS CAUSED DIFFICULTY IN GETTING THE CAR TOWED FROM THE HIGHWAY SHOULDER. THE BMW N20 ENGINE HAS A KNOWN FLAW WITH THE OIL AND TIMING CHAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A BMW SERVICE CENTER WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE ENGINE IS DAMAGED FROM THE CHAIN AND THE ENGINE WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED AT A VALUE OF $18,000. THE VEHICLE HAS 102,000 MILES ON IT. BMW NA STATES THAT THE CAN NOT ASSIST IN COST SINCE IT IS OUTSIDE OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD, ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE ALREADY EXTENDED THE WARRANTY FOR THIS FAULT ONCE. ALL MAINTENANCE HAD BEEN COMPLETED BASED ON THE SERVICE INTERVALS. THE CHAIN SERVICE CHECK IS NOT UNTIL 150,000 MILES. IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT A ONCE REPUTABLE CAR MANUFACTURER WOULD LET THEIR CUSTOMERS STRANDED ON THE ROAD AND THEN AGAIN IN THE SERVICE CENTER WITH A REPAIR BILL WORTH MORE THAN THE VEHICLE ITSELF. I LOOK FORWARD TO THE RESOLUTION OF THE CURRENT CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT IN THIS MATTER AS MY CAR SITS UNUSABLE.