NHTSA Complaint #11243921 — 2013 BMW X3

WE PURCHASED A 2013 BMW X3 IN DECEMBER 2012. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DEALER SERVICED FROM DAY ONE. IN 2018, FAIRFAX BMW REPLACED THE TIMING CHAIN AT NO COST WHEN THE VEHICLE HAD ONLY 45K MILES WHICH IS HIGHLY UNUSUAL. IN EARLY AUGUST I WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 81 SOUTH TRAVELLING FROM VIRGINIA TO ARIZONA. THE CAR BEGAN MAKING A TICKING SOUND WHICH BECAME PROGRESSIVELY LOUDER. I EXITED THE BUSY HIGHWAY AND BARELY MADE IT TO BMW OF ROANOKE, VA. I WAS TRAVELLING THE SPEED LIMIT WHEN THE PROBLEM BEGAN, AND WAS BARELY ABLE TO GO 45 MILES PER HOUR WHEN I EXITED. I SOON LEARNED THAT MY PARTICULAR ENGINE (F-25/N20) HAS A MAJOR DEFECT AND WILL LITERALLY BLOW UP WHILE DRIVING. BMW IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, AND HAS ENDANGERED MY HEALTH AND SAFETY BY REFUSING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT HAS BEEN FILED IN NEW JERSEY (CHRIS WILLIAMS, ET.AL. V. BMW NORTH AMERICA). THE DEALER IN ROANOKE SAID THE ENGINE IS UNREPAIRABLE WITH ONLY 51K MILES ON THE ODOMETER. ONE LAST OBSERVATION IN NOTICED IS THAT PRIOR TO STARTING MY TRIP I CHECKED THE ENGINE OIL LEVEL AND IT WAS ALMOST A QUART LOW WHICH HAD NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. I FILLED THE ENGINE TO IT'S RECOMMENDED CAPACITY AND BEGAN MY TRAVEL. THERE IS A LIST OF AFFECTED VEHICLES WITH ENGINE DEFECTS, AND MY VEHICLE IS ON THE LIST.