NHTSA Complaint #11268417 — 2003 BMW 330XI

WINDOW BROKE WHILE DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY. RIGHT REAR PASSENGER WINDOW WAS BEING LOWERED. HEAR WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A CRACKING SOUND. WINDOW STAYED IN THE DOWN POSITION AND COULD NOT BE RAISED. SMALL CHILD WAS SEATED IN HIS CAR SEAT NEXT TO WINDOW. WE WERE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AT A SPEED OF 70 MPH. (HWY 540). A THUNDERSTORM BEGAN, NO SAFE WAY TO PULL OVER FOR ABOUT A MILE OR TWO. 4 YR OLD CHILD WAS SCARED, WET AND HOT (NORTH CAROLINA-SUMMER). CHILD WAS NOT HARMED, JUST VERY SCARED. SEMI TRAILER TRUCKS HAULING BY. VERY BUSY TIME OF DAY. CHILD WAS MY NEIGHBORS SON, I WAS HELPING PICK HIM UP FROM DAYCARE BECAUSE HER OTHER CHILD WAS SICK I BRING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION AS THIS IS THE 5TH WINDOW ON THIS VEHICLE THAT THIS HAS OCCURRED. EACH TIME IT HAS BEEN JARRING TO SAY THE LEAST TO HEAR GLASS CRACKING AS YOU LOWER THE WINDOW. I'VE HAD TO LEAVE MY CAR OPEN TO THE ELEMENTS, THRIVED. EACH TIME THE COST TO REPAIR A WINDOW HAS BEEN AROUND $600. I GO TO VERY REPUTABLE REPAIR SHOPS HERE AND IN CALIFORNIA. THINGS HAVE BEEN SUCKED OUT OF THE WINDOW DUE TO THE FORCE OF THE WIND. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. ONE INCIDENT WAS ENOUGH, BUT 5!!! I HAVE OWNED MANY VEHICLES OVER THE YEARS AND THE WINDOWS DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM. IT SCARY AND A MAJOR DISTRACTION FOR THE DRIVER. UNBELIEVABLE. BMW HAS A BIG PROBLEM. MY FIRST OCCURRENCE WAS IN 2010 AND THEY HAVE CONTINUED THOUGH 1218. CURRENTLY THE FRONT PASSENGER WINDOW IS ALSO MAKE A GLASS SCRAPING SOUND, SO WE JUST LEASE IT UP. THAT WINDOW HAD BEEN REPLACED IN 2010.. SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT THIS. IT'S ALL OVER THE INTERNET, I DON'T HAVE ANY PHOTOS TO PROVIDE SINCE I WAS ALWAYS IN SUCH A HURRY TO GET THEM FIXED DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS. PLEASE HELP THIS A BIG PROBLEM FOR US BMW DRIVERS.(I'M GLAD THE TODDLER IN MY CAR WAS UNHARMED, NO BROKEN GLASS GOT ON HIM. MY 1999 FORD EXPEDITION WINDOWS HAVE NO PROBLEMS, EVEN WITH MY 3 BOYS USING THEM.