NHTSA Complaint #11328417 — 2013 BMW X3

ON 11/12/2019, ON MY WAY TO WORK DRIVING AT 40-44 MPH ON CITY ROAD, THE ACCELERATION SUDDENLY DROPPED, A SCREEN MESSAGE READ, "INCREASED ENGINE PRESSURE," AND ADVISED ME TO, "STOP ENGINE IMMEDIATELY," WHICH I HAD NO CHANCE TO DO BECAUSE THE SUV CAME TO A COMPLETE HALT. THANKFULLY I WAS ABLE TO TURN INTO THE DRIVEWAY OF A BUSINESS, BUT UNABLE TO PARK. THE CAR TURNED ITSELF OFF AND "LOCKED." A BMW DEALERSHIP SERVICE DIAGNOSED THE SUV'S TIME-CHAIN NEEDED REPLACEMENT (MILEAGE WAS 95515. BMW STATED THAT THE WARRANTY FOR THIS MODEL'S TIME-CHAIN WAS 7 YEARS/70,000 MILES. IN REPLACING THE TIME-CHAIN, THE MOTOR WAS RUINED WITH METAL SHAVINGS. COMPLAINTS LISTED AT HTTPS://DRIVING-TESTS.ORG/VIN-DECODER/ REPORT CONSUMERS WHO HAVE HAD SIMILAR BAD EXPERIENCE WITH THE TIMING CHAIN AT ABOUT 100,000 MILES. I PURCHASED THE BMW USED WITH 95899 MILES AND DROVE IT FEWER THAN 3,000 MILES BEFORE THE TIMING CHAIN AND ENGINE WERE RUINED. BMW NORTH AMERICA, LLC, DOES NOT WANT TO HELP CUSTOMERS WITH THE BAD TIMING CHAIN ISSUE. THE DEALER FROM WHOM I PURCHASED THE USED BMW IS BENZ & BEEMER IN SCOTTSDALE, AZ, WHOM ORIGINALLY BELIEVED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD "LIFETIME WARRANTY," BUT BMW SCOTTSDALE CORRECTED THEM. BENZ & BEEMER REFUSES TO NOW REPLACE THE BMW'S MOTOR AT THEIR EXPENSE, OF COURSE. ESSENTIALLY, THE BMW SUV IS AN EXPENSIVE VEHICLE, EVEN AS USED, TO NOT HAVE A "LIFETIME WARRANTY" ON THE TIMING CHAIN. IN ADDITION, THE FAULTY TIMING CHAIN POSES A GREAT ACCIDENT RISK, IF NOT DEATH, TO THE DRIVER BECAUSE THE VEHICLE HALTS TO A COMPLETE STOP, WHICH MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR THE DRIVER TO MOVE TO SAFETY, DIRE IF THE DRIVER IS IN THE FREEWAY TRAFFIC. IF THE MANUFACTURER CANNOT CHANGE THE WARRANTY ON THE TIMING CHAIN, THEN YOU MUST MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO PUT THIS VEHICLE OUT OF SERVICE BEGINNING AT 90,000 MILES. DIAGNOSE AT BMW SCOTTS 480-538-3991. THANKS, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *CC *TR