NHTSA Complaint #11414644 — 2013 BMW 328I

TIMING CHAIN GUIDE FAILURE. COULD'VE BEEN PREVENTED HAD WE BEEN PROPERLY NOTIFIED THAT THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT AND THAT THIS PART HAD BEEN RE-ENGINEERED IN 2013 DUE TO KNOWN FAILURE. LIMITED WARRANTY LETTER SENT 12/2017 DID NOT ADEQUATELY INFORM US OF THE NEED TO HAVE THIS PART CHECKED AND REPLACED. IN FACT LETTER STATES "THIS IS NOT A NOTICE OF A RECALL OR SERVICE ACTION." DRIVING FROM LONG BEACH CA TO PHOENIX AZ ON 3/5/21. 90 MILES OUTSIDE OF PHOENIX, ENGINE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON FOR "LOW OIL PRESSURE". PULLED OVER, RAN OIL LEVEL CHECK AND IT READ "FULL". SEEMED ODD. DROVE ON FURTHER, 20 MINS LATER, SAME MESSAGE CAME ON, PULLED OFF INTERSTATE AND AGAIN RAN OIL LEVEL CHECK, READ FULL. THOUGHT MAYBE IT'S JUST A FAULTY SENSOR AND COULD HAVE IT FIXED WHEN WE ARRIVE TO PHOENIX. NEXT DAY, BROUGHT THE CAR TO CHAPMAN BMW IN PHOENIX AND THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A CRACKED OIL FILTER HOUSING. WHEN ASKED, "HOW MUCH OIL WAS IT LOW, AND WHY DID THE OIL LEVEL COME UP FULL IF THERE WAS A LOW PRESSURE?" THEY DECIDED TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK. ONLY THEN DID THEY FIND THE BROKEN PART IN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TIMING CHAIN. THIS FAILED PART ALSO RESULTED IN HAVING TO HAVE OTHER PARTS REPLACED, INCLUDING THE OIL PUMP, DUE TO WORN PLASTIC SHAVINGS RUN THROUGH THE SYSTEM. THIS/THESE ARE ADDRESSED IN THE GELIS, ET AL. V. BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT AND BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC, CIVIL ACTION NO. 2:17-CV-07386 SETTLEMENT. WE HAD JUST PASSED 100K MILES A FEW DAYS BEFORE LEAVING FOR OUR TRIP. HOWEVER, THIS COULD'VE BEEN AVOIDED HAD WE KNOWN THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO HAVE THESE PARTS PRE-EMPTIVELY REPLACED AT A SPECIFIC MILEAGE. ADDITIONAL PARTS/REPAIRS NEEDED DUE TO THIS PART FAILURE, WE ALSO INCURRED ADDITIONAL UNNECESSARY HOTEL, AIRFARE, AND TRANSPORTATION EXPENSES. ALL OF THIS COULD'VE BEEN AVOIDED IF BMW PROVIDED PROPER MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE