NHTSA Complaint #11464864 — 2017 BMW 340I

My BMW had a pinhole in the radiator caused by driving on the highway and being impacted by a small foreign object. Apparently a foreign object (rock?) impacted the radiator creating a tiny leak. BMW repaired the vehicle (new radiator) and installed a "Rock Guard" without discussing this new Guard with me. Rock Guard Part # 17-11-8-185-042. This $1,900 repair is a known defect in the design which is why BMW adds the Rock Guard when replacing radiators. After the repair, research indicates this is a common issue for this model car. Loss of coolant could have resulted in an overheated engine leading to vehicle damage or possible failure of the engine while driving. There were not any warnings provided by the vehicle's systems due to the loss of coolant from the pinhole in the radiator. The symptom that lead to the discovery was the air conditioning system stopped cooling. The loss of the ability to cool the engine stops the AC from working. Taking the car in for service for the AC is what lead to the discovery of the leak in the radiator.