NHTSA Complaint #11480954 — 2015 BMW 328I

I brought my 2015 BMW 328i to a local BMW dealership service center to inspect why my check engine light turned on. As part of their multi-point inspection, the service technician found an unrelated problem with the rear left tail light. This was identified as a critical electrical issue that required immediate repair. The details are listed in the service center's repair estimate /invoice: Multi-Point Inspection Items requiring immediate attention Additional Service Repair Critical Cause UPON FURTHER INSPECTION OF VEHICLE, FOUND LEFT REAR TAIL LIGHT CONNECTOR MELTED CAUSING TURN SIGNAL MALFUNCTION. RECOMMEND REPLACING LEFT REAR TAIL LIGHT CARRIER , PINS , CONNECTOR Upon further investigation, I found dozens of online posts from BMW 3 series owners with the exact same issue. As noted by a reply from a BMW master certified technician, this is a known issue and a defect/flaw in the design where the ground wire in the taillight is undersized, thus resulting in overload and subsequent melting of the connector. Post after post on multiple sites contain BMW owners stating the exact same issue and cause regarding the brown/ground wire leading to an electrical short. An electrical short causing a connector to actually melt seems like a safety issue. This can lead to a fire. I find this disturbing, especially with a toddler that is strapped into a car seat in the back. This is a known issue with the design that impacts the safety of the vehicle and should be a recall.