NHTSA Complaint #11483117 — 2014 BMW X5

Front driveshaft broke at U-joint while driving Front driveshaft was showing signs of rust prior to the incident but unknown at the time that it was a more serious, known issue with the previous model. I believe this to be the exact same problem as the 2010-2013 BMW x5 E70 chassis (recall 17V-138). I saw the BMW service bulletin (unfortunately after the incident) which would have clearly shown me that my driveshaft was about to break. My vehicle is the next generation x5, 2014 4.4L with all wheel drive. It has the direct replacement driveshaft as the E70, but with the newer part number. I was driving, luckily at low speed, when the car started to vibrate (like a tire problem), then bang! clunk, clunk, clunk. The U-joint in my front driveshaft broke, smashed the transmission, exhaust and floor board causing the vehicle to be disabled. Transmission was cracked with a hole in the side of it. Cost to repair at BMW dealer exceeds $19K. BMW was unwilling to accept responsibility for the damages after working with their corporate team. They were not interested in reviewing the data as potentially part of the recall. I believe, based on what BMW knows about the previous recall and the pictures of my driveshaft a few months before it broke, this is a problem that BMW has not fixed on later models which will become more evident as they age. I suspect a possible culprit is the A/C drain line that is almost right over top of the driveshaft and likely lets cold water constantly land on the U-joint. (Design flaw) - that's my opinion. I will be happy to share any additional information to help prevent this from happening to other BMW owners. I would like to see this reviewed for consideration of an additional model range to be covered.