NHTSA Complaint #11487410 — 2017 BMW 330I

IN MARCH 2022 I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND I NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER MY HOOD. I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO A MECHANICAL SHOP CLOSE BY. I WAS INFORMED THAT QUICK RELEASE COUPLING OF THE VENTILATION LINE O FTHE CYLINDER HEAD HAD TO BE REPLACED. BMW PART # 17129845173. AS A RESULT OF THIS MALFUNCTION ALL OF THE COOLANT DRAINED FROM THE CAR WHICH CAUSED THE OVERHEATING. IN AUGUST OF 2022 I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM BMW USA THAT STATED "DURING A RECENT QUALITY ANALYSIS IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT THE QUICK RELEASE COUPLING OF THE VENTILATION LINE O FTHE CYLINDER HEAD COULD BREAK RESULTING IN COOLANT LOSS. THE LETTER SAID U SHOLD BRING IT TO MY LOCAL BMW DEALERSHIP TO BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE. I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED IT WITH BMW PART # 17129845173 (SAME EXACT PART NUMBER). I ASKED IF I COULD BE REIMBURSED SINCE THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED TO MY CAR. THE SALES ASSOCIATE SAID I HAVE TO GO THOROUGH BMW AMERICA WHO SAID, YES THIS IS THE EXACT SAME PART AND THE CURRENT PROBLEM IS WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU IN MARCH BUT THEY WOULD NOT REIMBURSE ME FOR THE ALMOST 800.00 I PAID TO GET IT FIXED BEFORE I RECEIVED THE RECALL LETTER. THE BMW REPRESENTATIVE THEN PROCEED TO TELL ME " ma’am, let me remind you that you drive a luxury vehicle so next time you have a problem I would suggest pulling over on the side of the road and towing it to a dealer”. I Informed this representative that I was thinking of my safety. I am a single female, in the dark, with my car smoking on the highway and my first instinct was not to pull over on the side of the highway, wait for a tow truck, then find my own ride home from a far away BMW dealership. I HAVE ALL DOCUMENTATION THAT INCLUDES THE INITIAL WORK, THE RECALL LETTER FROM BMW AND THE WORK DONE AT THE BMW DEALERSHIP SHOWING THAT IT WAS THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. I AM SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT OF THE ORIGINAL WORK AS THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND WAS ALERTED BY BMW INDICATING THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN TO VEHICLE AND NEEDD TO BE FIXED.