NHTSA Complaint #11680698 — 2019 BMW X3

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM issue reported to NHTSA

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Complaint Details

ODI Number 11680698
Vehicle 2019 BMW X3
Component ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Date of Incident
Date Filed
Mileage N/A miles
Crash No
Fire No
Injuries 0
Deaths 0
Vehicle Towed No
State MN

Consumer Description

My X3 has 52,000 miles. During a recent road trip, an "Emergency Call System Malfunction" message appeared. When I returned home, I took the vehicle to the dealership. The advisor said the shark fin trim is loose on the roof causing water ingress into the vehicle causing damage to the aerial antenna and the TCB unit. The TCB unit is also known as the Telematics Control Unit that is responsible for vehicle safety and connectivity features, door locking mechanisms, and so on. The technician found faults in the aerial antenna and TCB. I understand from the service advisor that they see this fairly regularly. I have further learned that BMW issued a Service Information Bulletin admitting the problem to dealers and telling them it was a manufacturing defect during the painting process and lists the parts needed to fix it. The quoted cost to replace the damaged components and install/seal a new shark fin was over $4,000 (almost 10% of the car's original price). BMW knows this to be a problem and I think there should be a safety recall for it, regardless of whether the car is out of its original warranty period.

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