NHTSA Complaint #745743 — 2001 BMW 325

ELECTRIC COOLING SYSTEM FANS ON BMW 325 SERIES ARE FAILING WITH REGULARITY. REPLACEMENT FAN ALLEGED TO BE UPGRADED VERSION. RECENTLY ALL SUCH VEHICLES ENTERING U.S. ARE HAVING THIS SIZE FAN REPLACED WITH OLD STYLE, LARGER, HIGH VOLUME FANS. HAVE NO CONFIDENCE MY PRESENT REPLACEMENT/UPGRADED FAN WILL NOT FAIL AGAIN, PARTICULARLY IN LIGHT BMW ARE REPLACING SUCH SIZE FANS WITH MUCH LARGER ONES PRIOR TO DELIVERY AS THESE VEHICLES ENTER THE U.S. CHECK WWW.BIMMER.ORG IN THE E46 SERIES BULLETIN BOARD FOR THE LAST THREE MONTHS COMMENTS ON "AUX FANS". IT 'APPEARS' BMW HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM FOR SOME REASONABLE LENGTH OF TIME AND CONTINUED TO INSTALL AND DELIVER DEFECTIVE FANS IN THESE AUTOMOBILES. THERE ARE PRESENTLY FANS FROM THIS ORIGINAL DEFECTIVE BATCH STILL ON THE MOTORWAYS. I KNOW OF ONE INSTANCE WHERE AN 'UPGRADED' FAN STOPPED WORKING LEAVING THE MOTORIST STRANDED, THOUGH LATER WAS SAID TO BE OPERABLE. THE SAFETY IMPLICATION SURROUNDS AUTOMOBILES BREAKING DOWN, PARTICULARLY IN SLOW/CONGESTED TRAFFIC SITUATIONS, LEAVING MOTORISTS AND VEHICLE AT RISK OF COLLISION ON CONGESTED MOTORWAYS. SUGGEST RECALL AND REMOVAL OF THESE SIZE FANS AND FITMENT OF THE LARGER HIGH VOLUME FANS THAT ARE CAPABLE OF THE DUTY CYCLE DEMANDED UNDER ALL ANTICIPATED CONDITIONS FOR THESE VEHICLES. THERE IS ONE INSTANCE WHERE FAILURE OF THE FAN 'MAY' HAVE FAILED THUS CAUSING ENGINE OVERHEAT AND ENGINE COMPARTMENT ACCESSORY MELTDOWN AND/OR FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF A U.S. SPECIFICATION VEHICLE BEING OPERATED IN PARIS, FRANCE PRIOR TO SHIPMENT BY THE U.S. OWNER/OPERATOR TO AMERICA. THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM FOR THE MOTORING PUBLIC. THANK YOU. *AK