2014 BMW 335XI — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

What happened: While driving, steering system malfunction warning appeared, power steering felt normal. Within 5 sec the HVAC blower quit, A/C shut off, and “Transmission not in Park” flashed although shifter was untouched (in Drive). All cluster gauges began sweeping randomly; iDrive screen flickered. Within 10 seconds, I heard a loud pop from passenger-side engine bay; voltage warnings continued. Pulled over immediately, switched ignition off, opened hood: active flames at passenger side of engine bay. Fire spread rapidly. Fire dept arrived within 5 min, but vehicle was fully engulfed. Total loss. No injuries. Suspected root cause: BMW’s PCV valve-heater (“blow-by heater”) or electric coolant-pump connector short-circuited, causing a massive current draw that browned out control modules (explaining the cascading warnings) and started the fire. These parts are the subjects of recalls 22V-119 (PCV heater, build cutoff 10 Oct 2013) and 24V-608 (water-pump connector, N20 engines only). My VIN shows NO open recalls, yet the failure sequence and fire origin perfectly match the defects acknowledged in those campaigns. Damage & consequences Complete destruction of vehicle forward of the firewall and significant damage to cabin. Towing, tow-yard and haz-mat cleanup fees incurred in excess of $1300 I only have liability coverage on the vehicle, so insurance will not get involved. Request to NHTSA Please investigate 2014 335i GT (N55) models excluded from 22V-119 and 24V-608. Evidence suggests the same defective components are present and can cause in-motion engine-bay fires. Please advise if I have any recourse on this matter.

What happened: While driving, steering system malfunction warning appeared, power steering felt normal. Within 5 sec the HVAC blower quit, A/C shut off, and “Transmission not in Park” flashed although shifter was untouched (in Drive). All cluster gauges began sweeping randomly; iDrive screen flickered. Within 10 seconds, I heard a loud pop from passenger-side engine bay; voltage warnings continued. Pulled over immediately, switched ignition off, opened hood: active flames at passenger side of engine bay. Fire spread rapidly. Fire dept arrived within 5 min, but vehicle was fully engulfed. Total loss. No injuries. Suspected root cause: BMW’s PCV valve-heater (“blow-by heater”) or electric coolant-pump connector short-circuited, causing a massive current draw that browned out control modules (explaining the cascading warnings) and started the fire. These parts are the subjects of recalls 22V-119 (PCV heater, build cutoff 10 Oct 2013) and 24V-608 (water-pump connector, N20 engines only). My VIN shows NO open recalls, yet the failure sequence and fire origin perfectly match the defects acknowledged in those campaigns. Damage & consequences Complete destruction of vehicle forward of the firewall and significant damage to cabin. Towing, tow-yard and haz-mat cleanup fees incurred in excess of $1300 I only have liability coverage on the vehicle, so insurance will not get involved. Request to NHTSA Please investigate 2014 335i GT (N55) models excluded from 22V-119 and 24V-608. Evidence suggests the same defective components are present and can cause in-motion engine-bay fires. Please advise if I have any recourse on this matter.

What happened: While driving, steering system malfunction warning appeared, power steering felt normal. Within 5 sec the HVAC blower quit, A/C shut off, and “Transmission not in Park” flashed although shifter was untouched (in Drive). All cluster gauges began sweeping randomly; iDrive screen flickered. Within 10 seconds, I heard a loud pop from passenger-side engine bay; voltage warnings continued. Pulled over immediately, switched ignition off, opened hood: active flames at passenger side of engine bay. Fire spread rapidly. Fire dept arrived within 5 min, but vehicle was fully engulfed. Total loss. No injuries. Suspected root cause: BMW’s PCV valve-heater (“blow-by heater”) or electric coolant-pump connector short-circuited, causing a massive current draw that browned out control modules (explaining the cascading warnings) and started the fire. These parts are the subjects of recalls 22V-119 (PCV heater, build cutoff 10 Oct 2013) and 24V-608 (water-pump connector, N20 engines only). My VIN shows NO open recalls, yet the failure sequence and fire origin perfectly match the defects acknowledged in those campaigns. Damage & consequences Complete destruction of vehicle forward of the firewall and significant damage to cabin. Towing, tow-yard and haz-mat cleanup fees incurred in excess of $1300 I only have liability coverage on the vehicle, so insurance will not get involved. Request to NHTSA Please investigate 2014 335i GT (N55) models excluded from 22V-119 and 24V-608. Evidence suggests the same defective components are present and can cause in-motion engine-bay fires. Please advise if I have any recourse on this matter.

I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT YESTERDAY AT MY JOB PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE FOOT ON BRAKE PEDAL, WHEN MY CAR ACCELERATED INTO A PARKED TRUCK. I AM STILL IN DISABLED THIS HAPPENED. I KNOW I DID NOT BIT THE GAS BY MISTAKE AS THAT I WASN'T USING THE GAS PEDAL I WAS PULLING IN THE SPACE USING THE BRAKE I DRIVE WITH MY RIGHT FOOT ONLY AND CAN'T PUSH TWO PEDALS AT ONCE. I TURNED THE CAR OFF IMMEDIATELY AND THEN STARTED IT AGAIN AND BACKED OFF THE TRUCK . I'VE PARKED IN PARKING SPACES FOR YEARS AND NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE .

I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT YESTERDAY AT MY JOB PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE FOOT ON BRAKE PEDAL, WHEN MY CAR ACCELERATED INTO A PARKED TRUCK. I AM STILL IN DISABLED THIS HAPPENED. I KNOW I DID NOT BIT THE GAS BY MISTAKE AS THAT I WASN'T USING THE GAS PEDAL I WAS PULLING IN THE SPACE USING THE BRAKE I DRIVE WITH MY RIGHT FOOT ONLY AND CAN'T PUSH TWO PEDALS AT ONCE. I TURNED THE CAR OFF IMMEDIATELY AND THEN STARTED IT AGAIN AND BACKED OFF THE TRUCK . I'VE PARKED IN PARKING SPACES FOR YEARS AND NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE .