2014 BMW 535D Power Train Problems

On/around 4/24/2023, I was driving home at approximately 35mph when I heard a loud noise under the car as if I had run over something. I was able to safely pull into a parking lot and immediately shut off the engine. The vehicle was hard to steer but I managed to do it. There were no warning lamps or messages and the control center said "all systems are okay" I looked under the car and saw a significant amount of oil coming from underneath the car. I opened the hood and saw significant oil on the lower engine. I called AAA and had the vehicle towed to my local BMW dealership where I had worked done recently around 11/2022. My service advisor was able to check the car in and told me he would give me an update the next day. I received an inspection video on 4/25/2023 in which...

BMW has recalled the HPFP and EGR Cooler but not the EGR valve, which also fails and causes power loss, due to the same issues noted in the other recalls. The EGR valve should be added to the EGR cooler recall. The dealers are hiding behind ambiguity on this point to charge consumers for a common failure that should be covered, for the same reasons the EGR cooler has been recalled.

THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 BMW 535D. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, DRIVESHAFT DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO BMW OF MILWAUKEE NORTH (5990 N. GREEN BAY AVE, GLENDALE, WI 53209, (414) 290-4200) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE U-JOINT, TRANSMISSION, DRIVE SHAFT, TRANSFER CASE, PROPELLER SHAFT, UNDERBODY PLATE AND SHIELD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT ASSOCIATED THE FAILURE WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V185000 (POWER TRAIN) HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 103,000.

I WAS DRIVING ON A FREEWAY IN CA, THE ENGINE STALLED SUDDENLY, AND TRANSMISSION WENT INTO TO PARK WHILEI WAS IN TRAFFIC. THERE IS NO WAY TO OVERRIDE THE ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION FROM IN THE CAR; ONLY WAY TO GET IT INTO NEUTRAL IS FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE (NOT ACCESSIBLE UNLESS ON A LIFT AND NOT POSSIBLE ON A BUSY FREEWAY). THIS IS A SHOCKINGLY BAD DESIGN AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. I WAS A "DEAD DUCK" IN TRAFFIC. FINALLY FOUND A FLATBED WHO COULD PLACE THE REAR WHEELS ON A DOLLY AND PUT THE CAR UP ON A FLATBED (THIS WAS THE 4TH TOWING COMPANY...THE FIRST THREE DECLINED AND/OR DIDN'T HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO MOVE IT). ULTIMATELY BMW REPLACED THE ENTIRE DIESEL FUEL SYSTEM IN THE CAR, A KNOWN ISSUE I UNDERSTAND, BUT I AM STILL HAUNTED BY THE DANGEROUS PREDICAMENT THAT I FOUND MYSELF IN ON A SUNDAY EVENING 75 MILES...

WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP (E.G., FROM A STOP SIGN, RED LIGHT, OR MERGING ONTO A HIGHWAY), THE CAR ACCELERATES NORMALLY FOR A SECOND OR SO AND THEN ACTS AS IF THE FUEL SUPPLY WAS CUT OFF (OR AS IF IT RUNS ONLY ON ONE CYLINDER) AND SLOWS DOWN TO ALMOST A STANDSTILL. SEVERAL SECONDS THEREAFTER IT PICKS UP SPEED AGAIN AND THEN THE MESSAGE 'DRIVE MODERATELY. MAXIMUM DRIVETRAIN OUTPUT NOT AVAILABLE. CONSULT SERVICE CENTER.' APPEARS. THIS HAPPENED INITIALLY TWICE IN MAY 2017 (ONCE TO ME, ANOTHER TIME TO MY WIFE). THE CAR WAS FOR 10 DAYS AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR AND REGIONAL SPECIALISTS STOPPED BY AND HELPED THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP LOCATING THE PROBLEM. THEY COULD REPRODUCE THE 'STALLING' AND RETURNED THE CAR TO US WITH THE HOPE THAT THEY INDEED HAD FOUND THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM (ELECTRONIC GOVERNOR OF AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION). THE SAME MALFUNCTION (SUDDEN STALLING AFTER...

ON 12/03/2016, MY 2014 BMW 535D ABRUPTLY STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, BLOCKING TRAFFIC. IT HAD SPONTANEOUSLY LOCKED ITSELF INTO 'PARK' WITHOUT WARNING. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT START, AND THERE WAS NO WAY TO OVERCOME THE ELECTRONIC LOCK ON THE TRANSMISSION AND PUT THE TRANSMISSION INTO 'NEUTRAL' TO PUSH THE CAR OUT OF TRAFFIC. IT HAD TO BE TOWED. FORTUNATELY THIS HAPPENED ON A SLOW MOVING ROAD. ON A FAST HIGHWAY, THIS EVENT WOULD HAVE POSED A MORTAL HAZARD. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF A VEHICLE THAT BECOMES DYSFUNCTIONAL IN THAT WAY. ONE OF THE PASSING DRIVERS STOPPED AND INFORMED ME THAT EXACTLY THE SAME HAPPENED WITH HIS BMW 535D AND THAT BMW OF NORTH AMERICA IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS SITUATION SHOULD BE A SERIOUS CONCERN OF THE NHTSA. *TR

I HIT A PIECE OF TRUCK TIRE DEBRIS ON I-495N IN MARLBORO MA AT NIGHT AND I WAS UNABLE TO STOP AND INSPECT FOR DAMAGE DUE TO HEAVY TRAFFIC. ALL SEEMED OK. 15 MINUTES LATER IN CHELMSFORD MA, THE CAR GAVE "DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION, REDUCED POWER, DRIVE GENTLY" MESSAGE AND CONTINUED TO LOSE POWER AND SLOW DOWN. I PULLED OVER SAFELY TO THE BREAKDOWN LANE AND THEN THE ENGINE STOPPED AND COULD NOT BE RESTARTED AGAIN. TIRE DEBRIS FROM EARLIER RUPTURED PART OF THE FUEL SYSTEM AND CAUSED THE CAR TO DUMP DIESEL FUEL ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE ENGINE EVENTUALLY STOPPED DUE TO RUNNING OUT OF FUEL. GIVEN THAT THE CAR HAS ALL-WHEEL DRIVE (AWD), A FLATBED TRUCK IS REQUIRED FOR TOWING. NO OTHER TOW METHOD IS ALLOWED. THIS REQUIRES BEING ABLE TO PUT THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL (N) WHILE THE CAR IS DISABLED AND RELEASE THE PARKING BRAKE IN...