1997 BMW 540I — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

PASSENGER SIDE FRONT SEATBELT LOCKS IN THE SIDE PANEL AND WONT EXTEND TO ALLOW PASSENGERS TO GET BUCKLED UP. IT DOESN'T HAPPEN ALL THE TIME BUT IT HAPPENS.

INCIDENT #1 2010: ACCELERATED THE VEHICLE TO 75MPH TO ENTER FREEWAY. TOOK FOOT OFF GAS AND VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. ENGAGED CLUTCH TO STOP ACCELERATION AND RPM CONTINUED TO RISE TO THE LIMITER POINT (APPROX 5500 RPM). PULLED OVER, STARTED CAR AND ENGINE IMMEDIATELY WENT TO THE RED LINE. ON INSPECTION, A PLASTIC PART ON AN ACCELERATOR CABLE HAD CRACKED, CAUSING THE ACCELERATOR TO LOCK IN THE FULLY OPEN POSITION. IF THE CLUTCH HAD NOT BEEN ENGAGED (I.E. IF THIS CAR HAD AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION), THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A COLLISION AND POSSIBLE INJURIES OR FATALITIES. INCIDENT #2 12/2/2012. STARTED CAR AND PULLED AWAY FROM CURB. AT ABOUT 3-5 MPH THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. STOPPED CAR, TURNED OFF IGNITION AND STARTED IT AGAIN. THE WHEEL UNLOCKED BUT THERE WAS AN AUDIBLE CLICKING SOUND WITHIN THE STEERING COLUMN. CAREFULLY DROVE ABOUT ONE MILE TO HOUSE AND TURNED OFF ENGINE. STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AGAIN AND CAR COULD NOT BE STARTED. THE WHEEL LOCKING WHILE THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN WAS A CONDITION THAT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A COLLISION AND POSSIBLE INJURIES OR FATALITIES. *TR

I EXCHANGED THE LAMBDA SENSOR OF MY CAR A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO. SUDDENLY MY MILEAGE WENT DOWN AND I STARTED AN ERROR SEARCH. SINCE I WAS DOING A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS ON THE CAR I DIDN'T COME UP WITH THE SENSORS UP FRONT. UPDATED 11/16/10 *BF UPDATED 03/23/11 *BF SO WHEN IT CAME TO THEM I RECOGNIZED THAT THEY WERE GROUNDED THROUGH THE EXHAUST WHAT THEY SHOULDN'T DO AT MY CAR! WHEN I ASKED THE MANUFACTURER THEY DISMISSED EVERYTHING AS IF IT IS NOT THEIR FAULT. AND THEY KEEP SELLING THE LAMBDA SENSORS FOR A RANGE OF CARS THAT DEFINITELY DO NOT FIT! MANUFACTURER IS BORGWARNER BERU SYSTEMS GMBH! LAMBDA SENSOR IS OZH 173 HTTP://BERU.COM/ENGLISH/PRODUKTE/PRODUKTIDENT.PHP?S=OZH+173&EANR=0824010207&ACTION=STEP02 THE DANGER RESULTS FROM THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE GROUNDING: THIS LEADS TO A HEATING UP OF THE LAMBDA SENSORS WHICH THEN MIGHT IGNITE UNBURNED FUEL IN THE EXHAUST. THIS FUEL WILL DEFINITELY BE THERE AS THE GROUNDING ALSO DESTROYS THE OUTPUT STAGES OF THE ENGINE CONTROL UNIT THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FUEL MIXTURE. THE CAR WILL ULTIMATELY FATTEN UP, RESULTING IN UNBURNED FUEL GETTING TO THE EXHAUST AND BEING IGNITED BY THE HEATED UP LAMBDA SENSORS! THIS IS WHAT CAN BURN DOWN THE WHOLE CAR DURING DRIVING AND ALSO WHEN STANDING AFTER A LONGER TRIP! SO THESE LAMBDA SENSORS DESTROYED MY MOTOR CONTROL UNIT, MY CATALYTIC CONVERTERS, ETC. I WOULD BE GLAD IF YOU COULD RESEARCH FURTHER INTO THIS AND NOTIFY ME OF THE STATUS! UPDATED11/23/10. *JB UPDATED 12/01/10. *JB *TR

WHEN CRUISE CONTROL IS ACTIVATED, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATES RAPIDLY IN OUT-OF-CONTROL MANNER. SOMETIMES IT ALSO DECELERATES RAPIDLY, AND LURCHES. *TR

WHENEVER MY CRUISE CONTROL IS SET, VEHICLE CONSISTENTLY OVERCOMPENSATES IN SPEED FLUCTUATIONS. IT IS ALMOST AS IF THE ACCELERATOR PEDDLE GETS STUCK ALL THE WAY DOWN. THIS CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO GO FROM HWY SPEEDS TO EXTREMELY DANGEROUS 80+MPH SPEEDS IN A MATTER OF A FEW SECONDS. CRUISE CONTROL MUST THEN BE DISENGAGED. I HAVE OWNED THIS PARTICULAR CAR FOR OVER A YEAR AND IT HAS ALWAYS DONE THIS. CRUISE CONTROL IS NOT SAFE TO USE AT ANY TIME. SEVERAL TIMES, IT HAS NEARLY MADE ME HAVE A REAR END COLLISION BECAUSE IT WILL TAKE OFF WITH NO WARNING. *TR