2000 BMW 540IA — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

AFTER A COUPLE TIMES USING MY CUP HOLDERS IN MY 2000 BMW 540 I THEY BROKE. THEY ARE MADE OF CHEAP PLASTIC AND ARE VERY POORLY DESIGNED. I HAVE CHECKED OUT OTHER MODELS UP TO THE 2007 YEAR AND BMW HAS FAILED TO COME OUT WITH A QUALITY CUP HOLDER. EVEN A BETTER REPLACEMENT WOULD BE HELPFUL! IT NOW COSTS ME $150.00 JUST IN PARTS TO REPLACE THEM EACH TIME THEY BREAK. I CONSIDER MY CAR TO HAVE NO CUP HOLDERS AND WON'T ALLOW PEOPLE TO USE THEM BECAUSE THEY BREAK SO EASILY. THIS IS A "LUXURY CAR" WITH A CHEAP SHORT CUT IN THE OPTIONS DEPARTMENT. VERY DISSAPPOINTING. SHAME ON BMW! ACCORDING TO THE ORIGINAL OWNER THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES FROM DAY ONE OF BUYING THE CAR. I HADN'T EVEN DRIVEN THE CAR 20 MILES AND THE NEWLY REPLACED UNIT SNAPPED. GARBAGE! *TR

REVERSE GEAR STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY AND WITH NO SYMPTOMS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING IN MASSACHUSETTS ON 495N AT ABOUT 5:30PM I SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. CHECKED MY GAUGES AND ALL SEEMED WELL, THOUGHT IT MAY BE A WOOD BURNING STOVE IN THE AREA I JUST KEPT DRIVING. I TURNED OFF RT495 AND ONTO RT 119. ABOUT A MILE DOWN RT119 I NOTICED A LOT OF SMOKE BUILDING UP INSIDE THE CAR, I THEN REALIZED MY CAR WAS ON FIRE AND BEFORE I CAN PULL OFF THE ROAD THE INSIDE OF THE CAR FILLED WITH SMOKE AND BURNED MY EYES AND I WAS CHOKING A LOT. I SLAMMED IT INTO PARK, SHUT THE KEY AND JUMPED OUT THE CAR. A CAR BEHIND ME PULLED OVER AND SAID HE WAS FOLLOWING ME AND SMELLED MY CAR BURNING AND TRIED TO SIGNAL ME. LITTLETON, MA FIRE AND POLICE ARRIVED SHORTLY AFTER. FIRE DEPARTMENT DISCONNECTED MY BATTERY IN THE TRUNK AND OPENED THE HOOD TO LOOK FOR FLAMES. NOT SEEING FLAMES THEY DID SEE HEAVY SMOKE AND SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. SHORTLY AFTER THAT MY CAR WAS TAKEN AWAY ON A TOW TRUCK TO BMW IN NASHUA, NH. BMW DETERMINED THAT A FAULTY/FAILED ELECTRO MECHANICAL THERMOSTAT HAS CAUSED THE FIRE AND THE DAMAGE ESTIMATED SO FAR TO BE ABOUT $4,000.00 THEY TOLD ME THIS IS A PROBLEM SEEN BEFORE AND THEY HAD NO SUGGESTIONS AS TO WHY THIS HAPPENED BUT DID SAY IT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN! WHILE MY INSURANCE COMPANY (COMMERCE INSURANCE) REFUSES TO MAKE ANY PAYMENTS FOR DAMAGES, THEY CLAIM IT WAS CAUSED BY A FAULTY PART AND THAT BMW IS RESPONSIBLE. BMW TELLS ME THAT MY CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THIS PART IS JUST A FAILED PART. I THINK WE ARE DEALING WITH SOMETHING MORE SEVERE THAN A FAILED PART. IT'S JUST A GOOD THING I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE ROAD IN TIME BEFORE I WAS OVERCOME BY THE SMOKE AND TOXIC FUMES FROM BURNING WIRES IN THE CAR. REALIZING THIS CAN HAPPEN AGAIN, I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THAT CAR ANOTHER DAY AND HAVE NOT DECIDED TO GET IT FIXED OR CRUSHED. *TR

AFTER APPROXIMATELY 75,000 MILES ON MY BMW 540I, THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT GO INTO REVERSE. THE DEALER SAYS IT HAS INTERNAL SLIPPAGE/DAMAGE AND WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED WITH A REMANUFACUTED ONE. I FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH BMW - SEE HTTP://WWW.CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM/AUTOMOTIVE/BMW_TRANS.HTML FOR TESTIMONY OF LOTS OF OTHER BMW OWNERS WHO LOST REVERSE. IT SURPRISES ME THAT BMW DOESN'T WARRANTY THEIR TRANSMISSIONS/DRIVETRAIN AS LONG AS THE "LOWER QUALITY" AMERICAN AND ASIAN VEHICLE MAKERS DO. BUT IF THE TRANNY ROUTINELY QUITS AROUND THE 60-80K MILE MARK, I GUESS IT'S A SMART BUSINESS DECISION FOR BMW! *TR

FAILURE: ENGINE COOLING FAN CLUTCH SEIZED AND THE FAN TURNED AT WATER PUMP RPM. THE FAN FLEW APART, FLINGING ALL BLADES OFF THE FAN HUB. THIS OCCURRED WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE CAR HOME ON A 25 MPH STREET IN THE EVENING WITH OUR TWO SMALL CHILDREN IN THE BACK SEAT. CONSEQUENCES OF FAILURE: EXPLODING FAN CHOPPED THROUGH THE RADIATOR, COOLANT TANK, BOTH RADIATOR HOSES, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HOSES, POWER STEERING HOSES, PUNCHED HOLES THROUGH HOOD AND OUT THROUGH BOTTOM ENGINE COMPARTMENT COVER, BROKE BOTH AIR DUCTS FOR FRONT BRAKE COOLING AND DESTROYED THE MAIN FAN SHROUD. WHAT HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE: I CALLED THE 800 NUMBER FOR OUR CPO EXTENDED WARRANTY VEHICLE ASSISTANCE. THE OPERATOR RECOMMENDED ADVISED OUR COVERAGE PROVIDED FREE TOWING TO NEAREST DEALER AND THAT THE INCIDENT WOULD LIKELY BE COVERED UNDER OUR EXTENDED WARRANTY. SOUTH BAY BMW CHARGED ME $150 TO REVIEW THE SITUATION AND THEN ADVISED THE SITUATION WAS NOT COVERED. I HAVE ASKED FOR SOME EXPLANATION WHY THIS IS NOT COVERED AND NONE IS OFFERED. THE SERVICE ADVISOR TODAY TOLD ME THEY HAVE AN "INTERNAL DOCUMENT" WHICH STATES THIS IS NOT COVERED, BUT SHE CANNOT FAX OR SHOW IT TO ME. MY WARRANTY BOOKLET STATES IT IS A COMPLETE LISTING OF NON-COVERED ITEMS AND THE FAN AND CLUTCH ARE NOT LISTED AS NOT COVERED. THE DEALER HAS NOT OFFERED TO REPAIR THE CAR UNDER WARRANTY AND HAS ADVISED IT WILL BE $4800 PLUS BODY SHOP EXPENSES TO REPLACE THE HOOD. I FIND THE SAFETY IMPLICATIONS OF THIS FAN EXPLOSION TO BE INEXCUSABLE. I ALSO DEMAND TO KNOW WHY MY BMW WARRANTY BOOKLET IS NOT IN AGREEMENT WITH THE SECRET DOCUMENT HELD BY SOUTH BAY BMW.*JB