2013 BMW 550XI — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

I WAS DRIVING MY BMW 550 XI ON THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH WHEN I HAD WHAT WAS TERMED BY THE BMW SERVICE TECHNICIAN AS A "CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE". AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT I SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER TO THE DRIVE TRAIN. I IMMEDIATELY HAD TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT AS ON A BUSY HIGHWAY IN CHICAGO AND SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER IS DANGEROUS. I WAS ABLE TO GET STOPPED AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE. I THEN HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO BMW OF ORLAND PARK WHERE THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN DISMANTLED MY ENGINE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE FAILURE. THE DETERMINATION WAS MADE THAT INDEED THE ENGINE HAD A "ROD BEARING FAILURE" WHICH CAUSED THE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. AS I UNDERSTAND ENGINES VERY WELL IT IS NOT SURPRISING THAT AN ROD BEARING COULD FAIL. WHY I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT IS THAT THIS VEHICLE ONLY HAD 67,500 MILES ON IT AND AS I HAVE NOW DISCOVERED, MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THIS YEAR MAKE AND MODEL OF VEHICLE ARE HAVING THE SAME "CATASTROPHIC FAILURES" PUTTING THEM IN DANGEROUS SITUATIONS AS WELL. AS I CONTINUED TO INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE I HAVE FOUND THAT BMW NA KNOWS ABOUT THIS SITUATION AND HAS TO DATE DONE NOTHING TO EITHER WARN VEHICLE OWNERS OF THIS SITUATION NOR DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I DO KNOW THAT MULTIPLE ROD BEARING FAILURES SUCH AS MINE CANNOT BE COINCIDENCE AND NEED TO BE INVESTIGATED AS ENGINE FAILURES AT HIGH SPEEDS ARE THE MOST DANGEROUS OF ALL FAILURES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 BMW 550XI. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR WOULD NOT UNLOCK WHEN PROMPTED. DURING THE FIRST OCCURRENCE OF THE FAILURE, THE VEHICLE REMOTE AUTOMATICALLY UNLOCKED THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND, OVER TIME, THE REMOTE BECAME COMPLETELY INOPERABLE AND WOULD NOT UNLOCK THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR. CONSEQUENTLY, THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR COULD NOT BE UNLOCKED AT ALL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO WIDE WORLD OF CARS BMW (124 NY-59, SPRING VALLEY, NEW YORK 10977, (845) 425-2600). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED, BUT THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT IT WAS PROBABLE THAT THE ACTUATOR MAY BE FAULTY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 BMW 550XI. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR WOULD NOT UNLOCK WHEN PROMPTED. DURING THE FIRST OCCURRENCE OF THE FAILURE, THE VEHICLE REMOTE AUTOMATICALLY UNLOCKED THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND, OVER TIME, THE REMOTE BECAME COMPLETELY INOPERABLE AND WOULD NOT UNLOCK THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR. CONSEQUENTLY, THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR COULD NOT BE UNLOCKED AT ALL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO WIDE WORLD OF CARS BMW (124 NY-59, SPRING VALLEY, NEW YORK 10977, (845) 425-2600). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED, BUT THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT IT WAS PROBABLE THAT THE ACTUATOR MAY BE FAULTY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 BMW 550XI. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE EMITTED SMOKE FROM THE EXHAUST PIPE WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE BMW OF ROANOKE DEALER (2824 FRANKLIN RD SW, ROANOKE, VA 24014, 540-274-2475) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE VALVE STEM SEAL IN THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE TECHNICIAN ALSO STATED THAT THE OCCURRENCE WAS A KNOWN FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED. THE FAILURE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 115,000. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED.

I WOULD BE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND AT A RANDOM TIME IT WOULD JERK VIOLENTLY AND THEN SLOW WHILE IN TRAFFIC ON THE FREEWAY. THE CAR WOULD GO INTO 'LIMP MODE" AND GIVE A 'DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION' ERROR. I RESEARCHED THIS ERROR ONLINE AND IT SEEMED IT COULD BE ANY NUMBER OF THINGS. THE FIRST COUPLE TIMES IT HAPPENED IT WENT AWAY UPON THE CAR BEING OFF. IT HAPPENED A COUPLE MORE TIMES BEFORE THE 'CHECK ENGINE' LIGHT CAME ON WITH THE 'DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION' ERROR ON THE CAR'S INFO CENTER. EACH TIME IT INVOLVED A VIOLENT JERKING OF THE CAR AND IMMEDIATE SLOWING DOWN OF THE CAR IN TRAFFIC. I DROVE IT TO NELSON'S AUTOMOTIVE CENTER IN PEWAUKEE, WI AFTER A FEW TIMES OF THIS HAPPENING. THEY DIAGNOSED THIS AS A FUEL PUMP FAILURE AND REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP. BASED ON MY RESEARCH THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE FOR BMW FOR YEARS. FUEL PUMPS HAVE BEEN RECALLED ON THESE CARS UP TO THE YEAR OF MY CAR WHICH IS DISAPPOINTING.