2012 BMW X3 SAV Engine Problems

I WAS DRIVING 60 MILES AN HOUR ON A HIGHWAY AND THE ENGINE IN MY 2012 BMW X3 35I SEIZED AND WENT INTO NEUTRAL. I HAD TO GLIDE OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD INTO THE GRASS. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE BMW DEALER (LAUREL BMW WESTMONT) THAT THE CAR NEEDS A NEW ENGINE WHICH WOULD COST $22K. BMW USA OFFERED TO PAY 60% OF THE COST AND WOULD NOT DISCUSS THE SAFETY ISSUES. THE CAR HAS 59.5K MILES AND WAS WELL MAINTAINED.

BOLTS HOLDING THE VARIABLE CAMSHAFT TIMING VANOS HOUSING ARE DEFECTIVE. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND BMW NOTIFIED NHTSA OF A RECALL IN 2014 FOR 156000 VEHICLES. HOWEVER, I HAVE THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM AND BMW SAYS I MUST PAY ALMOST $4,000.00 BECAUSE IT IS NOT PART OF THE RECALL...EVEN THOUGH THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM.

IN 3 OCCASIONS (WITHIN 2 YEARS DURATION) WHEN I BRAKED THE CAR (BRAND NEW 2012 X3 2.8I) GENTLY TO STOP IT, IT SLOWED DOWN FIRSTLY BUT ALL IN A SUDDEN IT ACCELERATED WITH ENGINE REVVED UP (WITH NOTICEABLE ENGINE NOISE), THE BRAKE SEEMED LOSING POWER AT ALL. THE FIRST TWO TIMES I COULD BE ABLE TO STOP IT (BY FLOORING THE BRAKE) BEFORE HITTING THE ROADBLOCK AND THE CARPARK ENTRANCE GATE, THE THIRD TIME I COULD DO NOTHING BUT HIT INTO ANOTHER CAR IN THE CARPARK DUE TO THE SHORT DISTANCE. I'M SURE THAT I WAS NOT PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL ACCIDENTALLY FOR I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF PRESSING THE BRAKE TO STOP THE CAR IN ALL THREE CASES. I FOUND A SIMILAR RECALLS FM MY LOCAL TRANSPORTATION AUTH (REF: HTTP://WWW.TD.GOV.HK/FILEMANAGER/EN/CONTENT_1179/10000456_E.PDF AND HTTP://WWW.TD.GOV.HK/FILEMANAGER/EN/CONTENT_1179/10000457_E.PDF) WHICH MAY RELEVANT TO MY ISSUE, BUT UNFORTUNATELY MY CAR NOT IN THE LISTED VIN RECALL....