2008 BMW 3 Series Electrical System

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW 328XI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, SMOKE STARTED TO EMIT INTO VEHICLE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT AN ELECTRICAL FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CONTACTED AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 40,000.

DROVE MY 2008 BMW 328XI SEDAN TO WORK SITE ABOUT 54 MILES AWAY FROM MY HOME TOWN WITH NO ISSUES. AFTER A LONG DAY OF WORK, GOT INTO CAR AND STARTED ENGINE. NOTICED SMOKING COMING OUT OF ENGINE COMPARTMENT. OPEN HOOD AND NOTICED SMALL FIRE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE INTAKE MANIFOLD NEAR SOME WIRING. SMALL BUT STILL ON FIRE. PUT OUT FIRE BY BLOWING ON. CAR STARTED UP FINE WITH NO ERROR CODES. TRIED STARTING AGAIN, SAME RESULT. A ELECTRICAL SHORT WITH SMOKE AND FLAME. I PUT IT OUT AGAIN WITH WATER. HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MY LOCAL BMW DEALER TO HAVE A REPAIR. BMW DEALER CHECKED IT OUT AND SAID THAT THE CAR HAD A ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS FIRE AND NO OTHER ISSUES. THEY SAID IT WOULD COST $2700 DOLLARS TO REPAIR AND WAS NOT COVERED UNDER BMW'S WARRANTY. THIS CAR HAS 29000 MILES ON IT. HOW IN THE WORLD IS THIS NOT COVERED BY THEIR WARRANTY. THIS WAS A VEHICLE FIRE! IT IS NOT NORMAL FOR A CAR TO CATCH ON FIRE BY ITSELF IS IT NOT? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW 328I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE SITTING IN THE VEHICLE WITH THE RADIO ON, THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED AND COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. THE CONTACT WAS LOCKED INSIDE THE VEHICLE FOR 40 MINUTES AND WAS UNABLE TO USE THE HORN TO INDICATE THAT HE WAS TRAPPED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER TO UNLOCK THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THE POWER IN THE BATTERY IN THE KEY FOB WAS LOW, WHICH CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT OFFER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 180,000.

MY 2008 BMW 328I, STILL UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY, REQUIRED A NEW BATTERY. I WAS DENIED WARRANTY/MAINTENANCE COVERAGE FOR THE BATTERY DUE TO MY 'DRIVING PROFILE' - I DROVE MORE THAN 100 TRIPS OF LESS THAN 5KM IN THE LAST 36 DAYS. HOWEVER, I DROVE A TOTAL OF 2420 MILES IN THE LAST 32 DAYS, AS INDICATED ON TWO CAR REPAIR RECEIPTS. BMWNA STATED THAT DUE TO ME DRIVING SUCH SHORT DISTANCES, THE BATTERY WAS UNABLE TO CHARGE PROPERLY. THIS SOUNDS LIKE AN ENGINEERING DEFECT, NOT A DRIVER-RELATED ISSUE. *TR

THE SPEEDOMETER IN THIS VEHICLE IS OFF BY 5 MPH AT 60 MPH AND PROGRESSIVELY WORSE AT HIGHER SPEEDS. BOTH THE DEALER AND BMW CORPORATION REFUSE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I HAVE REQUESTED THAT A NEW SPEEDOMETER BE INSTALLED OR THAT THE OLD UNIT BE RECALIBRATED. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A SAFETY DEFECT DUE TO THE FACT THAT THERE IS NO WAY TO ACCURATELY DETERMINE THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE, ESPECIALLY AT HIGHER SPEEDS. *TR