Experienced difficulty starting my 2005 BMW 325 xi on two consecutive mornings, on the third the vehicle would not start. On the preceding days after it did start the car ran normally the rest of the day and would start without hesitation within the same day. The vehicle was towed to the dealership after not starting on the third day. The dealership said I had "contaminated fuel" and that the following parts needed to be replaced: Fuel tank, fuel pump, & fuel filter. Their initial reason for the failure was that I purchased contaminated fuel from a fuel retailer. Their story changed when pressed that ethanol in the fuel absorbs contaminates and fouls fuel system. Upon further investigation it seems that a coating on the inside of the fuel tank reacts with the fuel, possibly breaks down and fouls the fuel system. BMW corporate would accept no responsibility for the issue so I got my auto insurance company state farm involved. State farm is investigating but as of today I am responsible for the $1802.81 repair bill. I asked how to avoid this occurring again and was told that "...it probably won't happen again. The fuel you used to purchase contained mbte and that additive was absorbed into the tank. When the mbte was replaced by ethanol the ethanol reacted with the mbte and contaminated the fuel. Since mbte is no longer used the issue should not arise again. As I pulled behind the dealership after picking up the car I counted eleven fuel tanks stacked behind the building.

- Kinnelon, NJ, USA