Electrical problems and transmission repair issues

- Atlanta L, GA, USA

My car was in my driveway. My complaint is I just bought the car from a friend of our family and everything was. About a month later when I start the car I get this error" fault in passenger restraint system effecting airbag-belt tensioner or belt for delimiter. So I call bmwusa to see if this was recalled. The man I spoke with said yes it was but I let me have your VIN# oh no I'm sorry not for your VIN " I was shocked to think it would be a recall on one but not another. If it is effecting my air bag U would think. It would be a safety issue for all cars that get that error. Or was that car built knowing it was eventually going to go out and we the customers are going to have to pay for it. I would rather not have that at all. It makes no sense. Especially if your ok to fix some cars and not all of them after all why would we want something in the car if we know one its just going to go out and we have to pay for it. And for the safety part. It even sounds more crazy that something like that could malfunction and I not even sure if anybody should ride in my passenger seat. Well it's [xxx] at [xxx] if you have any questions thank you for your time and have a wonderful day. Good bless information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Bell Gardens, CA, USA

Wiring on headlights flaking apart leaving bear expose wires !!!

- Slidell, LA, USA

My car automatically shut off and I smelled a burning plastic odor coming from the engine. I took my car to the BMW licensed mechanic that I normally see who repaired the issue that was deemed to be the PCV valve heater. This happened at the end of May. Then at the end of June, I received a lower from BMW announcing recall # 17V-683: PCV valve heater. BMW told me today that they can not refund me for the repairs that I had done because these repairs had to be performed at a BMW dealership. I have all my receipts. Total repairs cost $2626.91 + rental car expenses of $204.16 and $76.71. * (recall related incident)

- Charlotte, NC, USA

I was driving in town with my newborn baby in the back seat when the ac/heat system caught on fire and smoke came billowing into the cabin through the air vents. It immediately smelled like burning plastic/electrical fire. I pulled the car over because I was worried about a fire and got my child out of the vehicle. After doing some research, I have since noticed that this is a known problem by BMW and that they have an active recall for this precise issue, but it does not cover my specific model. The recall currently out for this issue is # 17V-676, which covers a number of 3-series models, but not my 530xi. I just got word from my mechanic that it will cost $1800 to replace the fried system, and he also warned me that it could have caught the entire car on fire. I had him put this in writing for me so I can have record of it. Please help me with this! BMW needs to widen the scope of this recall to cover other affected vehicles! thank you

- Saint Joseph, MI, USA

Recently there was a class action lawsuit settlement (www.E6061ingresssettlement.com). the settlement states that the car should have less than 120K miles. My car has the exact same issue and I have a service record from 2015 when the car had less than 100K miles. By the time the lawsuit was settled and the dealers were accepting cars, I crossed 120K miles and now they are saying I'm not eligible for the repairs.

- Exton, PA, USA

Headlights internal wiring geta so hot it melts and cracks and deteriorates and causes short circuit eventually leading to both or single high beam malfunction.

- Huffman, TX, USA

Last year I could hear a sound of water through my sunroof and would have water thrown at me through my ac. My stereo and dash stopped working and suddenly started working after a couple of months. I took it to 2 different locations and they would tell me there was no short in a fuse. Yesterday my car would not start it was stationed in front of my home. I went to a mechanic and found that my battery was sitting in water. The car will not start even after water was drained and the battery was replaced. I called BMW but they want to charge me $385 just for a diagnostic. I have changed my battery like 4 time in the last 2 years which is just a headache in itself. My vehicle wont start.

- Norwalk, CA, USA

The left front parking bulb was no working, took the vehicle to BMW dealership in columbia, S.C. to have bulb replaced. Upon picking up the vehicle, the warning indicator for the same bulb and the left front high beam warning both lights were not functioning correctly appeared. I returned to the service department to inquire why the warning was on, which they stated it was probably left loose. The service adviser returned to bring me into the shop to show me the wiring for the light assembly was cracking and falling off, exposing bare wire causing the short and blowing the bulbs. The service department at BMW stated a new assembly would be required which would be about $1500 each for the parts. After replacement of the bulb while in the service department, there was another electrical short causing the bulbs to blow immediately. I have read the wiring was coated with a soy based product, which is why the wiring coating is prematurely cracking and exposing bare copper wire, creating an electrical and fire hazard. Due to the inadequate material utilized by the manufacturer, it should be rectified by the manufacturer prior to serious injury or death.

- Blythewood, SC, USA

Replacing the daytime running light bulb that failed, I removed the headlight assembly from the vehicle to have easier access to the bulb recessed deep inside the headlight housing. Upon opening the access panel, I discovered the wiring insulation of most of the inner wiring harness of headlight brittle and flaking off, exposing the bare wires. The short circuit probability is high with the exposed wires in close proximity.

- Missouri City, TX, USA

LH and rh adaptive headlights wiring insulation is crumbling possibly resulting in a electrical headlight fire from the exposed bare wires.

- Fife, WA, USA

My problem started 2 years ago. After two days of very heavy rain I started my vehicle and my navigation screen started to flicker then eventually burned out over a two week time also my radio stopped working at the same time. I didn't have the 2,000 dollars to get it fixed. A few months later after several days of heavy rain I've noticed the drivers floor soaked then the car was hesitant to start. The car over another few months my wipers would cut on by themselves and I couldn't cut them off. It got to the point that I turned the car off and the wipers were still working with no key in the car... the car had to be towed to the mechanics.. now my window work intermittently sometimes they work and sometimes they don't...at this time I also smell the odor of a burning electrical from time to time.

- Bensalem, PA, USA

I was driving and opened the sunroof. The night before there was a massive rain storm. Shortly after opening the sunroof the car's electrical system started severely malfunctioning. A warning sign came on that said that the entire electrical system was having a massive malfunction and that I should pull over immediately. The water from the storm drained into the electrical system and shorted it. This is a design flaw in the car and BMW is aware of it. The electrical system is stored near the drains in the lower rear of the car.

- Nyv, NY, USA

Car was parked outside of our home and shut off. About 25 minutes later the car exploded into fire and burned down to the ground leaving the seats and trunk with all interior metal parts on our driveway. Our home was also damaged as a result of this car going on fire. The car was well maintained and no one can advise us as to why this happened.

- New City, NY, USA

I am contacting you in an attempt to obtain assistance / remedy in the repair of a burned outer tail lamp socket in my 2007 530xit. I am the original owner of this vehicle. On 12/31/2014 I received a right tail lamp malfunction warning via I-drive and when I arrived home I inspected the right tail lamp assy and found the outer tail lamp bulb socket contacts to be melted and no longer making contact with the bulb holder. The stock and original bulb tested faulty. Unfortunately, due to the damaged and melted contact on the socket assy, the BMW replacement bulb will not function either. I have a photo of the socket assy should it be needed for investigation. As is the case with the 2008-2010 E60 & E61 models, there have been substantial failures in the rear lighting system resulting in a recall. I feel that this failure reduces the vehicles ability to warn other motorists of the driver's intentions, increasing the risk of a crash and should be investigated for a potential recall on pre lci E61 models.

- Oldsmar, FL, USA

All active xenon headlight wiring protective coating is/has flaked off exposing wires, making it vulnerable to electrical short, lose of driving lights and potential fire hazard.

- Dequincy , LA, USA

We were up in the mountains in an isolated area when I tried to start the car. At first the car wouldn't start. Finally it started and the whole display lite up. The steering wheel would not go to the driving position, plus several malfunction lights started flashing. I put the car in gear and started to drive, the automatic transmission would not shift and I had to drive to the nearest town (10 miles) in third gear. We stopped at the first auto shop we could locate and have the mechanic look at it. He told us we would have to take it to the dealership in denver. We started the car again and this time we got two red lights indicating a passenger side airbag malfunction and the seatbelt malfunction. In addition the steering wheel failed to go down into the driving position. When I called the dealer to check, he told me there is a recall on that issue though my VIN was not included. They wanted $1300 to fix it. I called BMW usa and they told me the same thing. My car was manufactured a month after the recalled cars, presently I am driving with defective airbags that may not deploy. I think BMW should be held responsible as they are well aware of the life threatening malfunction and have issued recalls on a few cars.

- Lakewood, CO, USA

The sheathing on my headlight's wiring is flaking off which could lead to potential fires. I was quoted $1500 per headlight to replace them with the same crappy headlight housings that are made with the same material that will eventually do the same thing. All I need is to have the car parked in my garage and it causing a fire that could burn down our home or worst injure my family.

- New Caney, TX, USA

Headlights went crazy 4X4 lights came on took into a tech and found code 93B3 steering angle failure.. found campaign si B 34 05 06 from BMW rec a problem with steering angle sensor. My car falls in the date range but not VIN number.. the bulletin states that the VIN should not be the deciding factor on repairs....

- Covington, KY, USA

Dsc and AWD lights come up intermittently. Dealer reported failure in steering angle sensor. Checked in forums to find that this is a common failure for all E60 BMW cars.

- New Milford, NJ, USA