2004 BMW 5 Series complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 5 SERIES. THE CONTACT NOTICED A BURNING SMELL AND FELT SOMETHING BURNING HER LEG. SHE SUSTAINED BURNS TO HER THIGH AND BUTTOCKS AREA DUE TO THE SEAT WARMER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS UNABLE TO ASSIST. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO LOCATE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V384000 (AIR BAGS:FRONTAL) FOR THE SAME YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL VEHICLE. SHE ALSO STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WAS INOPERABLE. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED HER TO EXPECT A RECALL ON THE AIR BAG; HOWEVER, WITHOUT A RECALL, THEY COULD NOT ASSIST. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO OPEN RECALLS BASED ON HER VIN, BUT NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V575000 (SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER) WAS REFERENCED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 54,000.

FOR THREE YEARS BLUE SMOKE OCCASIONALLY COMES FROM EXHAUST IN SPITE OF MAJOR ENGINE REPAIR. ELECTRICAL PROBLEM FOR 1 AND 1/2 YEARS RESULTS IN CAR NOT STARTING HAS BEEN IN FOR REPAIRS 4 TIMES. *TR

DT: 2004 BMW 530 I. THE CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT SEVERAL ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, SUCH AS AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT COMING ON/WINDOWS ROLLING DOWN AND THEN MALFUNCTIONING/TRUNK OPENING, AND HALO LIGHTS STAYING ON. THE ONSTAR OR SOS SYSTEMS WAS NOT WORKING. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE MANUFACTURER CONSIDERED THIS VEHICLE A LEMON. THE DEALERSHIP AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT COMPLYING WITH THE LEMON LAW. THIS PROCESS WAS TO BUY BACK THE VEHICLE. THEY WERE TAKING TOO LONG TO RESOLVE THIS MATTER. *AK

2004 BMW 530I DEVELOPED PROBLEMS WITH THE TIRE EQUIPMENT.*MR THE CONSUMER DISCOVERED THE RIGHT REAR TIRE WAS FLAT AND IT WAS ALSO WORN DOWN TO THE STEEL BELTS ON THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE. THE FRONT TIRES ALSO SHOWED SIGNS OF WEAR ON THE INSIDE.*JB

I HAVE DUNLOP SP SPORT TIRES (RUN FLAT) ON MY 2004 BMW 530I WITH 16,000 MILES. THE INSIDE TREAD IS WORN BEYOND THE TREAD TO THE POINT WHERE TIRE THREADS ARE CLEARLY VISIBLE THROUGHOUT THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE, WHILE THE OUTSIDE IS ALMOST GOOD AS NEW. THE REAR TIRES ARE COMPLETELY EXHAUSTED WHILE THE FRONT TIRES CLEARLY SHOW EXCESS AND UNEVEN WEAR ON THE INSIDE. THE SERVICE MANAGER STATES THAT DUNLOP HAS BEEN REPLACING THESE TIRES AND HAS NOT HAD A SINGLE REFUSAL YET. HOW MANY THOUSANDS OF DEFECTS ARE OUT THERE, AND MUST A FAMILY BE KILLED BEFORE A RECALL HAPPENS? THE SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT WITH ANOTHER CLIENT HE COULD POKE HIS FINGERS THROUGH THE TIRE, AND THAT CAR HAD 6000 MILES ON IT! I HAD FILED A PREVIOUS COMPIANT ON MY 2004 BMW 530I REGARDING THIS SAME ISSUE. TODAY THE SERVICE MANAGER STATES THAT HE HAS SEEN THIS AT LEAST 25 TIMES, AND THAT THE ISSUE IS WITH THE DUNLOP TIRES I HAVE, NAD NOT THE CAR. I HOPE SOMEONE INVESTIGATES THIS ISSUE. PLEASE EMAIL ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS AT: [email protected]. I WOULD BE HAPPY TO SHARE PHOTOS.

TODAY I REALIZED FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT BOTH MY REAR TIRES WERE WORN BEYOND THE TREAD ON THE INSIDE OF EACH TIRE. I COULD SEE THE THREADS! I JUST CAME BACK FROM A LONG TRIP WITH MY FAMILY AND AM THANKSFUL THAT OUR TIRE(S) DID NOT BLOW OUT ON THE FREEWAY. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALSHIP TODAY (IRVINE BMW) AND THIS PARTICULAR SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT THIS IS ABOUT THE 6TH, BMW 530I THAT HE HAS SEEN THIS ON. HE POINTED TO THE REAR WHEEL FROM THE BACK SECTION, WHERE YOU CAN VISIBLY SEE THAT BOTH REAR TIRES ARE NOT EVEN. THEY BOTH TILT INWARDS, CAUSING THE EXCESS WEAR ON THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE. THE OUTSIDE OF THE TIRES ARE ALMOST AS GOOD AS NEW. HE STED THAT THIS WOULD BE WARRANTIED AND REPLACED. I SHALL SEE TOMORROW WHEN I TAKE THE CAR IN. NEVERTHELESS, THIS PROBLEM CAN HAVE SOME SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES. I ALSO NOTICED THAT MY FRONT TIRES WERE WEARING EXCESSIVELY ON THE INSIDE, BUT NOT NEARLY AS BAD AS THE REAR. I HAVE 16,000 ON MY CAR.

WE JUST PURCHASED OUR BMW 545I IN MID OCTOBER. ON NOVEMBER 13TH WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM OUR SON'S HOME WE SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. MY HUSBAND SOON REALIZED THAT THE DRIVER'S SEAT AND HIS PANTS WERE ON FIRE. WE IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE SEAT HEATERS AND WAS ABLE TO PUT THE FIRE OUT. WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT NO ONE WAS INJURED, AND WHILE A PAIR OF PANTS WERE RUINED, MY HUSBAND DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY BURNS. OUR DEALER IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND FURNISHED ME WITH ANOTHER CAR TO DRIVE. I AM NOW BEING TOLD THAT THE SEAT HEATERS ARE ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER AND DO NOT KNOW WHEN MY CAR WILL BE FIXED. I DO NOT BLAME THE DEALER, BUT HAVE TO QUESTION IF BMW IS AWARE OF A PROBLEM. *JB

THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT WARMER CAUSED A FIRE IN MY 2003 BMW 545. I WAS REAL LUCKY THAT I SMELLED A STRANGE ODOR AND WAS ABLE TO PUT THE FIRE OUT AFTER SHUTTING OFF THE SEAT WARMER. *JB

IN MAY OF THIS YEAR I LEASED A BRAND NEW 530I BMW. WHILE DRIVING TO WORK THIS MORNING USING THE HEATED SEAT, THE SEAT ALONG WITH MY JACKET AND SWEATER CAUGHT FIRE. THANKFULLY I WAS NOT HURT BUT SHAKEN UP. THE CAR HAS BEEN TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. I AM CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY OF OTHERS ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE PEOPLE HOW WOULD NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO OR HOW TO REACT. MY WIFE COULD HAVE BEEN DRIVING THE CAR WITH KIDS AND WHO KNOWS WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED. ANY ASSISTANCE ON THIS MATTER WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANK YOU!

MY WIFE STARTED THE CAR AND THE HEADLIGHTS AND HAZARD LIGHTS BEGAN FLASHING AND TURN SIGNALS DID NOT WORK. SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED THE CAR MULTIPLE TIMES WITH SAME EFFECT. DROVE CAR TO BMW DEALER. DEALER TECHNICIAN SAW SAME RESULTS. HE DISCONNECTED BATTERY, RESTARTED CAR, REBOOTING THE I-DRIVE COMPUTER, AND COULD NOT RECREATE PROBLEM. *AK

BMW 5 2004: WHEN THE PASSENGER SEAT IS VACANT A WARNING MESSAGE (THAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG IS OFF) IS CONTINUOUSLY DISPLAYED AT EYE LEVEL IN THE ROOF CONSOLE. THIS IS VERY DISTRACTING, ESPECIALLY WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT. THE MESSAGE SHOULD ONLY COME ON WHEN THE PASSENGER SEAT IS OCCUPIED AND THE AIRBAG IS NOT FUNCTIONING.*AK

HID LAMPS ARE A NUISANCE TO OTHER DRIVERS. MOST SPECIFICALLY, THEY ARE QUITE SENSITIVE TO CHANGES IN VERTICAL ANGLE. WHEN SOMEONE WITH HID LAMPS IS FOLLOWING ME ON THE FREEWAY, THE LAMPS OFTEN APPEAR TO BE FLASHING, BUT IN REALITY THE VEHICLE IS JUST PITCHING FORWARD AND BACK WHILE DRIVING OVER THE ROAD. THE CHANGE IN VERTICAL VIEWING ANGLE IS ENOUGH TO CREATE A FLASHING EFFECT THAT DOES NOT OCCUR ON STANDARD HEADLAMPS. WHILE I ACCEPT THAT THESE BEAMS ARE FAR SUPERIOR FOR THE DRIVER OF THAT VEHICLE, THE EFFECT ON OTHER DRIVERS IS DETRIMENTAL. IS THERE A NET GAIN OR A NET LOSS? I DON'T KNOW, BUT NEITHER DOES ANYONE ELSE. THANK YOU.

I WANT YOU TO KNOW I STRONGLY OBJECT TO THE NEW HIGH INTENSITY HEADLIGHTS AND TO VEHICLES WITH FOUR HEADLIGHTS. IT'S HARD ENOUGH TO DRIVE AT NIGHT WITHOUT ALL THE ADDITIONAL LIGHT POLUTION! *AK

BMW 545I SYSTEM FAILURE 1. BRAKING AND DYNAMIC-RESPONSE 2. PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM. *AK