2002 BMW M5

Defect. BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2000-2002 BMW 320i, 323i, 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi, 323Ci, 325Ci, 330Ci, M3, 323iT, 325iT and 325xiT vehicles, 2001-2002 525i, 530i, 540i, M5, 525iT and 540iT vehicles, and 2001-2003 X5 3.0i, X5 4.4i, and X5 4.6is vehicles. These vehicles may have had a driver-side air bag module installed as replacement equipment such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bag, or as a remedy part for a prior recall. These replacement modules contain an air bag inflator that may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to lower absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy. Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the vehicle has been remedied. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver side air bag module, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 15, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Defect. BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2002-2005 325i, 325xi, 330i, and 330xi Sedans, and 325xi and 325i Sportswagons, 2002-2006 330Ci, 325Ci, and M3 Convertibles and 325i, 330i, and M3 Coupes, 2002-2003 M5, 540i, 525i Sedan, and 530i Sedans, and 540i and 525i Sportswagons, and 2003 X5 3.0i and 4.4i Sports Activity Vehicles. Please note that the 5-series and X5 vehicles are only included if they are equipped with the optional sports steering wheel. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.

Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy. Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the vehicle has been remedied. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front driver air bag module, free of charge. The recall began Aug 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Note: This recall supersedes recall 14V-348 in its entirety. Additionally, vehicles that have had their driver side frontal air bag replaced previously as part of a recall remedy need to have their air bag replaced under this recall as well. Note: On December 17, 2015 BMW removed the model year 2004 X5 3.0i and 4.4i Sports Activity vehicle from this recall. Those vehicles were mistakenly identified as including the air bags that are subject to this recall.

THERE ARE NO POWER MODIFICATIONS TO MY VEHICLE, I JUST RECENTLY INSTALLED A LOWER MILEAGE ENGINE, ALONG WITH ALL OF THE PARTS SURROUNDING THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION (IE CLUTCH, FLYWHEEL, THROWOUT BEARING, CLUTCH FORK, ETC). THE BREAK-IN PERIOD FOR A NEW CLUTCH IS 500 MILES OF NORMAL DRIVING AND 1000 MILES FOR THE ENGINE. I COMPLETED THE BREAK-IN PERIOD ON SATURDAY JULY 20, 2019, FOR THE CLUTCH BUT STILL HAVE SOME MILES TO GO FOR THE ENGINE BREAK-IN, SO ON 7-24-19 I WAS ENTERING THE FWY FROM A STOP LIGHT AND WHEN I PUSHED THE GAS PEADAL IT SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING EXPLODED AND I HADN'T EVEN GOTTEN OUT OF 1ST GEAR YET!!! SO, I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, B/C I HEARD SOMETHING RUBBING, AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK TO TOW IT BACK TO THE SHOP THAT HAD JUST INSTALLED THE NEW ENGINE. THE SHOP CONTACTED ME WITH NEWS AND PICTURES, SHOWING ME THAT THE FACTORY WELDS ON THE DIFFERENTIAL'S SUBFRAME MOUNT HAD SNAPPED APART, DROPPING THE DIFFERENTIAL FROM ITS CORRECT POSITION AND DESTROYING MY DRIVESHAFT, IN THE PROCESS. I CALLED BMW OF NORTH AMERICA AND THEY SAID THERE'S A RECALL FOR THE M3 SUBFRAME BUT NOT THE M5??? THEN GOES ON TO SAY WITH THE AGE AND MILEAGE...BUT WELDS ARE SUPPOSED TO WITHSTAND AGE AND MILEAGE, ESPECIALLY BEING THAT IT'S A SPORTS SEDAN DESIGN TO SHRED TYRES AND ACHIEVE 3-DIGIT SPEEDS. THE INTERNET IS FLOODED WITH THE VERY SAME INCIDENTS WITH OTHER M5 OWNERS BUT IT SEEMS NO ONE ELSE HAS BOTHERED TO VOICE THEIR CONCERNS B/C IF IT HAD NOT BEEN FOR THE EXHAUST SYSTEM THE

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW M5. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V047000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

WHILE MOVING THE SEAT FORWARD (VALET MOVED IT BACK) WE FOUND THAT THE SEATS TWISTED; IN OUR CASE, THE OUTER SIDE OF THE SEAT BOTTOM MOVED FURTHER THAN THE INNER SIDE, CAUSING THE SEATS TO TWIST TOWARDS THE CENTER OF THE CAR AND LEAVING THEM UNEVEN WITH THE DASH AND FRONT OF THE CAR. ATTEMPTS TO CORRECT THE SEAT POSITIONING BY MOVING THE SEAT BACKWARDS VIA POWER SWITCH CAUSED THE INNER BOTTOM PORTION OF THE SEAT (AROUND THE THIGH BOLSTERS) TO BIND AND JAM AGAINST THE CENTER CONSOLE. WE FOUND THAT THE POWER PASSENGER SEAT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. WE RESEARCHED THE ISSUE ON BMW-RELATED WEBSITES (IN PARTICULAR, M5BOARD.COM) AND FOUND THAT EACH SEAT HAS THREE SEPARATE MOTORS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO MOVE IN UNISON WITH THE CONTROL SWITCH VIA ONE CABLE. AS DESIGNED AND BUILT, THESE POWER CABLES LEADING TO EACH MOTOR ARE TWISTED TO FIT WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE UNDER SEAT DESIGN. THE CABLE END ADJACENT TO EACH MOTOR MAKES CONTACT DURING NORMAL SEAT MOVEMENT WITH OTHER UNDER-SEAT COMPONENTS. AFTER SOME UNKNOWN NUMBER OF MOVEMENTS THE CABLE END(S) FAIL RENDERING ITS SEAT MOTOR INOPERABLE (THESE COMPONENTS ARE INACCESSIBLE SO THE OPERATOR CANNOT IN ANY WAY CONTRIBUTE TO THE PRODUCT FAILURE). WE BELIEVE THAT BMW IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND MADE DESIGN AND MATERIAL CHANGES IN SUBSEQUENT MODEL YEARS TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. THE ONLY WAY TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM IS TO REMOVE THE AFFECTED SEATS ENTIRELY FROM THE VEHICLE SO THAT THE TECHNICIANS CAN ACCESS AND REPLACE THE BROKEN DEFECTIVE COMPONENTS

UNKNOWN BATTERY DRAIN CAUSES PREMATURE FAILURE OF BATTERY AND MORE THAN AVERAGE REPLACEMENT INTERVALS - EVERY TWO YEARS AS OPPOSED TO 5-7 YRS. CAR WILL NOT START IF IDLE FOR 24-48 HOURS. I WOULD LIKE TO FILE A CLAIM FOR THE CHARGING SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT FOR ANY BMW M5 (E39) BUILT BETWEEN 2000-2003. *TR

FOR SOME MONTHS NOW, MY REARVIEW MIRROR HAS BEEN DISCOLORED/OBSTRUCTED WITH A FLUID "BUBBLE" IN THE GLASS. I GENERALLY ONLY DRIVE THE CAR ON WEEKENDS IN BRIGHT AND SUNNY WEATHER, SO THE DECREASED VISIBILITY ISN'T A REAL BIG A DEAL AS IT WOULD BE IF DRIVEN AT NIGHT OR DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER. HOWEVER I'VE RECENTLY LOOKED INTO REPLACING THE MIRROR MYSELF--THE DEALER WANTS A RELATIVELY LARGE SUM OF MONEY TO PERFORM THE WORK AS THE CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY--AND HAVE DISCOVERED THERE MIGHT BE ADVERSE HEALTH EFFECTS IF EXPOSED TO THE FLUID CONTAINED INSIDE. (FELLOW OWNERS OF VEHICLES WITH THESE MIRRORS NOTE THAT IT IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR THIS FLUID TO LEAK OUT OR EXPLODE, PARTICULARLY ON HOT DAYS AS I OFTEN EXPERIENCE HERE IN FLORIDA; THIS FLUID SUBSEQUENTLY CAUSES DAMAGE TO THE INTERIOR IN ADDITION TO THE AFOREMENTIONED POSSIBLE HEALTH EFFECTS.) THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER OF THE MIRROR HAS NOT PUBLICLY DISCLOSED ANY INFORMATION AT THIS TIME IN REGARDS TO THE FLUIDS CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OR PROPER HANDLING MEASURES. IF NOTHING ELSE, I'D ALSO LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THE PROPER DISPOSAL METHOD IS FOR THE OLD MIRROR (WHICH I ASSUME TO CONTAIN HAZARDOUS MATERIALS OF SOME SORT AS DEFINED BY THE EPA), SO AS NOT TO THROW IT IN WITH NORMAL HOUSEHOLD WASTE. ANY ASSISTANCE IN DETERMINING POTENTIAL RISKS AND PROTECTIVE MEASURES FOR BOTH HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL REASONS WOULD BE MOST APPRECIATED. *TR

MY REAR VIEW MIRROR FAILED AND LEAKED A SUBSTANCE WHICH DRIPPED ONTO MY SHIFT LEVER. UNKNOWINGLY I PLACED MY HAND ON THE LEVER AND WAS CONTAMINATED. I ALSO WAS BREATHING THE VAPORS WHICH SMELLED SOMEWHAT LIKE DRY CLEANING FLUID. I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING AND HAVE FOUND THAT THE SUBSTANCE INSIDE THE MIRROR MAY BE HIGHLY TOXIC. HOW DO I KNOW FOR SURE IF I HAVE A PROBLEM? IF I DO WHAT TYPE OF TREATMENT DO I SEEK? THANKS *TR