2005 BMW Z4 Electrical System Problems

HEATER/AIR CONDITIONER STOPPED BLOWING. TOOK TO LOCAL SHOP AND FOUND MULTIPLE WIRES MELTED. CONCERNED DUE TO FIRE RISK SO RESEARCHED AND FOUND THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE WITH MANY NOW RECALLED BMWS-MINE IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALLS BUT IT'S HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS THAT I'M HAVING THE APPARENT EXACT SAME ISSUE AS THOSE VEHICLES BEING RECALLED. I SAW WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER MY HOOD AND SMELLED A BURNING ODOR A FEW MONTHS AGO SO DROVE STRAIGHT HOME AND POPPED THE HOOD-SAW NO ADDITIONAL SMOKE BUT DID SMELL SOME RESIDUAL BURNING ODOR BUT NOTHING WAS VISIBLE. THIS HAPPENED APPROXIMATELY 2 OTHER TIMES BUT NOTHING WAS EVER FOUND AND IT WAS ASSUMED IT WAS A SPILLAGE OR OVERFLOW. WASN'T UNTIL RECENTLY WHEN THE HEATER AND A/C STOPPED BLOWING THAT FURTHER INVESTIGATION WAS DONE. THANK GOODNESS NO FIRE STARTED. STILL SCARY THAT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT CAUSED THIS TO HAPPEN IN THE FIRST PLACE AND WILL IT HAPPEN AGAIN ESPECIALLY AFTER IT'S PARKED IN MY ATTACHED GARAGE! MAKES ME JUST WANT TO PARK IT IN THE DRIVEWAY AWAY FROM THE HOUSE. THIS REALLY NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED AND LOOK INTO EXPANDING THE CURRENT RECALLS!! SEEMS JUST TOO COINCIDENTAL.

DRIVING ON FREEWAY, GOING ABOUT 72 ON A WARM DAY, ABOUT 86DEGEES. FELT CAR SLOW DOWN, LIKE TIRES WERE STUCK TO PAVEMENT AND COULD NO LONGER STEER CAR. STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY TIGHT, AND CAR WAS HARD TO HANDLE, AND HARD TO TURN. *TR

FIRST THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON, I WENT TO HOUSTON MOMENTUM BMW DEALER TO CHECK AND THEY FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS A FAULTY SIGNAL FROM SOMEWHERE THEY WERE NOT SURE ABOUT. THEY GAVE ME AN ESTIMATE FOR THAN A THOUSAND DOLLARS TO FIND IT AND REPAIR IT. IT WOULD COST MORE IF THEY FOUND OUT THE REAL PROBLEM. I TOLD THEM THIS SHOULD BE UNDER BMW WARRANTY, BUT THEY SAID IT WASN'T. I REFUSED THE WORK. THIS CASE HAPPENED FEW YEARS AGO. NOW I HAVE AIR BAG LIGHT ON, I DON'T KNOW WHY. I DON'T DARE TO GO BACK TO DEALER TO CHECK BECAUSE I'M AFRAID THEY WILL RIP ME OFF AGAIN AND AGAIN. I HOPE ONE DAY I CAN GET RID OF BMW AND FIND A MORE RELIABLE CAR TO DRIVE. *TR

ON AUGUST 7, 2007 I TOOK MY CAR TO STERLING BMW IN NEWPORT BEACH, CA BECAUSE I NOTICED THE AIRBAG MALFUNCTION LIGHTS WERE ON ALONG WITH OTHER ELECTRICAL ISSUES. AFTER THEY HAD INSPECTED MY VEHICLE FOR THREE DAYS I WAS INFORMED THAT THE AIRBAG/ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WOULD NOT BE COVERED BY THE BMW FACTORY WARRANTY, AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDED THAT I FILE A CLAIM WITH MY INSURANCE CARRIER. OBVIOUSLY MY INSURANCE COMPANY DENIED THE CLAIM, BECAUSE AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE DOES NOT COVER LOSS DUE TO WEAR AND TEAR, MECHANICAL OR ELECTRICAL BREAKDOWN/FAILURE. IN ADDITION, STERLING BMW CHARGED ME $260.00 FOR THE LOANER CAR THEY PROVIDED FOR THE THREE DAYS WHILE MY CAR WAS BEING INSPECTED. STERLING BMW GAVE ME A VERBAL ESTIMATE OF APPROXIMATELY $10,000.00 IN ADDITIONAL WORK NEEDED TO REPAIR ALL THE ELECTRICAL/AIRBAG ISSUES. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TO IRVINE BMW FOR ANOTHER ESTIMATE, THEY ADVISED ME THAT THEY COULD TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER AFTER THREE DAYS I WAS AGAIN INFORMED THAT THEY THE AIRBAG/ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. I MOVED TO CALIFORNIA ABOUT ONE YEAR AGO AND PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE ON FROM EXCALIBUR IMPORTS IN STUDIO CITY, CA ON MARCH 28, 2006. ALTHOUGH MY PREVIOUS VEHICLE WAS A MERCEDES BENZ, I DECIDED TO PURCHASE A BMW AND BENEFIT FROM THE EXTRAORDINARY CUSTOMER SERVICE OF BMW. THIS IS, IN FACT, MY FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH BMW. I HAVE ALWAYS TAKEN EXCELLENT CARE OF MY CAR; IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN GARAGED, AND MAINTAINED BY BMW DEALERS. I HAVE ALWAYS USE PREMIUM GAS TO ENSURE QUALITY OF PERFORMANCE AND MAINTENANCE. TO MY REGRET, I HAVE BEEN DRIVING THIS CAR FOR OVER A YEAR WITHOUT AIRBAG PROTECTION. THE NATURE OF MY JOB REQUIRES ME TO COMMUTE OVER 100 MILES PER DAY ON THE FREEWAY. PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT MY FAMILY AND I ARE EXTREMELY WORRIED ABOUT THE RISKS THAT I AM TAKING BECAUSE OF BMW'S FAILURE TO PROPERLY MAINTAIN MY VEHICLE. I AM A SINGLE MOTHER OF THREE AND FIND I AM NOW AFRAID OF DRIVING BECAUSE OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF AN ACID. *TR