2010 BMW Z4 Roadster w/SAB

BMW HAS ACKNOWLEDGED A KNOWN ISSUE CAUSING FAILURE OF THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP. THE BMW TECHNICAL BULLETIN IS (SI B 13 03 09). THIS EXTENDS THE WARRANTY OF THE PART TO 10 YEARS. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE FAILURE IS NOT WELL DOCUMENTED BY THE VEHICLE ISSUE LOGGING SYSTEM, AND THAT OTHER ISSUES WITH THE CAR ARE CITED AS A REASON TO NOT PERFORM THE PART REPLACEMENT. BMW N. AMERICA AND BMW OF AUSTIN DO NOT, AND CAN NOT PROVIDE A TEST TO CHECK THE VEHICLE'S FUEL SYSTEM INDEPENDENTLY. THIS PUTS DRIVERS, PASSENGERS AND ANYONE ELSE AT RISK SHOULD THE PART FAIL SUDDENLY AFTER EXHIBITING PARTIAL FAILURES. THE COMPLAINT SHOULD ALSO NOTE THAT BMW DOES NOT PROVIDE AN EASY WAY TO REPORT THIS IMPORTANT SAFETY ISSUE AS THERE IS NO FIXED PROCESS TO DOCUMENT THE ISSUES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 BMW Z4. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V044000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 10,000.

DURING A COLD, DRIVING RAIN STORM, WITH DRIVER & 1 PASSENGER, STARTED TO DRIVE. (VERY 1ST DRIVE IN THIS CAR WITH COLD WEATHER) WHAT A SURPRISE: WINDSHIELD IMMEDIATELY FOGGED UP. TURNED ON DEFOGGER, WINDSHIELD THEN FOGGED UP 100% AS WELL AS ALL OTHER WINDOWS - AS VISIBILITY DISAPPEARED, I STOPPED THE CAR & OPENED THE WINDOWS WITH THE BLOWER ON. NO HEAT COULD BE USED. THIS PROCESS WAS REPEATED OVER THE NEXT 1 TO 1-1/2 HOURS IN ORDER TO CONTINUE DRIVING. ISSUE WAS REPORTED TO BMW MANY TIMES OVER. I HAD TO LEARN THAT DESPITE COLD AMBIENT TEMPERATURES W-W/O RAIN, SNOW, ETC. - THE A/C MUST BE TURNED ON IN ORDER TO NOT FOG THE WINDOWS. BMW: THERE'S NOTHING TO FIX, THAT'S THE WAY IT IS. THE AMBIENT AIR IS DIRECTED THROUGH A PORTION OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, THIS HEATS UP THE AIR. BMW STATED THAT I MAY VOID THE WARRANTY IF I MODIFY THE SYSTEM TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. THIS HAS CONTINUED TO OCCUR. ON A DRIVE ON CA'S COAST HIGHWAY, WITH TEMPS IN THE LOW 50'S - ONE MUST STILL RUN THE A/C & NO HEAT. BMW ASKED: WHAT DO YOU HAVE AGAINST RUNNING THE A/C ALL THE TIME? IN ADDITION TO IMPAIRED VISIBILITY - THIS RESULTS IN CONSTANT, VERY LOW MPG WITH THE A/C ALWAYS ON. WHEN BMW PROVIDED MPG'S TO FED. AGENCIES, I BELIEVE THAT BMW'S A/C'S WERE NOT ON & THESE CARS DEMAND PREMIUM FUEL. I SPOKE WITH A NATIONALLY KNOWN, RESPECTED TESTER/ADVISERS OF MANY VEHICLES - IT WAS CONFIRMED TO ME THAT THE MPG TESTS ARE CONDUCTED WITHOUT THE A/C'S BEING TURNED ON. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V176000 (ENGINE). THE DEALER COULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE FOR EIGHT MONTHS BECAUSE THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

REAR RIMS CRACKING ON 2010 BMW Z4 WITH ONLY 7,200 MILES. DEALER STATES ISSUE CAUSED BY POT HOLES, BUT COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHY FRONT RIMSWERE NOT CRACKED. *TT

2011 BMW Z4, PURCHASED NEW WITH APPROXIMATELY 7K MILES. STARTED TO FEEL VIBRATION WHEN I PUT ON BRAKES AROUND 5K MILE MARK. VIBRATION LASTS 1-2 SECONDS. HAPPENED 20 TIMES SO FAR. I WAS DRIVING TODAY, 7000K MILE MARK, AND THE ENGINE FAILED AND DIED. LIKE SOMEBODY JUST TURNED IT OFF. LUCKILY I WAS ON LOCAL STREET SO I JUST CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS! THEN I RESTARTED THE CAR AND IT CAME BACK TO LIFE AND RAN LIKE NORMAL. TOOK IT TO DEALER AND DEALER SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG. SOMETHING IS WRONG IF YOUR CAR DIES WHILE YOU'RE DRIVING!! *TR

WHENEVER SLOWING DOWN TO A NEAR STOP, THE ENGINE WILL RANDOMLY STALL. THIS CAN OCCUR AT ANYTIME, BUT IS MORE LIKELY TO OCCUR WHEN THE OUTSIDE AIR TEMPERATURE IS IN THE 90'S OR ABOVE (IT WILL STALL IN COLD TEMPERATURE AS WELL, BUT NOT AS OFTEN). THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE AT THE TIME OF THE STALL IS ALWAYS COMPLETELY NORMAL, THE CAR IS NOT OVERHEATING IN ANYWAY. IT IS ALSO MORE LIKELY TO OCCUR IN "SPORT MODE". THIS ISSUE ONLY EFFECTS BMW E89 3.0 AUTOMATICS. AN AUTOMATIC SHOULD NEVER STALL. ONCE THE ENGINE STALLS YOU ARE FORCED TO STOP THE CAR IN ORDER TO RESTART TO MOVE. THIS ISSUE IS OCCURRING WORLD-WIDE. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE BMW DEALER IN AUSTIN, TX TO LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE. THEY STATED THAT THERE WERE NO ERROR CODES PRESENT IN THE COMPUTER. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS NOT ON. I HAD A BMW SHOP FOREMAN DRIVE WITH ME AND WE REPRODUCED THE ENGINE STALL AS WE APPROACHED A STOPLIGHT. HE STATED THERE WERE NO BMW SERVICE BULLETINS ABOUT THIS ISSUE. OTHER E89 Z4 OWNERS HAVE TAKEN THEIR CAR IN FOR SERVICE AT BMW DEALERS IN CALIFORNIA, FLORIDA AND TEXAS AND IN ALL CASES THE BMW MECHANICS FOUND NO REASON FOR THE ENGINE STALL AND DO NOT HAVE A FIX. RANDOM ENGINE STALL WHEN SLOWING IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS ISSUE. I CONSIDER THIS VEHICLE (E89 3.0 AUTOMATIC) TO BE UNSAFE AND UNRELIABLE IN HOT WEATHER. SERIOUS INJURY CAN OCCUR IF A CAR RANDOMLY SHUTS ITSELF OFF AS IT IS BEING SLOWED. OVER THE PAST 6 MONTHS, THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME AT LEAST 15-20 TIMES. *TR

CAR IS A NEW (11 /21/09) BMW Z4 WITH LESS THAN 2,000 MILES. WHEN DRIVING IN SUBURBAN TRAFFIC AT APPROXIMATELY 45MPH, DRIVER SIGNALED FOR A RIGHT HAND TURN AT AN INTERSECTION WITHOUT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THERE WAS VIRTUALLY NO STOPPING POWER. UNABLE TO SLOW FOR THE RIGHT TURN, DRIVER PROCEEDED TO THE NEXT TURN WHILE APPLYING ALL OF THE PHYSICAL PRESSURE SHE COULD MUSTER, WHICH FINALLY SLOWED THE CAR TOP THE POINT IT COULD BE TURNED AND STOPPED. IF THIS BRAKE FAILURE HAD OCCURRED WHEN THERE WAS STOPPED TRAFFIC, AN ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY OCCURRED. THE PROBLEM WAS A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE POWER BRAKES HYDRAULIC BOOSTER. ADDITIONALLY, NO WARNING LIGHT EVER CAME ON BEFORE, DURING OR AFTER THE BRAKE FAILURE. THE BMW SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT THERE ARE WARNING LIGHTS FOR LOW FLUID AND LOW PADS, BUT NOT FOR BOOSTER FAILURE, WHICH IS UNBELIEVABLE. *TR