2007 BMW 3 Series Speed Control & Cruise Problems

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HOV LANE OF THE FREEWAY DURING RUSH HOUR ABOUT 5:15 PM MY CAR SUDDENLY STARTED TO RATTLE WHEN PUSHING THE GAS PEDDLE. I TOOK MY FOOT FROM THE GAS PEDDLE WHILE STILL DRIVING WITH ABOUT 60 MPH. I TRIED THE GAS PEDDLE SOME SECONDS LATER AGAIN AND EXPERIENCED STILL RATTLING AND NO ACCELERATION OF THE CAR. I TOOK MY FOOT AGAIN FROM THE GAS PEDDLE. IN THE MEANTIME I WAS DOWN TO 40MPH. ABOUT 20-30 SEC LATER FROM THE FIRST RATTLE THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND 1 SEC LATER THE ENGINE STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY. AT THAT TIME WHEN THE ENGINE STALLED I WAS STILL DRIVING ABOUT 35 MPH. LUCKILY THE FREEWAY HAD A LEFT SHOULDER AND I TURNED OVER TO THE LEFT WITH THE LAST REMAINING SPEED AND SLOWLY STOPPED THE CAR. I'M SO GLAD THAT THE LEFT SHOULDER WAS AVAILABLE. THE FREEWAY WAS VERY BUSY AND I ASSUME I WOULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, IF THE LEFT SHOULDER WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE. THE LOSS OF POWER WAS TOO SUDDEN AND ENTIRELY UNEXPECTED. THE STALLED ENGINE CREATED A VERY DANGEROUS MOMENT WHILE DRIVING ON A FREEWAY. THE BMW SHOP CAME BACK TO ME TODAY AND EXPLAINED THAT THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FAILED. A KNOW ISSUE WITH THE CAR MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR. *TR

GOING APPROX. 55-60 MPH, SUDDEN NO THROTTLE RESPONSE, ONCE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD SHUT DOWN THEN RESTART AND DRIVE FOR ABOUT 200FT THEN WENT INTO LIMP MODE, STAYED IN LIMP MODE UNTIL I GOT IT TO THE DEALERSHIP 2 DAYS LATER. TRIED RESTARTING TWICE THE FOLLOWING DAY WHICH RESULTED IN 3-6 SEC CRANK TIME THEN ONCE STARTED IT WOULD HAVE LOW THROTTLE RESPONSE WITH HEAVY VIBRATION, AFTER ABOUT 10 SECS IT WOULD GO IN LIMP MODE AGAIN WITH HEAVIER CHUGGING AND VIBRATION AND EVENTUALLY SHUTDOWN WITH 7 SECS WITH A "CHOKING" SOUND. LACK OF FUEL. *TR

THE CAR JUST STALLS OUT. SOMETIMES, WHEN I STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND THEN START TO GO, THE CAR HESITATE TO GO. IT STALLS IN TRAFFIC. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY CAN NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM WITH THEIR DIAGNOSTIC TEST EQUIPMENT. I AM AFRAID THAT I WILL BE HIT BY OTHER CARS BECAUSE OF IT. SINCE THE DEALER CAN'T SEEM TO FIGURE IT OUT, I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING IT ON-LINE AND LOTS OF OTHER PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. *JS

AT APPROXIMATELY 4:15 PM ON 4/18/13 I WAS DRIVING ON A BUSY ROADWAY AT APPROX 35MPH IN MY 2007 BMW 328XI COUPE, 65540 MILES. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE VEHICLES INDICATOR LIGHT FLASHED ORANGE FOR COOLANT TEMPERATURE WARNING. WITHIN 5 SEC THE INDICATOR FLASHED RED AND THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN AS I PROCEEDED THROUGH AN INTERSECTION. THERE WAS NO ACCELERATION AND I WAS LEFT TO COAST OUT OF THE INTERSECTION. LUCKILY THE INTERSECTION WAS SLIGHTLY DOWN HILL SO I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE CURB WITHOUT BEING T-BONED. APPARENTLY THIS ENGINE SHUT DOWN IS A DESIGNED FEATURE IN THIS MODEL BMW (2007 328XI) TO SAVE THE ENGINE IN THE CASE OF OVERHEATING. WHILE THIS FEATURE MEANS WELL IT IS AN EXTREME SAFETY ISSUE AS OTHER BMW CUSTOMERS HAVE REPORTED SIMILAR EVENTS WHILE TRAVELING ON INTERSTATES AND SPEEDS UP TO 80MPH (SEE BIMMERFORUMS AND ABOUTAUTOMOBILE). THIS TYPE OF EVENT IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS COULD ABSOLUTELY LEAD TO LOSS OF PROPERTY AND/OR LIFE. THE AIR TEMP WAS APPROX 85F AND I HAD BEEN DRIVING THE CAR FOR MORE THAN A 30MIN IN PRE-RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC BEFORE THE EVENT. AT THE TIME,TRAFFIC WAS NOT STOP AND GO AND I WAS MOVING AT A FAIRLY CONSISTENT 30MPH. THERE WAS LESS THAN 10-15 SEC BETWEEN THE FIRST COOLANT WARNING FLASHING ORANGE, PROCEEDING TO RED, AND ENGINE SHUT DOWN. THESE WERE THE ONLY INDICATIVE WARNINGS OF A PROBLEM. THE OIL TEMPERATURE WAS AROUND 230F. AFTER LETTING THE CAR COOL FOR SEVERAL HOURS I CHECKED THE COOLANT WHICH WAS IN THE NORMAL RANGE. I WAS THEN ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR THE REMAINING 1.5 MILES TO MY HOME. AT HOME, I WAS ABLE TO REPLICATE THIS OVERHEATING SHUT DOWN EVENT BY TURNING THE AC ON AND REVVING THE ENGINE FROM 2000 TO 3000 RPM AT A STANDSTILL. AFTER ABOUT 5MIN, ONCE AGAIN THE INDICATOR PANEL FLASHED ORANGE, 5 SECONDS LATER RED, LEADING TO ENGINE SHUT DOWN ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. THIS YET AGAIN REPLICATED THE SHORT 10 SEC WARNING BEFORE COMPLETE ENGINE SHUT DOWN. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY GEORGIA 400, WHICH IS ONE OF THE MOST TRAVELED HIGHWAY'S IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA. CARS FREQUENTLY TRAVEL 20-30 MPH ABOVE THE SPEED LIMIT AND IF YOU DO NOT GO AT LEAST 75 MPH, THEN YOU ARE OBSTRUCTING THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC. MY 2007 BMW 328XI SEDAN WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 80 MPH UNTIL AN ORANGE ENGINE OVERHEAT LIGHT CAME ON, THEN QUICKLY TURNED RED. IMMEDIATELY THE SAFETY MECHANISM KICKED IN WHICH RESTRICTS MY SPEED AND I COULD NO LONGER ACCELERATE. I WAS IN THE FAST LEFT LANE AND TRIED TO PULL OVER ON THE LEFT HAND SHOULDER BUT THERE IS NOT ENOUGH SPACE. I WAS TRYING TO ACCELERATE TO AT LEAST PULL OVER TO THE RIGHT HAND LANE, BUT COULD NOT. LUCKILY THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC WAS NOT IT'S USUAL BUSY NATURE AND CARS BEHIND ME WERE HONKING AS I KEPT TRYING TO GET OVER TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER (AS CARS WERE TRAVELING HIGH SPEEDS). THE ENGINE NOISE WAS GETTING LOUDER AND LOUDER. I LIMPED OVER TO THE RIGHT HAND SHOULDER AND SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AS IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WOULD EXPLODE. I COULD SMELL SMOKE AS WELL. THE WATER PUMP ENDED UP QUITTING ON ME, CAUSING THE ENGINE OVERHEAT. HOWEVER, NO WARNING AT ALL AND NO INDICATION THAT ALLOWED ME TO TAKE PRE-CAUTION BEFORE I TRAVELED IN MY CAR. THIS IS SIMPLY OUTRAGEOUS AND A DESIGN FLAW. THIS IS AN EXTREME SAFETY ISSUE. YOUR ENGINE SUDDENLY QUITTING ON YOU, WITH NO WARNING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY SYSTEM? CARS IN EVERY LANE TRAVELING AT LEAST 75 MPH OR GREATER WHILE YOU ARE QUICKLY REDUCING IN SPEED TRYING TO PULL OVER? ON TOP OF THAT, THERE IS NO READING IN MY CAR FOR ENGINE TEMPERATURE. BMW NEEDS TO FIX THIS OR SOMEONE WILL DIE BECAUSE OF IT. MANY MAY GET LUCKY THEY ARE ON A SIDE ROAD OR IN A SAFE LOCATION WHEN THEIR WATER PUMP GOES OUT. HOWEVER, MANY ARE ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THIS HAPPENS! THREE PEOPLE WORKED ON MY CAR THE LAST MONTH AND ALL SAY NO WAY TO DETERMINE WHEN YOUR WATER PUMP WILL BLOW. NO EXCUSES FOR THIS! *TR

2007 BMW 335I. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE SUDDEN ACCELERATION. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED AS HE MERGED INTO TRAFFIC, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK TO THE FLOOR, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO PUSH THE GEAR INTO NEUTRAL. HOWEVER, THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO REDLINE AND HE WAS FORCED TO FEATHER THE CLUTCH, IN ORDER TO GET OFF THE ROAD. BMW CLAIMED THE CONSUMER PUSHED THE PEDAL TOO HARD, AND THEREFORE THERE WAS NO DEFECT IN THE DESIGN. THE CONSUMER STATED THE ATTACHMENT, THAT HELD THE PEDAL IN PLACE, SLIPPED OUT OF THE PLASTIC CLIP.

CAR CONTINUES TO HAVE INTERMITTENT ABS BRAKE FAILURE AFTER MORE THAN A YEAR. BMW WON'T REPAIR UNLESS I PAY FOR IT. I HAVE ALREADY HAD 1 ELECTRICAL RELATED SAFETY RECALL DUE TO BATTERY CABLE. SEVERAL PEOPLE ON THE BMW FORUM HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE AS WELL, HERE IS JUST 1 EXAMPLE: HTTP://WWW.BIMMERFEST.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=558662 SEE BELOW TSB #SIB270212 FOR THE ABS BRAKE FAILURE: ___________________________ VEHICLE: 2007 BMW 3 SERIES ________________________________________ NATURE OF DEFECT: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION BULLETIN NUMBER: SIB270212 BULLETIN DATE: DEC 2012 ________________________________________ SUMMARY: BMW: DSC WARNING LIGHT IS ON. THE WARNING LAMPS FOR DSC, ABS AND BRAKE WARNING ILLUMINATED. THERE MAY ALSO BE A WARNING IN THE CONTROL DISPLAY FOR CHASSIS CONTROL SYSTEM FAILURE. ( NHTSA ITEM NUMBER - 10051459 ), *TR

CONSTANT DAILY ISSUE WITH BMW. WHEN THE CAR IS STOPPED AT A LIGHT OR AT A MERGING INTERSECTION, WHEN I TRY TO STEP ON THE ACCELERATOR TO MOVE THE CAR, IT HAS A 2 SECOND DELAY BEFORE IT MOVES. HOWEVER IF I HAVE THE DTC (DYNAMIC TRACTION CONTROL) ON THERE IS NO ISSUE. APPARENTLY THERE IS A MOUNTAIN OF COMPLAINTS ON THE ONLINE CAR FORUMS REGARDING THIS; BUT NO RESOLUTION FROM BMW ON THIS KNOWN ISSUE WITH THEIR CARS. PLEASE HELP! THIS DELAY/LAG CAN EASILY CAUSE DEATH OR INJURY IF NOT DEALT WITH. *TR

WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL ARM IS PUSHED FORWARD TO ACCELERATE MILE BY MILE, THE ARM STICKS CAUSING THE CAR TO ACCELERATE UNCONTROLLABLY UNTIL THE CRUISE CONTROL IS TURNED OFF OR THE BRAKE IS USED TO DISENGAGE. *TR

NEW BMW 3 SERIES SPORTS WAGON SELF-ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO THE FAMILY'S GARAGE. MINUTES BEFORE THE CRASH, THE CAR WAS SLOWING DOWN AS IT WAS BEING DRIVEN ONTO THE DRIVEWAY OF THE HOUSE, WHICH IS PERPENDICULAR TO THE ROAD. SOON AFTER THE CAR THE GARAGE DOOR LIFTED WITH THE STEERING WHEEL IN A TURN POSITION (ONTO THE DRIVEWAY), THE CAR STARTED TO MOVE AS THROUGH IT WAS ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN AND QUICKLY CRASHED INTO THE GARAGE. IT ONLY STOPPED FROM THE IMPACT OF HITTING AND BREAKING A STRUCTURAL HOUSE COLUMN AND A PILE OF SHEETROCK IN THE GARAGE. THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING, WHEN IT STOPPED. THE ENTIRE EVENT TOOK PLACE IN LESS THAN A MINUTE. *TR