# New X5 caught fire after service...



## rwnilsen3 (May 22, 2002)

Hey all,

A friend of mine is having a pretty bad time with his new BMW... and I wanted to get some advice on what he should do about it.

Last week he went to pick up his car at the dealership (Classic) after having it serviced. On his way home he smelled something, pulled over, then saw flames coming from the front of the car and called the fire department. Apparently there were 6-8 foot flames coming from the car.

BMW is investigating the car to see why it caught fire... and so he's holding off on filing an insurance claim until they report their findings.

He's apparently not getting particularly good service on this issue. The GM of the dealership looks him up and down and says "well this kind a thing has never happen to us before". My friend looks at him "really? this kind a thing has never happen to me either... buy a $52k car and 4 months later it blows up on me".

So, that's the story. Has anyone ever heard of such a thing before? Is this a known problem with the X5? Does anyone have any advice on how they should handle it?

Thanks in advance,

Bob

Here are the pictures:


----------



## Nick325xiT 5spd (Dec 24, 2001)

Was it a stick? 

Way back in '01, the fans were burning in manual cars.


----------



## The HACK (Dec 19, 2001)

Does this friend of yours do business with someone named Tony with a thick Italian accent?

I've seen ONE other case of an X5 catching fire randomly. All I can say is SHIT HAPPENS...Let BMW check and see if they can find anything. Otherwise I'd suggest your friend take the money from the insurance company and run to get a Lexus. :thumbdwn:


----------



## Sean (Dec 22, 2001)

This was a problem a few years back with the Aux. fans shorting out. There is a Service Bulletin out for this.


----------



## SARAFIL (Feb 19, 2003)

Nick325xiT 5spd said:


> *Was it a stick?
> 
> Way back in '01, the fans were burning in manual cars. *


Manual tranny E46's and ALL (auto and manual) 6 and 8 cylinder E39, E53, E52 and E38's were affected for a certain time frame. The only "good" ones were some of the M cars as well as the Z3 and 750iL.


----------



## The HACK (Dec 19, 2001)

Sean said:


> *This was a problem a few years back with the Aux. fans shorting out. There is a Service Bulletin out for this. *


Hm...4 month old car, I doubt it's one of the earlier MY 2001 cars unless that dealership has it sitting on their lot for almost 2 years.

But yeah, that's what I'd check into. By the way, can't see the badge and can't see the engine, but is that the 4.4 sports wheel? Also the $52K reference would lead me to believe it IS an automatic 4.4i. The aux. fan fiasco never affected 4.4i's, it was only on the 3.0i automatic. In fact that other car that caught fire WAS a 3.0i auto.


----------



## SARAFIL (Feb 19, 2003)

The HACK said:


> *The aux. fan fiasco never affected 4.4i's, it was only on the 3.0i automatic. In fact that other car that caught fire WAS a 3.0i auto. *


With all due respect, you are totally wrong. The recall affected all X5s, 3.0i or 4.4i, built during the defined period.

An X5 burnt up in Massachusetts and burnt a house down. It was all over the news for a while up here.

As for the car in the picture, it is a 3.0i sport (which can easily hit $52k with options)-- $52k will barely get you a base model 4.4i these days.


----------



## The HACK (Dec 19, 2001)

SARAFIL said:


> *...snip...
> 
> As for the car in the picture, it is a 3.0i sport (which can easily hit $52k with options)-- $52k will barely get you a base model 4.4i these days. *


:yikes:

Thanks for the correction.


----------



## Sean (Dec 22, 2001)

SARAFIL said:


> *With all due respect, you are totally wrong. The recall affected all X5s, 3.0i or 4.4i, built during the defined period.*


I was about to say, there was a 540i that went up in smoke locally at a mall.


----------



## rwnilsen3 (May 22, 2002)

Thanks for the info, all.

Here's a bit more information:

It's a 2003 X5 with 4,600 miles on it.


----------



## Sean (Dec 22, 2001)

Maybe a fluke thing. :dunno:


----------



## Emission (Dec 19, 2001)

Is that the "Carbon" interior trim? :rofl:


----------



## alee (Dec 19, 2001)

rwnilsen3 said:


> *Thanks for the info, all.
> 
> Here's a bit more information:
> 
> It's a 2003 X5 with 4,600 miles on it. *


Stick or steptronic?

BMW NA Customer Relations would be your first course of action. They have dealt with a few car fires, including a particularly bad PR incident where an X5 caught fire and burned down a garage. I'm sure they will make things right.


----------



## suzer (Jan 4, 2002)

What kind of service did he need at 4300?


----------



## 328bimma (Apr 9, 2002)

HOLY..... datz scary.... :bawling: 

Jerry


----------



## SARAFIL (Feb 19, 2003)

Sean said:


> *I was about to say, there was a 540i that went up in smoke locally at a mall. *


I was also going to say that while I was working in the service department, I personally went to my mom's friend's house, picked up her X5 4.4i and brought it in with me to have a tech do the radio software update and the auxiliary fan recall. Hearing rumors from others is one thing, but I personally ran a Vehicle History Report and saw that the recall applied to the car, and I personally brought it in and made sure it was done, so I am 100% certain in this case. :bigpimp:


----------



## Motown328 (Jun 4, 2003)

What kind of report does this guy think he's waiting for? For BMW to make up something that sounds great so they get out of it as much as possible or what?! File the claims and get your free auto!!! BMW and the dealership are lucky that they aren't being sued!!! What a nice guy!


----------



## rwnilsen3 (May 22, 2002)

More details on the problem:

The car was in for service because his "check break lights" light kept coming on so he had them check that out - 
said nothing was wrong - and had some work done on the hitch.

The fire started because of a electrical problem (he first saw the flames coming from under the dash).........

It's an automatic.


----------



## MikeW (Dec 20, 2001)

My niece has as X5 4.4. She has alot of problems with teh fuel system, to the point of smelling gasoline fumes in the car. She went several rounds with her dealer. I looked into making a lemon law complaint for her (which I find a bit strange since she's a lawyer - albeit nonpracticeing), but she'd had the car too long to make a claim.

I haven't heard anything lately, so I assume the dealer finally fixed the problem before the car burst into flames.


----------



## Proofrock (Sep 19, 2002)

For what it's worth, I had a 3 series burn up due to an electrical fire in the engine compartment (due to a faulty aux fan). My car looked pretty much like the pics of the X5. The local dealership couldn't do much, because they had no experience with such a problem. I got the name of the BMW area manager and stayed in contact with him throughout the ordeal. I made it clear that I believed BMW was at fault, and that I expected an identical replacement at no cost or else I would speak with my attorney. I also notified my insurance company, and they agreed that I should try to work things out with BMW, but kept my claim open until things were resolved one way or the other. They also discussed the possibility of assuming any potential lawsuit on my behalf. It took about two weeks for BMWNA to sort everything out (investigate, authorize a replacement), and another 3 weeks to get a replacement that was in the process of being shipped over from Germany. In the end, I was perfectly satisfied though. I also had a loaner from the dealership during the entire time. I know it's tough when something like this happens to your car, but tell your friend to be patient and get in touch with the area manger. He's the one who will investigate and eventually authorize a replacement. Tell him to be polite, but firm and persistant. While BMWNA might be slow, based on my experience, they take responsibility when it comes to rectifying situations like this. After all, replacing your friend's car is a lot cheaper than paying for a lawsuit.

PS: BMW Customer Service was of absolutely no help. They told me to work it out with my service department. I had to go to the dealership manager and convince him to give me the name and number of the area rep.


----------



## Jon Shafer (Dec 15, 2001)

Guest Viewing Thread _New X5 caught fire after service..._

IP Address: system150.BMWNA.com

Well, at least we know that the good folks in New Jersey
are aware of it now...

:thumbup:


----------



## 01silber (Jun 28, 2002)

All i can say is that as sad is it is, if my z3 ever caught fire i would throw my body on the flames to put them out, or atleast use my clothes to kill the flames


----------



## possessed007 (May 26, 2003)

SARAFIL said:


> *With all due respect, you are totally wrong. The recall affected all X5s, 3.0i or 4.4i, built during the defined period.
> 
> An X5 burnt up in Massachusetts and burnt a house down. It was all over the news for a while up here.
> 
> As for the car in the picture, it is a 3.0i sport (which can easily hit $52k with options)-- $52k will barely get you a base model 4.4i these days. *


what recall? which 4.4i does it affect I have a 2000 540i built in 07/99


----------



## Motown328 (Jun 4, 2003)

> Guest Viewing Thread New X5 caught fire after service...IP Address: system150.BMWNA.com
> 
> Well, at least we know that the good folks in New Jersey
> are aware of it now...


So the Big Wigs do pay attention to what us little folk have to say after all, eh?! Interesting.

Or do they just monitor potential troublesome areas?

Perhaps they should read a few of our threads on what Panke and Co. are doing to BMW and they forward that to the demigods across the ocean...?:thumbup:


----------



## Terry Kennedy (Sep 21, 2002)

Motown328 said:


> *So the Big Wigs do pay attention to what us little folk have to say after all, eh?! Interesting.*


I think that they keep an eye out for specific issues they can address (usually via the "sorry you're having difficulties; call us if you need us" posts). I've never seen a posted response to a generic complaint (the closest is the answer about the M3 "clunk").

I think the best we could hope for on things like styling is that they pass up a generic comment like "people on the boards don't seem to like the styling of the...".

I wrote up a 3 page letter about various quality and marketing issues and handed it to Rich Brekus (I hope I spelled that right) personally. The next business day I got a callback from customer relations saying "he told me to make copies of this and send it to the engineering and development groups in Germany - they can definitely use this kind of info". So there are feedback methods available if you can find them...


----------



## ·clyde· (Dec 26, 2001)

Late to the party, I guess...

I once picked up a car from a dealer service and shortly thereafter (within 20 miles) smelled something burning. I stopped, popped the hood and found a smoldering shop rag in the engine compartment.


----------



## Nick325xiT 5spd (Dec 24, 2001)

DougDogs said:


> *Terry can also verify this. . .at the NJ CCA meeting at BMWNA a couple of weeks ago, they (BMWNA) referenced "Bimmerfest" a couple of times. They did not mention any other web site by name, only bimmerfest
> 
> They even showed a X3 "spy-shot" that they said they got from here!!!:thumbup: *


I guess it's because we type in sentences, using gud grimer end punkchewayshun.


----------



## SARAFIL (Feb 19, 2003)

possessed007 said:


> *what recall? which 4.4i does it affect I have a 2000 540i built in 07/99 *


All vehicles affected were 2001 models.


----------



## rwnilsen3 (May 22, 2002)

Update:

For the sake of completeness, here's the rest of the story that I was told recently:

The car was taken into Classic BMW because my friend wanted to get a trailer hitch put on it. They said they couldn't do the electrical stuff to make it so the brake lights on the trailer would work, so they send him to a place called "Joe's Hitch".

Four months later the car is having "brake light problems" and he takes it back in to Classic. They say there's nothing wrong with the car and send him on his way. The car caught fire on the way home.

So, it's not entirely clear at this time why the car caught fire... bad original wiring... perhaps made worse by the inspection of the car that day?

They believe the car caught fire in or around the fuse box, and Classic claimed to not have gone into the fuse box to diagnose the brake light problem.... which sounded a bit suspicious to all.


----------



## Emission (Dec 19, 2001)

It sounds like Joe's Hitch tapped into the fuse box to get the trailer lights working... and the X5 didn't like the intrusion.

If you buy the BMW trailer hitch, it appears to be a simple bolt-in, with an easy wiring harness hook-up. I don't see what the difficulty was.


----------



## SoonerE39 (Oct 10, 2002)

DougDogs said:


> I think I would find it difficult to take any of my vehicles to a place called "Joe's Hitch" :tsk:
> 
> I was talking to a service manager of a bmw dealership near my house
> 
> ...


Not very likely


----------



## gfeiner (Jun 27, 2003)

so did they ever figure out the cause of the fire?


----------



## rwnilsen3 (May 22, 2002)

No word as of yet.


----------



## tonylopez0429 (Apr 9, 2005)

Hello All,

SUBJECT Recall Campaign 01V-206: Engine Auxiliary/Cooling Fan-E46, E38, E53, E52 MODEL E46, 3 Series with manual transmission, produced 02/01/2001 up to 06/01/2001 E38, 7 Series from 11/01/2000 up to 01/08/2001 production E53, X5 from 12/18/2000 up to 04/30/2001 production* E52, Z8 from 01/01/2001 up to 06/01/2001 production * Note: 5 Series (E39) and additional X5 (E53) vehicles are affected by this recall campaign; however, the repair procedure for them is different from what is provided in this bulletin. SIB 64 06 01 covers the repair procedure on those vehicles. SITUATION The potential defect involves the engine auxiliary/cooling fan in certain MY 2001 BMW vehicles. Fan operation, including variable speed, is electronically controlled. It is possible for the electrical circuitry in the fan control unit to overheat and fail, causing the fan to stop operating. If this were to occur, engine overheating and subsequent engine damage could result if vehicle continues to be operated, despite the warning provided by the coolant temperature gauge. In addition, it is possible in some cases for the failure of the electrical circuitry to cause smoldering. In the extreme case, a fire in the fan control unit, which is mounted in the fan and located in the front of the engine compartment, could occur. This could happen either while the engine is running, or after the ignition has been switched off, since fan may run for up to 11 minutes after engine shutdown. AFFECTED VEHICLES This Recall Campaign involves certain Model Year 2001 E46 with manual transmission, and certain E38, E53, E52 and E39 vehicles. In order to determine if a specific vehicle is affected by this Recall Campaign, it will be necessary to utilize the "Service Menu" of the DCS (Dealer Communication System). Based on the response of the system, either proceed with the corrective action or take no further action. Corrective actions listed in this bulletin are only to be carried out on vehicles identified in DCS as having the following Open Campaign: 0064320100 SI 64 05 01 ...


Hopefully, this information will be helpful.

TLopez


----------



## gw (Sep 30, 2006)

*PS: BMW Customer Service was of absolutely no help*



Proofrock said:


> For what it's worth, ...
> PS: BMW Customer Service was of absolutely no help. They told me to work it out with my service department. I had to go to the dealership manager and convince him to give me the name and number of the area rep.


Amen to that. If BMWNA is listening, from my own experience, I suggest BMWNA fire the whole "canned reply sending" staff at BMW Customer Service.

They do more disservice to BMW than be of any use.

gw


----------

