I have been smelling a burning odor in the vehicle for almost a year which the dealership and an independent shop had not been able to diagnose. The car was recently throwing Drivetrain Error codes which prompted a visit to the dealership. They found that the 48v battery and negative cable are burnt and quoted $5680 to replace the battery and cables. After investigating I found that there were recalls for this issue on other BMWs, including the same year and model of my vehicle, but my VIN is not pulling up a recall. The issue is a fire risk and a very expensive repair that should be covered by the manufacturer due to a known defect.
No injuries · No fire · No crash
The BMW B58TU oil pump thermoplastic component issue that can cause catastrophic failure to the engine. The the gen 1 oil pump was made from plastic and after issues were discovered, they switched to metal oil pumps. However this known issue is something that BMW has not addressed in the models 2019-2021 that came with the inferior oil pump.
No injuries · No fire · No crash
I am reporting a safety concern involving BMW vehicles equipped with the B58 Technical Update (B58TU) engine, commonly found in model years 2019–2021. These vehicles utilize a variable-displacement engine oil pump containing an internal thermoplastic adjusting component responsible for regulating oil pressure. Field failures are increasingly being reported in which this internal component fractures, resulting in sudden loss or instability of engine oil pressure. The failure frequently occurs during cold-start operation in low ambient temperatures. When the component fails, oil pressure regulation becomes erratic or is lost entirely. In many cases, drivers receive little or no actionable warning prior to engine damage or vehicle disablement. Reported precursor symptoms include inability to electronically measure engine oil level, abnormal oil pressure behavior, or sudden drivetrain malfunction warnings. Failures may rapidly progress to engine shutdown or severe mechanical damage caused by oil starvation. Loss of lubrication can cause the vehicle to become disabled without warning while driving or shortly after startup. This creates a safety hazard, particularly when vehicles become immobilized in active traffic or during winter conditions the cold is when they fail the most, where occupants may be exposed to freezing temperatures while awaiting assistance. Replacement of the oil pump requires extensive disassembly of the vehicle and repairs commonly exceed $6,000–$8,000 for just the pump, assuming the motor is unharmed. Failures have been reported across multiple production years, and affected vehicle population boundaries remain unclear. Because this condition can result in sudden vehicle disablement without adequate warning especially in the cold, I believe this issue warrants investigation as a potential safety-related defect.
No injuries · No fire · No crash
The starter in my 2022 BMW M340I sedan was faulty after 54,000 miles. It began to take two attempts to start the vehicle each time and was at risk of not starting. The first attempt all electrical components would turn on but the ignition was unable to start the engine. Then the second attempt was generally successful. I took it to the dealer and had to replace my starter to return the vehicle to normal operation. BMW has recalled tens of thousands of other starters including my model but not yet for the 2022 BMW M340i I was told.
No injuries · No fire · No crash
Here’s a strong version that sounds frustrated but still credible and harder to dismiss: I’ve owned many vehicles over the years, and this BMW has been, without question, the most problematic car I’ve ever had. The list of issues has been absurd for a vehicle in this price range and from a brand that markets itself as a premium luxury manufacturer. The sunroof failed, I’ve had multiple tire blowouts under normal driving conditions, the drive bar/suspension was bent from what should have been a routine road bump, the engine oil housing/component failed, and now I’m dealing with coolant system and drivetrain problems as well. At this point, it feels like one major issue after another. I expected quality, reliability, and engineering excellence from BMW, but my experience has been the complete opposite. Instead, ownership has been stressful, expensive, and incredibly disappointing. A luxury vehicle should not have this many significant failures in such a short span of ownership. Between the repair costs, downtime, and constant concern over what will fail next, this car has completely destroyed my confidence in the BMW brand. I am documenting these issues formally because this ownership experience has been unacceptable.
No injuries · No fire · No crash