NHTSA complaint: 2001 BMW 330CI — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
2:00 PM I LEFT GREENWOOD VILLAGE, CO TO GO TO A MEETING AT 49TH AND NOME STREET. I ARRIVED AT MY MEETING IN MY BMW AT APPROXIMATELY AT 2:30 WITH NO PROBLEMS OR INDICATIONS OF PROBLEMS. 4:00 PM I LEFT THE MEETING. THEN I SMELLED SOMETHING WITH A DISTINCT ODOR 4:08 PM I DROVE ONTO EAST BOUND I-70 AND CONTINUED ON I-70 UNTIL THE RAMP TO SOUTHBOUND I-225, APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE OR SO. I WAS GOING ABOUT 55 MPH AND THERE WAS NOT MUCH TRAFFIC AT THIS TIME. MY WINDOWS WERE ROLLED UP AND I HAD THE RADIO ON. I DID NOT HAVE ANY OTHER ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT ON INSIDE THE CAR. THE ODOR GOT A LOT WORSE AS I ENTERED ONTO THE RAMP. SMOKE STARTED TO COME OUT OF THE BMW FRONT VENTS AND THEN A FLAME CAME FROM UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL. I WAS NOW ON I-225 HEADING SOUTHBOUND AT ABOUT 55 MILES PER HOUR IN THE LEFT HAND LANE. AS I WAS MOVING OVER TO THE RIGHT HAND LANE THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIT UP. A LOT OF SMOKE CAME OUT FROM ALL OF THE FRONT VENTS, AND ESPECIALLY THE FRONT DEFROSTER. I LOOKED AT THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE LIGHT AND IT WAS NORMAL. THE AUTOMOBILE WAS RUNNING FINE. I TURNED THE CAR OFF. THEN MORE SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT OF THE VENTS. THEN, FLAMES STARTED COMING OUT OF THE VENTS AND FRONT DEFROSTER. 4:10 PM THE ENGINE WAS STILL TURNED OFF. I GOT OUT OF THE CAR. FLAMES AND BLACK SMOKE WENT THROUGH THE CONVERTIBLE ROOF STRAIGHT UP. 4:20 PM THE AURORA FIRE DEPARTMENT AND MORE AURORA POLICE CAME.. THEY TOWED THE CAR AWAY TO THE IMPOUND LOT. THE INVESTIGATOR SAID MAYBE
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation