# 2001 BMW 330CI — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
> NHTSA complaint `773433` · 2010-03-12 · BMW of North America, LLC
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 0
- **Fire:** Yes
- **Crash:** No
- **Police report:** Yes
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** No
## Vehicle
- **Make:** BMW
- **Model:** 330CI
- **Year:** 2001
- **Manufacturer:** BMW of North America, LLC
- **Component:** ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
- **Miles at failure:** 65,000
- **Speed:** 55 mph
## Narrative
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
---
*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*