NHTSA complaint: 2010 BMW 335I — EXTERIOR LIGHTING
WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET WE SMELLED BURNING PLASTIC AND PULLED OVER TO INVESTIGATE. UPON PULLING OVER WE FOUND A SMALL FIRE WAS BURNING IN THE HEAD/FOG LIGHT AREA OF THE VEHICLE. BOTH THE HEAD AND FOG LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE FIRE QUICKLY SPREAD TO THE ENTIRE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE WAS DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS BY STATE FARM. NEITHER STATE FARM NOR BMWNA WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE FIRE; HOWEVER, AN INTERNET INVESTIGATION HIGHLIGHTED TWO OTHER INSTANCES OF A VERY SIMILAR SITUATION WITH 3-SERIES SEDANS FROM THE SAME GENERATION AS THIS ONE. SEE THE FOLLOWING URL: HTTP://WWW.TOPIX.COM/FORUM/AUTOS/BMW/T5MQ2AE26SC44CLO0 OF NOTE TO ANYONE WHO MAY HAVE ENCOUNTERED A SIMILAR SITUATION.. BMWNA WAS TOTALLY UNCOOPERATIVE INFORMING ME THAT "FIRE IS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY" FORCING ME TO CLAIM THIS TOTAL LOSS UNDER MY INSURANCE POLICY FOR A TWO YEAR OLD CAR THAT CAUGHT FIRE WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY. I DID NOT PURCHASE ANOTHER BMW. *TR
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation