2008 BMW 328XI: fire, smoke or burning smell

Filed Nov 4, 2022 · Engine · 70,000 miles · CT · fire

The contact owned a 2008 BMW 328xi. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact's son was driving approximately 30 MPH when the son noticed that smoke had begun to issue from the dashboard vents. The son pulled over and stopped the vehicle and exited when the vehicle dashboard burst into flames. The fire department was called and extinguished the flames with water. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact's insurance provider declared the vehicle a total loss. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

Filed Jun 1, 2021 · Engine · 131,000 miles · NY · fire

The contact owned a 2008 BMW 328xi. The contact stated while driving 35 mph, she saw smoke exiting the front passenger side of the vehicle. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The contact parked and exited the vehicle safely and called 911. The contact stated 25 seconds after exiting the vehicle, the vehicle exploded and caught on fire. The fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. A fire report was filed. The contact stated that there was no injury. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to a towing lot. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 131,000.

Filed Jul 4, 2020 · Airbags, Electrical · 250,000 miles · NY · fire

Car caught on fire for unknown reasons. When the car was turned on smoke came out from the air conditioning vents and all doors locked from inside. There were 2 occupants inside that needed assistance to get out while the car was catching fire. The vehicle was parked.

Filed Dec 28, 2019 · Body, Electrical · 140,000 miles · WA · fire

While car was parked in a strip mall parking lot and shut off, car ignited in flames and is now a total loss

Filed Sep 6, 2018 · Body, Electrical · 100,000 miles · CT · fire · 2 injuries

On 11/12, my 2008 bmw 328xi caught fire in a parking lot. Two private appraisers deemed this a manufacturer error based on a faulty electrical system.

Filed Mar 5, 2018 · PA

Open recalls have no remedy within a timely manner. In october 2017, bmw announced 2 recalls affecting my car: (1) blower motor wiring and (2) positive crankcase ventilation (pcv) valve heater. Originally the estimated time frame for a fix for both issues was december 2017. It is now march 2018, almost 6 months after the recalls were first announced, and not only are the remedies still unavailable, but bmw has failed to communicate any information relevant to the affected issues. Due to the serious nature that these recalls could potentially pose, I find this absolutely unacceptable. The open recalls could potentially lead to the car catching on fire even when not in use. Although I have not yet been affected by the potential dangers of the recalls, every time I use the car there is a constant fear that it may happen due to the lack of remedies for the recalls.

Filed Jul 6, 2017 · Electrical · 93,000 miles · WI · fire

On june 24th 2017 as I was backing out of my driveway at my house in my 2008 certified pre-owned bmw 328xi, the car was in motion, with my 3 year old son and he noticed smoked coming from the vents. I turned my head around to see what he was talking about and noticed smoke billowing from the vents and glove box area. I immediately unbuckled him from his car seat and told him to get out. I exited the vehicle, dialed 911, and got him to a safe distance. I could see an electrical fire (based on location and smell) coming from under the passenger side dash board near the glove box, within 4 minutes the entire vehicle was engulfed in flames. Luckily no one was physically injured. The fire investigator says the fire originated from the glove box area where a fuse panel and battery cable are located as identified in the fire report attached. It is my belief that the fire was caused by an electrical malfunction at the fuse panel located under the glove box. I did some research and in 2013 there was a recall (the federal safety agency campaign number: 13v044000) for the vehicles power cable attached to the fuse box that was fixed; however, I believe that it was either fixed improperly by bmw or the recall didn't fix the issue.

Filed Jun 23, 2017 · Electrical · CT · fire

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 bmw 328xi. While the vehicle was parked in the garage, a fire started without warning. The contact was able to notify the fire department and a fire inspector extinguished the flames. A fire inspection report was not provided at the time. The fire began near the instrument panel and the front passenger side of the vehicle. The insurance company and manufacturer were notified and the contact was waiting for them to investigate the cause of the failure. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was parked at the contact's residence and was unable to be driven. The failure mileage was not available.

Filed Sep 13, 2016 · Electrical · 126,000 miles · MD · fire

Tl* the contact owned a 2008 bmw 328xi. While the vehicle was parked in front of the contact's house, it caught fire. The origin of the fire was behind the glove compartment, which caused the air bag to deploy. A fire report was filed and the fire was extinguished by the fire department. There were no injuries. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was declared destroyed by the fire department and the insurance adjuster. The failure mileage was approximately 126,000.

Filed May 9, 2013 · Electrical · 38,000 miles · MA · fire

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 bmw 328xi. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH, smoke emerged from the instrument panel area. The contact exited the vehicle and the vehicle ignited in flames. The contact stated that there was a police and a fire report filed of the incident. The contact was not injured. The fire department determined that the fire originated from an electrical failure. The manufacturer was notified of the incident. The failure mileage was 38,000.

Filed Jul 7, 2011 · Electrical · 29,142 miles · NY · fire

Drove my 2008 bmw 328xi sedan to work site about 54 miles away from my home town with no issues. After a long day of work, got into car and started engine. Noticed smoking coming out of engine compartment. Open hood and noticed small fire coming from underneath the intake manifold near some wiring. Small but still on fire. Put out fire by blowing on. Car started up fine with no error codes. Tried starting again, same result. A electrical short with smoke and flame. I put it out again with water. Had the car towed to my local bmw dealer to have a repair. Bmw dealer checked it out and said that the car had a electrical wiring harness fire and no other issues. They said it would cost $2700 dollars to repair and was not covered under bmw's warranty. This car has 29000 miles on it. How in the world is this not covered by their warranty. This was a vehicle fire! It is not normal for a car to catch on fire by itself is it not?