ENROUTE FROM PALO ALTO TO MOUNTAIN VIEW AND WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP WAITING AT A STOP LIGHT ON A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE (CENTRAL EXPRESSWAY) WHEN THE CAR STOPPED RUNNING. CARS BEHIND ME PROCEEDED TO PASS ME TO MAKE THE LEFT TURN WHILE MY CAR WAS SHUT DOWN. I WAS ABLE TO RE-START THE CAR AFTER ~5 - 10 MINUTES AND DRIVE ANOTHER 1000 FEET WHEN THE CAR STOPPED RUNNING AGAIN. PRIOR TO BOTH INCIDENTS THE PANEL INDICATED AN ALERT "TRANSMISSION FAIL" AND A "CHECK ENGINE" ALERT. THE CAR WOULD NOT START BACK UP AND HAD TO BE PUSHED THROUGH THE INTERSECTION TO A STREET WHERE IT COULD BE PARKED SAFELY. INITIAL AUTOBODY ELECTRONIC DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIRS RELATED TO BATTERY REPLACEMENT, HOWEVER, TRANSMISSION RELATED FAULT CODES STILL SHOWED UP. FORTES BROTHERS AUTOBODY DISCOVERED "SAFETY" RELATED NOTIFICATIONS ISSUED BY BMW AND THEREFORE RECOMMENDED TAKING CAR TO BMW. CAR WAS THEN TOWED TO BMW MOUNTAIN VIEW DEALERSHIP WHERE SERVICE DEPARTMENT DIAGNOSED AND THEN REPLACED BOTH HYDRAULIC PUMP AND CLUTCH. BASED ON SUBSEQUENT RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, THERE ARE REFERENCES TO HYDRAULIC PUMP RECALLS BY BMW FOR BMW M5 2005 MODEL. ALTHOUGH MY CAR IS A BMW M5 2006 I AM REQUESTING FOLLOW UP TO CONFIRM THAT THE HYDRAULIC PUMP IS MANUFACTURED TO ALL REQUIRED SPECIFICATIONS AND DOES NOT POSE A SAFETY RISK. *TR
2013
STEERING
WHILE MAKING A SLOW RIGHT TURN THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE SUDDENLY SHUT DOWN AND IMMEDIATELY RESTARTED A FEW MOMENT LATER. HOWEVER, WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED ALL POWER STEERING WAS LOST WHICH WAS FOLLOWED BY MULTIPLE SYSTEM FAILURE WARNINGS THAT WERE DISPLAYED, SUCH AS: REAR DIFFERENTIAL IS LOCKED, POWER STEERING HAS FAILED, SEAT BELT TENSIONER SYSTEM FAILED AND TO STOP DRIVING THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY AND CONTACT A SERVICE CENTER IMMEDIATELY. I DROVE THE VEHICLE INTO MY DRIVEWAY WHICH WAS 100 YARDS AWAY AND SHUT THE VEHICLE DOWN AND CALLED ORANGE COUNTY BMW IN HARRIMAN, NY. I WAS TOLD TO SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF AND LET IT SIT FOR TEN MINUTES AND THE SYSTEM SHOULD RESET ITSELF, WHICH I DID. I WAS TOLD THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN THE 5 SERIES AND IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME FROM THE SALES MANAGER, [XXX], TO WHOM I SPOKE TO ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THE ERRORS CLEARED BUT I WAS ABLE TO RECREATE THE FAILURE MAKING THE SAME TURN WITH THE SAME FAILURES OCCURRING AS LISTED ABOVE. IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING AT A HIGHER SPEED THIS WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN LOSS OF ABILITY TO STEER THE VEHICLE. WHEN THE FIRST FAILURE OCCURRED I ENDED UP DRIVING INTO THE ONCOMING LANE OF TRAFFIC UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO FORCEFULLY STEER THE VEHICLE BACK INTO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
