1989 BMW 320 User Comment / Complaint

Transmission jumped out of gear twice (other vehicle on 479214).  view

Consumer concerned that air bag is a safety hazard, wants airbag disonnected.  view

Headlights cannot be turned off due to malfunctioning of light switch.  view

Truck started speeding up by itself after about 15 mi of normal op. cruise control was not being used at the time. almost certain the cruise servo was pulling on the throttle causing the problem. speed increased to at least 80 and would have gone on up. cruise "off" switch on steering wheel did not shut the system down. brake switch did not shut the system down. redundant system: off switch in brake hydraulic line did not shut the system down. finally got stopped with ignition off, after burning out the front brakes. was able to repeat the problem once again while limping the truck home. have not found the problem as of jan 01, 1999.  view

Brakes failed @ 35 mph; regained brakes thereafter; emergency brake stuck (dealer claims nothing wrong).  view

Brakes failed @ 35 mph; regained brakes thereafter; emergency brake stuck (dealer claims nothing wrong).  view

Driving at any speed engine check light keeps coming on. vehicle loses a lot of fuel. contacted dealer to see if they would correct the promblem, but they won't. the oil is leaking from the engine.  view

Driving at any speed engine check light keeps coming on. vehicle loses a lot of fuel. contacted dealer to see if they would correct the promblem, but they won't. the oil is leaking from the engine.  view

While driving the vehicle at 70 mph power steering failed, causing the consumer to lose control. just in time the consumer was able to bring the vehicle to the side of the road whitout causing an accident. also, the draglink came apart because of factory negligence. dealer installed a new steering gear. airbrakes failed.  view

While driving the vehicle at 70 mph power steering failed, causing the consumer to lose control. just in time the consumer was able to bring the vehicle to the side of the road whitout causing an accident. also, the draglink came apart because of factory negligence. dealer installed a new steering gear. airbrakes failed.  view

Brakes: brakes has been replaced three times within three years. brakes vibrate and wear out within a year. had new brake pads installed and rotors turned. also vehicle caught fire on the left side 3-2-97. probable cause electrical. recall 96v071.  view

Transmission fails to shift into drive/reverse, also replaced leaking transmission oil pan.  view

Due to the design of the muffler the vehicle vibrates, the muffler came detached from the vehicle, causing a hazard.  view

While driving at 25 mph, the oil light came on, and the vehicle made a funny noise and entire vehicle just shut down, leaving no power at all in the vehicle. the dealer replaced the oil sensor light, and noticed there was water in the oil.  view

While driving at 25 mph, the oil light came on, and the vehicle made a funny noise and entire vehicle just shut down, leaving no power at all in the vehicle. the dealer replaced the oil sensor light, and noticed there was water in the oil.  view

There was a new head gasket put on the vehicle from the dealer. took the vehicle home, and the fuel was empty in the vehicle. there was fuel leaking, but can't determine where the fuel is coming from.  view

There was a new head gasket put on the vehicle from the dealer. took the vehicle home, and the fuel was empty in the vehicle. there was fuel leaking, but can't determine where the fuel is coming from.  view

When locking latch & buckle, does not hear click. tongue of belt does not go in completely. can pull on it & will not release. will drive down the road & it will pop out of latch. not secured properly.  view

While driving brakes froze up in a locked position, the vehicle pulled itself to the side of the road and started smoking. this was a second request.  view

Air bag: driving approximately 45mph another vehicle pulled out in front ad was hit sideways, air bag did not deploy. cause unknown.  view

While driving transmission slipped out of gear, no drive, engine still running, no gears, according to dealer, main gear drive failed, replaced, all gears inside transmission were loose .  view

The horn pad became detached from the steering wheel, causing the pad to become jammed between the steering wheel and turn signal lever, ea94-033 recall #96100100, dealer stated consumer not listed under the campaign.  view

Front end misaligned.  view

Ea94-038, brake failure, on wet or uneven surface when applying the brakes, vehicle skidded/lost control due brake lockup, impact 12:00 position , speed 10mph.  view

While driving, the vehicle caught on fire under the vehicle, after vehicle stalled. cause unknown.  view

Structure of the hood assembly latch recall number 93v189001, consumer had the work corrected in aprilof 95 and on feb 27, 1997 when operating the vehicle the hood flew up.  view

Previosuly reported "nhtsa vehicle owner's questionaire reference number 806372 dated 12/16/1996. on two separate occasions at approx, 20,00 miles (10/28/96) and approx. 55,000 miles(10/9/98) the brakes on the subject vehicle(1994 lincoln contintial) have failed. in both instances the failure occured at low speed after having sat for a short peeriod of time with the are idling and the foot brake depressed, than released with the car slowly moving forward(approx. 1 to 2 mph). upon depressing the foot brake to stop the pedal depressed all the way to floorboard with no braking available resulting in minor accidents to nearby vehicles. in all instances there has been no brake fluid loss nor have any brake warning lights been on. after the first incident(10/28/96) and three months of investigation ford motor company replaced the master cylinder and valve block. the braking system worked fine until the most recent incident(10/9/98). in both instances the brakes(braking action) had restored itself by the time mechanics at newman lincoln-mercury started an investigatiion of the problem(usually early the next morning...note that in both instances the brake loss occurred in the early evening after the garage was closed). to date(12/31/98) ford motor company and dealer have determined that they can find no problem and have asked that i return the vehicle to service without and root cause determined nor any corrective action taken. at this point i'm resisting returning the car to service until the root cause has been established. the car current is covered under a frod motor company extended service plan(extracare) until 86,000 miles or 3/29/2001. currently the state of connecticut's department of motor vehicles dealers and repairers division is investigating why ford motor company and/or newman lincoln-mercury have not performed repairs to correct the brake failure problem. to date the car is still at dealer and no repairs have been made.  view

Abs brake system unable to stop properly the vehicle. consumer has to pump brakes in order to get vehicle to stop. there is a recall by nhtsa # 96v 099, concerning anti-skid system. manufacturer informed consumer that the recall time has expired.  view

While driving about 15 mph the explorer began to travel at a speed of 80 mph because the floor mat got stuck under the pedal. driver shifted the transmission into neutral to stop the suv while using the brakes. problem has not been reported to dealership.  view

While driving at any speed and applying the brakes they make a very loud noise. the consumer took the vehicle in for repair work, but the dealer refused to service the vehicle, and told the consumer there wasn't anything wrong with the brakes. refused to service the vehicle.  view

Vehicle's cooling fan failed to operate, causing engine to overheat. dealer repaired problem, but cosumer was charge a deduction for the repair. there is a nhtsa recall # 97v-019 on file, dealer informed vehicle was not under recall.  view

Due to the design flaw of the rear bushing installed on the rear brake, the bushing is causing excessive wear of the rear brakes shoes and pads, consumer has replaced the rear brakes on a number on occasions.  view

Motorized seat belts: driving approximately 25mph and an other vehicle hit first vehicle head-on, seat belt split at bottom. four people were in vehicle and 3 were injured and one was killed. trying to find out the defect of seat belt that caused it to split.  view

Eec harness to oxygen sensor failed, causing engine to miss/stumble.  view

While driving vehicle throttle cable stuck in a open position , and the pedal will not move, rpms went up to 4000.  view

Both front rotors broke during heavy braking.  view

Automatic transmission transfer case cracked, two holes, upper and lower of the case, causing a loss of transmission fluid and front end to became unusable while driving.  view

Driver's airbag exploded, resulting in an injury.  view

Cannot fill gas tank more than half-way full without leaking.  view

Upon starting the vehicle consumer noticed smoke coming from the left hand side then the vehicle caught on fire, consumer has contacted the dealer, problem has yet to be fixed.  view

Airbag is purtruding form steering wheel.  view

Rear end collision caused seat backing to collapse.  view

Abs brake failure, front right/left brake hose replaced due to rusting and corrosion of exterior clamp.  view

Left door pulling away from weld, difficult to close, rain leaks in, loud wind sounds, right door starting to do same thing.  view

Oil pan drain plug washer failed, causing oil leak.  view

Left door pulling away from weld, difficult to close, rain leaks in, loud wind sounds, right door starting to do same thing.  view

The transmission in this vehicle has been replaced two times with less than 100,000 miles on the vehicle. the 2nd transmission has less than 30,000 miles on it but is out of warranty according to the dealer. all transmmissions have been replaced by a ford dealer 's service department. i do not believe that a vehicle should have to have three transmissions to get over 100,000 miles on the car!  view

Consumer was driving on highway at approximately 42 mph on normal road condition all of a sudden had to apply emergencey brakes, but rear ended vehicle in front. impact was done at approximately 35 mph. neither air bags of consumer's vehicle depolyed. dealer notified.  view

Consumer was driving on highway at approximately 42 mph on normal road condition all of a sudden had to apply emergencey brakes, but rear ended vehicle in front. impact was done at approximately 35 mph. neither air bags of consumer's vehicle depolyed. dealer notified.  view

Consumer's son was driving vehicle about 55 mph on the highway when the front left wheel (driver's side) became deatached without a reason. consumer's son said it was a braking failure and lost steering control. dealer and manufacturer were contacted.  view

When ignition switch was still on and/or engine running consumer stepped out of vehicle to open house gate, all vehicle doors locked up unexpectedly, keys and remote control had been replaced before for same reason. dealer and manufacturer were contacted.  view

When ignition switch was still on and/or engine running consumer stepped out of vehicle to open house gate, all vehicle doors locked up unexpectedly, keys and remote control had been replaced before for same reason. dealer and manufacturer were contacted.  view

After automobile was idling for about 2 -3 minutes consumer put automobile into drive and hit the gas pedal lightly then it took off-in a runaway episode, causing consumer to lose control and resulting in a crash.  view

When consumer was at traffic light, the engine suddenly accelerated while stepping on the brake pedal and reaching to 1000 rpm; consumer stated that vehicle used to pull to the side, and tires were rotated before.  view

Control arm had to be replaced. this problem was a part of a recall but the owner was never notified.  view

Replaced spark plugs.  view

Front cross member failed. caused the engine to shift suddenly, which caused the right front axel to snap, which, in turn destroyed the right front suspension - all in approx. 1 second. this all occured while backing up at approx. 1 mph.  view

When the fog lights are operating the headlights would start blinking after an half an hour of driving and at any speed. please describe details.  view

When vehicle was involved in a collision going about (70)-(75) the whole front end was damaged, there was no deployment of driver's side air bag. vehicle was totalled.  view

When holding the car seat and after locking it in place the handle unlocks. evenflo model 207 on my way, dom 02-13-96.  view

At a stop sign making a right hand turn at any speed under 25 mph there is a loud squeaking noise. the brake system has been repaired. please describe details.  view

Lap/shoulder belt will not retract on passenger's and driver's sides, in for repair, replacement of slide assembly, will provide repair receipt.  view

Upon applying force to the brake pedal, the pedal will continue to maneuver, causing extended stopping distance and brakes fade away. please provide further details.  view

Abs brake failure, abs light came (yellow) when light came on no abs was in effect.  view

I pulled out of my parking spot at a local store and drove my car towards the lot exit. i proceeded to make a right turn out of the lot when my car's rear spun out to the right. no accident occurred. the lot had a dusting of snow on it. i pulled the car over to determine what just happened and noticed that despite being on a decline, my car was not slipping - even without the handbrake on. i got out of the car and the right rear brake disk was glowing a bright red and was smoking. apparently, the handbrake/parking brake had stuck in the "brake/park" position. i waited for the brake to cool off and got under the car and manually released the brake lever as another person made sure the car didn't roll on me. no injuries. i then tried to operate the handbrake a few other times over the next day and it always stuck, only now it appears both rear brakes stick. i have a maual transmission, so this is something i will need to fix asap due to operating the car on inclines, parking, etc. i am aware of other ford probe gt owners having the same problem, but i believe only the 1993-95 probes are effected because ford canged the design dueto this problem thank you for your concern and help.  view

The gasoline pedal on my 1998 explorer separated from its mounting bracket, making it unsafe to operate the vehicle. vehicle towed to dealer. since failure occurred on new year's day, will not be able to contact dealer until 2 january 1999.  view

Replaced temperature sending unit.  view

Car was driven at low speed turning corner (direction of turn - right), when front steering control was suddenly lost. steering control loss was due to steering assembly under front end of car becoming detached from strut. this caused severed steering assembly to puncture right front tire and right rear tire due to sudden breaking of vehicle.  view

Car was driven at slow speed in order to make a right turn. in doing so, part of the steering assembly under the front of the car broke off, causing loss of steering control of the vehicle. rack and pinion assembly which broke punctured the right front tire.  view

No summary provided by consumer  view

Motor mounts failure. upon ignition vehicle shuddered and then clunked when put into gear. existing tbs on broken motor mounts.  view

None provided.  view

Made left turn from stop. as weel was correcting itself, vehicle began shaking and steering control was lost. vehicle pulled to right then hit and jumped 9" curb. steering arm down to right front tire is broken. steering malfunctioned before striking curb, but damage is being blamed on fact that vehicle struck curb. both tires hit curb at very low speed.  view

Seat belts jams. was put on list for recall replacement by jaguar cars several years ago, then was told that rover was now incharge of all recalls. rover has not done anything yet regarding the seatbelt recall.  view

Cover on passenger side airbag has curled up on both sides. not sure if bag will explode on a whim. believes damage is due to heat from sun.  view

Automatic overdrive does not shift smoothy into and out of overdrive. difficult to maintain a constant cruising speed in 35-45 mph range.  view

Plastic door and window handles break too easily. headlight reflector faded causing dimmer headlights.  view

Thermostat failed, causing vehicle to overheat, also replaced water pump/noisy belt.  view

Windows have come off track, noisy clutch, brakes and engine. vehicle also has a rattling and buzzing sound when running.  view

Rear wheel cylinder is leaking fluid.  view

Rear wheel cylinder leaking fluid. petire buick 6640 e. mcdowell road. scottsdale arizona 85257. ph.# 602-990-3424.  view

Transmission: when driving vehicle makes whinning noise,shifting at high rpms.had new transmission put in and had recall #94v063 done in sept. 1995, dealer sais there is nothing wrong with vehicle.  view

The vehicle's driver seat has inferior welding materials which hold the seat brackets, causing them to break. had replaced 4 times.  view

Applied brakes , could feel pumping action, no braking effect, wet pavement/dry pavement, proir to failure, when applied, brakes made loud squeaking noise, according to dealer, no problem, brakes working normal.  view

Abs braking system became inoperative due to a rear axle seal which broke and leaked into the brake drum. this caused the vehicle to skid off the road and crash into an enbankment and trees.  view

Abs braking system became inoperative due to a rear axle seal which broke and leaked into the brake drum. this caused the vehicle to skid off the road and crash into an enbankment and trees.  view

Original transmission failed 1/97, approx. 60000 miles. rebuilt by transmission shop. took back 4 times before they considered correct. still not right. clunked when slowing.. 2nd transmission failed 12/98. driving 65 mph...just quit...rpm's started revving...barely got to side of road...have been told by every transmission shop i'm dealing with that the original transmission put into these explorers are very poor quality, plus almost impossible to rebuild correctly...all transmission shops, including ford only give 12,000/12 month guarentee...that's ridiculous...you assume a tranny should outlast the car...they all say the transmission is unreliable to match to original ford tranny put in...i am now out $1875 for first transmission and one year later am looking at another transmission repair ($1400-1600)...i feel ford should back their products and at least offer a rebuilt tranny in their own shops that is guarenteed for more than 12 months....this is what gives our american cars a very bad reputation....  view

Oil leaks from the head gasket at rear of engine. aprox. 1 quart of oil leaks in 1-2 days.  view

Throttle position sensor failed, causing vehicle to shift hard/jump.  view

The fuel tank was neither damaged or rusty, yet at only 65k miles it needed to be replaced as the tank failed the recently introduced pressure test in de when undergoing its 2 yearly inspection. the dealer informed me that the tank had warped just enough where the pump seals to the tank that it was bubbling and as the tanks were made out of too thin a metal at that point, and as this was the 4th one to go this year and they had already tried 2 seals, and liquid sealant, all to no effect, that i therefore needed a new tank. the manufacturer refused to compensate me for what i consider to be an item that should last a vehicles lifetime. also, as only a few states have the pressure test, just how many of these older pathfinders are in use that have defective seals, polluting the atmosphere and posing a fire hazard, that are currently going unnoticed? is this something the manufacturer should recall and resolve as a matter of safety. please keep me informed as to the outcome. thankyou,  view

Rear left window explodes and satters and falls into car while traveling at 25 mph. police report states no evidence of anything causing window to break. ford refuses to take responsibility.  view

Owner noticed 12 inch crack in windshield of park vehicle. driving at approx. 5 mph, heard loud pop followed by a 13 inch crack in windshield.  view

Driver's seat back collapsed and bent upon impact due to a rear end collision.  view

Transmission failure because it cannot be lubricated.  view

Fuel tank leaks. please describe.  view

The floor mat buckled under the accelerator pedal which caused the vehicle to accelerate, hitting a lamp pole. the vehicle was repaired.  view

Passenger's inside door handle fails to open and unlock without maneuvering door handle and lock.  view

While in second gear and hand on the brake the motorcycle began to accelerate to a higher rate of speed.  view

Whenever abs brakes are applied, they would fail to work. took to dealer & had brake pads & rotors repaired or replaced. problem with module & new brakes sytem reappeared. this has happened at least 7 times. at each time the abs light keeps coming on. dealer could not find problem with abs light.  view

Power steering fluid leak.  view

Whenever abs brakes are applied, they would fail to work. took to dealer & had brake pads & rotors repaired or replaced. problem with module & new brakes sytem reappeared. this has happened at least 7 times. at each time the abs light keeps coming on. dealer could not find problem with abs light.  view

Sudden acceleration, resulting in an accident.  view

Vehicle caught on fire due to a short in the ignition switch.  view

Head gasket leaks and has been replaced twice. please describe.  view

Vehicle has soft metal for lugs, each time wheel is removed soft lugs strip or cross thread, unable to install nuts.  view

Driver's side rear seat belt buckle is inoperative.  view

Vehicle has soft metal for lugs, each time wheel is removed soft lugs crossthread and it is impossible to install nuts.  view

My vehicle just lost power and shut down in the middle of traffic. i was able to pull over. however, the van would not restart. after the dealer had the van for three days, they concluded the crankshaft broke. now this mini-van, although a mercury, has a nissan 3.0 6 cylinder engine. it has been serviced with proper oil changes and we have not experienced any problems over the 37,000 miles we have driven it. when we approached ford about any help in repair, the door was shut. no, they said. a crankshaft just doesn't break at 60,000 miles on this type of engine. this is a family van driven for family purposes. when you are talking a $4000.00 + repair bill, it would be nice if someone acted as if they cared and went beyond a computer response, that this is not a problem ford will help us with. we purchased the extended warranty and had warranty until 60,000 miles. we were only 1600 miles out of warranty. is there any way to get ford to relook at this and somehow get some help?  view

Twice in a matter of weeks vehicle lost full power, once in town and once on interstate. required pulling off road and restarting vehicle. after first failure, returned to local (ohio) ford dealer for full inspection. vehicle was found to be in "normal" condtion.  view

Cv joint boot tears and breaks down, causing a clunking noise.  view