BMW Recall: 2010-2012 1-Series for VANOS Bolts Issue (6 cylinder models)

[DSSG]

I got the letter a couple of months ago and still no word back about doing the repair!

Well 8 bolts/car and a half a million to fix = 4 million bolts. I guess the bolt companies are working overtime.

I sure hope mine gets fixed before they break!

[TwinTurboXI]

I just spoke with my dealer. They are starting to get the necessary parts in to complete the recall. I made an appointment to get this completed early October.

[dtla1]

I went in on Wednesday for a Coolant top off, open the hood and coolant had sprayed all over the place. While that was being fixed, the dealer replaced the VANOS bolts, my SA tells me I was the Guinea Pig for the recall at this service dept.

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by dtla1

I went in on Wednesday for a Coolant top off, open the hood and coolant had sprayed all over the place. While that was being fixed, the dealer replaced the VANOS bolts, my SA tells me I was the Guinea Pig for the recall at this service dept.

Wow! That means I should be getting my second recall letter saying the parts are in sometime soon. It's about time.

[gemini.m3]

Man I don't know what to tell you guys waiting for letters.. my car was on this recall I took it in 2 days ago for PPK1 install and the dealer decided to do the VANOS.

I shit you not I did not experience any weird issues with the car, no check engines, no reduced power.. and here was the DIAG:

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by ntsthrilla

Man I don't know what to tell you guys waiting for letters..

Yeah, I call my damn dealer pretty often and they tell me I gotta wait for that second freakin letter.

[Vigilante375]

Mine told me that when the parts came in they would call me. Honestly, I could care less. Either BMW is going to pay what it costs to do this repair or they are going to be replacing my engine and whatever else that explodes in the process, which costs a LOT more of course. Since they want to say it takes a while to get the parts ready BS.

I'm not changing my driving habits and if my engine blows then they'll need to pony up and give me a lot of new stuff on their dime.

[128Convertibleguy]

Originally Posted by Vigilante375

Honestly, I could care less. Either BMW is going to pay what it costs to do this repair or they are going to be replacing my engine and whatever else that explodes in the process

Note that the usual story of failure is that the engine goes into a "limp home" mode, that the dealer drops the pan and cleans out the parts they find, and that they replace the oil and the filter. I don't recall anyone getting an engine, and there have been reports of VANOS bolt failure.

Post 129 here is typical. Although it looks like they did get an exhaust camshaft, too.

[gemini.m3]

My car never went in limp mode or threw any lights it is running strong now with the ppk1 as well

Kinda crazy when based on that techs diag that my car was not far from imminent doom

Bmw needs to get on this fast

[128Convertibleguy]

Originally Posted by ntsthrilla

Bmw needs to get on this fast

It's way too late for that. This problem has been going on for years. The recall was announced with great fanfare months ago, and very few cars have been fixed under it. Mostly only those that have broken, like yours. Some of us listed in the recall announcement have not received any letter, and we don't know why. If you search for this recall on the NHTSA website by year and model, it doesn't come up. There is no listing of affected cars by VIN number range, anywhere. Only the broad range in the public announcement, and it's pretty clear that covers more cars than they are actually recalling. According to a subsequent announcement, some cars covered by the original announcement are supposed to get an extended warranty instead of actually being fixed. As far as has been posted here, nobody in that group has gotten anything.

Way too late.

The recall process simply doesn't work very well. It's become voluntary on the part of car manufacturers. NHTSA is either in their pocket, or incompetent. Ask the relatives of people killed by GM's ignition switch problem. Search the news for <NHTSA GM switch> for lots of stories explaining how broken the process is. I've posted a couple.

http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1037362

Originally Posted by Happy Jose

I sure hope mine gets fixed before they break!

Don't we all.

[GeeRam]

I still can't believe only a few of you have had your cars fixed under recall......nearly 2 months after our cars were all fixed over here in the UK....

[Yeineken]

I never received a physical letter in the mail. Just got an open recall email from my dealer. Contacted my SA and he said that I was good to get it done next week.

[Diver]

Glad I missed this one, my car was built after the problem was fixed at the production line. The N54 engine had its share of problems with high pressure fuel pumps breaking.

[Unklejoe]

The website still shows my car as "remedy not available" but I called my dealer yesterday (Turnersville NJ) and they accepted the recall and made me an appointment for next sat. they are only allowed to do 3 per day

FYI

[shah269]

2009 135i....no letter at all...and i was at the dealer the other day for a STUPID CORNER LIGHT THAT WAS NOT WORKING WHICH THEY CHARGED ME $100 for....but nothing about these bolts....BMW...WTF?

[RoundelM3]

Originally Posted by Diver

"there are no open recalls for your vehicle" whew...

Same here...

[Qunadry]

My car also shows no recalls, but who knows if the recall will be extended. BMW should show enough concern for their customers to let us know why our cars are "okay". Look at how the GM ignition switch recall kept getting extended to other cars. Maybe BMW is becoming GM, not only by trying to provide a model for everyone, but in how they handle recalls. I still remember the HPFP recall for my former 2009 135i.

[jsublime]

Called local dealer, they have parts in stock but say the vehicle may be at the shop for 2 days! Never got that 2nd letter letting me know parts were in.

[Diver]

Originally Posted by Qunadry

My car also shows no recalls, but who knows if the recall will be extended. BMW should show enough concern for their customers to let us know why our cars are "okay". Look at how the GM ignition switch recall kept getting extended to other cars. Maybe BMW is becoming GM, not only by trying to provide a model for everyone, but in how they handle recalls. I still remember the HPFP recall for my former 2009 135i.

I think you might be worrying too much. As for the HPFP, that was a difficult issue as some had to be replaced multiple times. My theory on what had happened is the supplier relied on designs used previously on diesel engines. Petrol lacks the lubricating properties of diesel and the revs are higher, so the pumps failed like crazy. I think this part will continue to be troublesome and fail at high mileage just as turbochargers tend to do.

[jafo1701]

Just called the dealership and they said it is a inspect and repair as needed. I'd feel better if they would just replace the bolts... after all they are coming out anyways to check them so why not just replace them. But that's what the service adviser told me. I'll talk to em further when I drop off the car. So just to clarify what is wrong with the bolts that go bad....so I can talk with the SA when I drop off the car.

[mgabski]

Originally Posted by shah269

2009 135i....no letter at all...and i was at the dealer the other day for a STUPID CORNER LIGHT THAT WAS NOT WORKING WHICH THEY CHARGED ME $100 for....but nothing about these bolts....BMW...WTF?

its only the n55 and the n52 in the recall i believe.

[mgabski]

Originally Posted by jafo1701

Just called the dealership and they said it is a inspect and repair as needed. I'd feel better if they would just replace the bolts... after all they are coming out anyways to check them so why not just replace them. But that's what the service adviser told me. I'll talk to em further when I drop off the car. So just to clarify what is wrong with the bolts that go bad....so I can talk with the SA when I drop off the car.

no matter what they replace the bolts, the big determining factor is if the bolts are still on the vanos units themselves. if the bolts are loose, they replace the vanos units. if the bolt heads are missing, they have to replace the vanos units, but also find the bolt heads. so they check in the cylinder head, and if no luck they have to drop the oil pan.

these also have to be done cold, a warm engine will screw up the torque values and cause premature failure. figured i'd mention that because i saw some people in here talking about dropping car off in morning and not getting to it till later that day.