BMW Gets Defensive After Reports of Exploding Vehicles

Car manufacturers should take responsibility when there are problems with vehicles and should swiftly act to notify consumers of issues and protect those who could be harmed if there is a safety concern. Unfortunately, this often does not occur. Consumers need to protect their rights by getting help from a California lemon law attorney and by understanding the different consumer protection laws that could apply when there is a problem with a car that they own.

One example of a car manufacturer who may not be doing enough to protect consumers when a problem becomes apparent is BMW.  According to The Drive, BMW became defensive in response to a news report published by ABC that revealed more than 40 instances where parked BMW cars spontaneously burst into flames.  BMW called the report sensationalistic, upsetting motorists who own BMWs and who are worried about the fact that no recall has been conducted and no explanation has been given for the fires.

BMW Has No Explanation for Exploding Vehicles

The Drive indicates that the BMWs which spontaneously burst into flames were car models from many different years, with some of the vehicles as old as 15 years old and other car models just a year old. One of the cars that spontaneously exploded already had 232,350 miles on its odometer at the time of the incident. Some of the cars spontaneously exploded after the vehicle had been parked for just a few moments, while others exploded after the car had already been parked for several days.  Some of the owners of the cars had their homes burn down due to the fact that their vehicle randomly started on fire.

BMW is apparently uncertain as to why the vehicles are exploding and does not have an explanation for why the fires start in vehicles at random.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is also not certain why the cars are having these issues.  However, BMW did inspect some of the cars that exploded and the company is claiming they do not believe that the problem is related to either the quality of the cars or the failure of any of the vehicle components. 

The company has indicated that there are around 4.9 million BMWs owned throughout the United States, so 40 instances of fire is a relatively small number of instances in relation to all of the vehicles that are on the road. A statement from the company regarding ABC's story stated that “fire incidents involving BMWs are extremely rare.”

Still, even a small number of explosions in BMW vehicles means that there is a risk, and it is a danger that motorists should be aware of. Car owners should take steps to understand the laws that protect them when they have vehicle problems, including speaking to a California lemon law attorney to find out more about their legal options when a car is not performing as expected..