2007 BMW M6Recalls, problems, MPG & safety

“STEERING WHEEL LOCK SYSTEM FAILURE WARNING. SYSTEM WARNS THAT THE ELECTRONIC STEERING WHEEL LOCK HAS FAILED, AND CAN NEITHER LOCK OR UNLOCK. IT ALSO WARNED THAT THE CAR MAY NOT START, BUT THE WARNING HAPPENED AFTER THE CAR WAS RUNNING. THERE WAS A CLICKING COMING FROM THE WHEEL AS I DROVE, BUT THE WHEEL NEVER LOCKED WHILE I WAS DRIVING. I DROVE WITH THE WARNING ON BECAUSE: 1) THE WHEEL WAS NOT LOCKED, AND THE VEHICLE WAS ALREADY RUNNING; 2) I WAS VERY FAR FROM HOME, AT NIGHT, IN AN UNFRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD. WHEN I GOT HOME I LOOKED UP THE ISSUE, AND FOUND THAT IT IS AN EXTREMELY COMMON FAILURE ON BMW VEHICLES.”

“CAR HAS 50K MILES, AND SUFFERED PREMATURE AIRBAG SEAT MAT SENSOR FAILURE (SAME DESIGN & MANUFACTURER AS OTHER BMW'S WHICH WERE SUBJECT TO RECALL OF 200K UNITS OVER THIS SENSOR). AIRBAG AND SRS FAULT LIGHTS ARE ON, AND AIRBAG IS INOPERATIVE. BMW DECLINED TO COVER REPLACEMENT, STATING THE RECALL DOESN'T COVER THIS VEHICLE. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE USES THE SAME DEFECTIVE SENSOR AS THE RECALLED MODELS, WHICH PREMATURELY FAILED IN THE SAME MANNER, AND LARGE NUMBERS OF COMPLAINTS AT CAR MEETS AND ON INTERNET FORUMS INDICATE THE 6 SERIES SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, AND SUFFER THE SAME SENSOR FAILURES, RESULTING IN NONFUNCTIONAL PASSENGER AIRBAGS.”

“JUST A FEW SHORT MONTHS AFTER BEING PAID-OFF AND THE WARRANTY EXPIRING DUE TO "TIME" OUR PRISTINE M6 WITH JUST OVER 22,000 MILES REQUIRED THE REPLACEMENT OF BOTH THROTTLE BODY ACTUATORS. WE WERE INFORMED OF THIS "NEED" WHILE THE CAR WAS IN FPR A "STEERING" POSITION SENSOR REPAIR. WE HAD NOTICED ZERO PERFORMANCE DEFICIENCY PRIOR TO THIS $7000.00 REPAIR BUT WERE TOLD BY THE SERVICE MANAGER SOUTHBAY BMW OF TORRANCE CA THAT THIS WAS "ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY FOR DRIVER SAFETY" AND OF COURSE NOT COVERED BY ANY RECALL. AFTER THE REPAIR THERE WAS A NOTICEABLE "DECLINE" IN PERFORMANCE AND THROTTLE RESPONSE WHICH I COMPLAINED ABOUT AND THE SERVICE MANAGER STATED "THIS IS DUE TO THE COMPUTERS "RE-LEARNING" OUR DRIVING HABITS. MY RECOMMENDATION IS NEVER EVER BUY A BMW PRODUCT. WE HAVE A DINAN M3 AND THIS M6, HAD THOUGHT ABOUT THE I8 BUT THIS EXPERIENCE CLEARLY INDICATES TO ME THAT COMPONENTS HAVE BEEN "TIME-LIFE" ENGINEERED. BUYER BEWARE.”