| Components - Details | |
|---|---|
| NHTSA Complaint Number: 996032059 | Incident Date: May, 08 1996 |
| Consumer's City: SPRINGDALE | Consumer's State: AR |
| Vehicle Transmission Type: | Manufacturers Name: UNIROYAL TIRE CO. |
| Model Name: UNIROYAL | Model Year: 9999 |
| Vehicle Involved in a Crash: No | Component's Description: Engine and engine cooling:cooling system:hoses/lines/piping/fittings |
| Vehicle Involved in a Fire: No | Persons Injured: 0 |
| Vehicle's VIN#: | Date added to File: May, 25 2021 |
| Date Complaint Received: Feb, 20 2000 | Complaint Type: IVOQ |
| Incident Reported To Police: No | Purchase Date: - |
| Was Original Owner: No | Anti-lock Brakes: No |
| Number of Cylinders: 0 | Date of Manufacturer: - |
| Was Vehicle Towed: - | Description of the Complaints: The problem deals specifically with the location of the supply hose (part of the engine cooling system) from the reservoir tank to the radiator. the first time this problem happened was on the date of this report. it was taken back to the dealer and repaired under factory warranty. the second time it happened was about a year ago. the supply hose is located right under the fan shroud. it is held up by 2 clamps that are molded onto the fan shroud. this whole assembly (shroud and clamps) appear to me to be a plastic material. what has happened is that the supply hose has come lose from the clamps that are molded onto the shroud on 2 different occasions. the first time it sheared off 2 fan blades and was repaired under factory warranty by the dealer. the second time it came loose it the hose sheared off all of the fan blades thus causing the engine to overheat to the poitn the engine was ruined. the piston completely turned over in the cylinder causing the engine to lock up. apparently what happens is over time these clamps moled onto the shroud become hot and brittle thus making it possible for them to eventually break off. due to the location of the supply hose once it comes loose from these clamps it falls directly into the fan blades. the loose hose cannot avoid the fan. i have looked at many other makes of automobiles since this happened the last time. in all of the other automobiles that i have looked at the supply hose is engineered in such a manner that if it did come loose from the clamps it cannot become entangled with the fan blades. it couldn't even come close! based upon this knowledge i believe that bmw has erred in the design of the cooling system, at least on the 3 series. it is still designed that way today. i have talked to bmw of north america about this several times to no avail! i would appreciate (if you have time) a phone call so that i could explain this problem better! thank you! sincerely, danny l. smith. *ak |
