BMW Is Being Sued For $5M Due To ‘Design Flaws’ In Its Cupholders

Compared to other carmakers who are facing ire for dangerous-sounding features like autopilot and in-car gaming, BMW is being censured for a “design flaw” that seems pretty harmless. Yet, this has warranted a US$5 million lawsuit, as drivers argue that vehicles are vulnerable to short-circuiting.

The parts being denounced are the cupholders in the BMW X7 and potentially other models. Courthouse News reports that a class-action suit was filed against the automaker in the US District Court in Orange County on Thursday, with the plaintiff describing that as the cupholders sit directly above the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Airbag system, getting them wet can damage wires and cause the airbags to malfunction.

Hovanes Margarian, the attorney representing the plaintiff BrightK Consulting, Inc., detailed in the document that the “cup holders are defective and are not properly designed to hold cups filled with liquid—the very thing cup holders are intended to do.”

The lawyer elaborated that the cupholders are positioned in a way that makes cars “prone to malfunction when either there is a spill in the cupholder or condensation on the cup.”

Although there are no known, validated cases of drivers being affected by this feature, the document mentions complaints posted online. According to the suit, one 2020 BMW X7 driver said that a little of their soft drink had splashed while they were driving and seeped into the wires of the airbag control. They added they were made to pay US$2,900 for a replacement and repairs, as BMW refused to cover the costs even with a warranty. “The soda was still 95% full in the cup,” the person is quoted to have said.

“But… car goes into emergency stop in the left lane of highway and [is] unable to drive. Goes into Park and won’t shift into drive or reverse and dash says [to] bring to dealer immediately,” said the driver. “Car gets towed to BMW, and tech tells me the liquid damaged a part under the gear shift.”

BMW has not responded to the legal complaint, so it’s unclear if it will face this fight with a cup half-full or empty.

[via Motor1, cover photo 101481474 / Bmw © Ifeelstock | Dreamstime.com]