REDUCED CLUTCH AND BRAKE EFFECTIVENESS

NHTSA investigation SQ97023 is a SQ opened on 1997-11-14 and currently closed. The subject of record is BMW BMW, which places this file inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue for BMW. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 1997-12-22 - NHTSA updates that field whenever an Information Request goes out, a supplement is filed, or a status change is recorded in the public docket.

Investigators summarized the matter as follows: "IN AUGUST 1997, BMW CONDUCTED A SAFETY RECALL TO CORRECT A CONDITION OF THREAD CONTAMINATION ON THE BRAKE AND CLUTCH LEVERS ADJUSTING SCREWS. THIS GREASE CONTAMINATION NEGATES THE EFFECTIVENESS OF LOCTITE AND THIS CAN SE..." Investigations are the early-warning layer of the federal auto-safety system, sitting upstream of formal recalls and defect orders. Whether this one closes without action or escalates into an Engineering Analysis, the full history stays in the ODI archive so researchers, litigators, and buyers can pull the paper trail at any time. Related BMW files, listed below, give context on whether this is an isolated concern or part of a broader pattern across the brand.