Privacy policy
The Registry collects only what it genuinely needs to verify and publish a case: your name and contact details, your vehicle's identifying information including the VIN, the failure and repair history you report, and the documents you upload. Names, email addresses, IP addresses, location information, purchase history, and household-linked information can all qualify as personal information under California privacy guidance, and are treated as such here.
Private intake data is stored separately from the public registry, is never sold or shared for advertising, and is accessible only to the registry administrator. The public table is built exclusively from manually approved, redacted records.
Personal information is never sold or shared for behavioral advertising, and any analytics are privacy-respecting. Optional sharing choices — aggregate statistics, public publication, media contact, researcher contact, counsel sharing, government sharing — are collected as separate, unbundled consents and are never preselected.
Submission terms
Every submission requires this attestation: "I certify that the information submitted is accurate to the best of my knowledge and that I have the right to provide the uploaded documents. I understand that the registry may verify, redact, classify, summarize, or decline to publish the submission."
Submitting a case does not guarantee publication. Records that cannot be verified, duplicate an existing case, or fall outside the Registry's scope are held or rejected, and their private data handled under the retention schedule below.
The Registry is not a law firm. Submitting information does not create an attorney-client relationship, does not retain counsel, does not make the submitter a party to litigation, and does not suspend or extend any legal deadline.
If you are already represented by an attorney, consult that attorney before authorizing any data sharing — and do not submit material that may be protected by attorney-client privilege.
Publication & redaction policy
Published records show a Registry ID, the vehicle's model, year, chassis and build date, mileage at failure, the documented diagnosis, costs, the coverage outcome, a state, and an evidence level. Attribution follows your display preference: anonymous, first name and state, full name, or organization name.
Before publication the Registry removes full VINs, phone numbers, email addresses, exact addresses, license plates, signatures, customer and payment data, employee personal contact information, and BMW internal case numbers. Documents are published only as separately produced redacted copies, and only with your permission.
Materially published records are never silently modified: corrections carry a visible notice and a version history. BMW, dealerships, and other identified businesses have a right of reply — documented corrections and verified official responses are published substantially and fairly, clearly labeled.
Correction & removal requests
Whether or not a statute requires it, every submitter can:
- obtain a copy of the information they submitted;
- correct submitted information;
- withdraw publication consent, which unpublishes the record;
- request deletion of their private data;
- report an inaccurate public record — as can anyone else, including BMW or a named facility.
Send requests to bmw@autodefect.org with the subject "Correction" or "Removal". Requests are acknowledged promptly and verified against the original submission before changes are made.
Copyright & document use
By uploading documents you confirm you have the right to provide them and grant the Registry permission to store them, produce redacted copies, and — only if you check the publication consent — publish those redacted copies. You keep all other rights. Third-party material in the documents (a dealership's letterhead, for instance) appears only as part of the factual record.
Independence & trademark disclaimer
Independent consumer project. This website is not affiliated with, sponsored by, authorized by, operated by, or endorsed by BMW AG, BMW of North America, LLC, or any BMW dealership. BMW, its model names, and associated trademarks are used solely to identify vehicles and matters discussed. The site uses no BMW logos, roundels, dealer imagery, or BMW typefaces, and does not imitate BMW's official website.
Security incidents
If you believe Registry data has been exposed or misused, email bmw@autodefect.org with the subject "Security". Reports are treated as the Registry's highest priority; affected submitters are notified of any confirmed incident involving their data.
Data retention
Private intake data and original documents are retained while a record is published, so corrections can be checked against the source. Rejected and withdrawn submissions are deleted after their review concludes. When you request deletion, private data is removed and any published record is either unpublished or reduced to fields that no longer identify you.