NHTSA Complaint #10248472 — 2008 BMW 5 SERIES

I HAVE A 2008 BMW 535I WITH SPORT PACKAGE AND PREMIUM PACKAGE. I HAVE HAD AN "ENGINE MALFUNCTION/REDUCING HORSEPOWER" ISSUE WITH THIS CAR 3 TIMES SINCE PURCHASING IT IN AUGUST 2008. THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED WITHIN 3 WEEKS OF DELIVERY AND ONLY 600 MILES. THE SECOND INCIDENT HAPPENED ABOUT A MONTH LATER WITH APPROX 1500 MILES; AND THE THIRD INCIDENT OCCURRED ON 11/3/08 WITH APPROXIMATELY 2200 MILES. BMW SAYS EACH TIME THAT IT'S A MISFIRE IN ONE OF THE CYLINDERS - BUT THAT THEY DO NOT KNOW HOW TO FIX IT. SO EACH TIME THEY RESET THE COMPUTER AND SEND ME AWAY. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I DRIVE ON CALIFORNIA FREEWAYS MOST OF THE TIME AND WHEN THIS ENGINE MALFUNCTION OCCURS, THE CAR STARTS "LIMPING" AND MISSING AND I HAVE TO SLOW AND PULL TO THE SIDE OF BUSY, BUSY FREEWAYS THAT ARE VERY DANGEROUS. BIMMERFEST FORUM SHOWS THAT THERE ARE LOTS OF OWNERS OF THE BMW 535I HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM - BUT BMW WILL NOT ADDRESS THE ISSUE...... EACH TIME THE PROBLEM OCCURS, THE BMW DEALER ASKS ME WHAT KIND OF GAS I'M USING - AND IT'S ALWAYS BEEN 91 OCTANE. THEN THEY ASK ME WHAT BRAND - WHICH IS CHEVRON, THOUGH I DIDN'T REALIZE THE BRAND OF GAS WOULD BE A PROBLEM IN MODERN DAY CARS. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION TO BE OCCURRING ON THE CALIFORNIA FREEWAY SYSTEM, NOT TO MENTION ANY FREEWAY SYSTEM GIVEN THE SPEEDS AT WHICH PEOPLE DRIVE AND THE DANGER OF POWER LOSS IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC AND HAVING TO PULL OVER ON VERY SMALL SHOULDERS WHERE OTHER CARS PASS AT HIGH RATES OF SPEED WITHIN ONLY A FOOT OR TWO OF MY CAR WHEN THE ENGINE MALFUNCTIONS. *TR