NHTSA Complaint #10274339 — 2009 BMW M3

THIS COMPLAINT IS FOR A 2009 BMW M3 COUPE WITH THE DUAL-CLUTCH TRANSMISSION (DCT). I AM EXPERIENCING MAJOR SHIFT LAG TRYING TO REACCELERATE AFTER SLOWING DOWN. BASICALLY, THE 2ND GEAR WILL FAIL TO CATCH / ENGAGE WHEN I PUT MY FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL CAUSING THE CAR STALL FOR A SECOND OR TWO. AFTER THAT, THE GEAR WILL ENGAGE ABRUPTLY AND I WILL BE PULLED VIOLENTLY FORWARD. THIS HAS RESULTED IN SEVERAL NEAR-ACCIDENT SITUATIONS: 1. I ALMOST REAR-ENDED SOMEONE WHEN THE GEAR ENGAGED ABRUPTLY WITH THE CAR JERKING FORWARD AT A STOP LIGHT WHEN IT TURNED GREEN AS I WAS APPROACHING, SLOWING DOWN TO 2ND GEAR. 2. I WAS ALMOST T-BONED AT A NON-REGULATED INTERSECTION. I WAS SLOWING DOWN WHEN APPROACHING THE INTERSECTION. THE CAR DOWNSHIFTED TO 2ND GEAR FOR ME AND ABOUT 1/4 WAY INTO THE INTERSECTION, I SAW A VEHICLE SPEEDING DOWN TOWARDS THE INTERSECTION ON MY LEFT. I TRIED TO ACCELERATE TO GET OUT OF THE INTERSECTION BUT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED TO ENGAGE FOR A FULL 2 SECONDS. I BARELY MISSED THE VEHICLE T-BONING INTO MY CAR. THERE IS NO APPARENT EVENTS THAT HAVE LED UP TO THE FAILURE. THE CAR BEHAVES LIKE THAT ON THE FIRST DAY I BOUGHT IT. THIS FAILURE WOULD HAPPEN EVERY TIME I LEAVE THE CAR IN AUTOMATIC MODE, SO THAT THE CAR'S COMPUTER WILL DOWNSHIFT FOR ME. I ALREADY BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE ISSUE AND THE POTENTIAL SAFETY RAMIFICATIONS, BUT THE DEALERSHIP'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT CLAIMED THAT BMW NORTH AMERICA HAS ISSUED A STATEMENT CLAIMING THAT IT IS NORMAL TRANSMISSION BEHAVIOR AND THERE IS NOTHING THAT THEY CAN DO TO CORRECT IT. OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN FOR ME AND I AM ASTONISHED THAT BMW WILL NOT DO ANYTHING TO RECTIFY ITS PROBLEM. *TR