NHTSA Complaint #10305469 — 2008 BMW X6

I WAS TRYING TO PASS A CAR ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN THE POWER TO MY ENGINE WAS CUT BY THE CAR'S COMPUTER. THE CAR FOLLOWING ME ALMOST RAN INTO THE BACK OF ME. THIS HAPPENED THREE TIMES OVER 4 MONTHS. IN NUMEROUS WRITTEN LETTERS TO BMW AND TO THE DEALER, THEY RESPONDED BY SAYING IT WAS MY FAULT, BECAUSE I HAD NOT INSTALLED THE "PROPER" TIRES ON THE CAR WHEN THE ORIGINAL ONES WORE OUT. OR COURSE, THEY SOLD AND INSTALLED THE REPLACEMENTS, AND NEVER WARNED ME ABOUT ANYTHING. THE ORIGINAL 20" TIRES, AND THE ONLY "APPROVED" ONES, ARE RUN-FLAT HIGH PERFORMANCE TIRES THAT RIDE TERRIBLY, AND ARE NOT RECOMMENDED FOR WINTER DRIVING. SO I WANTED TO INSTALL ALL-SEASON TIRES - BMW DOESN'T APPROVE ANY ALL-SEASON TIRES FOR THIS CAR- NOT IN THE 20" SIZE REQUIRED. SO I PICKED A MODEL TIRE THAT MICHELIN SALES FOR SUMMER AND WINTER USE, AND THE DEALER OBTAINED THEM INSTALLED THEM - SAYING NOTHING ABOUT ANY PROBLEMS. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT - THE BMW STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM WAS PROGRAMMED FOR ONLY THIS ONE TIRE, AND NOW WITH DIFFERENT TIRES THE COMPUTER THINKS THE CAR IS SLIDING WHEN IT IS NOT, AND CUTS FUEL TO THE ENGINE. THIS HAPPENS IF I TRY TO PASS A CAR ON A CURVE. SO NOW I HAVE A CHOICE - I CAN DRIVE ON ALL SEASON TIRES THAT ARE REASONABLY EFFECTIVE IN THE SNOW - AND HOPE I DON'T HAVE TO ACCELERATE IN A CURVE ON INTERSTATE - OR I CAN USE THE RECOMMENDED TIRES - THAT ARE NOT SUITABLE FOR WINTER DRIVING IN KY. FRANKLY, THIS IS A DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN. *TR