NHTSA Complaint #10312918 — 2009 BMW M3

WITH THE DUAL CLUTCH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IN D MODE, WHEN SLOWING FROM 50 OR 60 MPH TO 15-20 MPH THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT DOWNSHIFT AND STAYS IN 6TH OR 7TH GEAR. EVEN WITH THE ACCELERATOR TO THE FLOOR THE CAR WILL NOT SELECT AN APPROPRIATE GEAR WHICH MAKES THE CAR BARELY ACCELERATE AT ALL CREATING A SAFETY HAZARD. THIS CAR HAS LITTLE TO NO TORQUE (BY DESIGN) AT VERY LOW RPMS, AND IT BASICALLY JUST SITS THERE AND DOESN'T MOVE. A DRIVER OFTEN SLOWS LIKE THIS WHEN MAKING A LEFT OR RIGHT HAND TURN AND HAVING THE CAR JUST SIT THERE UNDER THOSE CONDITIONS PRESENTS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE IN TERMS OF BEING EITHER REAR-ENDED OR BEING HIT BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THE ENTIRE NATURE OF THE AUTOMATIC PROGRAM ON THIS CAR IS UNPREDICTABLE; IN SOME CASES IT WILL DOWNSHIFT, IN OTHERS (AS DESCRIBED ABOVE) IT WILL NOT, WHICH ADDS TO THE UNSAFE NATURE OF THIS DEFECT. IT DOES NOT BEHAVE LIKE ANY AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION I'VE EVER OWNED. THE SOFTWARE CONTROLLING THE TRANSMISSION WAS UPDATED IN DECEMBER 2009. PRIOR TO THAT, IN EITHER MANUAL OR AUTOMATIC MODE THE CAR WOULD DOWNSHIFT INTO A LOWER GEAR, BUT THERE WAS A 1-2 SECOND PAUSE BEFORE ANY POWER WAS DELIVERED (THE ENGINE WOULD NOT "GO" EVEN ACCELERATOR TO THE FLOOR). THIS ISSUE HASN'T RECURRED, BUT THE SITUATION IS STILL NOT RECTIFIED (AS NOTED IN THE DESCRIPTION ABOVE) AS THE "NEW" ISSUE WITH FAILING TO DOWNSHIFT IN D MODES HAS SURFACED. *TR