NHTSA Complaint #10328082 — 2010 BMW 535I

I EXPERIENCED A FAILURE OF MY PDC(PARKING DISTANCE CONTROL) SYSTEM. THE SYSTEM FAILED TO OPERATE AND I SCRAPED A WOODEN POLE AS A RESULT OF THIS FAILURE. I WAS LOOKING BEHIND ME, AS I WAS BACKING UP, THE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO GO ON WHEN REVERSE GEAR IS ON, BUT IT FAILED TO EMPLOY. MY VEHICLE IS A BMW 2010 528I. THIS IS MY FIFTH BMW 5 SERIES AND SINCE THE I-DRIVE THERE HAVE BEEN VARIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR ;HOWEVER THE PDC SYSTEM IN MY PREVIOUS BMW 2007 OPERATED CONSISTENTLY AS INTENDED EVERY TIME. THE SYSTEM IN MY CURRENT VEHICLE OPERATED CONSISTENTLY UNTIL MARCH 30TH , WHEN IT FAILED TO EMPLOY AND I HAD THE SMALL ACCIDENT. FORTUNATELY IT WAS JUST A WOODEN POLE AND NOT A DOG OR SMALL CHILD THAT WAS HIT. THE REASON I PAY FOR THIS SYSTEM IS BECAUSE IT IMPROVES THE LINE OF VISION OF THE DRIVER BY SHOWING ITEMS OUT OF MIRROR AND SIGHTLINE THEREFORE IMPROVING SAFETY. HOWEVER, BMW (ALTHOUGH THEY AGREED TO PAY FOR MY REPAIR) CLAIMS THAT THE SYSTEM IS JUST FINE. FOR DAYS AFTER THE INCIDENT I WATCHED THE SCREEN EACH TIME I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE AND SOMETIMES THE BMW LOGO WOULD SIT ON THE SCREEN FOR 2 TO 3 MINUTES, SOMETIMES THE ACCEPT GEAR SCREEN WOULD COME ON, SOMETIME THE PDC (WHICH IS THE ONLY ONE THAT SHOULD COME ON). THERE ARE ANECDOTAL STORIES ON LINE OF OTHER DRIVERS HAVING THE SAME FAILURE OF THIS SYSTEM. BMW INSISTS THAT THE INCONSISTENCY IN PERFORMANCE IS THE WAY THE PDC OPERATES DEPENDING ON WHAT THE LAST COMPUTER FUNCTION WAS WHEN YOU SHUT OFF THE CAR. THIS IS ABSURD. I BELIEVE AN INVESTIGATION IS NECESSARY INTO THE MALFUNCTION OF THIS SYSTEM TO PREVENT MORE SERIOUS INJURY ACCIDENTS. SINCE THE REPAIR THE PDC NOW ONCE AGAIN COMES UP IMMEDIATELY WHEN I GO INTO REVERSE YET THE CLAIM NOT TO HAVE ADJUSTED ANYTHING ON THE COMPUTER. THE MODEL 528 I IS NOT ON YOUR LIST SO I MUST MARK 535I WHICH IS THE CLOSEST MODEL YOU HAVE LISTED BUT NOT THE SAME. *TR