NHTSA Complaint #10357265 — 2005 BMW X5

BMW'S HIGH INSTANCES OF "HARD 2-1 DOWNSHIFT" AS THEY CALL IT. MANY MODELS OF BMW'S EXPERIENCE A FEELING OF BEING REAR ENDED WHILE SLOWING TO A STOP AND THEN ASKING FOR AN ACCELERATION. ALSO DESCRIBED AS "SLIP AND SLAM" BY MANY PEOPLE, THERE IS AN OBVIOUS DEFECT IN THE TRANSMISSION. THIS PROBLEM SEEMS TO GET PROGRESSIVELY WORSE THE MORE YOU DRIVE LEADING UP TO EVERY TIME YOU DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE. BMW IS OBVIOUSLY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AS THEY HAVE A NAME FOR IT, BUT GETTING A DEALERSHIP TO ADMIT TO A PROBLEM, LET ALONE FIX IT IS ANOTHER STORY. CAR IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP TO BE "REPROGRAMMED" AT A COST OF $180.00, BUT THE TECHNICIAN FLAT OUT TOLD ME THAT THIS PROBABLY WOULDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM AND MAYBE I COULD JUST LIVE WITH IT. THIS IS NOT AN OPTION, AS EVERY TIME THIS EVENT HAPPENS MY 4 AND 6 YEAR OLD DAUGHTERS ASSUME WE HAVE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND START PANICKING, NOT TO MENTION THE BONK ON THE HEAD AND STRAIN ON THEIR NECKS FROM THE JOLT. MY CAR IS NOW OUT OF WARRANTY, BUT THEY WILL GLADLY REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AT MY COST AND THAT SHOULD FIX THE PROBLEM. THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM POSSIBLY INVOLVING MANY HUNDREDS OF CARS AND MANY COMPLAINTS OF THIS PROBLEM INCLUDING CLAIMS OF WHIPLASH CAN BE FOUND ON CHAT BOARDS SUCH AS EDMUNDS.COM, XOUTPOST.COM AND BIMMERFEST.COM...OR JUST TYPE IN BMW FEELS LIKE BEING REAR ENDED...AND IT WILL ALL COME UP. HOPEFULLY ALL OF THESE PEOPLE HAVE PUT IN A COMPLAINT AS WELL SO THAT SOMETHING CAN FINALLY BE DONE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, SEEING AS HOW BMW REFUSES TO FIX IT THEMSELVES. *TR