NHTSA Complaint #10443826 — 2007 BMW X3 SAV

TRANSMISSION CONTINUES TO HESITATE @ LOW GEARS, ESPECIALLY AT INITIAL ACCELERATIONS WHILE STOPPED @ A STOP SIGN OR SIGNAL LIGHT. AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HESITATES,CAR JOLTS TRYING TO FIND THE RIGHT GEAR. THE CAR THEN JUMPS INTO A HIGHER GEAR AND DANGEROUSLY ACCELERATES RAPIDLY. IN ADDITION, WHEN DRIVING ON A STEEP DOWNHILL DECLINE, THE CAR ADJUSTS WELL; HOWEVER, WHEN TRANSITIONING TO A LEVEL SURFACE STREET AFTER A STEEP DOWNHILL, THE GEAR WILL NOT SHIFT INTO THE APPROPRIATE GEAR (I.E., WAS STUCK IN PREVIOUS GEAR). ON 6/14/2010, TOOK CAR TO DEALER. THEY "PERFORMED BMW DIAGNOSIS CONTROL UNIT FUNCTION, THERE IS NO FAULT RECORD IN CONTROL UNIT, AND AT TEST DRIVE I9 COULD NOT DUPLICATE CUSTOMER COMPLAINT AT THIS TIME." NO FIX WAS PROVIDED. AFTER YEARS OF MINOR JOLTS WHEN ACCELERATING (I BELIEVE IN 1ST AND 2ND) & THEN A RAPID KICK ACCELERATION TO 3RD, NO MAJOR INCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED BUT SAFETY ON ROAD HAS BEEN COMPROMISED. I HAVE LEARNED TO EASE INTO ACCELERATIONS WITH THIS CAR AND DO NOT ALLOW ANYONE TO DRIVE THIS CAR BECAUSE OF UNEXPECTED HESITATIONS/ACCEL. ON 1/14/2012, I HAD A CLOSE CALL ENTERING AN INTERSECTION AFTER I WAS STOPPED AT A LIGHT. AS I PROCEEDED INTO THE INTERSECTION TO TURN LEFT, THE CAR HESITATED & STALLED IN MIDDLE OF INTERSECTION, THEN JERKED FORWARD AND YELLOW TRANSMISSION LIGHT CAME ON. I PARKED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, PUT IT IN "P" & TURNED ENGINE OFF. TURNED IT BACK ON AND TRANNY LIGHT REMAINED ON AND CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE IN "D"; HOWEVER, IT WOULD ALLOW ME TO "REVERSE." IT TOOK THREE ATTEMPTS (ON/OFF ENGINE) AND THE CAR WENT INTO "D" WITH HESITATION. I ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE HOME AND CAR STALLED AT THE NEXT LIGHT. WAS STUCK IN MIDDLE OF ROAD FOR 2 MINUTES TRYING TO GET IT IN GEAR. "D" FINALLY WORKED. I PARKED IN A LOT, TURNED ENGINE OFF FOR 15 MINUTES. CAR HAS BEEN WORKING OK REST OF DAY BUT IT IS NOT SAFE! THIS IS SERIOUSLY DANGEROUS!!!!! *TR