NHTSA Complaint #10455454 — 2008 BMW 750LI

FAILURE-1: 5:50AM WED. 4/4, 35MPH ON REGULAR ROAD, ~12 MILES AFTER COLD START; SYMPTOM: ENGINE STALLED IN A SUDDEN; BREAK WORKED WELL; TRANSMISSION AUTO TO P AFTER FULL STOP, COULD NOT CHANGE GEAR; BATTERY WORKED WELL, HEAD LIGHTS AND HAZARD LIGHT WORKED FINE; NO MESSAGE ON IDRIVE / DASHBOARD; TRIED 4-5 TIMES TO RE-START BUT COULDN'T; ACTION: PUT ON HAZARD LIGHT; MADE PHONE CALLS; SUCCEEDED TO RE-START AFTER ABOUT 3 MIN.; FAILURE-2: 6:50PM WED. 4/4, 35MPH ON REGULAR ROAD, ~20 MILES AFTER COLD START; SYMPTOM: CHECK-ENGINE LIGHT POPPED ON; REDUCED DRIVING POWER; CAR VIBRATION; IDRIVE MESSAGE "?TRANSMISSION FAILURE; P, N, R, 3, 5, 6 AVAILABLE; DRIVE MODERATELY TO NEAREST BMW DEALER"; PUT ON HAZARD LIGHT, 15MPH DROVE 2 MILES TO HOME; HIGH VIBRATION AT STOP SIGN; CAN RE-START / CHANGE GEAR AT HOME GARAGE; ACTION: RE-STARTED @ 6:30AM THURS. 4/5; CHECK-ENGINE LIGHT STILL ON; SAME IDRIVE MESSAGE; DROVE TO DEALER, PICKED UP THE CAR IN THE EVENING; DEALER "NO PROBLEM IDENTIFIED", CHECK-ENGINE LIGHT RESET; FAILURE-3: 4:05PM MON. 4/9, 5MPH TURNING CORNER AT CAR PARK, ~30S AFTER COLD START; SYMPTOM: ENGINE STALLED IN A SUDDEN; LOSS BREAK (BRAKE PEDAL HARDEN); HIT CURB AND STOPPED; TRANSMISSION AUTO TO P; COULD NOT CHANGE GEAR; BATTERY WORKED WELL; HAZARD LIGHT WORKED FINE; NO MESSAGE ON IDRIVE / DASH BOARD; TRIED 4-5 TIMES TO RE-START BUT COULDN'T; ACTION: PUT ON HAZARD LIGHT; MADE PHONE CALLS; SUCCEEDED TO RE-START AFTER ~3MIN; DROVE TO DEALER @4:40PM; DEALER CALLED @2:00PM WED. 4/11, "NO PROBLEM OR ERROR CODES IDENTIFIED", PERMISSION FOR LONG TEST DRIVE; DEALER E-MAIL @3:18PM 4/16, "NO PROBLEM IDENTIFIED AFTER 1-WEEK TEST-DRIVE"; URGED DEALER TO CONTACT BMW HQ FOR A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION WITH DEFINITIVE REPORT BEFORE RETURNING THIS CAR BACK TO PUBLIC ROAD; IT HAS BECOME A SEVERE PUBLIC ROAD SAFETY CONCERN NOW! *JS