NHTSA Complaint #10542735 — 2008 BMW 528I

FOR THE PAST MONTH, MY CAR, A 2008 BMW 528 IX (AUTOMATIC) WOULD SLIP OUT OF DRIVE (D) INTO PARK (P) AS I WAS ACCELERATING FORWARD FROM A DEAD STOP. THE ELECTRONIC GEAR SHIFT MECHANISM WOULD DO THIS APPROXIMATELY 10% OF THE TIME, AND CAUSE THE CAR TO JERK TO A STOP. IT WOULD REQUIRE ME TO PUT IT BACK INTO DRIVE AND START AGAIN. AT FIRST I THOUGHT I MIGHT BE DOING SOMETHING WRONG, SO I DIDN'T REPORT IT IMMEDIATELY. HOWEVER, IT KEPT HAPPENING. THIS CREATED A DANGEROUS SITUATION, AS SOMETIMES I WAS IN AN INTERSECTION WHEN THIS OCCURRED. A FEW WEEKS LATER (BEFORE I HAD CHANCE TO TAKE IT IN FOR SERVICE), THE GEAR SHIFT STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY, AND THE CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR AT ALL. THE GEAR SHIFT MECHANISM IS AN ELECTRONIC PART, NOT A MECHANICAL CONNECTION. I CALLED BMW, AND THEY SAID THE PART WAS NOT COVERED BY ANY WARRANTY OR RECALL (THE CAR WAS 5K MILES OUT OF WARRANTY). I HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR, A $1300 EXPENSE. *TR