NHTSA Complaint #10584220 — 2013 BMW X3

IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC ON THE INTERSTATE I WAS BRAKING AFTER MOVING FORWARD A FEW FEET AND THE ENGINE STARTED RACING CAUSING THE CAR TO LURCH FORWARD (GIVEN I WAS ON THE BRAKE) UNTIL THE BRAKE WOULD NOT HOLD ANY LONGER AT WHICH POINT THE CAR ACCELERATED IN TRAFFIC DESPITE ME PUSHING EVEN HARDER ON THE BRAKE. THE BRAKE WAS COMPLETELY UNRESPONSIVE AT THIS POINT. I AVOIDED REAR ENDING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME BY SWERVING AROUND HIM BUT COULD NOT AVOID THE VEHICLE FARTHER AHEAD IN TRAFFIC AND HIT THE RIGHT REAR OF A UHAUL STORAGE UNIT TOWED BY A VEHICLE AND THE BMW FLIPPED ONTO ITS RIGHT SIDE. MIRACULOUSLY, WE WALKED AWAY WITH ONLY MINOR CUTS, SCRAPES, AND BRUISES. SEAT RESTRAINTS AND AIRBAGS WORKED PERFECTLY WHICH IS THE ONLY KIND THING WE CAN NOW SAY DESPITE HAVING NO PRIOR ISSUES. WHETHER IT IS AN ONBOARD COMPUTER MALFUNCTION OR NOT WE WILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER BMW... AND IF THE OTHER ONLINE POSTS HAVE BEEN THERE WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN SEPT 2012 (AND HAD I READ THEM) THEN I NEVER WOULD HAVE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. COUPLED WITH OTHER CARCOMPLAINT.COM, BMW COMMUNITY BLOGS, AND NHTSA POSTS SURROUNDING 2012 AND 2013 X3 EVENTS OF THE IDENTICAL NATURE THERE SHOULD BE AN IMMEDIATE INVESTIGATION AS TO THE SIMULTANEOUS AND CONCURRENT EVENT OF THE THROTTLE ACCELERATION WHILE BRAKING, AND THE BRAKES FAILING (AS IF THE COMPUTER THINKS THE BRAKE PEDAL IS THE GAS PEDAL?) .. AND A RECALL BEFORE DEATHS OCCUR ... THOUGH IT IS LIKELY THEY'VE ALREADY OCCURRED SINCE THE DEAD CAN'T TESTIFY AS TO A PROBLEM THAT OTHER BMW DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENTS FAIL TO REPLICATE AND THEREFORE DISCOUNT. THE BACK HATCH OF OUR VEHICLE ALSO FLIPPED OPEN ALLOWING ITEMS TO FALL ONTO THE HIGHWAY (DESPITE NO IMPACT TO THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE) THOUGH ALL PASSENGER CAR DOORS REMAINED CLOSED. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TOTALED. WE WOULD CERTAINLY NOT GET INTO THAT CAR EVER AGAIN EVEN IF IT WERE REPAIRABLE. *TR