NHTSA Complaint #10622501 — 2012 BMW X5

WHILE DRIVING AT AROUND 35 MPH, ENGINE STARTED TO STUTTER, SHAKE VIOLENTLY, THEN COMPLETELY SHUT OFF, LEAVING NO POWER ASSIST TO STEERING OR BRAKES. VEHICLE REMAINED DEAD IN THE MIDDLE OF A HEAVILY TRAVELED TWO LANE ROAD. AFTER ATTEMPTING TO RESTART SEVERAL DOZEN TIMES, VEHICLE FINALLY STAYED ON ENOUGH TO PULL TO SIDE OF ROAD, THEN SHUT DOWN AGAIN. AGAIN AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO RESTART, VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO TURM THE CORNER ONTO A RESIDENTIAL STREET WHERE IT PROCEEDED TO SHUT DOWN ONCE AGAIN. ENGINE FAILURE MESSAGE APPEARED ON VEHICLE INFORMATION DISPLAY AS WELL AS ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS ON DASHBOARD. WHILE WAITING FOR TOW TRUCK, THE VEHICLE SAT FOR 15 MINUTES BEFORE I ATTEMPTED TO RESTART. AFTER ABOUT A DOZEN ATTEMPTS, VEHICLE RESTARTED, BUT THIS TIME WITH NO ERROR MESSAGES OR DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHTS. AFTER SEVERAL ADDITIONAL STALLS, VEHICLE RESTARTED BUT THIS TIME WITH THE VEHICLE INFORMATION DISPLAY INDICATING "ENGINE MALFUNCTION" AND ADDITIONAL WORDING STATING "REDUCED POWER AVAILABLE" (LIMP HOME MODE) AND "SAFE TO DRIVE". BASED ON THE MESSAGE AND THE FACT THE CAR RESTARTED, I ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE HOME. ON THE HIGHWAY (LONG ISLAND EXPRESSWAY) WHILE APPROACHING HIGHWAY SPEEDS (45 MPH) THE ENGINE AGAIN SHOOK VIOLENTLY, STUMBLED, AND SHUT OFF LEAVING NO POWER STEERING OR POWER BRAKES. UNFORTUNATELY, A TRACTOR TRAILOR WAS BEARING DOWN ON MY POSITION FROM THE REAR AND NEARLY STRUCK MY VEHICLE, DUE TO THE SUDDEN POWER LOSS AND CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. BEYOND THE FAILURE OF THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP (PER BMW DEALERSHIP), THE VEHICLE INFORMATION SYSTEM IS FLAWED AS IT DID NOT REMEMBER THE FIRST CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE AND INSTEAD RESET ITSELF. IT ADVISED ALTHOUGH THERE WAS AN ENGINE MALFUNCTION, IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE WITH REDUCED POWER AVAILABLE. A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE EVENT LIKE THAT SHOULD RESULT IN A WARNING AND ADVISEMENT NOT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. *TR