NHTSA Complaint #10629076 — 2013 BMW X3

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON A LOCAL SIDE STREET (SPEED LIMIT 25 MPH) AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH AND I WAS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. WE WERE COMING UPON NUMEROUS STOP SIGNS, SO IN ORDER TO AVOID THE BMW AUTOSTART/STOP FEATURE (THIS FEATURE SHUTS THE CAR ENGINE OFF WHEN THE CAR STOPS TO SAVE FUEL) FROM ACTIVATING, I REACHED OVER TO TURN OFF THE AUTOSTART BUTTON. THIS BUTTON IS LOCATED DIRECTLY NEXT TO THE START/STOP BUTTON. INSTEAD, I ACCIDENTALLY HIT THE START/STOP BUTTON (THIS IS A KEYLESS CAR) AND WHILE TRAVELING AT 20 MPH THE CAR ENGINE SHUT OFF AND WE HAD TO COAST TO A STOP WITHOUT POWER STEERING OR ANY POWER, BEFORE BEING ABLE TO START THE CAR. IN ORDER TO RESTART THE CAR, THE BRAKE PEDAL MUST BE PRESSED. IF THIS HAPPENED WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, AN ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY LIKELY TO HAVE OCCURRED. THIS IS A DESIGN SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS REPLACEMENT/RECALL. *TR