NHTSA Complaint #10788493 — 2014 BMW 535D

I HIT A PIECE OF TRUCK TIRE DEBRIS ON I-495N IN MARLBORO MA AT NIGHT AND I WAS UNABLE TO STOP AND INSPECT FOR DAMAGE DUE TO HEAVY TRAFFIC. ALL SEEMED OK. 15 MINUTES LATER IN CHELMSFORD MA, THE CAR GAVE "DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION, REDUCED POWER, DRIVE GENTLY" MESSAGE AND CONTINUED TO LOSE POWER AND SLOW DOWN. I PULLED OVER SAFELY TO THE BREAKDOWN LANE AND THEN THE ENGINE STOPPED AND COULD NOT BE RESTARTED AGAIN. TIRE DEBRIS FROM EARLIER RUPTURED PART OF THE FUEL SYSTEM AND CAUSED THE CAR TO DUMP DIESEL FUEL ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE ENGINE EVENTUALLY STOPPED DUE TO RUNNING OUT OF FUEL. GIVEN THAT THE CAR HAS ALL-WHEEL DRIVE (AWD), A FLATBED TRUCK IS REQUIRED FOR TOWING. NO OTHER TOW METHOD IS ALLOWED. THIS REQUIRES BEING ABLE TO PUT THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL (N) WHILE THE CAR IS DISABLED AND RELEASE THE PARKING BRAKE IN ORDER TO MOVE THE VEHICLE. THE PARKING BRAKE (ELECTRIC CONTROL) WAS ABLE TO BE RELEASED BUT THERE IS NO EASY WAY AND NO DOCUMENTATION READILY AVAILABLE TO OVERRIDE THE ELECTRONIC SHIFT INTERLOCK FOR THE TRANSMISSION. THE CAR IS UNABLE TO BE PUSHED, TOWED, OR ROLLED WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO GET THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL WHILE THE CAR IS DISABLED. PLACING THE TRANSMISSION INTO NEUTRAL NORMALLY REQUIRES STARTING THE ENGINE FIRST WHICH WAS NOT POSSIBLE DUE TO NO FUEL AND THERE IS NO MANUAL OVERRIDE OR DOCUMENTED PROCEDURE AVAILABLE TO OVERRIDE THE INTERLOCK SO THAT THE CAR CAN BE MOVED WHILE DISABLED. THE FLATBED TRUCK OPERATOR HAD TO GET CREATIVE AND SKID THE CAR ONTO THE FLATBED IN ORDER TO PICK IT UP. THE DISTURBING THING ABOUT THIS INCIDENT IS THAT THE ELECTRONIC SHIFT CONTROL FOR THE TRANSMISSION HAS NO OVERRIDE FOR THE INTERLOCK FOR MOVING THE VEHICLE WHEN DISABLED. OLDER CARS HAD A MECHANICAL LINK BETWEEN THE SHIFT LEVER AND TRANSMISSION SO A MANUAL OVERRIDE WAS EASY TO DO. NEW CARS NOW HAVE ALL ELECTRONIC CONTROLS INSTEAD OF A MECHANICAL LINKAGE.