NHTSA Complaint #10809596 — 2014 BMW 320XI

THIS BMW HAS APPROXIMATELY 16000 MILES ON IT (WAS PURCHASED LAST YEAR). CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN FIRST TIME THAT DAY. CAR WAS STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC INTERSECTION. WHEN LIGHT CHANGED AND GAS WAS PRESSED, THE CAR MADE A STUTTERING NOISE AND MOVED A FEW FEET AND STOPPED. THE DASHBOARD INDICATED DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION AND TRANSMISSION OVERHEAT. THE CAR WOULD NOT RESTART AND WAS TOWED AWAY TO A BMW DEALER. AFTER A FEW DAYS OF BACK AND FORTH ABOUT SOFTWARE RESET ETC, THE DEALER WORKED WITH BMW TO DETERMINE THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN DANGEROUS AS THE CAR WAS IN A VERY BUSY INTERSECTION WHEN THE FAILURE HAPPENED. IT IS SURPRISING THAT THE FAILURE HAPPENED THIS EARLY IN THE CAR'S LIFE. THE DEALER ATTEMPTED TO REASSURE US BY SAYING THAT THIS FAILURE HAPPENS MORE OFTEN THAN PEOPLE THINK (WHICH MADE US EVEN MORE CONCERNED).