NHTSA Complaint #10861029 — 2012 BMW 528I

VEHICLE BOUGHT IN JULY 2014 WITH ~24K MILES; STILL UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY. MAINTENANCE MAINTAINED. 9-12 MONTHS LATER, A "DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION" LIGHT CAME ON. I HAD JUST LEFT THE DEALERSHIP SO I CALLED THEM AND THEY TOLD ME TO BRING IT BACK IMMEDIATELY; I DID. MANY TESTS LATER, WAS TOLD MY "MOTHERBOARD DIED" (DME UNIT); AFTER A MONTH IN THE SHOP...REPAIRED. NOW, 4/2016, LESS THAN 60K AND FRESH OUT OF WARRANTY...I WAS DRIVING HOME WITH MY SON ON THE INTERSTATE, ABOUT TO GET OFF OF MY EXIT AND ANOTHER "DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION AND LOW ENGINE PRESSURE" LIGHT COMES ON AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY CAR STOPPED ON THE 4 LANE OFF-RAMP. AFTER WAITING FOR AN HOUR FOR THE TOW TRUCK TO ARRIVE AND TRYING TO PUT MY CAR INTO NEUTRAL AND ABOUT 30 MIN WITH THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER TRYING TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, I CALLED THE BMW DEALERSHIP AND I FOUND OUT THAT BECAUSE MY CAR IS ALL ELECTRIC IT CANNOT BE PUT INTO NEUTRAL; A WEEK AT THE DEALERSHIP AND STILL THERE AS I TYPE'DIAGNOSIS: TIMING CHAIN BROKE INTO THE ENGINE AND NOW THE CAR NEEDS A NEW ENGINE WHICH I WAS QUOTED TO BE $21,000. THE CAR IS ONLY 4 YEARS OLD!!!!! NEEDLESS TO SAY, IT WAS BY THE GRACE OF GOD THAT MY SON AND I WERE NOT INJURED OR KILLED WHEN THE ENGINE JUST SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. AND ON TOP OF THAT, IT IS ABSURD THAT THE CONSUMER CANNOT MANUALLY PUT THIS VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL TO MOVE IT OUT OF HARM'S WAY IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO DO SO. THE ONLY WAY TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL WHEN INOPERABLE IS TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. UNSAT! AND FOR A CAR COMPANY THAT IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE A GREAT REPUTATION AND HIGH STANDARDS, IT'S ABSURD THAT A NEW ENGINE IS NEEDED FOR A CAR THAT IS BARELY 4 YEARS OLD. I HAVE SEEN THE SAME ISSUES WITH OTHER BMW OWNERS ALL OVER THE INTERNET. LOVE BMW AND HAVE OWNED 3 OF THEM AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT THIS ONE WILL BE MY LAST BECAUSE I DO NOT FEEL SAFE IN THIS VEHICLE ANYMORE.