NHTSA Complaint #10887442 — 2004 BMW 325XI

THE VEHICLE (1.6 TURBO) HAS A HESITANCY TO ENGAGE IN ACCELERATION RELATIVE TO PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. ONCE ENGAGED, IT IMMEDIATELY JUMPS OUT TO A QUICK, JOLTING AND WHAT FEELS LIKE AN UNCONTROLLABLE START. THIS TYPICALLY HAPPENS AT STOP/START INTERSECTIONS WHERE THE CAR COMES TO A FULL AND COMPLETE STOP. YESTERDAY, (07.20.16) THE VEHICLE CHOKED AND SPUTTERED AND ALMOST STALLED ON A SMALL RISE WHEN TRAFFIC STARTED MOVING THROUGH A JUST-TURNED GREEN LIGHT AT A VERY BUSY INTERSECTION DURING RUSH HOUR. THE TACHOMETER WINDS OUT IN A MANNER DISPROPORTIONATE TO THE SPEEDOMETER READING. THIS DOES NOT MIMIC THE EFFECTS OF A TURBO LAG. RATHER, IT FEELS LIKE THE VEHICLE ISN'T GETTING A TIMELY DELIVERY OF GAS TO THE ENGINE FIRING MECHANISMS (WE WOULD LIKEN IT TO A DIRTY FUEL LINE OR A CLOGGED CARBURETOR ON OLDER CARS), OR THE DUAL CLUTCH SYSTEM IS DEBATING WHETHER OR NOT TO GET IN GEAR WHEN DEMANDED, OR WHATEVER DEVICE THAT INTERPRETS DRIVER COMMANDS (PEDAL PUSHING) TO ENGINE PERFORMANCE ISN'T RESPONDING EFFICIENTLY. THE CAR HAS HAD ONE SHOP VISIT FOR THIS ISSUE AND THE DEALER (WERNER HYUNDAI, TALLAHASSEE) STATED THEY 'RESET THE SOFTWARE." I WILL BE TAKING THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER THE WEEK OF JULY 25, 2016. UNFORTUNATELY, I ANTICIPATE THIS ISSUE WILL LEAD TO A WRECK, MOST LIKELY FROM 1) BEING HIT FROM BEHIND AS THE CAR TRIES TO FIGURE OUT WHETHER OR NOT TO ACCELERATE, OR 2) BEING T-BONED AT AN INTERSECTION BECAUSE THE CAR WON'T ACCELERATE THROUGH A RUSH-HOUR YELLOW LIGHT, OR 3) BEING T-BONED BECAUSE MY CAR LAUNCHED (LITERALLY) OUT INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC (THAT INITIALLY WAS AT A SAFE DISTANCE AWAY) ONCE IT GOT PAST THE CHOKE/SPUTTER/STALL POINT....UPDATED 08/01/16 *BF *TR