NHTSA Complaint #10898745 — 2014 BMW 428I

ON JUNE 19TH 2016 I WAS DRIVING MY 2014 BMW428I WITH 5200 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. AS I APPROACHED A RED LIGHT SIGNAL I BEGAN TO APPLY THE BRAKES SLOWING TO 5-10 MPH.INSTEAD OF COMING TO A STOP THE VEHICLE BECAME ENERGIZED AND BEGAN SURGING FORWARD. I APPLIED AS MUCH PRESSURE AS POSSIBLE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT TO NO AVAIL AS THE VEHICLE CONTINUED ITS SURGE FORWARD UNTIL IT STRUCK THE STOPPED VEHICLE AHEAD OF ME. LUCKILY NO DAMAGES, NO INJURIES ON MONDAY JUNE 20TH I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD "CHECK IT OUT". LATER THAT DAY THEY CALLED AND SAID THE VEHICLE WAS IN PERFECT CONDITION. A FEW MINUTES LATER I RECEIVED A CALL FROM BMWNA ASKING ME FOR THE DETAILS OF THIS INCIDENT. THEY STATED THAT MY VEHICLE WAS TO REMAIN AT THE DEALERSHIP UNTIL A SPECIALIST COULD RUN MORE TESTS ON THE VEHICLE.HIS TEST RESULTS WOULD BE SENT TO BMWNA TO BE EVALUATED BY THE ENGINEERING GROUP. AS THE DAYS AND WEEKS WENT BY I SENT SEVERAL E-MAILS TO MY CASE WORKER AT BMWNA ASKING ABOUT THE STATUS OF MY IDLED VEHICLE STILL SITTING AT THE DEALERSHIP. SOME OF MY E-MAILS WERE IGNORED. FINALLY ON AUGUST 22ND 2016, TWO MONTHS LATER, BMWNA INFORMED ME BY E-MAIL THAT THE TEST RESULTS SHOWED NO DEFECTS AND NO MALFUNCTIONS HAD EVER OCCURRED. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT MANY BMW MODELS EXPERIENCE BRAKE FAILURES. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT BMW IS AWARE OF AS IT GOES BACK A NUMBER OF YEARS. HOWEVER THEY CHOOSE TO BE IN DENIAL PUTTING DRIVERS AND OTHERS AT RISK.