NHTSA Complaint #10959009 — 2011 BMW M3 US

WHILE DRIVING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED ON A CALIFORNIA INTERSTATE, MY CAR SUDDENLY LOST FORWARD MOMENTUM, POWER BRAKES AND POWER STEERING. WHEN I LOOKED DOWN TO THE DASH, THE DCT TRANSMISSION HAD SHIFTED ITSELF TO NEUTRAL AND THE ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN. I UNSUCCESSFULLY ATTEMPTED A RESTART AS I TRIED TO SAFELY MAKE MY WAY THROUGH THE RIGHT LANES OF TRAFFIC SO I COULD PULL OFF ON THE SHOULDER. AFTER NARROWLY BEING HIT BY PASSING CARS, I MANAGED TO GET INTO THE RIGHT LANE AND COAST OFF A FREEWAY EXIT RAMP. THE CAR BECAME INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO STEER AND BRAKE. AS I TURNED ONTO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AS SOON AS I HIT 10MPH, THE CAR SUDDENLY PUT ITSELF IN PARK, CAUSING A JOLTING SENSATION AND AN ABRUPT, UNSAFE STOP. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT TURN OVER SO I HAD IT TOWED TO THE BMW DEALERSHIP. THE NEXT MORNING I WAS ALERTED THAT THERE WERE METAL SHAVINGS IN THE OIL PAN AND THAT CYLINDER ONE HAD SEIZED DUE TO ROD BEARING FAILURE. THE ENGINE HAD 53,000 MILES WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THIS NECESSITATED A FULL ENGINE REPLACEMENT.