NHTSA Complaint #10986075 — 2012 BMW 328I

MY HUSBAND AND I WERE DRIVING HOME FROM LA TO NEVADA. ON THE FREEWAY BETWEEN BARSTOW AND BAKER, THE CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE FREEWAY. WARNING LIGHT APPEARED BUT DISAPPEARED SO FAST THAT WE DID NOT GET A CHANCE TO READ WHAT IT WAS SAYING, ONLY THE LAST PART WHICH I THINK SAID ENGINE FAILURE. IT DID NOT GIVE US A CHANCE TO LOOK FOR A SAFER PLACE TO STOP. FROM DRIVING AT 75 MPH, MY HUSBAND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT TO A NEARBY LEFT SHOULDER, WHICH WAS VERY NARROW THAT INCOMING CARS STARTED TO HONK BECAUSE WE WERE NOT REALLY PARKED INSIDE THE SPACE. I HAD TO CALL OUR INSURANCE FOR TOW SERVICE WHILE CARS WERE DRIVING 75-80 MPH. AFTER AN HOUR, THE TOW TRUCK CAME BUT COULD NOT HOOK US UP BECAUSE OF THE POSITION WE WERE IN AND CARS COMING IN SO FAST. THE TOW TRUCK HAD TO CALL THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL FOR HELP. SO WE WERE LEFT AGAIN (TOW TRUCK HAD TO GO BACK TO WAIT FOR THE CHP). THIS WAS A VERY SCARY SITUATION (WE HAD TO LEAVE THE CAR TO AVOID BEING HIT BY THE FAST, INCOMING VEHICLES). WE WERE LUCKY THAT WE WERE NOT HIT BUT IT WAS A CLOSE CALL. CHP CAME AND THE TOW TRUCK BROUGHT US HOME. THE DEALER WAS CLOSED BECAUSE IT WAS A SUNDAY. I HAD TO CALL ANOTHER TOW COMPANY ON MONDAY TO BRING IT TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER SAID IT DID NOT HAVE COMMUNICATION WITH THE FUEL PUMP MODULE WHICH WAS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT THE WARNING INDICATION SHOWED. (BUT AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, IT WAS A SHORT NOTICE THAT I THINK IT SAID "ENGINE FAILURE"). WE HAD THE IMPRESSION THAT BMWS ARE SUPPOSED TO GIVE THE DRIVER ENOUGH WARNING BUT IN THIS CASE, IT DID NOT HAPPEN. WE ARE AFRAID TO DRIVE FOR MORE THAN 300 OR LESS MILES BECAUSE IT MIGHT STOP AGAIN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY. THAT IS AN ACCIDENT WE DO NOT WANT TO BE IN.