NHTSA Complaint #11100654 — 2013 BMW 328XI

ERROR - "DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION: DRIVE MODERATELY. MAXIMUM DRIVETRAIN OUTPUT NOT AVAILABLE. CONSULT SERVICE CENTER." THIS WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (BMW OF SILVER SPRING, MD) AT FIRST. THEY SAID IT WAS THERMOSTAT ISSUE. SO, THEY INSTALLED A NEW THERMOSTAT AND I PAID MY $100 DEDUCTIBLE. THE SAME ERROR STARTED APPEARING AGAIN JUST A FEW DAYS LATER. THE CAR SUDDENLY SHUDDERS, JOLTS AND SHIFTS FROM ECO MODE TO COMFORT MODE IF DRIVING ON FREEWAY. IF THE ERROR APPEARS WHEN THE CAR IS PARKED, THE CAR DOES NOT SWITCH FROM PARK MODE TO DRIVE MODE UNTIL YOU TOTALLY YOU SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE, THEN RESTART AND DRIVE OUT IMMEDIATELY. INSTANTLY, IT SHOWS "DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION" ERROR ON SCREEN. THE ENGINE MAKE A GROANING NOISE. YOU CAN FEEL THE POWER OF THE ENGINE IS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED. YOU HAVE TO HIT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DEEP TO EXTRACT POWER OUT OF THE ENGINE. THE TACHOMETER (THE RIGHT DIAL ON DASHBOARD) MOVES UP IN THE REGION OF 3X1000 TO 4X1000 /MIN RANGE EVEN TO GET TO A SPEED OF 30 MILES/HOUR. SO, WHEN DRIVING MODERATELY, IT CAN SUDDENLY STALL. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY RISK ON CITY ROADS AS ONE CAN GET HIT AND BE REAR-ENDED BY A CAR FROM BEHIND WITH YOUR FAMILY INSIDE THE CAR. I FEEL MUCH UNSAFE DRIVING THIS CAR NOW. BMW SHOULD FIX THIS DRIVETRAIN ERROR ON INSTALL A NEW ENGINE ALTOGETHER. MY CAR IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. THIS IS A RECURRENT ERROR, AND IT DOES NOT GO AWAY. I AM LOSING FAITH IN BMW.