NHTSA Complaint #11318572 — 2019 BMW X3

WHILE DRIVING ALONG SECONDARY ROADWAY , WITH NO OTHER CARS WITHIN SIGHT OR OBSTRUCTIONS WITHIN VIEW, AUTOMATIC BRAKING OF THE VEHICLE OCCURRED. BRAKING ACTION WAS SEVERE ENOUGH TO CAUSE DRIVER TO BE PROPELLED AGAINST THE SEAT BELT SHOULDER STRAP. BRAKES RELEASED WITHIN APPROXIMATELY ONE SECOND AFTER APPLICATION. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER NEXT DAY AFTER EPISODE TO DIAGNOSE PROBLEM. SERVICE TECHNICIAN FOUND, " NO FAULTS " STATED, " OPERATION OF AUTOMATIC BRAKING ON OCCASION IS NORMAL OPERATION DUE TO THE SENSITIVITY OF THE FEATURE". IT WAS INDICATED TO ME THAT THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN CONTACTED BMW NA AND WAS GIVEN THIS EXPLANATION. WHEN ASKED IF THERE WAS A , "FIX I N THE WORK'S " TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE , BMW NA REPLIED THEY CONSIDERED THIS OPERATION NORMAL FOR ALL OF THEIR VEHICLES WITH THIS BRAKING SYSTEM. I FIND THIS ANSWER UNACCEPTABLE. INADVERTENT BRAKE APPLICATION BY THE VEHICLE WHEN THERE IS NO VEHICLES OR OBSTRUCTIONS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY IS A SAFETY HAZARD. DRIVERS RUN THE RISK OF BEING REAR ENDED BY THOSE DRIVERS FOLLOWING TO CLOSELY ESPECIALLY WHEN THE FOLLOWING DRIVER HAS AN EXPECTATION THAT THERE IS NO TRAFFIC SITUATION THAT WOULD NECESSITATE THE CAR IN FRONT TO APPLY THEIR BRAKES. AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEMS SHOULD BE DEACTIVATED UNTIL BMW NA CAN RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM.