NHTSA Complaint #11394891 — 2013 BMW X3

WHILE DRIVING DOWN BUSINESS 40 GOING ABOUT 60 MPH, MY CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED IN THE LEFT LANE. THE CAR WAS STILL RUNNING BUT IT WAS AS IF SOMEONE HAD PUT ON THE BRAKES FOR ME -- LIKE A GHOST IN THE MACHINE. THE CAR BEHIND ME WAS ABLE TO STOP BUT WITHIN A COUPLE OF FEET FROM REAR ENDING ME AT A HIGH SPEED. THE CARS BEHIND HIM WERE SWERVING NOT TO HIT HIM. WE ARE LUCKY IT WAS NOT A MULTI CAR ACCIDENT. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR GOING BY CONTINUING TO STEP ON THE ACCELERATOR. NO LIGHTS ON THE DASH CAME ON NOT EVEN A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. I THOUGHT THAT PERHAPS I HAD DONE SOMETHING TO CAUSE THIS AND KEPT DRIVING IN THE RIGHT LANE AT A LOWER SPEED. THEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS CLOSE BEHIND ME AND THIS TIME I KNEW WHAT WAS HAPPENING. I PULLED OVER AND PUT ON MY HAZARDS AND DROVE ON THE SHOULDER. THE CAR WAS SPUTTERING, THE WHEEL WAS SHAKING. I PULLED OVER AND TURNED OFF THE CAR. LET IT REST AND INSPECTED THE OUTSIDE OF THE CAR. I WENT THE NEXT DAY TO THE BMW DEALERSHIP -- THEY SAID TO REPLACE THE BRAKE CALIPERS BUT I DID NOT THING THAT WAS IT --- AS IT SEEMS ALMOST LIKE A FORCE ENGAGED THE BRAKES, NOT THAT THEY FAILED. MY FOOT HAD NOT BEEN ON THE BRAKES WHEN THEY ENGAGED. I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER MECHANIC WHO WAS ABLE TO REPLICATE THIS AND SAID THE CAR WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I AM ONLY THE 2ND OWNER AND IT HAS LESS THAN 50K MILES. I THEN HAD IT INSPECTED AT A DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP WHO SAID IT WAS THE DSC WHICH SEEMS MORE LIKELY AS THEY WERE ABLE TO RECREATE THE BRAKING WHILE DRIVING. I THEN CALLED BMW NA WHO SENT OUT AND ENGINEER BUT THEY ARE SAYING IT IS REGULAR WEAR AND TEAR ON A CAR. THIS SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE TO ME. I HAVE HAD BRAKES NEED REPLACING AND ROTORS AND NOTHING LIKE THIS HAS EVER HAPPENED. IT WAS INCREDIBLY SCARY, AND DANGEROUS AND I (AND OTHERS) COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED.