NHTSA Complaint #11435701 — 2013 BMW X3

I am reporting a car malfunction that occurred on June 29, 2021. The 2013 BMW X3 accelerated on its own and eventually crashed into a fire hydrant. I was turning left into a parking space in a parking lot at a very low speed when the vehicle accelerated and jumped onto the sidewalk all the while I was pressing the breaks and trying to steer the car to safety. It hit another curve in the parking lot, before crashing into the fire hydrant also in the parking lot. The airbags in the front driver’s side deployed top and bottom and the airbag in the rear, driver’s side. The car was deemed a total loss. I sustained minor burns on my legs from the airbag and a jammed finger. The Insurance Company was going to retrieve the “black box” however they were only installed in vehicles assembled after September 2013 and my vehicle was assembled in June of 2013. Other BMW X3 owners have experienced this problem with outcomes more severe. Fortunately in my case it was only me and the fire hydrant. Several witnesses. The police and insurance company were involved. The car was towed to Co-Part in MD, it may still be there.