NHTSA Complaint #11542797 — 2011 BMW M3

Starting from a traffic light at Woodlands Parkway and Gosling Road in the Woodlands, TX - Vehicle accelerated normally during shifting from 1st to 2nd gear. When shifting from 2nd to 3rd - Engine RPM went to ZERO and vehicle suddenly lost all power and died. There was a large Ford F150 behind the car. Thankfully, I was watching the tachometer and coasted to the shoulder before attempting to shift back to 2 and try a rolling start at which point vehicle came to an abrupt and sudden stop. Car was towed to an approved mechanic and was diagnosed as "another seized S65" engine. OPINION of Expert engine builders and bearing manufacturers is that the original BMW S65 bearing dimensions result in inadequate journal clearance and has been thoroughly documented. This, coupled with any potential "tolerance stacking" (- clearance) can result in a final bearing clearance which is significantly tighter than ideal and is the reason why we have seen engines fail after only a few thousand miles. This was half a second or less from being a fatal accident.