- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a preliminary investigation into an estimated 120,000 2002-'08 BMW 7 Series cars after receiving complaints that rollaway incidents have occurred.
- NHTSA said that no cause has been identified for any of the rollaway incidents.
- BMW told Inside Line on Tuesday that it is fully cooperating with NHTSA.
WASHINGTON — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a preliminary investigation into an estimated 120,000 2002-'08 BMW 7 Series cars after receiving complaints that rollaway incidents have occurred.
The vehicles under investigation include the 2003 BMW 730D to the 2005-'07 BMW 760Li. Such an action by the federal auto safety agency is sometimes the precursor to a recall.
"This is a preliminary investigation and we are fully cooperating with NHTSA," wrote Thomas Plucinksy, a BMW North America spokesman, on Tuesday in response to an e-mailed query from Inside Line.
NHTSA said it "received a complaint from a consumer alleging a rollaway incident with a 2006 BMW 7 Series vehicle after parking and exiting the vehicle."
"The complaint vehicle was equipped with BMW's Comfort Access electronic access and ignition system and an electronic transmission shifter with the gear selector mounted on the steering column," the federal safety agency said in its defect investigation summary. "The shifter is designed to automatically shift the vehicle to Park under a variety of conditions, including after the driver has pressed the ignition button to turn the engine off.
"Early Warning Reporting data submitted to (NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation) by BMW include field reports describing additional rollaway incidents in similarly equipped 2002 through 2008 BMW 7 series vehicles. Thus far, no cause has been identified for any of the rollaway incidents."
Inside Line says: If you own one of the aforementioned BMW 7 Series cars, be aware that the feds have launched a safety investigation.
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bmwproblems says:
09:12 AM, 10/06/2011
I'm having the same problems with my 7 series BMW. I try to put my vehicle in gear(reverse/drive) and it continue to switch back to park. I also had my vehicle in park and then it switched to reverse rolling backwards. I can't wait on the investigation for the recall. I hope I'll get reimbursed for my repairs if a recall is given. GOOD LUCK TO ME and whoever is having the same problem
al2travel says:
08:00 AM, 08/11/2011
You don't now how to operate your particular vehicle, but yet you drive it anyway?
offroadbob1 says:
12:12 AM, 08/11/2011
Why is the US gov't including in its investigation the 2003 730D, a DIESEL powered vehicle? Unless I am mistaken, BMW did not offer any diesel cars that year, nor have they ever sold a diesel 7 Series in North America. Typos notwithstanding, by what authority does NHTSA include a car not sold here to be investigated?
angioman1 says:
09:57 PM, 08/10/2011
I have an X5 and when I first got it, I had a similar problem although with the engine running. It's unnatural to push a button to get it into park when 30 yrs of driving experience has trained me to physically push the gear selector into P. I think it needs some tactile feedback or audible alert to tell the driver you are actually engaged in P or R.
93aero says:
09:49 PM, 08/10/2011
I wonder if this happened alot when BMW came out with that standing transmission selector. I know that's not the same type in the ones they are talking about, but when a friend got the new 5, shes finding it hard to get used to the style. Its much nicer to have the physical feeling of pushing it way forward to park and having it confirm with your body, rather than having to look down to make sure.
runreb211 says:
08:34 AM, 08/10/2011
Whether this problem is real or just operator error, I've always felt a little weird every time I've driven a 7 series and put it into 'park'. It's just a button. I'm used to the mechanical feeling of putting my car into first and putting on the e-brake when I am parking. I hope this turns out to be nothing.
altimadude05 says:
08:12 AM, 08/10/2011
This is either a case of driver error, or having a car too smart for the drivers.
Over engineered much?