NHTSA complaint: 2004 BMW 530I — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
AFTER TURNING INTO A PARKING LOT, I SLOWLY TURNED RIGHT ONTO A TWO-WAY DRIVEWAY WITHOUT LANE MARKERS. TO MY RIGHT WAS A CURB. TO MY LEFT WAS OPPOSING TRAFFIC. MOVING VERY SLOWLY WHILE WAITING FOR THE OPPOSING TRAFFIC TO PASS SO I COULD SELECT A PARKING SPACE, I TURNED MY STEERING WHEEL A BIT TO THE RIGHT IN ORDER TO MANEUVER AROUND A LARGE VEHICLE TO MY LEFT, AND THEN A BIT TO THE LEFT IN ANTICIPATION OF PARKING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE OPPOSING TRAFFIC. I FELT A BUMP ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR, AND DAMAGE THERE SUGGESTS THAT THE BODY MOMENTARILY RESTED ON THE CURB AND THAT THE TIRE WAS NOT IN CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. AT THIS POINT, ALTHOUGH I DID NOT MOVE ANY CONTROLS, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED RAPIDLY, SURGING FORWARD AND TO THE LEFT: 'I HEARD THE ENGINE REVVING VERY LOUDLY, WITH MORE POWER THAN I HAD EVER HEARD IN NEARLY SEVEN YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WITH THIS VEHICLE. 'I FELT A VERY BUMPY RIDE, AS IF THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVING DOWN A FLIGHT OF STAIRS. 'WITH THE CAR ACCELERATING AT A TREMENDOUS RATE, I SAW THE PARKED CARS GETTING CLOSE INCREDIBLY QUICKLY. THERE WAS NO TIME TO REACT. I NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO USE THE BRAKES. IN A DISTANCE OF 23 PACES, THE CAR WENT FROM BARELY MOVING TO SLAMMING INTO A PARKED CAR WITH ENOUGH FORCE TO PUSH THAT CAR SIDEWAYS INTO A SECOND PARKED CAR AND TO PUSH THE SECOND PARKED CAR SIDEWAYS INTO A THIRD PARKED CAR. TWO PARKED CARS WERE TOTALED. IT WAS ONLY BY CHANCE THAT NOBODY WAS BETWEEN THE CARS THAT WERE HIT. MY AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. I ASKED BMW
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation