BMW to Recall 7 Series to Fix Shift System Flaw

BMW AG is preparing to recall 45,500 of its top-of-the-line 7 Series sedans in the U.S. because the vehicles may not shift into Park as expected.

The campaign, which won't start until a required software update is ready in March, follows an engineering analysis launched in April by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The recall will involve only 7 Series cars equipped with BMW's keyless Comfort Access option. Affected vehicles include the 745 model built in 2005 and 750 and 760 models produced in 2005-2008.

The Comfort Access feature uses an electronic identification transmitter instead of a physical key. The system also automatically shifts the transmission to Park after the driver applies the brakes, stops the vehicle and presses the start-stop button to switch off the engine.

But if the driver rapidly presses the start-stop button several times, the system could shift the transmission to Neutral instead of Park. If the driver opens the door, an alarm would signal that the vehicle is not in Park. But if the warning is ignored, the driver could exit the vehicle and lock it with the remote ID transmitter. That would leave the unattended vehicle in Neutral, and it could roll away.

BMW reports 52 complaints of such rollaways. The company and NHTSA have been investigating the issue since January 2009.