U.S. Steps Up Probe of BMW Transmissions

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has upgraded to an engineering analysis its investigation of automatic transmissions in BMW 7 Series sedans that can shift into Neutral instead of Park when the engine is switched off. Such an upgrade often signals an impending recall.

NHHSA's probe involves 122,000 models produced during the 2002-2008 model years. The agency says it has received 46 reports of unattended cars rolling away, including 14 that crashed and caused five injuries.

Affected cars are equipped with electronic shift-by-wire systems and a start/stop engine button. The driver can press a button on the gearshift lever to select Park. The owner's manual says an operator also can simply push the start/stop button to simultaneously turn off the engine and shift from Drive into Park.

But models equipped with BMW's "Comfort Access System" will remain in Neutral if the transmission is already in Neutral when the ignition is switched off. This so-called car wash mode is described in the owner's manual.

BMW has acknowledged to NHTSA that there also are two conditions not mentioned in the owner's manual in which the transmission will end up in Neutral when the engine is switched off. One is when the start/stop button is pressed at least twice within half a second. The second case is when the start/stop button is pressed at the same time the gearshift lever is being moved into Drive, Reverse or Neutral.