BMW recalling 7 Series over inadvertently opening doors

From AB

Report Date : October 28, 2012 at 05:40 PM NHTSA Campaign ID number : 12V502000

Vehicle Make / Model: Model Year(s): BMW / 745I 2005 BMW / 745LI 2005 BMW / 750I 2006-2008 BMW / 750LI 2006-2008 BMW / 760I 2005-2006 BMW / 760LI 2005-2008

Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC Report Receipt Date: OCT 17,

2012

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 12V502000 NHTSA Action Number: EA12002

Component: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM) Potential Number of Units Affected: 45,500

Summary: BMW is recalling certain model year 2005-2008 7-Series vehicles, equipped with the Comfort Access option, and manufactured August 23,

2004, through July 24, 2008. The affected vehicles have an electronic key and an electronic connection between the gear shifter and the transmission (shift-by-wire) that automatically shifts the transmission to Park when the driver presses the Start/Stop button to shutdown the engine. If the driver presses the engine Start/Stop button 2 or 3 times within a short time interval, the system may shift the transmission to Neutral rather than Park. If using the electronic key (Comfort Access mode), there would be no protection from the ignition interlock that prevents key removal if the vehicle is not in Park.

Consequence: If the driver exits the vehicle with the transmission in Neutral and the parking brake is not applied, the vehicle may rollaway. Unattended rollaway incidents often result in a crash or cause injury to pedestrians attempting to stop or enter the vehicle or to other bystanders in the path of the vehicle.

Remedy: BMW will notify owners beginning in November 2012, but will not have revised software available to remedy the vehicles until March 2013