NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Engineering Analysis EA12-002: Vehicle Rollaway
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Engineering Analysis EA12-002 on April 10, 2012 and closed it on January 24, 2013. NHTSA's investigations file lists 11 BMW models for it and links recall 12V-502 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- EA12-002 (also written EA12002)
- Investigation type
- Engineering Analysis A more detailed stage of a defect investigation, opened when NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation decides an issue merits further review, often after a Preliminary Evaluation or a Recall Query; it can include vehicle testing, surveys and further information requests.
- Status
- Closed January 24, 2013
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- BMW of North America, LLC
- Components
- Electrical System; Electrical System — Ignition; Electrical System — Ignition — Switch; Power Train — Automatic Transmission
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 12V-502: Keyless Ignition System Vehicle Rollaway, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- 11 BMW models, including the 7 Series and 760LI
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Engineering Analysis EA12-002.
In a letter dated October 16, 2012, BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR), NHTSA Recall No. 12V-502 to NHTSA identifying a safety defect involving the possibility of unattended vehicle rollaway in MY 2005 through 2008 BMW 7-Series (approximately 45,000) vehicles equipped with the Comfort Access Option.
The Comfort Access option allows the driver to start and stop the engine (by pressing the engine start / stop button) without inserting the key fob into the vehicles key slot in the instrument panel.
Subject vehicles not equipped with the Comfort Access option require the key fob be inserted the key slot to start the engine.
Upon removal of the key from the key slot the vehicle will automatically shift to Park if the driver has not done so using the gearshift lever.
Sunject vehicles equipped with the Comfort Access option are designed such that when the vehicle is stopped with the service brakes applied and the transmission in Drive or Reverse, the driver can push the engine start/stop button one time, stopping the engine and automatically shifting the transmission to Park.
In its DIR, BMW identified a condition such that if the driver depressed the start-stop button multiple times in rapid succession, the transmission could shift to Neutral instead of Park.
With the transmission in neutral, depending on the slope of the road, the vehicle could rollaway if unattended.
In review of data submitted to the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) and of reports submitted to BMW, ODI identified 20 reports alleging vehicle rollaway involving vehicles equipped with Comfort Access.
The vehicles identified in these reports are all subject to recall 12V-502.
Ten of these reports were identified as likely related to the defect described in recall 12V-502.
Two of the reports are likely related to other mechanical failures.
The remaining 8 allegations of vehicle rollaway could not be associated with a specific cause.
There are 32 reports alleging vehicle rollaway in the subject vehicles not equipped with the Comfort Access option.
A vehicle based safety defect trend was not identified in these reports.
Subject vehicles not equipped the Comfort Access option will automatically shift to Park once the key fob is removed from the key slot.
In this regard these vehicles behave similarly to those with traditional mechanical keys where the key cannot be removed from the ignition unless the vehicle is shifted to Park.
The difference between these vehicles and the subject vehicles with the Comfort Access option is that in the Comfort Access equipped vehicles, the engine can be started and stopped without the key fob in the key slot.
ODI reports 10429922 and 10419177 noted in the EA opening resume were determined to be vehicles not equipped with the Comfort Access option and ODI did not identify a vehicle based safety defect associated with these incidents.
This investigation is closed.
The ODI report cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification (ODI) numbers:10185770
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Engineering Analysis EA12-002. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.
What an NHTSA investigation is
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.
An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.
To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
BMW VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for EA12-002
Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.