Regulators open BMW safety probe

Federal safety regulators have opened an investigation into whether some BMW 7-series sedans are prone to rolling away once parked.

The probe of 120,000 BMWs from model years 2002 to 2008 came after a driver said the car rolled away after the consumer exited the vehicle.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it is looking at BMW's "Comfort Access" electronic access and ignition system and an electronic transmission shifter with the gear selector mounted on the steering column. The shifter is designed to automatically shift the vehicle to the park position under a variety of conditions, including after the driver has pressed the ignition button to turn the engine off.

Data submitted to the agency by BMW include field reports describing additional roll-away incidents in vehicles equipped with the system. No injuries or crashes have been reported, and the agency said it doesn't know what is causing the roll-aways.

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-- Jerry Hirsch
Twitter.com/LATimesJerry

Photo: BMW logo. Credit: Bloomberg News