2023 BMW X1 Powertrain & Transmission Problems

The vehicle is equipped with a dual clutch transmission and has the EPA mandated auto-start feature. When you stop the vehicle and the engine shuts off and then remove your foot from the brake to go forward, the engine hesitates to restart and then starts, revs, dumps the clutch and propels you forward at a dangerous rate. My wife was trying to pull into the garage and stopped a little short. When she tried to move forward about a foot, the car started and lurched forward hitting the house. There is no way to disable the auto start feature and there are no buttons in the car. This is going to get someone killed when they are trying to make a left turn across traffic and first the car doesn't restart and then it starts and flies into traffic. I complained to BMW and they say this is the way the government mandates the car to be.

This vehicle has on numerous times has had delayed acceleration from a stop or rolling stop. The hesitation is random and unpredictable. The vehicle will be unresponsive for a second or two and then a surge of acceleration will jolt the vehicle forward. This causes an unsafe situation in which defensive maneuvering can be delayed. Accelerating from a stop sign or traffic light can become dangerous due to the significant lag between stepping on the gas pedal and the movement of the vehicle.

The contact owns a 2023 BMW X1. The contact stated that when the vehicle is on any slight incline, when parked, when the vehicle was placed in reverse (R) or in drive (D) the vehicle will roll backward or forward for about one or two feet before the vehicle responds to the accelerator pedal and the transmission gear selected. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated he would depress the brake pedal due to vehicle rolling in the opposite direction from which he intended and the vehicle would stop. The contact also stated that if the vehicle rolls back at any sort of speed, approximately 3 to 4 MPH, the vehicle automatic braking system would engage and stop the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but was occurring at every time the vehicle was parked on an incline. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was scheduled for normal service and software updates. The contact stated that a software update to remedy "drive off characteristics" and "throttle input lag" was installed, however the roll away failure was still occurring. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 500.

This report is for a 2023 BMW x1 with a dual clutch transmission. I was driving on a four lane road with a 35 mph speed limit and attempting to make a left turn. I was stopped at the light waiting the oncoming traffic to clear to make the left turn (from the left most of the two lanes). There was a significant delay in the car moving after pressing the accelerator allowing for the oncoming traffic to get within a dangerous range before the car finally moved. The car did make the left turn quickly, but the delay in initiating the turn was quite notable. The care was in the "Personal" drive mode and the auto hold function was not activated, nor was the auto off engaged when stopped. I don't use the paddle shifters and the car was in Drive. The engine was running when the accelerator was pressed. I have noticed this delay to accelerate at other times with the car is in first gear (moving from a slowed or stopped position), but I have not yet reported to the dealer (but have seen discussion of this issue on online owners forums). The delay doesn't happen when the car is moving or beyond first gear. Acceleration is not impacted once out of first gear.

Email sent to BMW describing a hesitancy or delay on acceleration from a dead stop: I have attached a link below to a blog from January, 2023, describing this problem on 2023 BMW X1; it includes a description of the issue on a video review of this car by Consumers Report.   Apparently, this has not been corrected.  My new 2023 X1 has this significant and dangerous problem.  I was at the dealer service department for 2 1/2 hours this morning and they claimed not to be aware of the problem, although the technician did recognize the hesitancy.  They also had no repair or correction from BMW.   That is inexcusable.  A second delay on accelerating from a stop making a turn onto or merging onto a highway, could result in a collision.  I assume that BMW is waiting for enough reports of that happening before doing something about it.   I am not interested in explanations or excuses.  I assume the it is due to the engine stop/start mechanism.    I want it corrected.  I am leaving on a road trip in 2 weeks and am afraid to take this car on the trip.  I realize that if I turn off the stop/start mechanism on each startup or drive in Sport mode, and the hesitancy does not occur.  That is not an acceptable alternative for a $58,000, BMW X1, especially for a recognized defect in the car’s manufacture or software that has been known for at least 10 months.   I need to have it fixed. [XXX]     cc: California Department of Consumer Affairs INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)