1998 BMW 318TI User Comment / Complaint

Unintentional acceleration: i was stopped at a red light, with my foot on the brake pedal. i eased the pressure on the brake to let the car roll forward slightly, then increased the brake ppressure again, the engine immediately began to rev fast, causing the rear wheels to spin and propelling the car forward approximately four feet, even though i had full pressure applied to the brakes. i narrowly avoided a collision with turning traffic by shifting to a lower gear, whereupon the rpm dropped. shortly after this, as i was slowly easing into a parking space, the same thing occurred. i had my foot on the brake, gently approaching the parking stop, eased the pressure slightly then increased it again, and the engine immediately revved from below 1000 rpm to in excess of 3500 rpm, and the car tried to lunge forward, even though i still had full pressure applied to the brake. i immediately shifted into park, and the rpm dropped at once. i subsequently called the dealer, who arranged for the vehicle to be picked up. at present it is in the repair shop.