67 of the 1,149 complaints filed about the BMW 3 Series are about the transmission — 6% of everything owners reported. The worst model year for it is 2000.
67
Complaints
6%
Share of all complaints
2
Crashes
1
Fires
POWER TRAIN
HELLO THERES TWO RECALL FOR BMW 3 SERIES THAT NEED TO DONE ASAP BUT WHEN I CHECK THE PARTS ARE NOT YET AVAILABLE AND IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEED TO FIX IMMEDIATELY
NHTSA complaint #11083842 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
OIL KEEP LEAKING OUT OF TRAINING. IT WAS FIXED TWICE SO FAR. BACK BRAKE LINE KEEPS BREAKING WHEN YOU DRIVE IN SNOW.
NHTSA complaint #11064320 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
TRANSMISSION SHIFT BADLY - LUNGES FORWARD - TENDES TO STALL -TRAVELING AT LOW SPEEDS GOES IN TO 5 OR 6 GEAR STEP ON GAS PADDLE TAKES TO LONG TO SHIFT DOWN AND JUMPS FORWARD. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING EVEN WHEN THE CAR WAS NEW AND GETTING WORSE AS TIME GOES ON.
NHTSA complaint #10893809 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
I WAS PARKED, PLACED MY CAR IN REVERSE AND IMMEDIATELY ALL OF MY DASHBOARD LIGHTS WERE ACTIVATED (4X4 MALFUNCTION, ABS BRAKE FAILURE, TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION) THEN MY CAR LOST POWER. THERE IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE SET POSITIONING MOTOR FAILING ON THESE VEHICLES. THE BMW DEALER PART # IS 27 10 7 546 671. THERE IS AN INTERNAL GEAR, WITH IN THE SET POSITIONING MOTOR, MADE OUT OF PLASTIC THAT WEARS PREMATURELY. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH BMW'S AND IT SHOULD BE RECALLED. MY VEHICLE BECOME DISABLED WITH OUT WARNING, LEAVING ME STRANDED WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT.
NHTSA complaint #10651519 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
WELL DOCUMENTED NO REVERSE ISSUE FOR BMW GM TRANSMISSION D-CLUTCH FRACTURE.
NHTSA complaint #10641065 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
I WAS GOING OVER A SMALL BUMP IN THE ROAD AT 30 MPH AND MY ENGINE MOUNT FAILED. ALL FOUR ALUMINUM BOLTS SHEARED OFF AND THE ENGINE DROPPED. THIS DROP SNAPPED MY PASSENGER DRIVE SHAFT (HALF AXLE) IN TWO PIECES. *JS I THINK BMW HAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE STRENGTH OF THE ENGINE MOUNT HARDWARE. THE ENGINE MOUNT BOLTS SHOULD BE STRONGER. THE FAILURE MODE IS DANGEROUS.
NHTSA complaint #10616761 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
VEHICLE OPERATED WITHOUT ISSUE AND THEN THE REVERSE GEAR CEASED FUNCTIONING WHEN ATTEMPTING TO REVERSE FROM A PARKING SPOT AND THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE PUSHED AS THE REVERSE GEAR IN THE TRANSMISSION NO LONGER ENGAGED. REPEATED ATTEMPTS WITH THE VEHICLE AT OPERATING TEMPERATURE AND WHEN ALLOWED TO COOL DOWN YIELDED THE SAME RESULT. NOTHING LED ME THE FEEL THIS WOULD OCCUR AND COULD HAVE BEEN DEADLY IF THE SITUATION HAD BEEN DIRE IF AN OUTCOME AS SUCH RESTED ON THE SUCCESS OR FAILURE OF THE REVERSE GEAR.
NHTSA complaint #10593919 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
THIS IS NOT AS MUCH A COMPLAINT AS A REQUEST FOR HELP. SINCE MARCH OF 2013 I HAVE REPLACED 5 THROTTLE BODIES AND 3 GAS PEDAL SENSORS, ALL OEM PARTS. THE PROBLEM THAT HAPPENED AGAIN TODAY: DRIVING AT NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEED [55/60] THE EML, TRACTION CONTROL AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS ALL WENT ON. PULLED OVER AND TURNED OFF. RESTARTED, NOW "SERVICE ENGINE, EML, TRACTION CONTROL AND BRAKE LIGHTS" WERE ON. TURNED OFF, RESTARTED, SAME LIGHTING SITUATION, VERY ROUGH IDLE AND CAR WOULD NOT DRIVE, AS IT WAS STRUGGLING FOR FUEL. UNPLUGGED THE "MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR": CAR STARTED, DISPLAYED NO WARNING LIGHTS, DROVE FINE ABOUT 8 MILES TO REPAIR SHOP. CODE READ SHOWS, "THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR", REPLACED..SAME PROBLEM WITHIN MINUTES OF DRIVING. A LITTLE INTERNET RESEARCH ON E46 FINDS THIS AN ALL TO COMMON PROBLEM WITH NO SOLUTION. THANKS IN ADVANCE.
NHTSA complaint #10586396 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
2001 BMW 330I. NO REVERSE. IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS TRANSMISSION, YET THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL. IT WAS A ONE OWNER CAR WITH METICULOUS MAINTENANCE RECORDS. DESPITE THE HIGH MILES, THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS PRIOR TO THE REVERSE GEAR FAILING.
NHTSA complaint #10578530 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
WHEN I START MY CAR IT WANTS TO TURN OFF. BMW ISSUED A RECALL I TOOK IT IN TO FIX IT BUT PROBLEM STILL HAPPENING. THEN MY CAR HAS 63000 MILES AND IT KICKS A LOT IN FIRST GEAR. FOR LOW MILES THAT SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING.
NHTSA complaint #10577512 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
THE CAR HAS DISPLAYED "DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION, DRIVE MODERATELY" TWICE NOW IN LESS THAN ONE YEAR OF OWNERSHIP. WHEN THIS DISPLAY HAS OCCURRED, THE CAR GOES INTO "LIMP MODE" AND CAN ONLY BE DRIVEN AT LOW SPEEDS OR WITH VERY SLUGGISH ACCELERATION. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD, AS IT BECOMES EASY TO BE REAR-ENDED BY ANOTHER DRIVER WHEN IT SLOWS SUBSTANTIALLY.
NHTSA complaint #10569337 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
SECOND PROBLEM WITH DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION, FIRST PROBLEM BACK IN NOV 2013 BOUGHT THE CAR IN AUGUST 2013.
NHTSA complaint #10567982 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
MY CAR STARTED SHAKING VIGOROUSLY, AND A MESSAGE WAS DISPLAYED (DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION).
NHTSA complaint #10567979 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
TRANSMISSION PROBLEM RESULTING IN VIOLENT SHUDDERING OF THE VEHICLE BODY AND ABRUPT ENGINE STOPS RESULTING IN DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. FLUCTUATIONS IN THE TACHOMETER WHEN THE CAR ATTEMPTED TO STOP AND THE CAR WOULD AUTOMATICALLY CHANGE GEARS TO NEUTRAL OR PARK.
NHTSA complaint #10550631 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY IN THE LEFT LANE, TRYING TO PASS A CAR IN THE MIDDLE LANE. AFTER GETTING IN FRONT OF THE CAR IN THE MIDDLE LANE, I TRIED TO ACCELERATE SO I COULD RE-ENTER THE MIDDLE LANE, BUT THE CAR ACTED AS IF IT SLIPPED INTO NEUTRAL AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE ENGINE GROWLED AS IF IT WERE IN NEUTRAL. IT KEPT DRIVING, BUT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE, DESPITE ME STEPPING HARDER ON THE GAS. THIS WAS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS AS THERE WAS A CAR IMMEDIATELY BEHIND ME, WHICH COULD HAVE REAR ENDED ME AT OVER 60MPH, AND THE CAR IN THE MIDDLE LANE THAT I WAS TRYING TO PASS COULD HAVE ALSO HIT ME ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF MY CAR. IN RESEARCHING THIS, MANY BMW OWNERS HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS, AND YET BMW HAS NOT ISSUED AN INVESTIGATION OR RECALL: HTTP://WWW.CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM/AUTOMOTIVE/BMW_TRANS.HTML THERE ARE 650 COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS PROBLEM AT THE ABOVE LINK. PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE HAVING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS LIKE THIS UNDER 75K MILES.
NHTSA complaint #10543753 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
I WAS PREPARING TO BACK OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY. THE VEHICLE ACTED AS THOUGH IT WAS IN "NEUTRAL" AND DID NOT MAKE ANY NOISE OR MOTION. THE REVERSE NEVER SHOWED ANY SIGNS OF TROUBLE. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING THE CAR ON A LIMITED BASIS OVER THE PAST FOUR MONTHS. A SHORT TIME PRIOR TO THIS, I BEGAN TO NOTICE A SLIGHT VIBRATION IN THE CAR WHILE ACCELERATING BETWEEN THE SPEEDS OF 25 MPH AND 30 MPH DRIVING FORWARD. IT WAS SUBTLE AND ACTUALLY BEGAN TO GO AWAY. I NEVER EXPERIENCED ANY UNUSUAL STRESS, NOISE, OR DIFFICULTIES WHILE GOING INTO REVERSE PRIOR TO FINDING IT COMPLETELY GONE TODAY. I FEEL EXTREMELY FORTUNATE THAT THIS OCCURRED IN MY DRIVEWAY AND DID NOT INVOLVE AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. I FEAR THAT IT COULD HAVE PUT ME AND MY FAMILY IN GREAT BODILY HARM, HAD I NOT BEEN SO LUCKY. I FEAR FOR WHAT THIS MAY COST TO REPAIR OR EVEN EVALUATE, SINCE MANY ONLINE HAVE EXPRESSED A SIMILAR SITUATION RESULTING IN THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF REPAIRS.
NHTSA complaint #10538646 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
CAR JUST STOPPED GOING INTO REVERSE. THIS IS A ISSUE THAT IS COMMON IN MANY OTHER 2000 3 SERIES.
NHTSA complaint #10509968 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
DRIVER SIDE FLOOR MAT CURLED UP AT FRONT AND WAS CAPTURED BY CLUTCH PEDAL WHEN CHANGING GEAR. WHEN CLUTCH WAS AGAIN ENGAGED, MAT WAS PULLED UP AND INTERFERED WITH SUBSEQUENT BRAKE OPERATION BEFORE FREEING ITSELF AND FALLING BACK ONTO FLOOR WELL. SINCE PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT, IT TOOK A WHILE TO FIGURE OUT.
NHTSA complaint #10509785 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
HEARD NOISE AND THE CAR STARTING SHAKING AND THEN CAR DIED ON ME AND SERVICE ON MIDDLE OF NOWHERE AND I STARTS THE CAR BACK BUT IT GOT STALLED MANY TIMES AND IT WAS SHIFTING THE GEAR TO NEUTRAL IT WAS A BAD EXPERIENCE I COULD HAD AN ACCIDENT BRAND NEW BMW.
NHTSA complaint #10500706 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
GREAT CAR UNTIL PARKED AT GROCERY STORE AND CAR WOULD NOT BACK UP WHEN PUT IN REVERSE. ONLY 75000 MILES. BMW DEALER WANTED $6000 TO REPLACE WITH FACTORY REBUILT TRANSMISSION. CONTACTED BMW CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY REFUSED TO PARTICIPATE IN REPAIR. OFFERED TO CONTACT DEALER AND ASK FOR 10% REDUCTION. NEVER HEARD BACK. LAST BMW FOR ME. VERY FREQUENT FAILURE PER THE INTERNET AND THIS SITE.
NHTSA complaint #10497676 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.