2007 BMW 328XI transmission problems

POWER TRAIN

THERE ARE TWO OUTSTANDING (FOR WHICH I HAVE RECEIVED WRITTEN NOTICES) DEFECTS ON THE CAR. I GOT THESE IN NOVEMBER OF 2017. I HAVE CALLED BMW SEVERAL TIMES TO GET A STATUS AND THEY HAVE, ON EACH OCCASION, TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE NOT YET ABLE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEMS. IT IS NOW 10 MONTHS LATER. IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS LONGER THAN ONE SHOULD HAVE TO WAIT FOR ITEMS THAT DEMAND WRITTEN NOTIFICATION OF DEFECTS. SO, I AM WRITING TO ASK YOU TO ASSIST IN GETTING THESE RECALL ITEMS ADDRESSED. THANK YOU.

NHTSA complaint #11128314 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

TRANSFER CASE NOISES

NHTSA complaint #11128116 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

I ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR 8 MONTHS & THE TRANSMISSION IS GONE I NEED SOMEONE TO ASSIT ME WITH THIS PROBLEM I DON'T HAVE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO GET THIS FIX MY CAR STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED

NHTSA complaint #10883620 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

THE DRIVE SHAFT SNAPPED IN HALF AT THE JOINT WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THERE WAS VERY LITTLE VIBRATION IN THE MOMENTS BEFORE IT HAPPENED. I WAS ON A CITY STREET AFTER JUST GETTING OFF THE HIGHWAY.

NHTSA complaint #10860350 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

ONE EVENING IN DECEMBER 2014, MY CAR (2007 BMW 328XI) SUDDENLY STARTED MAKING A LOUD CLANGING NOISE AND VIBRATING VIOLENTLY. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I HAD IT TOWED TO A LOCAL SHOP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE DRIVESHAFT (PROPELLOR SHAFT) HAD BROKEN. LESS THAN A MONTH LATER, THE VEHICLE'S TRANSFER CASE FAILED - DAMAGE FROM THE DRIVESHAFT THAT HAD BEEN UNDETECTED AT THE TIME OF THE DRIVESHAFT RUPTURE. IN JANUARY 2015 I CONTACTED BMW AS I HAD HEARD OF OTHER DRIVERS OF SIMILAR 3 SERIES BMWS HAVING DRIVESHAFT AND TRANSFER CASE PROBLEMS, BUT BMW DENIED THERE WAS AN ISSUE. BUT IN AUGUST 2015, BMW ANNOUNCED A "COMPONENT SPECIFIC LIMITED WARRANTY EXTENSION" FOR THE DRIVESHAFT FOR THE BMW X5 - FOR 10 YEARS AND 120,000 MILES. NO SUCH PROGRAM HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED FOR THE 328XI. GIVEN THAT THE FAILURE OF THE DRIVESHAFT AND TRANSFER CASE OF MY 328XI WAS VERY PREMATURE AND THAT IT WAS IDENTICAL TO THE REPEATED DRIVESHAFT FAILURES THAT LED TO THE ACTION ANNOUNCED FOR THE X5, I BELIEVE THAT THE SAME ISSUE EXISTS FOR THE 328XI AND MERITS AN INVESTIGATION AND ACTION BY NHTSA.

NHTSA complaint #10776520 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

2007 BMW 328 XI WITH 67K MILES ON IT, FIRST THE CAR WOULDN'T GO IN REVERSE THEN A FEW DAY LATER WHILE DRIVING ON THE AUTOBAHN THE CAR STOPPED WORKING. THE ENGINE STAYED ON BUT I WAS UNABLE TO GET ANY POWER. HAD THE CAR TOWED OVER 150 MILES BACK TO MY HOUSE ONLY TO FIND THAT I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. I HAVE CALLED BMW AND AM WAITNG ON A CALL BACK TO SEE WHAT THEY WILL COVER. I HAVE READ A TON OF COMPALINTS ONLINE ABOUT THIS ISSUE, THERE WAS ALSO A LAW SUIT FILED BACK IN 2008 AGAINST BMW FOR 2000-2006 MODELS HAVING BAD TRANSMISSION. IF BMW DOESNT RESOLVE THIS ISSUE IN A TIMELY MANNER, I WILL ALSO TAKE THEM TO COURT!!

NHTSA complaint #10659932 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

I AM AN OWNER OF A 2007 BMW 328XI. TWO MONTHS AGO, I BROUGHT MY CAR TO A BMW DEALERSHIP FOR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ISSUE. THEY TOLD ME THAT CYLINDER 6 WAS THE PROBLEM. SO THEY FIXED CYLINDER 6 AND REPLACED ALL SPARK PLUGS. ON 24-APR-2014, MY WIFE DROVE THE CAR TO WORK AND CAME HOME. THAT EVENING SHE TOOK THE KIDS TO AN EVENT AT THEIR SCHOOL AND PARKED THE CAR. AFTER THE EVENT, SHE TRIED BACKING THE CAR AND THE CAR WON'T GO INTO REVERSE. SO, I DROPPED THE CAR OFF TO THE DEALER SHIP AND AFTER THEY COMPLETED THEIR DAGNOSTIC TEST, THEY TOLD ME THAT I HAVE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM WHICH WILL COST $6000 TO FIX.

NHTSA complaint #10585615 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

I WAS DRIVING HOME ON THE HIGHWAY DURING A RAINSTORM WHEN THE 4X4, BRAKES WARNING CAME ON. THE HANDLING IMMEDIATELY WAS AFFECTED. I DIDN'T FEEL THE TRACTION I WAS USED TO AND BRAKING BECAME DANGEROUS. I WANTED TO PULL OVER BUT THE BRAKES MADE THE CAR STOP TOO ABRUPTLY, CAUSING ME TO SKID ON THE WET ROAD. HAD THE HIGHWAY BEEN BUSIER I'M SURE I WOULD'VE BEEN IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I CONSIDER MYSELF VERY LUCKY. I TOOK MY CAR TO A LOCAL MECHANIC. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS THE TRANSFER CASE ACTUATOR GEAR. IT'S PLASTIC AND THE INTENSE HEAT CAUSES IT TO FAIL. I WAS TOLD THIS PROBLEM IS VERY COMMON....SO MUCH THAT THE REPLACEMENTS ARE MADE OF A DIFFERENT COMPOSITE AND MORE HEAT RESISTANT. MY QUESTION IS WHY DO I HAVE TO PAY FOR A GEAR THAT IS RECOGNIZED AS FAULTY. IF THE REPLACEMENTS ARE BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL THEN OBVIOUSLY BMW RECOGNIZES THAT TOO. THIS IS BECOMING WAY TO COMMON FOR BMW NOT TO REACT.

NHTSA complaint #10522764 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

MY 2007 328XI TRANSFER CASE ON THE DRIVE TRAIN FAILED AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH ON SUNDAY 6/16/2013. THIS CAUSED AN IMMEDIATELY LOSS OF ALL WHEEL DRIVE AND ABS IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. WITH SOME SIMPLE RESEARCH ONLINE IT IS EVIDENT THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AMONGST SIMILAR MODELS AND YEAR GROUPS. THE X3 AND X5 ARE NOTORIOUS FOR THE ISSUE. A WHOLE AFTERMARKET INDUSTRY AND DEVELOPED ON REPLACING THE GEARS WITH NEWER, HIGH HEAT AND STRESS GEARS SO THIS ISSUE DOESN'T HAPPEN AND THERE ARE RETAILERS WHO MARKET TO PEOPLE WITH THESE VEHICLES TO REPLACE THEM. THE FACT THAT A SECONDARY MARKET HAS APPEARED AND IT HAS NOT BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED AS A SERIOUS ISSUE IS CONFUSING. THE INTERIOR OF THE TRANSFER CASE SHOWS THE GEARS ARE MADE FROM PLASTIC WHICH DEGRADE OVERTIME AND EVENTUALLY CAUSE ALL WHEEL DRIVE TO FAIL TO ENGAGE OR TO DISENGAGE AND CAUSING SEVERE BRAKE AND HANDLING ISSUES. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN CONTROL BUT OTHERS MAY NOT BE.

NHTSA complaint #10520162 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

I PURCHASED A USED 2007 BMW 328XI COUPE WITH THE ZF 6-19 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. (NOT THE ZF 6-19 TU) TWO WEEKS AFTER THE PURCHASE I WAS TRAVELING AT A STEADY 45 MPH & HAD TO BRAKE QUICKLY TO ABOUT 5 MPH. I THEN IMMEDIATELY HIT THE GAS TO ACCELERATE AWAY, AND THE CAR DID NOT RESPOND FOR AN UNACCEPTABLE PERIOD OF TIME. DEALERSHIP COULDN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. I TESTED THE CAR & DETERMINED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN TOP (6TH) GEAR, AND WAS BRAKED RAPIDLY DOWN TO A SPEED NEEDING A SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER GEAR, THE TRANSMISSION REMAINS IN 6TH. WHEN THE DRIVER ATTEMPTS TO ACCELERATE THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS ONE GEAR AT A TIME, TAKES ABOUT 0.8 SECONDS PER GEAR CHANGE, AND DOES NOT PROVIDE ANY ACCELERATIVE FORCE UNTIL IT HAS MADE IT TO THE CORRECT GEAR. IN AN INCIDENT WHEN DECELERATING FROM TOP GEAR TO 10 MPH OR LESS AND THEN IMMEDIATELY ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE, THE CAR TAKES ABOUT 4 SECONDS TO BEGIN TO RESPOND. ONCE I DEMONSTRATED IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY LOOKED INTO IT FURTHER. BMW'S RESPONSE WAS "THE VEHICLE IS OPERATING AS DESIGNED." FURTHER COMPLAINTS RESULTED IN "CUSTOM SOFTWARE" FOR THE TRANSMISSION WHICH DROPPED THE DELAY FROM ABOUT 4 SECONDS TO ABOUT 3.75 SECONDS, AND ALLOWED THE TRANSMISSION TO TRANSFER SOME POWER TO THE WHEELS AS IT WAS WORKING DOWN THE GEARS. IT WAS AN EXTREMELY LIMITED IMPROVEMENT, STILL FAR FROM SAFE. A FOUR SECOND DELAY BEFORE A DRIVER CAN MOVE THE CAR EFFECTIVELY AFTER BREAKING IS UNSAFE. I AM FORTUNATE IN THAT I DISCOVERED THIS PROBLEM IN A SITUATION WHERE I WANTED TO ACCELERATE, BUT DIDN'T HAVE TO, IN ORDER TO AVOID A COLLISION. HAD THIS HAPPENED ON THE 75 MPH FREEWAYS IN IDAHO WHERE I LIVE, I COULD EASILY BEEN HURT OR KILLED. THIS WAS REPORTED TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND BMW NORTH AMERICA. NEITHER ENTITY INDICATED THAT THEY BELIEVED THERE WAS ANY SAFETY ISSUE.

NHTSA complaint #10345692 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.