Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2000 BMW 3 Series submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 21 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
CAR DOES NOT GO ON REVERSE. DRIVE IT FOR ABOUT 5 MILES OR SO AND THE REVERSE WORKS. LEAVE IT TURNED OFF AND MOST OF THE TIME, THE REVERSE WONT WORK AGAIN.. IT'S FRUSTRATING. *TR
I HAVE A 2000 323CI BMW AND ALL OF SUDDEN MY REVERSE STOP WORKING FOR NO REASON AT ALL. I BEEN UP TO DATE WITH MY TAKING CARE OF IT AND ONE DAY IT JUST STOP WORKING, THE REVERSE JUST DOESN'T DO NOTHING, I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING TO TRY TO CORRECT IT BECAUSE SIMPLY IS TO MUCH FOR ME THE COST FOR IT IS 4,000 DOLLARS AND I JUST DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO DO IT, I FEEL ITS NOT FAIR WHAT BMW HAS DONE, WITH THIS PROBLEM THAT BMW 3 SERIES ARE SUSPECT ON DOING. I READ ONLINE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH CERTAIN BMWS AND I'M WONDERING WHY BMW HASN'T ISSUED A RECALL SINCE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS WELL AS AN IDENTIFIED COMMON PROBLEM. *TR
I OWN A 2000 BMW 323CI. IT HAS BEEN VERY WELL MAINTAINED AND JUST TODAY THE REVERSE GEAR WENT OUT JUST LIKE THAT,WITHOUT NOTICE. I'VE BEEN READING ONLINE AND I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THIS KIND OF PROBLEM SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL FROM BMW. I AM IN NEED OF HELP TO TAKE CARE OF THIS PROBLEM SINCE I NEED THIS CAR FOR WORK.*TR
BMW 3 SERIES SUDDENLY NO REVERSE GEAR . NO WARNING NO ANYTHING JUST STOPS WORKING . SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS SERIES BMW . HOW IS IT THAT BMW/NA WILL NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS . THERE ARE NO RECALLS BUT LOTS OF PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING THIS TRANSMISSION PROBLEM . ANY ADVICE OR HELP ? *TR
2000 BMW 323 CI CONVERTIBLE. REVERSE STOP TO WORK SUDDENLY, I PARKED MY CAR OVER THE DRIVEWAY YESTERDAY THEM NEXT DAY AFTERNOON I WENT TO THE STORE TO BUY SOME GROCERIES, I MADE A BAD TURN AND I WAS TRYING TO GET ON THE ROAD, MY REVERSE DID NOT WORK. I NEVER FEEL A SYMPTOM ABOUT THIS PROBLEM ON THE CAR O GRADUAL FAILURE JUST STOP TO WORK, MAGIC. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BMW 325CI. WHILE TURNING THE VEHICLE ON AND SHIFTING IN REVERSE THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT DRIVE IN REVERSE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS ENGAGED. SHE HAD TO PUSH THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE PARKING SPACE SO THAT SHE COULD SHIFT INTO DRIVE GEAR. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THEY NEVER HEARD ABOUT THE FAILURE OCCURRING ON THESE VEHICLES. SHE STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT IN REVERSE GEAR. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE AT THIS MOMENT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 106,000.
REVERSE GEAR OF TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AROUND 100,000 MILES. NO ISSUES PRIOR TO FAILURE. TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED BY DEALER AT CONSUMER'S COST. *TR
MY 2000 323 CI BMW "NO REVERSE ". WITH ONLY 69,000 MILES ON IT PROPERLY MAINTAINED AND SERVICED, ON APRIL 5 2009 THE CARS REVERSE GEAR WON'T ENGAGE ,ITS LIKE PUTTING IT IN NEUTRAL BUT IS ACTUALLY IN REVERSE, THE CAR DRIVES FORWARD WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS. BROUGHT IT TO BMW DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. TRANSMISSION FAILURE RATES OF THE ABOVE CAR IS VERY HIGH THAT THEY HAVE A SPECIAL WEBSITE FOR SUCH TRANY FAILURE WWW.NOREVERSE.ORG. BMW NEEDS TO ADDRESS THESE COMPLAINTS AND MAYBE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR DEFECTS OF THE ABOVE TRANSMISSION. *TR
I WENT TO BACK MY 2000 BMW 323CI INTO A PARKING SPOT AND IT ACTED AS IF IT WAS IN NEUTRAL. *TR
2000 BMW 323 CI WILL NOT GO INTO REVERSE. *TR
NO WRECK, NO PREVIOUS PROBLEM. JUST NO REVERSE!!!! *TR
2000 BMW 323I NO REVERSE GEAR...WENT TO BMW DEALER AND THEY DIDN'T WANT TO CHECK WHAT'S WRONG, ALL THEY WANTED IS TO CHANGE THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION FOR $5500...I LOOKED ON INTERNET AND IT SEEMS THAT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVING SAME ISSUE WITH THIS CAR...HOPE SOMETHING CAN BE DONE AND BMW WILL CALL OUR CARS FOR RECALL...I THING THEY SHOULD REPAIR IT AT NO COST SINCE IT IS THERE PURE REVERSE CLUTCH ENGINEERING. THANK YOU *TR
MY TRANSMISSION STOPPED WORKING IN REVERSE ON MY BMW 323CI WHICH ONLY HAS LESS THAN 68,000 MILES. THERE WERE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS SHOULD BE RECALLED. I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF A TRANSMISSION FAILING SO EARLY. *TR
CAR WAS IN PERFECT CONDITION, TAKEN CARE OF AS NEEDED. ALWAYS OIL CHANGES ETC. GOT OFF OF WORK ONE DAY, CAR DOES NOT GO INTO REVERSE. WILL GO FORWARDS, NOT IN REVERSE. THE ONLY WAY TO FIX IT IS TO GET A NEW TRANSMISSION, A $6000 FIX. FOUND A WEBSITE WITH OVER 100 SIMILAR INCIDENTS. *TR
2000, BMW WITHOUT WARNING SHOWED SIGN OF THE DREADED NO REVERSE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM DOCUMENTED ON SEVERAL WEBSITE. FOR EXAMPLE NOREVERSE.ORG. *TR
2000 BMW 323CI WILL NOT MOVE WHEN IN REVERSE GEAR; THE CAR BEHAVES AS IF IT IS NEUTRAL. THIS HAPPENED SUDDENLY, WITH NO WARNING. THE CAR HAD NO ISSUES LEADING UP TO THIS, NO WARNING LIGHTS, ETC. THE CAR HAS BEEN IMMACULATELY MAINTAINED AND SERVICED. THERE ARE LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ON THE WEB, INCLUDING AT YOUR FORUM, ABOUT THIS IDENTICAL PROBLEM. *TR
I OWN A 2000 BMW 323CI CONVERTIBLE WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, WITH 77,000 MILES ON IT. THE VEHICLE HAS HAD ONE PREVIOUS OWNER AND HAS BEEN METICULOUSLY CARED FOR AND SERVICED. LAST WEEK (9/4/07) THE CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE. THE BMW DEALER HAS TOLD ME THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDS THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION REPLACED AT A COST OF $5,000. I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. I CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY FOR THIS REPAIR. *TR
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ON 2000 BMW 323CI WITH 52,000 MILES FAILED IN REVERSE ONLY. PROPERLY MAINTAINED AND DRIVEN LESS THAN 10,000 MILES PER YEAR. INITIAL DIAGNOSIS COST $327.00, AND TOLD ESTIMATED COST OF REPLACING TRANSMISSION WAS $5500.00. NO REASON FOUND AS TO WHY THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. TOLD THAT IF KEEP DRIVING THE CAR THAT THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION WILL EVENTUALLY FAIL WHICH WAS A SERIOUS DANGER ON THE HIGHWAY.*AK
A WEEK AND A HALF AGO I TOOK THE WELL MAINTAINED 2000 323CI BMW TO DEALER FOR THE 60,000 MILE SERVICE, COSTING OVER $700.00 FOR NORMAL? SERVICING. A DAY AFTER THE SERVICE I HAD TO RETURN THE CAR AS I HAD FOUND WASHER FLUID POOLED UNDER THE VEHICLE IN THE GARAGE. I WAS TOLD THE WASHER PUMP FAILED, I THEN PAID AN ADDITIONAL $100.00 TO HAVE IT FIXED. A WEEK LATER I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE TO GO DOWN THE DRIVEWAY AND HEARD A LOUD ?BANG. THE CAR WOULD NOT ENGAGE IN REVERSE. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND TODAY THEY INFORMED ME THE TRANSMISSION FAILED, WHICH WOULD COST OVER $5,000.00 FOR REPAIR. I WAS JUST THANKFUL THAT THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN ON THE ROAD. THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH STATED THAT BMW WAS AWARE THAT THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION PLACED IN CERTAIN BMW VEHICLES, SPECIFICALLY A TRANSMISSION USED IN THE 3 SERIES MADE BY GM. I THEN WENT ON LINE TO CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM AND NOTED HUNDREDS OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE 3 SERIES TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND BMW OF FAILING TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS. BLOG ENTRIES EXPRESSED THE OBVIOUS FRUSTRATION, ENORMOUS COSTS AND THE POSSIBILITY OF FILING A CLASS ACTION SUIT BECAUSE THE FAULTY TRANSMISSION WAS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. OBVIOUSLY MY COMPLAINT WA S TWO-FOLD: 1. THE ULTIMATE DRIVING MECHANISM HAD A RISK FACTOR IN SAFETY IN THAT THERE WAS OBVIOUSLY A DESIGN DEFECT IN THE TRANSMISSIONS USED, CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO GO OUT WHILE OPERATING ,AND THE ONLY OTHER REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION THAT CAN BE PUT IN WAS THE SAME TYPE WHICH MIGHT SUGGEST THE SAME INCIDENT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN . 2.) THE COST/REPAIR FACTOR WAS UNEXPECTED AND RIDICULOUS BECAUSE THIS WAS NOT A DRIVER OR SERVICE NEGLECT PROBLEM BUT ONE OF DESIGN. WAS THIS A MATTER FOR RECALL AND OR CLASS ACTION SUIT? *AK
I'M THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2000 323I WITH THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE CAR IS CAREFULLY DRIVEN AND CARED FOR. FOR THE PAST 7 YEARS, VANCOUVER BRIAN JESSEL BMW HAS PERFORMED ALL OF THE MAINTENANCE. IT NOW HAS 75,000 KM. THIS MORNING WHEN I WENT TO BACK MY CAR OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, IT WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE. IT FEELS LIKE IT'S IN NEUTRAL. WHEN I CHECKED ON THE INTERNET, I WAS SHOCKED TO SEE HOW MANY OTHER BMW OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY THE FACTORY DEFECT ON THE TRANSMISSION. BMW SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX THE PROBLEM AT THEIR COST. *TR
TRANSMISSION FAILURE TWICE!! FIRST FAILURE OCCURRED ON 4/20/02 WITH 49,123 MILES. FROM THE COMPLAINTS I'VE READ LOOKS AS THOUGH THE FAILURES ALL OCCUR BETWEEN 40,000 - 50,000 MILES. THE TRANSMISSION IS SUPPOSED TO GOOD TO 100,000 NOT 40,000!! PLEASE HELP!*JB
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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