2000 BMW 323I Engine Problems

BOUGHT MY 2000 BMW 323I BRAND NEW, I'M THE FIRST AND ONLY OWNER. I HAVE HAD IT ONLY DEALER SERVICED WITH ALL RECORDS KEPT. AT 67K MILES THE REVERSE WENT OUT. DEALER TOLD ME IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION. BEING THAT IT WOULD BE IN THE THOUSANDS TO FIX I CONTINUED DRIVING IT WITH NO REVERSE. MEANING I PUSH IT. I CONTACTED BMW ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND I WAS TOLD IT WAS REGULAR WEAR AND TEAR ON THE CAR THAT CAUSED IT. YET THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO HAVE REPORTED THE SAME PROBLEM ON ONLINE FORUMS. SHAME ON BMW FOR NOT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID

10563467

Incident

Feb 1, 2007

Mileage

67,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BMW 323I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN HE NOTICED THAT A FIRE HAD ERUPTED FROM THE PASSENGER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT COULD NOT IDENTIFY WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DESTROYED. THE CONTACT DID NOT CALL THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 270,000.

NHTSA ID

10504875

Incident

Mar 27, 2013

Mileage

270,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BMW 323I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, EML, AND DSC WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE WENT INTO LIMP MODE AND FAILED TO ACCELERATE OVER 20 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE THROTTLE BODY AND ENGINE DME NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 93,000. UPDATED 3/8/13 *CN UPDATED 04/12/2013 *JS

NHTSA ID

10496305

Incident

Dec 22, 2012

Mileage

47,000 mi

WAS TRYING TO REVERSE N IT WOULDN'T IT PERIODICALLY WON'T REVERSE UNTIL CAR WARMS UP. WINDOW WON'T GO UP WITHOUT MANUALLY PULLING IT UP. *TR

NHTSA ID

10485040

Incident

Nov 2, 2012

Mileage

154,400 mi

ENGINE STARTED CHOKING AND COULD NOT SUSTAIN ABOVE 30-40 MPH. MECHANIC (AFTER 2 WKS) FINALLY DETERMINED THAT ONE OF THE VALVES WAS WARPED, AND HAD TO DO A VALVE JOB. TOTAL COST $3,300. *TR

NHTSA ID

10203216

Incident

Sep 15, 2006

Mileage

78,500 mi

IN LATE MARCH,2007, MY BMW 323I BLEW A HEAD GASKET AFTER ONLY 82,000 MILES.THIS WAS AFTER THE CAR BEING BABIED WITH SERVICE ETC.THE DEALER I TOOK THE CAR TO, PRESSTIGE IMPORTS IN SANTA ROSA,CA. FOUND THAT THE COOLING SYSTEM WAS RUNNING AT OVER 300 DEGREES AND WARPED THE BLOCK, RUINING THE ENGINE. THEY WERE AS CONFUSED ABOUT THIS AS I WAS BECAUSE THEY HAD PERFORMED ALL OF THE SERVICE AND HAD JUST SERVICED THE CAR 2 MONTHS BEFORE, WITH NO INDICATION OF ANY PROBLEM. THEY ASKED BMW FOR SOME HELP IN THE REPAIR COST SINCE THIS WAS SO UNUSUAL.THEY ALSO GAVE ME A LOANER CAR AT NO CHARGE, AND HAVE BEEN UNBELIEVABLY WONDERFUL THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE EXPERIENCE. BMW CAME BACK AND ANNOUNCED THAT THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND WON'T INTERVENE AT ALL,CAUSING ME TO HAVE TO PAY ABOUT $6000 FOR A " USED" ENGINE TO BE PUT IN. I HAVE SINCE GONE ONTO GOOGLE AND FOUND HUNDREDS OF POSTED PAGES ABOUT OTHER OWNERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM.THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A PROBLEM THAT BMW REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE, AND I WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT OR THEM. THANK YOU FOR ANY ASSISTANCE THAT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE. ROBERT LACKEY *TR

NHTSA ID

10200859

Incident

Jun 26, 2007

Mileage

82,000 mi

SUBJECT: INTERMITTENT IHKA BLOWER OPERATION ON BMW E46 PRODUCED PRIOR TO 06/2000. SITUATION: THE IHKA BLOWER WILL INTERMITTENTLY CUT OUT. THE IHKA LCD DISPLAY WILL INDICATE THAT THE BLOWER IS OPERATING EVEN THOUGH THE BLOWER IS NOT FUNCTIONING. CAUSE: IHKA FINAL STAGE RESISTOR (BLOWER REGULATOR). *NM

NHTSA ID

10138948

Incident

Mar 14, 2002

Mileage

19,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND APPLIED THE BRAKES THE ENGINE WILL SUFFER A SUDDENLY ACCELERATION. DEALER HAS INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

NHTSA ID

10001158

Incident

Dec 16, 2002