Owner-reported complaints naming the powertrain system, filed with NHTSA
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Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2000 BMW 328I submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 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
I PARKED THE CAR AND WHEN I GOT BACK IN TO DRIVE AWAY, I COULDN'T BACK UP AFTER PUTTING IT IN REVERSE. ENGINED REVVED BUT WOULD NOT MOVE. I HAD TO PUSH CAR OUT OF PARKING SPACE. DEALER WANTS $ 5000.00 TO FIX, WHAT THEY SAY IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 2000 BMW 328I'S.
REAR DRIVER'S SIDE SUBFRAME MOUNT POINT FAILURE. THE CAR HAS GONE THROUGH CLASS ACTION SUIT IN 2009, AND WAS INSPECTED BY BMW IN 2010--WAS TOLD EVERYTHING IS OK AND IT WILL NOT FAIL SINCE ONLY ONES WITH VISIBLE DEFECT WILL FAIL. BUT MINE FAILED ANYWAY 5 YEARS LATER. THIS SHOWS EVEN IF THE DAMAGE/DEFECT IS NOT VISIBLE IT CAN MANIFEST ITSELF AT ANY TIME. I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 20MPH ON CITY STREETS GOING STRAIGHT, ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, SHIFTING GEARS FROM 2ND TO 3RD WHEN A LOUD EXPLOSIVE BANG WAS HEARD FROM THE REAR WITH AN ALARMING JOLT THAT TRIGGERED AN INTERIAL LOCK ON SEATBELTS, MADE ALL OCCUPANTS SCREAM IN SHOCK AND CHILDREN CRYING. INSPECTION OF UNDERCARRIAGE REVEALED THAT THE FLOOR PAN WHERE THE REAR DRIVER SIDE SUBFRAME ATTACHES TO HAS COMPLETELY SHATTERED, LEAVING DRIVER SIDE OF THE SUBFRAME, DIFFERENTIAL, AND REAR AXLE FLOATING WITH CHUNKS OF SHEETMETAL FROM MOUNT POINT MISSING. I HAVE BEEN ADVISED BY TWO INDEPENDENT MECHANICS THAT THIS IS A DANGEROUS FAILURE AND I SHOULD NOT BE DRIVING THE CAR, AND THE ONLY REASON OF FAILURE IS DEFECT IN THE CAR. MECHANICS BELIEVE THIS FAILURE POSES SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD SAYING IT CAN EASILY SEPARATE THE REAR AXLE AND IF THIS HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING, THE SEPARATED REAR AXLE WILL PULL ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKE CABLE AND LOCK IT UP, IMMEDIATELY STOPPING THE CAR. IF THIS HAPPENS ON A FREEWAY IT CAN CAUSE CATASTROPHIC COLLISION INCIDENT, ENDANGERING LIVES. THEY WERE SHOCKED THE CAR WAS NEVER FORMALLY RECALLED FOR SAFETY. HUNDREDS OF CARS ARE AFFECTED AND THIS IS JUST ONE GLIMPSE OF THE EXTENT OF THE FAILURES: HTTP://FORUM.E46FANATICS.COM/SHOWPOST.PHP?P=16850066&POSTCOUNT=1473 IT IS APPALLING THAT SUCH DANGEROUS DEFECT THAT IS SO WELL-KNOWN AND PREVALENT IN 1999-2000 BMW 3 SERIES HAS NEVER BEEN RECALLED TO MAKE BMW ACCOUNTABLE. REPAIR ESTIMATE MIN. $5000
MY CAR YEAR 2000, 328I YESTERDAY REVERSE WENT OUT LIKE ALL THE OTHERS, I DROVE IT FOR A WHILE AND TRIED IT, WORKED FOR THE WHOLE DAY, THIS MORNING TURNED IT ON REVERSE DID NOT WORK AGAIN, I CHECKED THE INTERNET FIND YOU GUYS AND OTHER SITES WITH CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT, I CALLED THE BMW CORPORATION AND TALKED TO THEM FOR GETTING THEM TO PAY FOR THE OBVIOUS DEFECT THEY WENT THROUGH THERE BOOK, TO WHY MY CAR IS NOT RECALLED. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BMW 328I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. ALSO, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 133,000.
HEARD A SQUEAKING NOISE FROM NEAR MY REAR DIFFERENTIAL. LIFTED THE CAR AND FOUND THAT THE SUBFRAME HAD PULLED THE MOUNT FROM THE BODY CAUSING THE CAR TO BECOME DIFFICULT TO CONTROL AND NEARLY SIDESWIPED A PERSON IN THE NEXT LANE. *TR
TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT GO IN REVERSE. *TR
THE REVERSE GEAR IN THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT GO IN GEAR. ALL OTHER GEARS RESPOND. CANNOT MOVE CAR IN REVERSE. PROBLEM STARTED OCTOBER 2011. AT THIS TIME THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN MOVED.
MY 382I WOULD NOT GO IN REVERSE NOR FORWARD. THE BMW RICHMOND VA. ASKED FOR $2,695.56. TO REPAIR MY TRANSMISSION. I ORDER A USED TRANSMISSION FROM LKQ AFTERMARKET BY KEYSTONE BRING TO COST TO REPLACE MY TRANSMISSION AT BMW RICHMOND VA, TO $1,065..THE BMW DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THEY DAMAGED THE CAR REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION CAUSING A OIL LEAK..THEY DIDN'T TELL ME THAT THERE'S NO OIL IN MY CAR, BUT I CHECKED ANYWAY DO TO THE FACT I LIVE IN BROOKLYN NY AND HAD A LONG DRIVE..WHEN I PUT THE OIL IN THE CAR THE CAR SMOKED VERY BADLY AND I HAD TOWED BACK TO THE BMW RICHMOND DEALER AND THEY CHARGED ME ANOTHER $693.29 TO FIX THE PROBLEM.I FOUND OUT THAT BMW RICHMOND VA. NEVER REPLACED MY TRANSMISSION. ALSO THE CLAMPS THAT HOLD THE COOLING FAN WAS MISSING AND I WAS TOLD TO PAY THEM $475.00, TO REPLACE IT OR THE COOLING FAN WOULD JUMP INTO THE ENGINE CAUSING DEATH OR INJURY TO ME OR ANYONE AROUND THE CAR.I AM IN COURT ABOUT THIS SERIOUS SITUATION THEY PUT ME AND MY FAMILY IN.. *TR
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS A SQUEAKING NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO A DEALERSHIP, AND THEY DISCOVERED A CRACK IN THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE REAR AXLE AND THE UNDER CARRIAGE OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP BELIEVED THE CRACK OCCURRED FROM DRIVING OVER A POTHOLE. *AK
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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