2002 BMW M3 Problems

I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT ON BEHALF OF MYSELF AND THE COUNTLESS OTHERS EXPERIENCING THIS POTENTIALLY FATAL DEFECT IN BMW'S SMG PUMP UNIT. I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES WHEN I NOTICED MY CAR IMMEDIATELY SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL WITHOUT ME MAKING THAT DECISION. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF CHANGING LANES WHEN THIS HAPPENED. THE SMG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. I PUT MY HAZARDS ON. THE CAR ABRUPTLY SLOWED AS IT CHOSE TO SHIFT BACK TO 4TH GEAR AS I WAS GOING 65MPH. I TRIED SHIFTING BACK UP TO GEAR SAFELY GET TO THE SHOULDER BUT WITH NO LUCK AS THE VEHICLE WENT BACK INTO NEUTRAL. THE CARS BEHIND ME CAME VERY RAPIDLY AND TWO ALMOST HIT ME AS A RESULT OF THIS PUMP FAILURE. BY THIS TIME I WAS TRAVELING AROUND 40MPH IN A 65+ TRAFFIC ZONE. I FINALLY ROLLED MY CAR DOWN THE SHOULDER TO SAFETY. I REPLACED THE SMG RELAY WITH A SPARE NEW ONE I ALWAYS CARRIED IN THE CAR. I WAITED 10 MINUTES FOR THE VEHICLE TO COOL OFF AS I KNEW THIS WAS THE INFAMOUS SMG PUMP ISSUE. THE CAR STARTED BACK UP WITH NO LIGHT AND DROVE ME ALMOST THE ENTIRE ROUTE BACK HOME. JUST ABOUT A MILE FROM MY HOME, SAME THING HAPPENED. THIS TIME LEAVING ME COMPLETELY STUCK IN A BUSY INTERSECTION. LUCKILY, THE PEOPLE BEHIND ME WERE KIND ENOUGH TO HELP PUSH MY CAR OUT OF THE WAY. I CALLED A FRIEND AND WE PUSHED THE CAR ALL THE WAY BACK TO MY GARAGE. NOW THIS IS JUST THE FIRST TIME IT HAS HAPPENED. IT HAPPENS IN LESS THAN 3 MINUTES OF DRIVING THE CAR JUST WHEN I TRY TO MOVE IT NEVER BREAKING 15MPH. BMWNA IGNORES OUR COMPLAINTS AS THEIR DEALERSHIPS MAKE MONEY HAND OVER FIST WITH THIS $4000 REPAIR. MY COMPLAINT IS NOT WITH THE REPAIR AMOUNT. US M3 OWNERS ARE AWARE OF THE MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR COSTS FOR OUR HIGHLY SPECIALIZED VEHICLES. HOWEVER, THIS PUMP MALFUNCTION IS A VERY REAL DANGER TO ALL DRIVERS. WE'VE SEEN THIS HAPPEN TO VEHICLES WITH ANYWHERE FROM 15K TO 120K MILES ON THEM. BMW NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL. *TR

THE EXHAUST CAM HUB TABS BREAK OFF ON THE 2000-2008 BMW M3 MODELS. IF CAUGHT WHEN ONLY ONE TAB BREAKS IT CAN BE REPLACED. IF BOTH TABS BREAK COMPLETELY OFF THE ENGINE WILL SEIZE. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUE. BMW NA WILL NOT ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. *JS

See attached document for complaint

IN NOVEMBER, 2020, I RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION FROM BMW THAT THE PREVIOUS FIX TO MY AIRBAG WAS ONLY A TEMPORARY FIX, AND I NEEDED TO BRING MY CAR IN FOR A PERMANENT FIX. IN JANUARY, 2021, THE AIRBAG LIGHT WENT ON. I AM GETTING READY TO START DRIVING MY CARS ON A REGULAR BASIS AGAIN, SO I TOOK THE CAR IN THIS WEEK FOR THE AIRBAG RECALL. THEY SPENT 2 HOURS, TO ALLEGEDLY REPLACE A MODULE. AS I WAS GETTING READY TO LEAVE, THE AIRBAG LIGHT WAS STILL ON. THEY SAID THAT WASN'T PART OF THE RECALL, AND I NEEDED TO PAY $200 TO HAVE IT DIAGNOSED. 3 HOURS LATER, THEY SAID IT WAS AN AIRBAG MODULE (PRESUMABLE DIFFERENT THAN THE ONE THEY ALLEGEDLY JUST REPLACED), AND THEY SAID IT IS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. NOW, THE FIRST REPAIR FOR THE AIRBAG WAS ROUGHLY TWO YEARS AGO, NOW THEY ARE SAYING THE MODULE THAT IS FAILING IS NOT RELATED TO THE RECALL. I THINK THEY EITHER DIDN'T DO THE AIRBAG MODULE WHEN IT WAS IN FOR THE REPAIR OR THE FACT THEY INSTALLED A "TEMPORARY FIX" TWO YEARS AGO IS LEADING TO THE FAILURE OF THIS MODULE TODAY. ANYWAY, I DON'T SEE HOW THIS IS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. OH, THEY WANT $2,000 TO FIX IT.

I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT ON BEHALF OF MYSELF AND THE COUNTLESS OTHERS EXPERIENCING THIS POTENTIALLY FATAL DEFECT IN BMW'S SMG PUMP UNIT. I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES WHEN I NOTICED MY CAR IMMEDIATELY SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL WITHOUT ME MAKING THAT DECISION. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF CHANGING LANES WHEN THIS HAPPENED. THE SMG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. I PUT MY HAZARDS ON. THE CAR ABRUPTLY SLOWED AS IT CHOSE TO SHIFT BACK TO 4TH GEAR AS I WAS GOING 65MPH. I TRIED SHIFTING BACK UP TO GEAR SAFELY GET TO THE SHOULDER BUT WITH NO LUCK AS THE VEHICLE WENT BACK INTO NEUTRAL. THE CARS BEHIND ME CAME VERY RAPIDLY AND TWO ALMOST HIT ME AS A RESULT OF THIS PUMP FAILURE. BY THIS TIME I WAS TRAVELING AROUND 40MPH IN A 65+ TRAFFIC ZONE. I FINALLY ROLLED MY CAR DOWN THE SHOULDER TO SAFETY. I REPLACED THE SMG RELAY WITH A SPARE NEW ONE I ALWAYS CARRIED IN THE CAR. I WAITED 10 MINUTES FOR THE VEHICLE TO COOL OFF AS I KNEW THIS WAS THE INFAMOUS SMG PUMP ISSUE. THE CAR STARTED BACK UP WITH NO LIGHT AND DROVE ME ALMOST THE ENTIRE ROUTE BACK HOME. JUST ABOUT A MILE FROM MY HOME, SAME THING HAPPENED. THIS TIME LEAVING ME COMPLETELY STUCK IN A BUSY INTERSECTION. LUCKILY, THE PEOPLE BEHIND ME WERE KIND ENOUGH TO HELP PUSH MY CAR OUT OF THE WAY. I CALLED A FRIEND AND WE PUSHED THE CAR ALL THE WAY BACK TO MY GARAGE. NOW THIS IS JUST THE FIRST TIME IT HAS HAPPENED. IT HAPPENS IN LESS THAN 3 MINUTES OF DRIVING THE CAR JUST WHEN I TRY TO MOVE IT NEVER BREAKING 15MPH. BMWNA IGNORES OUR COMPLAINTS AS THEIR DEALERSHIPS MAKE MONEY HAND OVER FIST WITH THIS $4000 REPAIR. MY COMPLAINT IS NOT WITH THE REPAIR AMOUNT. US M3 OWNERS ARE AWARE OF THE MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR COSTS FOR OUR HIGHLY SPECIALIZED VEHICLES. HOWEVER, THIS PUMP MALFUNCTION IS A VERY REAL DANGER TO ALL DRIVERS. WE'VE SEEN THIS HAPPEN TO VEHICLES WITH ANYWHERE FROM 15K TO 120K MILES ON THEM. BMW NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL. *TR

MULTIPLE INCIDENTS SINCE THE DAY AFTER WE PURCHASED THE CAR: ?DRIVING IN 4TH GEAR (ANYWHERE FROM 10 TO 40 MINS OF DRIVING) WILL SUDDENLY FEEL AS IF CLUTCH IS ENGAGED SO I CANNOT ACCELERATE, YELLOW TRANSMISSION WARNING LIGHT COMES ON, THEN I HAVE TO COAST TO A COMPLETE STOP AND SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. IT CAN TAKE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE CAR TO RE-ENGAGE BACK INTO 1ST GEAR. NOTICED IF I WAIT LONG ENOUGH, ONCE THE TRANSMISSION WARNING LIGHT ALSO TURNS OFF THEN I CAN RESTART BACK IN FIRST GEAR. ALL THIS WHILE DRIVING IN AUTO MODE. ?SAME ISSUE AS ABOVE BUT HAS HAPPENED IN THE LOWER GEARS WHILE ACCELERATING OR WHEN CRUISING AT HIGHER GEARS, FOR EXAMPLE, 6TH GEAR AND MANUALLY SHIFTING INTO 5TH, WARNING LIGHT WILL COME ON, CAR WILL NOT BE IN GEAR, WILL HAVE TO COAST TO A STOP AND ATTEMPT TO RESTART WITH 1ST GEAR AGAIN. ?SAME ISSUE AS ABOVE, BUT HAS HAPPENED WHILE PARKED AT A RED LIGHT, INDICATOR SHOWS 1ST GEAR, BUT WHEN I TRY TO GO, THE WARNING LIGHT COMES ON AND I?M NOT IN GEAR, REQUIRES A STOP/RESTART OF ENGINE AGAIN ? SOMETIMES MULTIPLE TRIES. THIS HAPPENS ON BOTH EVEN, DECLINED AND INCLINED ROAD SURFACES. ?THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS WE HAVE BEEN LEFT DEAD IN THE ROAD ATTEMPTING TO RESTART THE CAR WHILE THERE'S ON-COMING TRAFFIC AROUND US! *TR

BMW M 3 parked in the driveway and had been turned off for several hours I was wax the car when I noticed a puff of smoke coming out of the air condition vent so I sat in the driver seat to investigate out of habit I close the door I planed to open the windows and the convertible top to take a look the car went into antitheft mode and locked me inside the smoke became thick quickly I tried to break the window with my elbow with no luck I was getting ready to try to kick the window if I could reach it with my foot I’m on most 70 years old so it was tough even moving I couldn’t get out ..my wife and daughter Who were in the backyard and saw what was happening they broke the window so that I could climb out of the car I sprayed the air conditioning vent with water which is also dangerous but I had to put it out I then disconnected the battery as quickly as I could I have called an insurance adjuster and had mechanics look at it apparently the LCM or the light control module for some reason caught fire I was lucky I had someone there to help me someone else might not be as lucky I did breathing a bit of the smoke and I’ve had cough but I don’t feel it’s severe I will have it looked out eventually would just like the car to be evaluated by BMW engineers to see if they can figure out why it caught on fire Before I pay money to have it repaired I’m not sure I can drive it again

THE DOOR CENTRAL LOCK CONTROL MODULE FAILS ON ALL OF THE E46 BMW MODELS WHERE THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER CAN BECOME TRAPPED IN THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE DOOR LOCKS CANNOT BE UNLOCKED IN ANY WAY BECAUSE OF THE FAULTY GM5 CENTRAL LOCKING MODULE

UPON INSPECTION, VEHICLE'S REAR SUBFRAME MOUNTING POINTS SHOW CRACKING AND OTHER SIGNS OF STRUCTURAL FATIGUE CONSISTENT WITH OTHER SIMILAR VEHICLES THAT HAVE UNDERGONE COMPLETE REAR SUBFRAME FAILURE. VEHICLE'S SUBFRAME NEEDS TO BE REINFORCED AND BMW SETTLED IN A CLASS ACTION SUIT REGARDING THE ISSUE, HOWEVER, THE ISSUE WAS NOT ESCALATED TO A RECALL, POSSIBLY LEAVING THOUSANDS OF UNSAFE VEHICLES ON THE ROAD.

I TOOK MY CAR INTO THE BMW DEALER FOR A INSPECTION, THEY FOUND THE SUBFRAME/TRUNK FLOOR WAS CRACKING AND WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO PUT MY CAR ON A VEHICLE LIFT FOR FURTHER INSPECTION AND ADVISED ME IT MAY NOT BE SAFE TO DRIVE. LOOKING INTO THIS ONLINE THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON SAFTEY PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS. *TR

ON NOVEMBER 2ND, 2005, AT 6:30 P.M., MY FAMILY GOT INTO THE M3. THAT INCLUDED MY WIFE IN FRONT, AND THREE DAUGHTERS IN THE BACK. WE WERE ON THE WAY TO MEET MY FATHER FOR DINNER. WE HAD PLANNED TO TAKE THE 60 FREEWAY WESTBOUND, OF WHICH THE ON RAMP IS OFF A STREET CALLED CHINO HILLS PARKWAY. TO OUR SHOCK, THE FREEWAY WAS JAMMED LIKE A PARKING LOT, SO WE PROCEED TO MAKE A U-TURN TO TAKE AN ALTERNATE SIDE ROAD. TRAVELLING SOUTHBOUND ON CHINO HILLS PARKWAY AT ABOUT 25 TO 30 MPH IN 2ND GEAR, THE SMG GEAR INDICATOR GOES TO "0". I DO NOT RECALL SHIFTING AT ALL, SO I JUST PROCEED TO MOVE THE GEAR LEVER TO PUT IT BACK IN GEAR. IT DOES NOT CHANGE, REAMINS AT "0", AND SINCE MY FOOT IS STILL ON THE GAS PEDAL, I JUST HEAR THE REVS OF THE ENGINE WHILE NOTICING I HAVE NO POWER TO MOVE FORWARD. THANKFULLY, WE WERE ON A SLIGHT DOWNWARD SLOPE, SO I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY COAST TO A STOP BY THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE FIRST THING I NOTICE IS THE YELLOW GEAR-SHAPED TRANSMISSION LIGHT HAS COME ON. I PROCEED TO SHUT THE CAR OFF, THINKING A RESTART WOULD CORRECT THE SITUATION. I TRY SHIFTING INTO GEAR, BUT IT REMAINS AT "0". BEFORE I RESTART THE SECOND TIME, I POP THE HOOD OPEN, AND GO OUT TO CLOSE IT, HAVING HEARD THAT SOMETIMES THE SMG PUMP ACTS FUNNY IF THE HOOD IS NOT CLOSED. I'M STILL UNABLE TO SHIFT. I TURN OFF THE ENGINE, WAIT A FEW MINUTES. THIS TIME, THE ENGINE DOESN'T EVEN START! THIS HAPPENED TWO MORE TIME. FINALLY, ON THE SIXTH RESTART, THE ENGINE COMES ALIVE, AND I AM ABLE TO SHIFT INTO GEAR. THE YELLOW TRANSMISSION LIGHT IS STILL ON, BUT WE MADE IT HOME SINCE THIS ALL HAPPENED ABOUT 3 MILES FROM HOME. THE CAR HAS BEEN FLATBEDDED TO THE DEALERSHIP.

2002 BMW M3, REPEATED SMG TRANSMISSION FAILURES RENDERING THE VEHICLE INOPERABLE. BMW HAS NO IDEA WHAT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. BMW ALSO DAMAGED THE VEHICLE TRYING TO RETRIVE IT FOR YET ANOTHER REPAIR ATTEMPT. IT MAY HAVE STARTED ITSELF WITHOUT THE KEY IN IT WHILE THE TOW TRUCK WAS PICKING IT UP. BMW IS IN A CONSTANT STATE OF DENIAL. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE DEALER 6 WEEKS NOW AND COUNTING AND IT HAS LESS THAN 8000 MILES ON IT.

UPON INSPECTION, VEHICLE'S REAR SUBFRAME MOUNTING POINTS SHOW CRACKING AND OTHER SIGNS OF STRUCTURAL FATIGUE CONSISTENT WITH OTHER SIMILAR VEHICLES THAT HAVE UNDERGONE COMPLETE REAR SUBFRAME FAILURE. VEHICLE'S SUBFRAME NEEDS TO BE REINFORCED AND BMW SETTLED IN A CLASS ACTION SUIT REGARDING THE ISSUE, HOWEVER, THE ISSUE WAS NOT ESCALATED TO A RECALL, POSSIBLY LEAVING THOUSANDS OF UNSAFE VEHICLES ON THE ROAD.

I TOOK MY CAR INTO THE BMW DEALER FOR A INSPECTION, THEY FOUND THE SUBFRAME/TRUNK FLOOR WAS CRACKING AND WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO PUT MY CAR ON A VEHICLE LIFT FOR FURTHER INSPECTION AND ADVISED ME IT MAY NOT BE SAFE TO DRIVE. LOOKING INTO THIS ONLINE THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON SAFTEY PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS. *TR

THE REAR MIRROR IN MY VEHICLE IS A SELF-DIMMING ONE. WHILE PARKED IN THE GARAGE OVERNIGHT, I CAME OUT TO A SIGNIFICANT DISCOLORATION IN THE GLASS, ALMOST LIKE THERE WAS WATER INSIDE OF THE MIRROR. I FIGURED IT WOULD NEED REPLACEMENT, BUT DID NOT THINK IT WOULD DETERIORATE SO FAST. THE NEXT EVENING, I PARKED IN THE GARAGE AGAIN. I CAME OUT THE NEXT MORNING AND THE DISCOLORATION HAD WORSENED. I NOTICED SPLATTER ALL OVER THE AREA UNDERNEATH THE MIRROR. IT APPEARS THE FLUID HAD LEAKED OUT AND DRIPPED ALL OVER MY SHIFTER, TRIM, WINDOW BUTTONS, AND CUPHOLDERS. ANY PART THAT WAS PLASTIC HAD BURN MARKS FROM THE SPLATTER OF THE CORROSIVE LIQUID. I WAS VERY UNEASY CLEANING UP THE REMAINING LIQUID AS IT IS OBVIOUSLY VERY CORROSIVE. I SPOKE WITH BMWNA AND THEY INSTRUCTED ME SINCE THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY, THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. THIS ISSUE IS BEYOND A DAMAGED PART; IT IS A SAFETY AND HEALTH HAZARD. *TR

AUTO DIMMING MIRROR ON 2002 BMW M3 COUPE LEAKED AND IS NOW PERMANENTLY DIMMED ON 3/4 OF THE MIRROR. IT NOW INHIBITS MY ABILITY TO SEE OUT THE REAR OF MY CAR. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE LIQUID IS TOXIC AND CORROSIVE, HOWEVER BMW STILL HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW M3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, ALL OF THE EXTERIOR LAMPS WOULD SPORADICALLY FAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 108,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. CAR SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 11V438000 SAME EXACT PROBLEMS. UPDATED 10/19/2011 *LN

I WAS TRAVELING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED ON THE FREEWAY, WHEN I HEARD A NOISE. AS THE NOISE GOT LOUDER, I REALIZED IT MUST BE A FLAT TIRE AS THE VEHICLE BEGIN TO PULL IN ONE DIRECTION. AS THE NOISE GOT LOUDER I SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE BACK PASSENGER SIDE OF VEHICLE. I PULL OVER TO FIND THAT THE TIRE HAD COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE SIDEWALL. THE TIRE WAS A CONTINENTAL CONTISPORT CONTACT 255, 40ZR 18, ON A 2002 BMW M3. THE TIRE APPEARS TO HAVE SIMPLY BLOWN OUT DUE TO THE SEPARATION. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE DEFECTIVE WORKMANSHIP. I WAS TOLD BY THE TIRE DEALER THAT THIS IS "COMMON" FOR LOW-PROFILE TYPE TIRES. I DO NOT THINK THIS AN ACCEPTABLE EXPLANATION, AS THE TIRE WAS NOT UNDERPRESSURIZED, BARE AND/OR DAMAGED. I BELIEVE THIS BLOW OUT WAS DUE TO A TIRE DEFECT (TIRE SEPARATION). THE ONLY TIRE I COULD FIND TO REPLACE IT WAS ANOTHER BRAND. I WILL NOT PUT CONTINENTALS ON MY CAR IN THE FUTURE. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING ON THEM SINCE I DO ALOT OF FREEWAY DRIVING, AND I WONDER WHEN ONE OF THE OTHER TIRES WILL SEPARATE AND BLOW OUT. *NM

MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICEL. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED AT 16000, THE TRANSMISSION (SMG) WAS RE[;ACED AT 20000, NOW THE ENGINE REV HIGH AT IDEL AND SEND STRON VIBRATION TO THE CABIN AND STEERING COLUMN. BMW OF HOUSTON NORTH, A LOCAL DEALER IN HOUSTON, TX, WERE LESS THAN HELPFUL IN TRYING TO SOLVE THE CURRENT PROBLEM. IT APPEARS THAT THEY WANT TO KEEP THE PROBLEMS WITH M3 QUIET. *AK

CONSUMER NOTICED FUMES COMING FROM AIR CONDITIONER A/C VENTS WHILE TRAVELING FROM 65-70 MPH. VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED FIVE TIMES FOR PROBLEM.*AK