BMW 3-Series Maintenance and Repair

ncsd_bmw · December 2006

Hey div2,

Thanks for the comments/suggestions. Appreciate it!

Mr_Shiftright · December 2006

Any highly competent body shop can fix that car good as new so that you'd never be able to tell....a couple weeks at WORST...No wonder Toyota will rule the world someday....GEEZ!!

I can't even begin to count the instances of misinformation you were given by the dealer and body shop.

div2 · December 2006

Any highly competent body shop can fix that car good as new so that you'd never be able to tell....a couple weeks at WORST

Right, I've always used an indie shop. That said, BMW NA is working to set up "BMW Approved" dealer body shops- probably in an attempt to prevent fiascos such as the one described by ncsd.

Mr_Shiftright · December 2006

I could see where Ferrari and Audi (for the A8) require special body shops, but a BMW should be no problemo for a good shop. My friend's 325 just came out of a shop and it looks fantastic!

ncsd_bmw · December 2006

Opened a case with BMW North America today. They claim that Bretch BMW (bodyshop) says that that the "inner fender" is a few millimeters off, and because BMW has zero tolerance for frame/unibody damage......they CANNOT sell the vehicle as "Certified Used". Obviously "frame damage" and throwing our fender bender car into the "don't buy" bucket of used BMW's was never disclosed to us until we dug deeper into the mess.

Amazing that according to the dealership, we lost almost 50% of the value of our car from having right front impact going less than 10mph.

Not sure what we'll do other than wait until March to get the car back. More than likely we'll dump the car and take the loss because BMW is a nightmare. Maybe we'll sell it back to Bretch for $20K!! ha. They'll mark it up a couple thousand and probably just put that brand new 2006 fully loaded 325i with 9K miles on their lot for $22K. (yea right)

Mr_Shiftright · December 2006

If BMW doesn't want to certify it, that doesn't cut the price in half for YOU. You can sell it on your own if you wish.

If the accident wasn't wifey's fault, you can also sue the other car's insurance company for Diminution of Value, for which you would need an appraiser. You can't sue your own insurance company for DOV however.

The BMW would just sell your car for a few thousand less than a CPO car, that's all. Your accident might not even show on CARFAX---they miss a lot.

thepdmm · December 2006

I am looking to get into a 3 series I have sat in one without a sports package. I have enough headroom in this car, however I can not get into a car equipped with the sport package so I was wandering does the sport package seats change the amount of headroom in the car? Is there any difference in the seat besides the number of adjustments and bolstering. I am 6'3" by the way, but I do like to sit more upright then most people I know.

thanks for your time

drivo · December 2006

I have a 2006 325i with 10k km on it. I also hear a loud tapping or clicking sound coming from the engine. It gets faster as the engine speeds up, but you can only hear it at low RPM's. It seems intermittent -- it doesn't happen all the time. Have you figured out what the source of your tapping sound was?

bruceomega · December 2006

I have a similar problem on both my 2006 330Xi and my wife's 2006 X3- there is an area on the windshield with what looks like a slightly milky film on it, as if one had just applied suntan lotion and accidently rubbed that on the glass and it left a residue. I believe its on the inside, and if I rub my finger over it it spreads the residue around a bit.

The problem is I cannot get rid of it, and it slightly clouds the view through the windshield.

I tried cleaning it with Windex and paper towels, but that did not work. I then bought a can of Zepp spray foam glass cleaner from Home Depot and tried that, but it too did not work.

My wife had her car washed today at the same car wash we always frequent, which cleans the inside glass of the cars with a spray foam cleaner. She asked them to see if they could renmove the residue with their glass cleaner, rags, and elbow grease, but that did not work.

On my car, the first time I noticed the residue was on the same day I had it washed at the same car wash. The only thing I can think of is the car wash missed a part of the windshield while wiping it, and the foam cleaner was allowed to dry on the glass.

Has anyone had a similar problem? Any suggestions on how to remove the film?

Thanks
Bruce

jhowe1 · December 2006

my '83 320i wont start today. it had no problem last night or any other time to start.
i am not the most savvy with cars so any suggestions will help.

it does not want to turn over. when i turn the key it sounds as if it is struggling to start for a second and just gives up.

i would appreciate any help.
thanks.

circlew · December 2006

Bruce,

Try a mixture of 20% vinegar/80% water. This should do it. Ancient Italian cleaning remedy!

Regards,
OW

ahmadm · December 2006

I recently bought a 2004 330 Convertible from CarMax. The car is great. I just need some insight into the following:

1 - At cold start and putting the car in gear (reverse typically) on chilly mornings particularly, the engine makes a squeeling sound. Took th car to VOB in Rockville, MD more than once. First time around VOB said it was the tensioner, but the problem never went away. Took it back but VOB couldn't reproduce it. Any clues?

2 - When the roof top is up, driving on uneven or slightly bumpy road makes a rattle sound (kind of metal on metal). The sound goes away when the roof is down. Not a major issue but an annoying one! Took it to VOB more than once, every time they fixed something inluding torqing bolts on rear wheels shock assembly but the problem remains. I must say that no VOB technician ever went out with me to actually hear what I hear. Any clues as to the rattle sound when the roof is up?

3 - My wife recently hit a deer. No serious damage to the front, but the repair took a new hood. Reading the "nightmare" that ncsd_bmw went through after his fender bender, I am lucky that no such thing happened here. I took it to Scuderi Auto Body in Rockville, MD, supposedly the only body shop recommended by AAA in Montgomery County, MD. Everything turned out fine, except that the hood aligment - space between the sides of the hood and the fenders - is not the same on both sides. One side is wider than the other. I showed it to the technician, however he is saying that this is not a problem and there is no way this can be fixed. Any clues?

Thanks.

circlew · December 2006

ahmadm,

The cold start squeal sounds like the serpentine belt. I would recommend that the belt should be changed.

For the roof, reproduce for the technician.

Is there an adjustment for the hood brackets? There should be some way to make the space even to your satisfaction. Do not give up.

Regards,
OW

div2 · December 2006

One side is wider than the other. I showed it to the technician, however he is saying that this is not a problem and there is no way this can be fixed.

He's full of it; either the hood can be adjusted or the shop screwed up the repair. The shop needs to step up to the plate and correct the problem.

div2 · December 2006

it does not want to turn over. when i turn the key it sounds as if it is struggling to start for a second and just gives up.

It's almost certainly a dead battery.

kyfdx · December 2006

I must say that no VOB technician ever went out with me to actually hear what I hear. Any clues as to the rattle sound when the roof is up?

When I had this problem, two techs took the car out... one drove, while the other one got in the back seat to listen for the rattle...

How the heck do they expect to fix it, when they don't know what it is?

bruceomega · December 2006

OW,

Thanks for the suggestion. I hope that works.

Bruce

circlew · December 2006

OK. Let me know.

Regards,
OW

ahmadm · December 2006

Thanks Walt, OW, and B for your insight.

Walt,

I am making an appointment with a different dealer and will insist on drive-with-tech to make sure they hear what I hear.

OW,

I am not sure if this is the serpentine belt since the squealing only happens when I put the vehicle in gear. However, I will pursue this again with the new dealership.

Mr. B,

I did exactly what you said, took the car to the shop again and insisted on fixing the hood alignment. Luckily there was no issue with it this time around since they had to fix the problem of hood not closing when dropped from about 1-1/2 ft high as suggested in the manual. Everything worked out fine, except that the the lever now sticks out of the front grille when the hood is closed. This left them perplexed since they couldn't find how to fix that. The solution was to approach the dealer and inquire about this strange situation. So, one down, two to go.

ahmadm · December 2006

Walt,

What was the cause for the rattle in your case ... How did it get fixed?

kyfdx · December 2006

Two rattles..

1) Something to do with the tops of the rear shocks..

2) An alignment of the hard cover

The aligned the cover... then took another test drive.. still heard another rattle.. and went back in and fixed that one..

jamesspot · December 2006

The sports package does "lower" the car for tighter handling, so it makes it a little harder to enter. My 77 year-old father-in-law has a tough time tumbling into my ZHP.

The interior is the same except for different front seats and steering wheel. The sport seats are narrower and have higher bolsters.

The biggest difference for me in headroom is caused by the moonroof. I'm 6'5"/200 lbs - I hunted everywhere to buy an E46 car without a moonroof. Also, sedans have more headroom than coupes due to the more upright front glass.

At 6'5", I never use the front sun visor. Sometimes my head almost touches the headliner. But I like small, tight-handling cars as they remind me of my 20+ years of flying Navy jets off aircraft carriers.

shipo · December 2006

"At 6'5", I never use the front sun visor. Sometimes my head almost touches the headliner. But I like small, tight-handling cars as they remind me of my 20+ years of flying Navy jets off aircraft carriers."

The problem is that try as I might, I just cannot find an A4 Scooter in a used car lot. ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

hoodoomusic · December 2006

I would first like to say that's it's been a pleasure reading all the helpful posts.

I'm hoping u guys can steer me in the right direction... I just bought a 2000 323i, with 114k, 2 owner. Previous owner told me next service is due around 120k. Service engine light comes on and goes off every few days. Also, every now and then, when i try to start the car, it will take a few turns and if i take off, there is hesitation and if i stop, it goes dead but cranks right back up. Any suggestions??? I would really appreciate it!!!

Mr_Shiftright · December 2006

Sounds like you got a misfire going there. You know how it is with a used car...you need to bring it up to snuff with maintenance items...you really don't know what the other owners did or didn't do. At least I'd see if the computer threw an error code.

neobmw · December 2006

My wife's 2002 330i was brought to the BMW dealer for a high pitch noise coming from the driver's side (+/- left a/c vent) that comes and goes. They fixed it ($456.00) and told me that the problem was the alternator "tensioner" and a pulley belt. They also replaced (goodwill)2-3 window regulators. My wife picked up the car and few hours later the noise was there again (she has it recorded) and they told me that whatever they fixed needed to be fixed. Two days later the passengers door locks were not working. She bought the car back to the dealer (50 mi) and they just called me that the power door lock modulator needed to be changed ($690.00). My questions are:
Can I buy this modulator and install elsewhere?

Is this something they could have affected during their repairs?
Thanks

div2 · December 2006

It sounds like your dealer would rather throw parts at the problem instead of diagnosing it properly. You really need to find a competent independent BMW tech or else another dealer. Are you a BMW CCA member? If so, check with the local chapter and see who the members use.

circlew · December 2006

My bet is the noise is the fan motor bearings.

Regards,
OW

neobmw · December 2006

That's what I thought; that it had something to do with the fan, but I'm no mechanic. I e-mailed the Chapter President to see if he can recommend a mechanic in my area. The "throwing parts" comment was exactly my comment to my wife. When you live in small cities you don't have many choices and I have to travel 50 mi to the closest BMW dealer. Even common makes as Toyota we only have one dealer in town so you are at the mercy of their mechanics unless you know somebody you trust. Thanks,
BN

circlew · December 2006

I used to have the same problem with my '97 Grand Prix. I know it was from the fan because it had an on/off switch and was easy to duplicate. With Automatic Climate Control, the fans are much harder to manually operate but increase and decrease the speed, turn on/off repeatedly to see if you can make the noise occur. Or, when your wife hears it again, immediately turn off the climate control.

If there is no warning indication, there is nothing wrong with engine operation.

Noises are very hard to diagnose, so they are changing parts they assume would cause the problem instead of duplicating the noise first.

I have an '06 330 xi and it's a lease because before the warranty is over, BMW can have it back. I would rather rent than own from now on.

Regards,
OW

jon32 · December 2006

Hi,My BMW has recently developed a fault. It will rev itself in a pumping style fashion, ie up and down. If you could imagine the motion of pushing the accelerator like a foot pump, you'll get the idea. The fault doesn't always happen, often by shutting off the engine and restarting then it will be ok. When it is running fine, I can't reconstruct the fault by using the accelerator, as it doesn't "pump" quick enough!

When stationary, the revs will go between 1000 and 1500. When driving along at a constant speed, I can feel the it pulling as its doing the same. When I am accelerating it seems ok. Whilst on my drive, if I try and hold the revs at say 2000, it will then pump above this to 2500 so it seems to be applying 500 revs.

Its at this point that I should let you know that I ran very low on fuel (the remaining mileage counter on the dash came up with a straight line!). Its since doing this that I've developed the problem. Could it be fuel line issues with the gunk in the tank clogging something?

I'd appreciate any help you may be able to give.

Thanks

joyrider147 · December 2006

First, check your fuel pressure regulator, o2 sensor, Mass Air flow sensor, Spark Plugs, and clean out fuel tank and check fuel pump for excessive wear and tear or how powerful it is. Also check the intake manifold for particles, dust, dirt, grit, debris. it might be better off to have a diagnostic run on the efficiency of the engine.

BMWs are designed to run on continuous flow digital fuel injection, unlike its domestic non-continuous fuel injection. The difference is where the non-continuous sprays 5 ccs at once for a 1/2 second, the BMW's injection will spray the same 5 ccs in a stream for a 1/2 second, thus having a smaller injector than domestics. Also with BMWs, the accelerator is controlling not only the throttle plate, but also your fuel pump via mass air flow sensor. Step on the gas, more air into engine, and it'll tell the computer to increase the pressure.

Also, the fuel pump completely relies on extra gas in the tank, minimum 1/4 of a tank to cool the fuel pump down. Running on fumes overheats the pump and burns it out, then its time for a new pump.

That having been said, you are messing with the car's fuel regulating computer- it is receiving all sorts of wrong or confusing mixed messages: if the O2 sensor or Mass Air Flow sensor picks up too much air/fuel in the combustion chamber when cold starting, it will automatically reduce the pressure via fuel pump to rectify the problem. But, too little in the chamber, then it will increase the pressure, flooding the engine.

Also, your spark plugs could also aid in the problem by not burning ALL of the gas in the cylinders. It's supposed to do that especially during initial startup (continuous flow injection does that so it doesn't buildup varnish or gum up the cylinders) so the engine will last longer. Again, too much gas, back it down, then it'll be too little and it'll over rev.

I have a similar problem, but it's not as bad as your problem and it's reversed. I almost stall out at 300 rpms. cold starting, even when I'm allowing the car to warm up but after it's warm, then it's okay.

alibajalajaula · January 2007

Staggered wheels means rear tires are wider than front tires, not as exagerated as Formula 1 cars (where fronts are narrow, rears are wider).In the E46 BMW 330i ZHP for example the tires were 225/40ZR-18 front and 255/35ZR-18 rear. 225 or 255 is the tire width in millimeters. 40 or 35 is the aspect ratio of the tire; it means the height of the front tire to the rim is 40% the width; the lower this number, the skinnier the tire is. In your 325xi Sports Wagon your original sport package tires were 225/45R-17 H-rated, non-staggered (all the same). In the new 06 wagons, the sport tires are stagerred. In retrospective, for flexibility non-stagerred are preferable, and make the change to 205/55R-16 which provide a little more cushion against potholes. Low profile tires are nice until you hit bad paving. I know this reply's kindv late but I was wondering whether you still have the wagon.

vinnyny · January 2007

My 04 330CiC has been an almost perfect car. I've never had it in the shop for anything but scheduled maintenance and two minor issues. However, I've never had so much trouble with getting service in my life! Prior to purchasing my BMW, I owned Acura, Audi, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Mazda, Nissan, and Pontiac. With the exception of the '05 Corvette, the BMW is the most expensive by far but I GOT BETTER SERVICE ON EVERY ONE OF THE OTHERS!

My BMW has been in the shop four times in its 31,000 miles. Every appointment took more than a month to get and they never fixed the problems on the first visit. It took three visits (and over a year) to get them to replace the ambient air temp sensor (which provided only two readings--min cold and max hot). I wouldn't have cared except that the sensor affects the air conditioning and I lived in Arizona!

My M-tech steering wheel with the alcantara leather is shedding and looks like a $10 sweater after 30 washings--all balled up. I've shown the problem to three different dealers--two said "The sun will do that to a steering wheel" (never hurt my other cars like this) and the third told me that "It's a sport steering wheel and you should be wearing driving gloves when you drive it. The oils on your hands are causing it to wear out prematurely." I responded: "The seats are made of the same material...should I be wearing special driving pants or will my leather underwear do the trick?" The service writer laughed as he walked me to my freshly-washed car. That is, freshly washed on one side, freshly greased on the other. The driver's side rocker panel was covered in shop grease from wheel well to wheel well. It was raining when they drove the car up and I could see the streaks on the windshield in the light of the covered service area . I asked the service rep if they had replaced the wiper blades as I had requested. "I'm sure they tested them and would have changed them if they were bad." I asked him to climb behind the wheel and let me know if he thought they needed to be replaced. He said: "We'll get it on your next visit." "Buddy, I live 35 miles away and probably won't be back until the beaches open this spring. I'm only here because the people at my local BMW dealer only want to service cars they've sold. Is there any chance you can get one of the techs to toss on a pair of blades?" "Well, it's after 5 and they're busting their butts trying to get out of here." "I appreciate the fact that your guys want to go home, so I hope you'll appreciate the fact that I waited more than a month to get this appointment and took half a day off work and would like to have my car finished before my hour-long trip home in the rain." "I'm sorry but they'll have to get it next time." "Buddy there won't be a next time."

Just in case the general manager at Checkered Flag BMW of Virginia Beach is reading this: Don't bother having your salesman call me about that new M Roadster I was looking at on Friday, January 5th at 4pm. You may remember me as the cash buyer who was also considering the X5 for his wife. My 330 was my first, and last, BMW--thanks to your service dept and the buffoons at Casey BMW in Newport News.

I guess I'll have to try my first Benz or Lexus--I hear they know how to treat people buying $50k+ cars. Maybe I'll just buy another Vette--I got much better service from Chevy.

newbuyer30 · January 2007

Sorry if this has already been posted...I tried to search this topic, but the search stalled (waited for 5 min).

I have a 2004 330i, manual. For the past 6 months, the acceleration is choppy when I push the pedal medium to medium-hard, especially on 2nd, 3rd and 4th gears and toward the higher revs. I had my computer chip re-programmed a couple of years ago due to the car stalling on idle, and I'm wondering if that has anything to do with it.

Anyone else have this experience? or have any idea?

Thanks in advance!

abfisch · January 2007

vinnyny:

I am so sorry about your experience. I had a lump in my throat reading it. I thought I would give you a different side of a coin to temper your thoughts. I hope this makes a difference.

I owed a 02 Toyota Avalon since new, paid cash for it. Liked the car since I bought it with a bench seat, but vibrated at high speed. New it was in the axles, but Toyota never made good, jerking me around between wheels and rotors, and this and that. Finally fixed it on my own but never another Toyota new.

Came out of the PX, 1.5 year old BMW 2004 325ci, sports package, upgraded radio, 5speed, black metallic with tan leather interior. NOTHING ELSE, not even a sunroof. Two times brought to Carbone BMW in Utica, NY(only use the car during the nicer months), both times timely, professional, did what they said(wiper blades chattering) and mechanic came out to talk to me about the car. Besides rough idle on start up, which I changed the octane of the gas, no other problems pure engagment and enjoyment with minor tweaks including a strut tower bar, CDV less, and a upgraded clutch pedal bump stop. I have almost 20K on it now in a heated garage.

Points being, this dealership is good, and not swamped; sometimes less is better. Use the Avalon in the summer months. Will be doing my own maintenance on both cars when the BMW comes off warranty.

abfisch

vinnyny · January 2007

Abfisch:

BMW constantly takes hits for poor quality/reliability. I'm lucky to have a BMW that is almost perfect--the exception to the rule. Unfortunately, the minor issues that required attention were simply too much for the service departments. I'm a reasonable guy and I don't expect the car to be perfect. However, I do expect the dealership to make an honest effort to fix any problems--not just make up BS excuses (driving gloves?) for why they can't/won't fix it.

If we were talking about a $12k Kia or Suzuki, I could understand the dealer's indifference (not that it would be right for them to dismiss the customer's concerns jsut because the car is cheap). So, would you buy another $50k car from BMW or take your money elsewhere? You didn't buy another Avalon, so I'm guessing that you I'm voting with my feet and my wallet and strolling down to the Mercedes Benz, Lexus, and Chevy dealers (even though my wife will have a fit if I get another Corvette).

alibajalajaula · January 2007

Vinnyny
My experience with the suede like steering wheel on my last 330i ZHP was equally frustrating. The suede-like material is called alcantara and it did not mattered that I used the BMW M series driving gloves from day one: two years after it looked exactly as what you have described. My service advisor had the same car as I did (they get 2 year leases) and his steering wheel had survived (?) the peeling sindrome. He told me he did not used gloves, just bare hands :confuse: At that point I had already given up going to 3 dealers in Houston, and the best I could get was a 50% split in the cost of replacing the alcantara wheel with a hard leather M3 steering wheel to the tune of $300. However, it ended up a moot point because I traded the 330 for a late '06 M3 which incidentally has....an alcantara steering wheel...because its part of the competition package. I thought of getting alcantara gloves at a gun store (they are listed as alcantara hunting gloves, never seen one), but for the time being I am sticking to my plain Wilson leather gloves, so far so good...

bearsfan · January 2007

My BMW's tail lamps are burnt out. Can I replace them at any Walmart auto shop? Because the BMW dealer will charge me like anything for the same. What is your suggestion.

shipo · January 2007

Yup. Both taillights burned out within weeks of each other on my 1999 328i, it cost me a whopping $1.00 at my local NAPA for two replacement bulbs. I could have gone to the dealer and had them fixed under warranty (the only problem I had with that car, ever), however, for a buck and ten minutes of my time, why mess with the dealer.

Best Regards,
Shipo

abfisch · January 2007

vinnyny:

To them, like Toyota, it is just another piece of metal. Not important to them, like to you in the entire scheme of things. You must have bought the car, like I did the Toyota, cause the attitudes of people are different that lease versus buy. Personally I don't do leases, but they have value if you can write them off.

What I would do, since the car sounds fine otherwise, is change the steering wheel. I would have them, change the steering wheel to the regular leather steering wheel for the 330i, hooking up everything, and be done with it. I know they should make a better part, but they don't, and as I said in the earlier posting, they are care less. I totally agree, for a 45K car, what gives. That is why I try and only get functional upgrades. BMW packages stuff too much inflating the price and producing inferior material sometimes in the process.

If it makes you feel better, I came out to my car in the heated garage, open the door, and found the interior door fascia drooping, as if they use inferior glue on it. The car is garaged, heated to 50F, only used in the nice months. I said,man, this piece of goo. Did not even bother to waste my time and take it to the dealership to hear the bull sound. Got some automotive Goop adhesive, spread it on, clamp it as evenly as possible and put foamboard onthe top of the clamp(freakin scratch the paint just a little but no more than they wound have done) and in 24 hours, fixed. Painful but fixed permanently. Nothings perfect. The steering wheel would bug me terribly. Have them make good and put in a regular leather one. Should last the lifetime of the car.

Just my thoughts.

abfisch

ahmadm · January 2007

Vinnyny,

I also own a 2004 CiC and so far have not been able to get the VOB of Rockville, Maryland fix the squeeling noise problem when putting the car in gear after a cold start (overnight or if the car has not been driven for few days). Another one that they said they fixed but remains a problem is a rattle that I hear when the soft top is up.

I also own a 2001 MB 320, and I can tell you that there is a difference of day and night between the BMW and MB after sales services. I am not sure why BMW is so oblivious to this and continues to look the other way. I got one survey call from BMW after my first couple of services and I told them exactly what happened. No calls after that.

BTW, when VOB said they fixed the roof rattle problem, the whole area was soiled in grease and even the rear quarter windows would catch grease when rolled down!

The car itself is fun to drive and feels solid, it is the after sales service that is mind boggling.

sdeinfl · January 2007

I have a 2002 325CI, my leather (or plastic--whatever they make it out of) has gotten soft and sticky. I keep the car immaculate and only use leather cleaner on it. With it getting soft, it shows marks and scrathes easily. I was curious if anyone else was having this issue. The other problem I have is the trim around the driver and passenger windows has continued to come down since the first six months of having the car. The dealership replaced it three times, but now that it is own of warranty, I have been trying different epoxy's to fix it. These silly problems are very frustrating!!!

meresdsu · January 2007

Hi,

I was comforted to learn today, that I am not the BMW owner that needs a new transmission. I have a 2000, 323i BMW with 68,000 miles. The car has run perfectly and been maintained throughout ownership. Yesterday, I attempted to reverse out of my parking spot, and it would not move, only move forward. The car was diagnosed today, as needing a new transmission. Complete shock!

I have begun to research the issue and have learned that there are many owners of the 3 series from the year 2000 (plus) that have had to replace there transmission due to the exact same problem!!!!

I believe we have a major class action suit and deserve to be paid in full for the amount of money each owner has had to come out of pocket for a new transmission. Our cars should not be exhibiting such problems this early on. There is clearly a defect. Please let me know if you pushed the issue further with BMW of North America. I found over 18 pages worth of complaints at consumerreports.com There must be some kind of recourse from BMW to the consumers for this issue.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Meredith

e-mail: meremcgill@gmail.com

meresdsu · January 2007

Hi,

I just reading your posting, and my BMW, 2000, 323i's transmission just failed on January 11, 2007. The car has been driving great and exceptionally maintained. Just this past Thursday I was unable to reverse out of my parking spot. I soon learned that I need a new transmission!! I have 68,000 miles. Certainly, these cars have a major defect. Have you had any success in winning your case against BMW?

BMW told me that since my car is out of warranty, there's nothing they can do!! Very frustrating, as I'm sure you know. Do you have an hard facts on the number of defective transmission of this make and model, etc? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. I hope you have had success in winning you case against BMW. My direct e-mail is: meremcgill@gmail.com

Thank you,
Meredith

ftroha · January 2007

I suggest you contact Tom Purves, CEO, at BMW North America's headquarters in NJ. I contacted them via a law firm and they turned me down flat as far as a refund goes for the 2.8K I spent on transmission repair. Since I've had one problem after another with BMW NA, which incidentally has earned an "Unsatisfactory" rating from the Better Business Bureau, I'm all the more determined to get reimbursed for the repair plus damages. In fact, I'm looking into bundling all my past rip-off experiences into one larger case. Contacting the CEO's office is a logical first step. If your community has a BMW dealership or service center, you can pursue them via your community's small claims court. The clerk can tell you how. I suggest you have the papers served to the local office of BMW and put Purves's name on it. He's the person to be served via the local office. If you do not have a local BMW office, I suggest you contact a lawyer for advice. In previous posts I described my experience with the Port Chester, NY Service Center. Suffice it to say, BMW has certainly earned its rating from the BBB, an organization that does not assign "Unsatisfactory" ratings unless there's a pattern of egregious behavior.

txbmwfan · January 2007

I am sorry to hear about these failed transmissions. I would be similarly outraged. Hard to believe that BMW would abide by an "Unsatisfactory" rating from the BBB.

To legally prove your cases, you would have to show transmission problems are prevalent, and also well-known to BMW, for certain model years, and that BMW has not otherwise adequately addressed. I reviewed the Consumer Reports website for the reliability history of the E46 3-Series (1999-2005). The transmission reliability was rated either good or very good for each model year (except 2002 with a rating of excellent).

You might also consult the BIMRS.org website. It is a trade organization for reputable independent BMW service shops. Use it to locate a shop in your area. You might have the local shop inspect the car, and the shop owner may be provide some insight as to any known transmission problems. This can be drawn from experience and/or contact with the national BIMRS shop network.

In any event, good luck to you!

socalsabo · January 2007

My 2000 323i with ONLY 28,000 miles on it wouldn't go in reverse, had it towed to the dealership and they tell me I need a new transmission, and because it is out of warranty and I did not continue to bring my car to their facility for maintenance, I was on my own and would be financially responsible to replace the transmission! I want to contact the CEO, Tom Purves, but don't know how - did you have any luck? I'm made 2 complaints with BMW NA, but that is going no where. Have you filed a small claims action, and if so, where is that going? I'm so very frustrated after reading the huge number of similar complaints, and BMW won't take responsibility. Has anyone obtained the NHTSA service bulletin #613552? I would love to see it - ordered a copy but don't have yet... h e l p !!!

ftroha · January 2007

They are terrible to deal with. Once your car is off warranty, there's no way it makes sense to go back to BMW for servicing. They charge twice as much as foreign car shops with mechanics who can fix your brakes, change the oil, etc., etc. just as well. Furthermore, just because your car was worked on by other mechanics after it went off warranty is no good reason for BMW to deny responsibility for what is obviously a transmission design defect. Here's where to complain: Tom Purves, Chairman and CEO, BMW of North America, 300 Chestnut Ridge Road, Woodclife Lake, NJ 07675. My attorney is sending a second letter to his office. If the response from Purves is still unsatisfactory, the next step is litigation. As for small claims court, you can go that route if BMW has an office in your area. If not, you need to go to a community where they have an office and file a claim in that community's court. That's the only way most small claim courts will serve papers on a defendant -- that is, he or she has to be in the same locale as the court. When you get your report from the NTSB, I'd appreciate your sharing with me what it says. I hope I've been helpful. I'm not going to give up going after BMW and I hope you and others who have been similarly ripped off do the same.

shipo · January 2007

Given the sheer number of "Can't go into reverse" complaints from 323i owners, it seems rather obvious that there is indeed a problem and BMW should step up to the plate and offer some form of relief. FWIW, I don't believe that BMW built the automatic transmissions affected (designed by ZF and built by GM if memory serves), however, they put it in their car and they should be the folks who fix it. Geez I'm glad I'll only drive a BMW with a manual transmission; it would indeed be kind of annoying to have reverse go out for no apparent reason. :-/

Another thing to consider is the address posted above. I used to live right around the corner from BMW-USA (literally as their offices are at the corner of Chestnut Ridge Road & Glen Road, I lived on Glen) and so please consider my first hand knowledge of the area when I tell you that the above address is incorrect in two ways. The correct address is as follows:

BMW of North America
200 Chestnut Ridge Road
Woodcliff Lake, NJ 07677

Both misspelling the town name and using the old zip code (changed in 1999 or 2000 if I remember correctly) will likely result in your correspondence not getting to its intended recipient.

Best Regards,
Shipo

BMW 3-Series Maintenance and Repair

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