Did you recently rush to buy a new vehicle before tariff-related price hikes? A reporter is looking to speak with shoppers who felt pressure to act quickly due to expected cost increases; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com for more details by 4/24.
BMW X3 hesitation on acceleration
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
I had one accident due to transmission problems so far (the car suddenly wouldn't move and the car behind me hit me) and narrowly escaped two more .... my husband was driving, stopped on red light, then the car wouldn't move on green and then jumped forward.
http://www.ocregister.com/video/index.php?bcpid=1127694947&bclid=1125901233&bcti- d=24673786001
When coasting to a stop it shifts abruptly into low gear and can almost stop itself. When going over minor road imperfections it bounces around like a carnival ride.
Apparently there are some software fixes as this appears to not be a mechanical problem and not a problem on the manual transmission. The fixes may or may not work and there doesn't appear to be a complete fix for the problem.
Since there have been a number of s/w updates, BMW obviously knows about the problem but chooses to, what, ignore it? This is outrageous.
I am livid.
I will take it in (again) and see what can be done but if one other person tells me that this incredible jostling, teeth knocking ride is 'normal' I think I will sentence them to ride in the cargo compartment where they can hit their head on the ceiling.
:lemon: ????????? :mad: !!!!!!!!!!
I did. I am furious.
This is ridiculous. It is less than a month old and has had problems from the very beginning. I thought it was a very stiff, sporty suspension but that is it. It is probably the same, ridiculous transmission problem that BMW has seen fit to inflict on paying customers.
:lemon:
1. It is just the difference between a smaller wheelbase and a taller car.
2. It is just bouncy but in a refined bouncy way.
3. It is in your head.
4. It is your driving.
5. It is a brand new car, it will settle down.
6. You will get used to it....I would have to be numb and blind because I can both feel it and see the effects of things falling to the floor and things hitting the ceiling...at low speed.
7. It is what you put up with in order to get the handling - most ridiculous statement ever.
8. IT IS NORMAL.
If this is NORMAL then NORMAL is UNACCEPTABLE.
This is ridiculous. I guess it is time to find a lemon lawyer.
:lemon:
Anyone else?
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Apparently it isn't a problem with the actual MT car or when you use the manual shifting but who wants to do that in city traffic?
New problem just showed up today. Driving along at 30 mph then sudden acceleration that comes and goes for no reason. The car surges forward, luckily no one in front, and then backs down.
This is weird.
Be careful out there!
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
I am now documenting the entire sorry experience and will post what happens next. Since this is the end of the style, I would think they would bother to test drive these cars and see if they exhibit these problems rather than selling them to the unsuspecting and having the problems come out in the first days of ownership.
They might end up with a handful of extra cars but now they end up with tons of irate customers who are so irate (most people just suck it up after all) that some actually complain to the NHTSA....in public. I don't get the bad PR.
:lemon:
“In DRIVE mode the trans software is programmed to start off in second gear as an economy measure to help save gas. BMW did that on purpose. If you're fairly light on the throttle it will stay in Second, accelerate, and eventually shift into Third, Fourth and Fifth. Try it out and count the shifts. (You may need to watch the tach to notice the shifts, this trans can be really smooth at very light throttle and the higher gear shifts may only vary a few hundred rpm)
But if you put a little more foot into the throttle on take-off (i.e.: from a dead stop) the trans will shift down from Second to First to give you better acceleration. This is what it is supposed to do. It happens in an instant but you can still feel the car start to move, then "hesitate" from the shift, and then take off. If you have a light enough foot it may never even happen to you. If your foot is rather heavy you may notice it more at first but it will "teach" your trans really quick that you want a fast start most of the time.
Now in SPORT mode the trans ALWAYS starts in first, thus no "hesitation". The drawback to always using SPORT mode to avoid the "hesitation" (gear change) is that it almost NEVER shifts into Fifth gear in city driving. The vehicle has to reach a certain speed before it will upshift to Fifth. That can really hurt your mileage in town if you never get over 35-45 mph. AND your trans never gets a chance to "adapt" to your style in DRIVE mode.”
Nevertheless, what really sticks out is the concern about how dangerous many of the X3 owners feel the hesitation problem is. I have experienced it first hand and am afraid to pull out of a gas station onto a highway without a very large open window in the road – people honk at me, but I can’t trust the car. Moreover, my wife feels she cannot put our grandchildren safely in it.
Next, let’s discuss the other issue – I hit the jackpot – I have both of the major, hidden problems that BMW has with this vehicle. The transmission failure I experienced and the resulting inability to shift into reverse. It’s all over the place, Consumer Affairs knows it and it’s been there for several years – good job BMW on the PR front, if a potential buyer doesn’t do their homework on the internet, they’d never know there was a problem.
By Joe Benton
ConsumerAffairs.Com
=====================
I am light on the throttle with my new X3 because of the stuttering acceleration. A regular push on the pedal caused it to lurch and stop, lurch and stop until it hit a gear it liked and then went forward. There was no lead footing going on as would be indicated by the: Down to 1st fear and then up to 2nd gear fuel saving idea.
That fuel saving idea doesn't make much sense either as how much fuel can it save by being down 1 gear for a second or two? It still uses fuel to change the gears and why would saving a penny on gas would be worth hesitating while making an unprotected left turn or hesitating while merging into traffic or avoiding a collision?
I do not buy this explanation as it makes no sense trading safety for a few pennies in gasoline.
Unfortunately, I bought mine...outright. What a ridiculous situation.
It has under 400 miles on it and it was a problem right off the bat. It went in for a drive last week and is now in the shop after another drive. I might have gotten a red light ticket (don't know if there is a camera there) as it wouldn't accelerate through the intersection to make the left turn until the light had turned red. Couldn't go backward, had to go forward.
I get much more bucking motion than others have experienced and all of this fun in a BRAND NEW CAR.
What is up with this?
:mad:
What is up with this car?
The problems seem to center on the transmission although mine may actually have a problem with the suspension or something else entirely.
Someone with IIRC a defective LR plastered it with signs and left it parked on the road in front of the dealership. It really isn't the dealership's fault if they get a defective car although it is their fault if they string a customer along hoping they will just go away. This kind of thing has a mind of its own especially in premium brands.
If those with the 07-08 problems are still active on Edmunds, it would be great to hear what your resolutions of the X3 AT problems have been. It seems as if most were leased and so people just toughed it out until the end of the lease and gave up.
Those of us who own them do not have that option.
Now, who needs reverse on a car after all? Is it a requirement of safety laws for cars to actually go in reverse? Just park on the street or ask the kids to push you back out of the driveway...will that work?
Decades of being a BMW customer...D-O-N-E. What does it cost to put in a new transmission?
http://noreverse.org/
"This is the ONLY website that is solely dedicated to helping BMW owners voice their opinions and gather data on the KNOWN reverse transmission issue that prevents the cars from going in reverse. Oh, the wonderful feeling of no reverse.
Consumers from all over the U.S. are reporting the failure. Without notice, the reverse gear stops working in BMWs, many of them the popular 2000 323i luxury sedan."
While turning and decelerating from a 35 mph road into a side street, the X3 is downshifting hard and slowing itself down to nearly a stop. In order to complete the turn and go the 15 feet to the stop sign (another turn ahead) you have to put your foot on the accelerator.
This is bizarre. One answer is that the X3 figures that if you are slowing down at lower speeds you want to slow down and brake. What? X3 as nanny car? The real answer is that no one knows why this is acting in this odd manner.
From my experience, any other AT car would just coast itself to a stop and you have to apply brakes to stop, not accelrate into a stop. Defect? Beginnings of the AT problem emerging again? Feature? Operating within specs?
:surprise:
I have a brand new 2009 X3 AT and was almost hit tonight due to the car's refusal to move forward until it darn well decided to.
The last s/w update appears to be in late 2007, what has happened since then?
:mad:
------------------ reprise
"This issue has nothing to do with the gas pedal. What is happening is that the car acts like it has run out of gas at times. Other times it simply shifts with a jolt. You are fortunate tha tyours doesn;t act that way, but many others wish they had never purchased this vehicle. "
"Adjust your driving style vsaxena? Cmon! I think that something fishy is going on here. Vsaxena sounds like a BMW representative to me!
We all know how to drive! I am 42 and all of my previous cars where fine. And yes, one was a BMW. I do not think the accelerator pedal is any different than most cars.
The X3 has transmission problems-period.
It hesitates from a dead stop, and also while going if you take your foot off the gas, then reapply it, it will sometimes hesitate. Also the downshifting could be quite rough. Mine was in twice already for programming. The first time it seemed okay for 3 days, then got much worse. The second time in...well I just got it back. Seems okay, but I cannot tell yet since I have to wait a week or two.
Dont jump to conclusions on this after you get your service software update done. It takes a few hundred miles to adapt. I already had it hesitate twice. I will let you know. I have my doubts. If it gets bad again, then I will definitely be looking into Lemon Law rights before the third service attempt.
I hope this is fixed! "
"Well is has been 450 miles since my 2 month old x3 has been in for service 2 times for the transmission hesitation problem. To be honest, it is MUCH better than it was, but it still hesitates intermittently. Unfortunately the hesitation pops up in the worst place-right in the middle of an intersection while making left hand turns-did it again yesterday! I guess it would do it on right hand turns as well. THe sd mode in my opinion has gotten worse on this program update-seems terribly erratic and rough.
I guess I will wait awhile until they get another software update-(or if they do). I think twice before pulling out in traffic, and that sucks, because this is a BMW, its expensive, and it is SUPPOSED to work properly every time! "
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
What a mess. :lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon:
http://townhall.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f11ffdc/29
Try maintaining constant pressure during turns by vsaxena
Jun 26, 2007 (7:30 am)
"To improve mileage, it also will try to anticipate when you are trying to brake/stop and reduce fuel flow. During a turn many drivers tend to reduce the pressure on the gas pedal. This is not a conscious decision but happens with everyone. If you are taking off from a stop, and turning, and reduce the pressure on the gas pedal, the car might be anticipating that you are about to brake. The electronic throttle might be reducing the gas flow, in anticipation of the brake. So try and keep constant pressure on the gas pedal during turns."
============
Why does the X3 require this much fine tuning OF THE DRIVER? Blame the customer, blame the driver is all over these threads.
My car, sometimes but not every time, slows itself down to nearly a stop on turns. So sometimes it understands that you are slowing down and sometimes it does not?
Is the X3 just that stupid?
90 degree turns are generally done at the same speed, you do not take a turn at 50 mph for example. So when does the X3 decide to brake itself and when does it not? Is it the incline? Is it how fast it was going a few minutes ago? Is it the ambient temperature? What exactly causes the X3 to decide to brake itself sometimes but not at others?
Is the X3 just that stupid?
My X3 also jerks when accelerating slowly. When accelerating quickly it is much more smooth. So the answer is to lead foot it and hope you do not hit something? The answer is to continuing accelerating into turns and hope you do not hit something?
So my X3 can only be driven dangerously? You can get better gas mileage but you have dramatically increased the risk of hitting something?
What?
Stop blaming the customer. Why is it your fault or my fault or his fault for this psychotic transmission. Blame BMW for making this ridiculous car AND for saying that this is normal. Normal?
The only reason to buy a BMW is for its ride. The X3 does not have the ride so it is an over priced, under performing HOJ.
:lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon:
Bizarre.
Sorry, you are having these problems, but we cant resolve this--you can. And we have now told you how!
Now one is going to wave a magic wand and it is all going to be fixed for you, I KNOW. It took me getting off my backside and starting legal action and after long months of headaches and lots of evidence and finally the problem was gone!
My fight was with BMW in another country and we don't have the protection of lemon laws like you guys!
Im not having a crack here at anyone, but you need to understand that BMW as a company are NEVER going to admit there is a fault, they are one of the most arrogant companies around and could not give a f%^k about their customers, only their bottom-line!
These people who come on here and who are still considering buying one must be totally mad.....YES THESE LATEST CARS STILL HAVE THE ISSUE, BMW wont make a special X3 for you to buy that wont have the problem if you buy one. :lemon:
Sorry but I have been watching this thread for so long now and its the same thing over and over.
The entire point of threads such as these is to see what others have experienced and to see what the solutions are. Otherwise, they are useless. Most of the threads on these and other forums are talking about the 2007s and 2008s as if the problems WERE FIXED. Obviously, that is false and goes to the problem of DD.
Since temperatures have fallen about 30 degrees since I bought the X3, I am interested in finding out why acceleration failures appear to get worse with lower ambient temperature. If the problem is a s/w failure then why does ambient temperature affect the transmission problem? Isn't the s/w programming of gear shifts a function of speed and rpms?
If you do not have an actual answer to my probs then kindly ignore my posts. If you have an answer then I would appreciate that. Thanks in advance.
It isn't an issue, you just have to work around it because you the driver are less important than the car. So drive it in SD so that it doesn't get you hit when turning on an unprotected left or trying to merge into traffic or trying to avoid an accident. The stopping short while heading towards a stoplight or stop sign is also normal. The surge in acceleration is normal. It is all normal. It is designed to be this way.
Feel stupid yet?
:lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon:
Your comments are greatly appreciated
The X3's after 2007 have the 6-speed automatic transmission.
The gripes are around the 6-speed AT. I do not know about the 5-speed AT.
If you drive with a lead foot or spend your time mostly on the highways, you may not feel anything. It never hurts to see if you can take an extended test drive and see if you can feel any odd behavior at low speeds. Some say that a rolling stop - not stopping completely at a stop sign - can cause the hesitation.
I would take it for a drive down some hills and see if you feel any 'binding' or hard pull back from the engine brake or the transmission downshifting hard. Again, this seems to be more of an issue at lower speeds. This is also more pronounced in SD mode.
There were supposedly changes to the ride in 2005 and then again in 2007 but if you do not feel that the ride is harsh or bouncy then it won't bother you. You should also check the bolts under the seat for rust just in case the car developed a leak in the pano roof. Other problems that may or may not occur are radio reception while the back defroster is on and maybe some damage to interior or exterior that are not always noted even in a CPO.
I would also take a hard look at the suspension and listen for any creakiness or clunking sounds.
Since you have several to choose from, it pays to be picky-picky-picky and to drive a hard bargain.
Good luck.