BMW 323i Complaints

564 consumer complaints on file.

#10200859August 27, 2007
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
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
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10200831August 26, 2007
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
THE REVERSE GEAR IN MY BMW 323I FAILED WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING. IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM, AS A DRUM IN THE TRANSMISSION ASSEMBLY IS CAST FROM WEAK METAL AND COMES APART UNTIL IT FAILS TO COMPRESS THE PLATES FOR THE REVERSE GEAR. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10199888August 17, 2007
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MY 1999 BMW 323I FOR THE PAST YEAR WITH FEW PROBLEMS. TODAY I GOT UP TO GO ON A ROAD TRIP, AND MY CAR WILL NOT GO INTO REVERSE. IT HAS BEEN SERVICED REGULARLY, BUT THERE WAS INDICATION OF A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM EXISTING. ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP, IT WILL COST ABOUT $3,000.00 TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. A QUICK WEB SEARCH REVEALED THAT THIS IS A FAIRLY COMMON OCCURRENCE. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10199533August 14, 2007
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
ON 8/707 I NOTICED THAT I COULD NOT SHIFT MY 2000 BMW323CI INTO REVERSE. NO PRIOR NOTICE AND NO ENGINE OR CHECK LIGHTS CAME ON. IT'S LIKE BEING IN NEUTRAL. THE ENGINE REVS BUT THERE IS NO MOVEMENT. IN ANOTHER INSTANCE I WAS ON A HILL AND TRIED TO BACK UP. WHEN I SWITCHED INTO REVERSE, THE CAR ROLLED FORWARD!! THE PROBLEM PERSISTS AS OF TODAY 8/13/07. A QUICK SEARCH OF THE INTERNET REVEALS THAT THIS PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD (SEE ATTACHED LINKS). BMW RECALLED THE 5 AND 7 SERIES FOR THIS REASON BUT DID NOT RECALL THE 3 SERIES (PERHAPS BECAUSE TOO MANY 3 SERIES WERE SOLD COMPARED TO THE 5 AND 7 SERIES??). BMW REALLY NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY HURT. HTTP://WWW.CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM/AUTOMOTIVE/BMW_TRANS.HTML HTTP://WWW.CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM/NEWS04/2007/01/BMW_TRANSMISSION.HTML HTTP://ABCLOCAL.GO.COM/KGO/STORY?SECTION=7ON_YOUR_SIDE&ID=4407296 HTTP://WWW.MOTORTREND.COM/CARS/1999/BMW/5_SERIES/RECALLS/ HTTP://WWW.INTERNETAUTOGUIDE.COM/AUTO-RECALLS/09-INT/1999/BMW/7-SERIES/INDEX.HTML *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10199404August 13, 2007
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BMW 323I. SHE STATED THAT WHEN THE GEAR SHIFT INDICATOR WAS SHIFTED INTO REVERSE, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE. THE FAILURE ONLY OCCURRED WHILE VEHICLE OPERATED NORMALLY IN ALL OTHER GEARS. THE DEALER HAS NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 61,850.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10198622August 6, 2007
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
THE TRANSMISSION FAILED TO PERFORM IN REVERSE. IT SIMPLY ACTED AS IF IT WERE IN NEUTRAL. IT WAS VERY SCARY AND UPSETTING TO HAVE THIS HAPPEN, ESPECIALLY WHERE AND WHEN IT DID. I WAS STUCK AND HAD TO HAVE REVERSE TO LEAVE THE LOCATION WHERE I HAD TAKEN MY DAUGHTER. ONLY WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF TWO (2) MEN WAS I ABLE TO GET THE CAR WHERE I COULD USE THE FORWARD GEAR TO MOVE AHEAD. THIS MANUAL MANEUVERING OF THIS CAR PUT THE MEN HELPING ME, IT PUT ME, AND IT PUT OTHERS ON THE ROADWAY AT RISK WHILE THIS MANEUVERING WAS BEING DONE AT, OBVIOUSLY, VERY LOW SPEEDS. BMW HAS NOT OFFERED ANY SUBSTANTIAL HELP WITH MY PLIGHT, NOR DO THEY CONFIRM ALL OF THE OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE PROBLEMS WITH THE BMW 3 SERIES, 2000 AND LATER. PART OF THE LITANY OF THE SAME COMPLAINT CAN BE FOUND ON THE CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM BLOG SITE. I'M CONFIDENT BMW IS AWARE OF THESE COMPLAINTS. THEY SIMPLY TRY TO LOOK AWAY AND IGNORE US ALL. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10198511August 4, 2007
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION WILL NOT GO INTO REVERSE. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10198514August 4, 2007
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
COULD NOT BACK UP IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY INTERSECTION (NO REVERSE AND NO WARNING). 323I BMW 2000 TRANSMISSION FAILED. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10197578July 26, 2007
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
MY 2000 BMW 323I ABRUPTLY STOPPED GOING IN REVERSE. LIKE MANY DISSATISFIED 323I OWNERS, I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP ONLY TO FIND OUT IT NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION. I SEARCHED ONLINE AND MANY OTHER BMW OWNERS ARE DEALING WITH THIS FRUSTRATION. THE COMPLAINTS ARE BEING LOGGED ON THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE: HTTP://WWW.CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM/AUTOMOTIVE/BMW_TRANS.HTML *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10197313July 24, 2007
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
AUTO TRANSMISSION REVERSE FAILED WITH NO WARNING AT 87,000 MILES. BMW SAYS REPLACE TRANSMISSION AT FULL COST. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10197140July 22, 2007
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
THE REVERSE GEAR IN MY 2000 BMW 323I HAS FAILED. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10196653July 18, 2007
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
BMW IS NOT ON YOUR LIST OF VEHICLES! TRANSMISSION FAILED ON 2000 323I BMW WITH ONLY 57K. SCANNING ONLINE COMPLAINTS ABOUT 323I TRANSMISSION FAILURES IT SEEMS NHTSA SHOULD HAVE RECALLED THE UNIT BY NOW! *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10196720July 18, 2007
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BMW 323I. WHEN THE CONTACT SHIFTED THE VEHICLE INTO REVERSE, IT FAILED TO MOVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. A LOCAL MECHANIC MADE THE REPAIR. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 29,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 28,000. THE CONSUMER QUESTIONED WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY BMW WILL NOT ADMIT TO THE DEFECT WITH THIS SPECIFIC VEHICLE THAT HAS BEEN ON THE ROAD FOR THE LAST 4 YEARS? UPDATED 08/07/07 *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10196547July 17, 2007
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
I OWN A 2000 BMW 3.23I THAT I BOUGHT BRAND NEW IN 2000. I SPENT A LOT OF MONEY FOR THAT CAR AND HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH IT. I HAD TO REPLACE THE WINDOW REGULATORS MANY TIMES, AND HAD A WATER LEAK PROBLEM. I SPEND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN OTHER ITEMS THAT WAS JUST CRAZY, ESPECIALLY FOR A CAR THAT JUST HAD 70,000 MILES. THE BIG PROBLEM WHICH CAUSED ME WRITE THIS COMPLAINT WAS THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE HAVING WITH THEIR CARS NOT WANTING TO GO IN REVERSE. THE CAR JUST OUT OF NOWHERE STOPPED GOING IN REVERSE. THIS WAS JUST ABNORMAL FOR A CAR WITH THIS LOW MILEAGE. BMW DID NOT WANT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS, AND IT WAS JUST CRAZY. I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED BY THEIR BUSINESS TACTIC OF NOT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION. IT WAS CLEARLY NOT NORMAL, YET THEY WERE TRYING TO AVOID TO PAY FOR A REPLACEMENT, AND THEY DIDN'T CARE AS THEY WERE MAKING SO MANY ENEMIES. I NEVER CARED FOR MERCEDES AS I LIKED THE WAY BMW DROVE, BUT THIS EXPERIENCE WAS MAKING THEM LOSE A CUSTOMER FOR LIFE. PLEASE MAKE THEM ISSUE A RECALL FOR THE TRANSMISSIONS, AND STOP THIS BUSINESS BEHAVIOR. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10196648July 17, 2007
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
2000 BMW 323I SERIES FAILED TO GO INTO REVERSE. NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS INVOLVING THIS YEAR ONLY FOUND ON CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM LEADING ME TO BELIEVE A RECALL WAS APPROPRIATE. ALL INCIDENTS WERE IDENTICAL AND HAPPENED WITH AS LOW AS 30000 MILES. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10196324July 13, 2007
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
I AM AN OWNER OF 2000 BMW 323I. IT CURRENTLY HAS ~115K MILES ON IT. TODAY (FRIDAY, JULY 13, 2007), I ENTERED THE PARKING GARAGE AT WORK AND ATTEMPTED TO BACK INTO A PARKING SPACE --- AS I ALWAYS DO. I DROVE FORWARD, THEN PUT MY CAR IN THE REVERSE GEAR, BUT IT WOULD NOT MOVE. WHEN I PRESSED ON THE ACCELERATOR, IT WOULD ONLY MAKE AN IDLING SOUND LIKE IT WAS IN THE NEUTRAL GEAR --- EVEN THOUGH THE LCD SHOWED "R" (REVERSE). AFTER A FEW ATTEMPTS OF TRYING TO GO IN REVERSE, I REALIZED THAT ALL MY EFFORTS CAME TO NAUGHT. LUCKILY, I HAD JUST ENOUGH ROOM TO "DRIVE" FORWARD AND CLEAR THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME SO THAT I COULD TAKE MY CAR TO GET REPAIRED. COME TO FIND OUT, I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. I FIND IT VERY ODD THAT MY TRANSMISSION WOULD GO OUT THIS EARLY AND IT WOULDN'T GIVE ANY TYPE OF WARNING. ALSO, I FIND IT VERY FRUSTRATING THAT THERE ARE CARS THAT COST 1/3 OF THE PRICE AND PROVIDE BETTER UTILITY. THIS EXPERIENCE DEFINITELY HAS ME QUESTIONING MY BRAND LOYALTY. BMW SURELY ISN'T LIVING UP TO ITS' BRANDING MESSAGE AS "THE ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE" --- UNLESS IT SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDES GOING IN REVERSE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10195341July 5, 2007
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
2000 BMW 323I WILL NOT MOVE WHEN IN REVERSE GEAR. THE CAR BEHAVED AS IF IT WAS IN NEUTRAL. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO OTHER TROUBLE, WARNING LIGHT, ETC. LEADING UP TO THIS FAILURE. THE CAR WAS VERY WELL MAINTAINED AND SERVICED BY BMW AUTHORIZED DEALERS, HAS 66000 MILES AND WAS VERY GENTLY DRIVEN. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN FACED BY LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF 2000 BMW 323I OWNERS IN THE LAST YEAR ON CARS BETWEEN 60,000 AND 70,000 MILES; PLEASE SEE ATTACHED LINK: HTTP://WWW.CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM/AUTOMOTIVE/BMW_TRANS.HTML. I REQUESTED YOU TO INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM WITH BMW WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF DETERMINING IF A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL WAS WARRANTED.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10195177July 2, 2007
STRUCTURE
DRIVERS SIDE REAR SUBFRAME IS TEARING AWAY FROM BODY. THIS HAS BEEN NOTED SEVERAL TIMES ON THIS WEBSITE ALREADY. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10189653May 3, 2007
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS
REAR SUB-FRAME HAS CRACKED. OUR 1999 323I MODEL HAS 103,000 MILES AND APPARENTLY IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM. CALLED BMW USA N.A. TO HAVE AN INSPECTOR CHECK THE CAR ON 3/21/07 AND WAS TOLD TO GET THE CAR TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER SAID WE HAVE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, AND TO DATE, DESPITE NUMEROUS PHONE CALLS, WE STILL DO NOT HAVE AN APPOINTMENT. APPARENTLY, THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 1999-2005 323I MODELS. THE CAR HAS BEEN MODIFIED BY THICKENING THE METAL ON NEWER MODELS. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL SINCE THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10184644March 9, 2007
AIR BAGS
TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BMW 3I. THE AIR BAG MODULE FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT RECALL# 02V223000 WAS REPAIRED IN JULY 2003. THE DEALER STATED THAT THIS FAILURE USUALLY DIDN'T OCCUR AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED. THE CONTACT SPOKE TO AN AIR BAG ENGINEER ,WHO ALSO STATED THAT THIS TYPE OF FAILURE SHOULD NOT OCCUR IF THE VEHICLE WAS LESS THAN 10 YEARS OLD. THE CONTACT WAS THE OWNER AT THE TIME THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND WASN'T NOTIFIED THAT THE RECALL REPAIR WAS DONE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REPAIRS WERE AT HER OWN EXPENSE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE 16,000. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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