2003 BMW 3 Series Powertrain & Transmission Problems

ON OR AROUND THE FIRST WEEK OF DEC. 2020 AFTER FILLING UP WITH GAS, THE CAR JUST STOPPED WHILE IN MOTION WITHOUT ANY PRIOR DASH WARNING INDICATORS. I PLACED THE CAR IN PARK AND RESTARTED THE CAR ON THE FIRST TRY. AT THAT TIME I THOUGHT IT MAY HAVE BEEN BAD GAS. FAST FORWARD TO JAN. 09, 2021 WHILE PULLING UP TO GAS STATION CAR ACCELERATES WHILE I AM APPLYING BRAKES. VERY SCARY BECAUSE I COULD HAVE KILLED SOMEONE. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND IT REVVED UP AS THOUGH MY FOOT WAS ON THE ACCELERATOR. THIS HAS STARTED TO HAPPEN ON A REGULAR BASIS, ALTHOUGH. INTERMITTENTLY. RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE I FOUND THIS HAS BEEN DISCUSSED IN SEVERAL BMW FORUMS SINCE 2002 AND APPEARS TO HAPPEN IN OLDER AND NEWER CARS REGARDLESS OF MODEL TYPES. I HAVE MAYBE 165,000 MILES ON MY CAR AND THE MAINTENANCE IS VERY WELL DOCUMENTED AND CONSISTENT.

DRIVING ON 12/12/2019 ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY ABOUT 65MPH, GOING STRAIGHT, WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN REAR WHEELS (THIS IS RWD - 2003 BMW 325I) LOCKED UP COMPLETELY - THE VEHICLE WENT FORWARD AT ABOUT 45 DEGREES SIDEWAYS BEFORE IT STRAIGHTENED OUT WHEN THE SPEED DROPPED. THANKFULLY I DID NOT HIT ANYBODY, AND NO ONE HIT ME ALTHOUGH THERE WAS QUITE A BIT OF TRAFFIC ON THIS MULTI LANE INTERSTATE. I GOT AAA TOW IT HOME. HE HAD TO DRAG IT ONTO THE TRUCK BED AS THE REAR WHEELS CONTINUED TO BE LOCKED UP. WHEN I REMOVED AND OPENED THE DIFFERENTIAL TAPERED ROLLER BEARING ROLLERS WERE IN THE OIL SPACE. LOOKING TO SEE WHERE THEY JAMMED THE SYSTEM UP I NOTICED MARKS ON THE CARRIER. IT APPEARS ROLLERS JAMMED UP IN BETWEEN THE CARRIER AND THE INNER WALL OF THE DIFFERENTIAL BOX - SEE PHOTOGRAPHS. THEY MAY ALSO HAVE JAMMED UP IN BETWEEN THE GEARING BUT I DID NOT NOTICE MARKS ON THE TEETH BUT DID NOT HAVE TIME TO SPEND TO LOOK MORE CLOSELY.

THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN BY MY HOUSE AND THE TRANSMISION STARTED SLIPPING AS WELL AS IT CATCHING AND BREAKING ONE OF THE AXLES LEAVING THE CAR TO BE STUCK NOT BEING ABLE TO MOVE PERIOD SURELY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THIS RESULTED IN THE CAR GETTING HIT AND THE FUEL TANK EXPLODING MY AUNT WANT NOT ABLE TO MAKE IT OUT OF THE CAR TO GET OUT OF THE WAY AND AGAIN THIS CAR DIDN'T ALLOW THE AIR BAGS TO DEPLOY THE LOCATION IS UNKOWN

WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON AND CODE WAS P0741 WAS READ BY SERVICE TECHNICIAN. WHEN FIXED, TORQUE CONVERTER SEAL WAS DAMAGED AND NEW TORQUE CONVERTER WAS REQUIRED TO BE INSTALLED. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS TRANSMISSION. BMW SHOULD HAVE A RECALL, AS THE NEW SEAL IS THE SAME DESIGN AND WILL FAIL AGAIN. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 330CI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN TRYING TO PUT HER VEHICLE IN REVERSE IT WOULD NOT MOVE. WHILE SHIFTING INTO DRIVE IT MADE A LOUD NOISE BEFORE PROCEEDING FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO STATED THAT SHE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 101,000.

WENT TO GO INTO REVERSE AFTER COMING HOME FROM A SHOPPING SPREE AND THE CAR SIMPLY WOULD NOT REVERSE. AFTER A FEW DAYS IT FINALLY WENT INTO REVERSE. ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON AND THERE ARE TRANSMISSION CODES ON THE INDICATOR FROM THIS. CAN'T AFFORD TO FIX THIS PROBLEM BUT THERE ARE SEVERAL REPORTS ON THE 325 I BMW. *TR

MY 2003 325I BMW HAS A DEFECT IN THE TRANSMISSION WHICH CAUSED IT TO, WITHOUT WARNING, LOSE ITS ABILITY TO GO INTO REVERSE. I WAS RETURNING TO PHILADELPHIA FROM NYC SEVERAL DAYS AGO. I PULLED OVER FOR GAS. WHEN I PUT THE CAR INTO REVERSE, THE TRANSMISSION ACTED LIKE IT IS IN NEUTRAL. THE ENGINE WOULD REV BUT WAS NOT ENGAGED. THE CAR HAS ONLY 70K MILES ON IT. THE PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD IN OWNERS OF EARLY 2000 BMWS AND RESULTS FROM A REVERSE DRUM THAT IS POORLY MANUFACTURED AND NOT SUFFICIENTLY THICK AROUND THE EDGES. APPARENTLY, BMW CORRECTED THE MANUFACTURING PROBLEM IN 2003. IT NEVER SHARED INFO ABOUT THE ISSUE WITH PROSPECTIVE OWNERS, IN EFFECT SELLING CARS UNDER FALSE PRETENSE. PLEASE VISIT WWW.NOREVERSE.ORG AND YOU WILL SEE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE DRIVER MAY BE IN A DANGEROUS POSITION AND NEED TO REVERSE FOR GET OUT OF HARM'S WAY. BMW SHOULD HAVE RECALLED ALL OF THESE DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSIONS. I CANNOT AFFORD TO REPAIR THE CAR AND SO IT IS SIMPLY SITTING ON MY STREET. *TR

I WAS THE PREVIOUS OWNER OF A BMW 325I THAT I HAVE BEEN TOLD NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION. AGE - 2003, MILES 60,000. IT'S UNACCEPTABLE THAT A CAR WITH SO LOW MILES, HAS BEEN MAINTAINED AND DRIVEN GENTLY HAS EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM. AFTER SEARCHING ON THE WEB, I FIND THAT THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH BMW'S. WHY HAS NOTHING BEEN DONE? HOW CAN BMW SAY THIS IS NOT THEIR ISSUE WHEN CLEARLY THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THEIR CARS. I'M SPENDING AN ADDITIONAL 6,000 ON THIS CAR. I RECENTLY PURCHASED A BRAND NEW BMW AND SOLD THE 325 TO A CLOSE FRIEND. I REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AS I COULD NOT EXPECT THEM TO PAY FOR IT. PRIOR TO THE SALE, THE CAR CHECKED OUT WITH BMW. LITTLE DID I KNOW 2 WKS LATER IT WOULD HAVE THIS PROBLEM WHICH APPEARS TO BE A STANDARD PROBLEM WITH BMW. I REGRET THAT I BOUGHT A NEW ONE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW 323CI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE REAR D DRUM FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,000.

I WENT TO START MY VEHICLE IN THE MORNING AND IT STARTED AND THEN TURNED BACK OFF ON ITS OWN. THIS HAPPENED ABOUT 3 TIMES,BEFORE IT STAYED ON. I THEN DROVE THE VEHICLE ABOUT 40 MILES AND THE TRANSMISSIONS STARTED TO THUMP. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 100K MILES. I KEPT UP ON ALL ITS MAINTENANCE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE TRANSMISSION LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BOTH CAME ON. I WAS INFORMED IT WOULD COST 6,500 TO REPAIR MY TRANSMISSION. *TR

I HAVE A FORMERLY PRISTINE BMW 325I 2003 WITH 70KMI THAT HAD A SUDDEN, CATASTROPHIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE FOR UNIDENTIFIABLE REASONS WHILE BEING DRIVEN NEAR SACRAMENTO. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A BMW DEALER IN SACRAMENTO WHO CLAIMED THEY HAD "NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT", YET CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM HAS OVER 20 PAGES OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SPECIFIC PROBLEM. UNFORTUNATELY, THOUGH WE WERE ABLE TO LOCATE A USED TRANSMISSION, THE DEALER REFUSED TO INSTALL ANYTHING OTHER THAN A BRAND NEW UNIT AT THE COST OF $6,000. CLEARLY THERE IS SOMETHING DEFECTIVE IN THESE TRANSMISSIONS. IT APPEARS THAT BMW OF NORTH AMERICAN HAS REFUSED TO ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY. *TR

BOUGHT 2003 BMW 325I BRAND NEW. AFTER DRIVING IT FOR 4 YEARS (39,800MILIES) IT STARTED MAKING A THUMB SOUND AND STARTED LOSING TRANSMISSION POWER AND THE GEAR INDICATION LIGHT TURNS ON. BROUGHT TO DEALERSHIP AND I THOUGHT IT WAS FIXED. IT WAS ALWAYS HAPPENING UNTIL THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. I CAN NOT USE THE CAR SPECIALLY DURING COLD WEATHER. THIS PROBLEM WAS HAPPENING ON THE HIGHWAY AND CITY STREET WHILE IN MOTION. MOST OF THE TIME THE CAR IS IN THE GARAGE. I CAN NOT BELIEVE THAT AT ONLY 39,800 MILES, THIS CAR IS GOING TO HAVE SUCH A MAJOR PROBLEM. BUT I BELIEVE THIS A TRANSMISSION ISSUE. THIS CAR STILL LOOKS MINT BECAUSE OF RARE USAGE.

MY 2003 BMW 330I HAS 85K MILES AND IS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION. RECENTLY, HOWEVER, A "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT CAME ON. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED A PROBLEM AND INFORMED ME THAT I NEEDED A NEW TORQUE CONVERTER BECAUSE THE GASKET WAS LEAKING, HOWEVER, THE CAR WAS DRIVING JUST FINE. THEY TOLD ME THAT IF I DIDN'T REPLACE IT NOW THEN DOWN THE ROAD THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION MIGHT FAIL AND NEED REPLACEMENT. I FEEL RIPPED OFF HAVING PAID $3,000 FOR A TORQUE CONVERTER ON A CAR THAT DROVE FINE. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT IT'S A COMMON PROBLEM THAT BMW IS AWARE OF, BUT THE COMPANY REFUSED TO HELP OUT WITH THE COST, STATING THAT THERE WERE TOO MANY MILES ON MY CAR. THE LIFE OF THE TRANSMISSION IS SUPPOSED TO BE WAY LONGER THAN 85K MILES. TOO BAD, BMW SAID. *JB

XENON LIGHTS WENT OUT SHORTLY AFTER THE 50,000 MARK. SHORTLY AFTER CAR KEPT GOING INTO FAIL SAFE MODE, KEPT GETTING LOW VOLTAGE READINGS ON DIAGNOSTICS. ONE BMW DEALERS KEPT TELLING ME I NEEDED TO REBUILD TRANSMISSION. ALL THEY WOULD DO IS PLUG THE CAR INTO THE COMPUTER AND SEE THE TRANNY READING ON THE SCANNER. THE REASON THERE WAS A TRANNY READING WAS BECAUSE THE CAR WAS IN FAIL SAFE MODE. I EVENTUALLY HAD THE TRANNY REBUILT AND I STILL HAD THE SAME ISSUE. I WOULD CYCLE THE IGNITION AND RESTART THE CAR AND CAR WOULD DRIVE FINE. IT KEEPS GOING INTO FAIL SAFE MODE EVERYTIME I START THE CAR. ITS HARDER TO GET IT OUT OF FAIL SAFE MODE IN THE WINTER WITH COLDER STARTS. *TT

PLEASE REFER TO FR DOC 04-10644. MY PROBLEM CONCERNS THIS EXACT ISSUE WITH MY 2003 BMW X5, IE, DELAYED PARK TO DRIVE ENGAGEMENT ON COLD START. ON 11-11-06 I BACKED OUT OF MY DRIVE (I LIVE ON A CORNER LOT) AND IMMEDIATELY AM AT A STOP SIGN. I PULLED OUT, BUT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT FULLY ENGAGE IN DRIVE AND AS A RESULT I CAME WITHIN INCHES OF BEING SMASHED BY A TRUCK THAT WAS COMING DOWN THE ROAD I WAS ENTERING. IN THE DOCUMENT MENTIONED ABOVE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE DEFECT WAS NOT A SAFETY HAZARD. YOU WERE WRONG. IN THIS DOCUMENT BMW ARGUED THAT THEY HAD A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN SIB 24 07 03 TO CORRECT THIS SITUATION BY INSTALLING A NEW TRANSMISSION. UNFORTUNATELY, IN JULY '04 THEY REVISED THIS TSB TO REPROGRAM THE EGS MODULE (INCREASING THE PRESSURE IN THE TRANSMISSION SO IT TAKES LONGER TO LEAK DOWN) AND NOT TO PUT IN NEW TRANSMISSIONS. I HAVE HAD MY X5 REPROGRAMMED BY BMW AND IT DID NO GOOD. I HAD A BMW CUSTOMER SERVICE ADVISOR TELL ME THAT THE REPROGRAMMING WAS A PARTIAL FIX BUT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. HE SAID IT WAS A MATTER OF MONEY FOR BMW. MY CAR IS STILL UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY. I BOUGHT IT USED. THE BMW REPRESENTATIVE, JEFF FITZ, THEN HAD THE NERVE TO TELL ME IF I HAD BOUGHT THE CAR NEW I WOULD HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF GETTING A NEW TRANSMISSION. HE SAID I SHOULD THINK ABOUT LEARNING TO LIVE WITH THE PROBLEM SINCE HIS EXPERIENCE IS THAT THE NEW TRANSMISSIONS ARE NOT SATISFACTORY EITHER. I ASK THAT YOU REVIEW YOUR FINDINGS ON THE BASIS THAT BMW IS NOT CORRECTING THE SAFETY PROBLEM AS INDICATED IN FR DOC 04-10644. *JB

DEFECTIVE 5-SPEED TRANSMISSION AT 17,000 MILES. *JB

PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSION ON 2003 BMW 325I.*MR WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION LAGGED FOLLOWED BY SURGING WHEN SHIFTING FROM PARK, NEUTRAL, REVERSE THEN DRIVE WHEN THE ENGINE WAS COLD. INITIALLY THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, BUT THREE MONTHS LATER IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPROGRAMMED. THE DEALER HAS NOT CONTACTED THE CONSUMER IN ALMOST 2 WEEKS TO PERFORM THIS SERVICE. *NM

VEHICLE THRUSTS FORWARD DESPITE THE BRAKE PEDAL BEING DEPRESSED. *MR CONSUMER HAD TO PRESS BOTH FEET TO KEEP VEHICLE FROM JUMPING INTO THE INTERSECTION. ALSO, CONSUMER HAD TO SHIFT GEAR FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL. *LA

VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION IS NOT ENGAGING WHEN STARTING FROM A STATIONARY POSITION. *MR THE ENGINE WOULD REV UP TO 3-4000, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD CREEP, LURCH FORWARD AND SPEED UP NORMALLY. THIS WOULD USUALLY OCCUR WHEN THE VEHICLE SAT OVERNIGHT. THE PROBLEM ALSO OCCURRED WHEN BACKING UP. *SC *JB

2003 BOUGHT BRAND NEW. AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DOES NOT ENGAGE IN THE MORNINGS. AFTER PARKING CAR IN GARAGE OVERNIGHT, THE CAR IS PUT WENT INTO REVERSE AND BACKED OUT WITHOUT STEPPING ON THE GAS (DRIVEWAY IS SLOPED). AFTER SHIFTING INTO DRIVE, THE CAR LAGS ANYWHERE FROM 3 TO 10 SECONDS BEFORE THERE IS ANY POWER TO DRIVE. THIS IS SPECIALLY DANGEROUS WHEN THERE IS TRAFFIC.*AK