There are 3 stored owner reports matching the powertrain & transmission leading-label group for the 2001 BMW M3 in our NHTSA-sourced dataset. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This group counts stored reports whose component label starts with one of this site's matching prefixes, ignoring case. Each matching report counts once within the group. Components mentioned later in the label or only in the narrative are not searched. How component counts work
Loaded 3 of 3 matching reports.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)MY M3 CIC MAKES A LOUD GRINDING/CLATTER TYPE NOISE WHEN DISENGAGING THE 6-SPEED MANUAL CLUTCH IN BOTH 1ST AND REVERSE. THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR IS MOVING AT ABOUT 1-2 MPH. BMW TECH'S SAY THIS IS NORMAL OPERATION, HOWEVER, I CAN'T DUPLICATE THE SAME PROBLEM ON A NEW M3 W/6 SPEED TRANSMISSION. *JB
LOTS OF COMMON COMPLAINTS ON INTERNET SITE WWW.BIMMER.ORG E46M3 POST BOARD. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK
MY CAR EXHIBITS A LOUD CLUNKING IN THE REAR OF THE CAR WHEN SHIFTING, GOING ON/OFF GAS AND FROM RELEASING THE CLUTCH AT SLOW SPEEDS. THE SEVERITY IS INCREASING WITH MILEAGE. THE SERVICE CENTER THAT I AM USING: BURDICK BMW, 3904 BREWERTON RD., N. SYRACUSE NY 13212, 315-458-7590 HAS BEEN UNABLE TO FIX THE CAR. I HAVE BEGUN RECEIVING REPORTS FROM OTHER OWNERS OF THIS PROBLEM ULTIMATELY LEADING TO THE FAILURE OF THE DRIVESHAFT ATTACHMENT AT THE DIFFERENTIAL ON THEIR CARS. THIS IS VERY CONCERNING TO ME AND I CANNOT HELP BUT WORRY ABOUT THE SERIOUS SAFETY RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROBLEM.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
Checks are recorded separately for each dataset, not for the whole page. Dates use UTC. A missing check date does not mean no records exist.
Vehicle import recorded: Apr 28, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.