2008 BMW X3 Powertrain & Transmission Problems

I am working with a journalist at CNBC to get info about this death trap out since NHTSA is ignoring the issue completely. People are telling you their family members are injured and/or dying because 2008 BMW X3’s simply loose power at 70mph and transmission issues that make this care not accelerate, jerk, stall, etc. I have been helping contact other owners in an effort to see if they have any unreported issues and many say their complaints were also ignored. when you try to accelerate, the transmission "thinks" about what gear it should be in. the vehicle hesitates, stalls slightly, and creeps along slowly before second gear catches. the rpms are erratic when accelerating. very unpredictable when trying to accelerate. the hesitation is the main issue, especially when trying to pull out of an intersection across traffic. it can become a very scary situation when you want to accelerate and nothing happens. this is an ongoing problem. nothing in particular causes it to happen besides regular acceleration. the problem is intermittent and may disappear while driving. however, it will appear again for no real reason. a software update was performed in mid-july. the problem was still noticeable. on august 3rd, the vehicle was once again brought in for service work. the service manager came along for the drive and noticed the transmission problem. another 2008 bmw x3 that was on the lot was driven under the same driving conditions. the same issues with the transmission were noted. he told me that they will contact bmw to see if there are any service bulletins on how to correct the problem, but was unaware of any fix currently available. after two service calls the problem still persists without any fix as of yet.

NHTSA: PLEASE HELP, OUR 2008 (BESIDES ALL LOST TIME FOR THE REPAIRED RECALLS) OUR 2008 BMW X3 IS SUFFERING THE EXACT AS IN THE RECALL BELOW; NHTSA 14V176000, THE BMW DEALER REPLACED THE CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSORS DUE TO "ENGINE PROBLEMS"JULY 2020,MILES 135,000 THIS DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THAT BMW DEALER, NASHUA NH THEN CALLED US TO SAY IT WOULD BE $4,500.00 TO FIX. UNSAFE TO DRIVE, IT LOST POWER BY 70% OR GREATER-MY WIFE, AND I HAVE BEEN NEARLY _REAR ENDED WHEN THIS OCCURED AT HIGWAY SPPEDS-AND SLOWER LOCAL SPEEDS IE 65MPH OR 30 MPH LIMITS.....WE HAD TO STOP DRIVING FOR LIFE SAFETY. 1. HOW DID BMW GET AWAY WITH NOT INCLUDING THE OTHER YRS WITH SAME ENGINE SAFETY ISSUES(OURS 2008) AND WHY DID A BMW SERV.ADVISOR REPLACE PARTS FOR OVER $1000.00 KNOWING THAT A BMW SERV.BULLETIN HAD CITED THE MANUFACTURE DEFECTS? 3. PLEASE HELP WITH RECOURSE? I AM SENDING TITLE COPY FOR OWNERSHIP, I AM AWAITING COPIES OF REPAIRS BY BMW (THEY ARE BEING SLOW / DELAYING) I AM COLLECTING ALL REPAIR RECEIPTS AT THIS TIME. AGAIN: THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING AND LOST POWER, STALLED AND EVENTUALLY STARTED WITH LOST POWER.

TRANSFER CASE NEED TO BE REPAIRED VARIOUS TIMES. THE PLASTIC PIECE INSIDE THE CASE KEEP GOING BAD CAUSING ME TO PAY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO REPLACE THE TRANSFER CASE MOTOR AND LABOR COST TO DO SO. WITHOUT A PROPER TRANSFER CASE YOU CAN NOT SWITCH GEARS PROPERLY WHICH ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT WHEN TRYING TO MERGE ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MY CHILD IN A REAR CAR SEAT.

WHILE DRIVING, THE 4X4 AND BREAK LIGHTS COME ON THE DASHBOARD, AFTER A FEW MILES OF DRIVING THE POWER TRAIN CAN BE FELT TO BE FAILING/SLIPPING, IT IS MORE NOTICEABLE WHEN MAKING A TURN, ACCORDING TO THE BMW DEALERSHIP, THE TRANSFER CASE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, AFTER SOME RESEARCH, THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON FAILURE WITH BMW CARS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW X3. THE CONTACT RECENTLY PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THERE WAS AN OIL LEAK. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LAUDERDALE BMW OF PEMBROKE PINES (14800 SHERIDAN ST, PEMBROKE PINES, FL 33028, 954-620-5050) WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V683000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) AND THAT THE CV JOINT NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RECALL WAS REMEDIED, BUT THE CV JOINT WAS NOT REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER FROM WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE CV JOINT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER A WARRANTY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 92,000. *TT

LAST WEEK DASH 4X4 LIGHT COMES ON A,UDIBLE RAPID CLICKING SOUND COMES FROM REAR JUST AFTER CAR IS TURNED OFF...I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO WEST PATERSON MOTORS IN WOODLAND PARK, NJ FOR DIAGNOSTICS. MECHANIC STATES COMPUTER CODES INDICATE IT'S TRANSFER CASE FAILURE, AND TO REPLACE IT COSTS OVER $ 2,600.00 ! HOW DOES THE VEHICLE SUCH AS BMW GETS AWAY WITH SUCH POOR QUALITY, PARTS THAT FAIL SO SOON, SO EXPENSIVE? HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE? PLEASE RECALL TRANSFER CASE PLEASE, THIS VEHICLE DOES NOT EVEN HAVE 85,000 MILES ON ODOMETER YET ...

I HAVE BROUGHT MY VEHICLE TO BLOOMFIELD NJ DEALERSHIP ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS IN 2013, 2014, 2015 DUE TO VEHICLES INABILITY TO SHIFT GEARS SWIFTLY, RMP GOING TO 34,000 AND TRANSMISSION NOT SHIFTING GEARS. I DRIVE ABOUT 6,000MILES PER YEAR SOMETIMES LESS. ALL DEALER WOULD SAY "VEHICLE PERFORMS AS DESIGNED"....OR "UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM". AROUND JUNE 20, 2016 WHEN IN THE DRIVEWAY I PUT GEAR IN REVERSE BUT VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE. I CALLED BMW DEALER DESCRIBING THE INABILITY OF MY CAR MOVING IN REVERSE DEALER REPRESENTATIVE STATED ITS TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO TRA-PAR TRANSMISSIONS IN BELLEVILLE NJ ON JUNE 23, 2016 CONFIRMED TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND REPLACED IT JUNE 27, 2016 FOR $ 3, 092.19 !!! COME TO FIND OUT THROUGH READING COPIES OF RECEIPTS DEALER HAD NOT DESCRIBED ISSUES AS THERE WERE ON THEIR WORK ORDERS! AFTER I READ MOST OF THEM, THEY DON'T EVEN MENTION THE TRUE REASON WHY THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT IN ! I'M VERY DISGUSTED WITH THEM AND I FIND BMW DEALER STALLING TACTICS AND DECEPTION CRIMINAL.

FOR NEARLY THE ENTIRE TIME I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE I HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH THE CAR JERKING AND LURCHING WHILE ACCELERATING IN THE LOWER RPM RANGES. OF LATE THIS HAS BECOME SO BAD I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM MANIFESTS ITSELF MOSTLY BETWEEN 1,800 AND 2,400 RPM WITH THE MOST SEVERE ISSUES IN THE 2,200 TO 2,400 RPM RANGE. WHEN GOING FROM A STOP THE CAR WILL BEGIN TO ACCELERATE AND WHEN IT GETS JUST ABOVE 2,000 RPM IT BEGINS TO JERK AND LURCH WITH THE TACHOMETER FLUCTUATING WILDLY. THE 4X4 LIGHT THEN COMES ON AND THE CAR COMPLETELY LOSES ACCELERATION. THIS HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY INTERSECTION. I HAVE BEEN NEARLY T-BONED TWICE AND NOW FEAR FOR MY LIFE DRIVING THIS CAR. *TR

THIS VEHICLE IS A BMW X3 3.0SI. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN FIRST GEAR, THERE IS A SEVERE HESITATION IN THE TRANSMISSION. WHEN YOU TRY TO ACCELERATE, THE TRANSMISSION "THINKS" ABOUT WHAT GEAR IT SHOULD BE IN. THE VEHICLE HESITATES, STALLS SLIGHTLY, AND CREEPS ALONG SLOWLY BEFORE SECOND GEAR CATCHES. THE RPMS ARE ERRATIC WHEN ACCELERATING. VERY UNPREDICTABLE WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE. THE HESITATION IS THE MAIN ISSUE, ESPECIALLY WHEN TRYING TO PULL OUT OF AN INTERSECTION ACROSS TRAFFIC. IT CAN BECOME A VERY SCARY SITUATION WHEN YOU WANT TO ACCELERATE AND NOTHING HAPPENS. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM. NOTHING IN PARTICULAR CAUSES IT TO HAPPEN BESIDES REGULAR ACCELERATION. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AND MAY DISAPPEAR WHILE DRIVING. HOWEVER, IT WILL APPEAR AGAIN FOR NO REAL REASON. A SOFTWARE UPDATE WAS PERFORMED IN MID-JULY. THE PROBLEM WAS STILL NOTICEABLE. ON AUGUST 3RD, THE VEHICLE WAS ONCE AGAIN BROUGHT IN FOR SERVICE WORK. THE SERVICE MANAGER CAME ALONG FOR THE DRIVE AND NOTICED THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. ANOTHER 2008 BMW X3 THAT WAS ON THE LOT WAS DRIVEN UNDER THE SAME DRIVING CONDITIONS. THE SAME ISSUES WITH THE TRANSMISSION WERE NOTED. HE TOLD ME THAT THEY WILL CONTACT BMW TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY SERVICE BULLETINS ON HOW TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, BUT WAS UNAWARE OF ANY FIX CURRENTLY AVAILABLE. AFTER TWO SERVICE CALLS THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS WITHOUT ANY FIX AS OF YET. *TR

OWN A 2008 BMW X3 3.0 SI AWD. WE HAD AN ENGINE CRANKING ISSUE AND TOOK TO VEHICLE TO DEALER TO HAVE TSB SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER : SIB-12-17-07/NHTSA ITEM NUMBER : 10028464 PERFORMED. SINCE THIS WAS PERFORMED, THERE IS VERY POOR THROTTLE RESPONSE IN THE NORMAL TRANSMISSION MODE. THE TRANSMISSION WILL STALL TO ENGAGE WITH VERY ERRATIC AND HARD UP AND DOWN SHIFTS. THE CONCERN IS WITH THE DELAY IN THROTTLE RESPONSE WHEN PULLING INTO TRAFFIC, WHEN YOU GIVE IT THROTTLE, IT IS DELAYED TO RESPOND, PRESENTING A TRUE SAFETY CONCERN. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN BACK TO THE DEALER 2 TO 3 TIMES SINCE WITH NO RESOLUTION. BMW NORTH AMERICA WAS CONTACTED AND THEY SIMPLY REFERRED ME BACK TO THE DEALER. SPOKE WITH THE DEALER THIS WEEK AND THERE IS STILL NO RESOLUTION AS THEY SAY THEY ARE STILL WAITING ON NEW COMPUTER PROGRAMMING; HOWEVER, THEY HAVE 3 OTHER X3S IN THIS DEALERSHIP WITH THE SAME CONCERN. MY FEAR IS THAT WHEN MY WIFE IS PULLING INTO TRAFFIC THAT THE VEHICLE WILL BE DELAYED IN THROTTLE RESPONSE AND A CRASH MAY RESULT. BMW HAS AN ISSUE WITH THIS IN LOOKING AT THE BIMMERFEST.COM BLOG AS THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME ISSUE ON THIS SITE. *TR

MY BMW X3 2008 WAS 'BOUGHT BACK' BY BMW AFTER THREE MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP IN DEC 2008 DUE TO A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT RESPOND WHEN DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR AT RANDOM TIMES. IT HAPPENED ONCE AFTER PULLING AWAY FROM AN EZPASS BOOTH - THE CAR JUST FROZE AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE NEARLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THIS WAS SO SERIOUS THAT BMW RECOGNIZED IT AS A PROBLEM BUT COULD NOT FIX IT DESPITE REPLACING MAJOR TRANSMISSION PARTS. THEY ASSURED ME IT WAS NOT A GENERAL PROBLEM IN X3'S SO I ALLOWED THEM TO REPLACE THE 2008 X3 WITH A 2009 MODEL. LESS THAN 1000 MILES AND ONE MONTH LATER THE 2009 STARTED EXHIBITING THE SAME PROBLEMS. THIS TIME BMW WOULD NOT REMEDY THE SITUATION INSTEAD DENYING THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. THE MATTER IS CURRENTLY WITH MY LEMON LAW LAWYERS AND BMW. HERE IS A LINK TO A BLOG THAT SHOWS MANY BMW X3 OWNERS HAVE THE PROBLEM - SOME HAVE HAD THEIR CARS REPLACED BY BMW AND OTHERS HAVE BEEN IGNORED. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT IS BEING IGNORED BY THE MANUFACTURER (SIMILAR TO THE TOYOTA ISSUE). PLEASE INVESTIGATE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. HTTP://WWW.BIMMERFEST.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=262130. *TR