2000 BMW 323I Complaints

AFTER 105,000 MILES, THE MY 2000 BMW 323I SPORTS WAGON ALL OF A SUDDEN - AND WITHOUT ANY WARNING - "LOST" ITS REVERSE GEAR. THE CAR WAS DRIVEN CAREFULLY AND WELL-MAINTAINED. AFTER RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET, I QUICKLY LEARNED THAT THERE ARE THOUSANDS OR OTHER CONSUMERS WITH YEAR 2000 3-SERIES BMW EXPERIENCING THE SAME TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. HAVING THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED BY A BMW DEALERSHIP COSTS MORE THAN $6,000. APPARENTLY, A DESIGN FLAW WITH THE ZF TRANSMISSION (5HP19) IS TO BLAME FOR THE LOSS OF THE REAR GEAR, BUT BMW DENIES KNOWLEDGE OF A WIDESPREAD TRANSMISSION PROBLEM, NOR DO THEY TAKE RESPONSIBILITY TO HAVE THE FAULTY TRANSMISSIONS REPLACED - UNDER WHATEVER KIND OF WARRANTY. SINCE I BOUGHT THIS CAR USED 2.5 YEARS AGO, I HAVE NO CHANCE TO HOLD BMW OR MY DEALERSHIP RESPONSIBLE, OR -AT LEAST- NEGOTIATE A MORE ACCEPTABLE RESOLUTION OF THE ZF 5HP19 TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. *TR

I WAS FINISH FILL UP GAS TANK, THE GUY INFRONT OF ME STILL PUMPING, SO I ENGAGE THE REVERSE GEAR TO MOVE BACK, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR JUST SIT THERE LIKE IT IS ON NEUTRAL; IT LOST ITS REVERSE GEAR. I DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE, THEN I FOUND WWW.NOREVERSE.ORG EXCLUSIVE DEALING WITH 2000 323I THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN THE REVERSE GEAR IS LOSE. *TR

WITHOUT ANY WARNING, MY CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE. IT IS A 2000 BMW 323I WITH ONLY 77,000 MILES ON IT. I DID A SEARCH ON THE INTERNET, AND FOUND OUT THAT THERE ARE DOZENS OF OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME THING HAPPEN TO THEM. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM, THE TRANSMISSION JUST GOING OUT ALL OF A SUDDEN, BUT BMW DOESN'T AGREE. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION, AND THEY NEED TO A DO A RECALL, BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BMW 323I. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG WOULD NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE AIR BAG BE REPLACED AT THE COST OF $1,500. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 89,000. UPDATED 07/15/08 *BF

TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON A 2000 BMW 323I. THE CAR SIMPLY WILL NOT ENGAGE IN REVERSE. THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM THAT BMW KNOWS ABOUT BUT REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE. SOMETHING MUST BE DONE. *TR

I HAVE A 2000 BMW 323I AUTOMATIC. THE REVERSE GEAR JUST STOPPED WORKING. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON COMPLAINT SEEN ON MANY PLACES BY MANY PEOPLE ON THE INTERNET. CHECK HTTP://WWW.NOREVERSE.ORG I HAD GONE TO WORK AND WHEN I REACHED THERE, I HAD TO REVERSE THE CAR INTO THE PARKING AT THIS IS WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT MY REVERSE NO LONGER WORKS. NHTSA: PLEASE ASK BMW TO DO A RECALL AS THIS IS AFFECTING HUNDREDS OF CONSUMERS WHO PURCHASED BMW BETWEEN 1999 AND 2002. BMW KNEW ABOUT THESE ISSUE AND CHOSE TO CONTINUE SELLING THESE VEHICLES WITHOUT CORRECTING THE KNOWN ISSUE. THIS IS A SERIOUS FLAW AND AN UNETHICAL CONDUCT BY BMW NA.

I HAVE A BMW 323 CI AND I WAS MAKING A RUN TO THE STORE AND I COME BACK OUT AND TRY TO REVERSE AND MY CAR DIDN'T MOVE ANYWHERE BUT THE RPM'S WERE GOING, SO I LOST MY REVERSE GEAR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BMW 323I. THE CONTACT PLACED THE GEAR INTO REVERSE TO BACK INTO THE DRIVEWAY. SUDDENLY, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO REV, BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT MOVE. HE PLACED THE GEAR BACK INTO DRIVE AND THE VEHICLE MOVED FORWARD. HE PLACED THE GEAR INTO REVERSE AGAIN AND THE ENGINE REVVED. THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE AND PUSHED IT INTO THE DRIVEWAY. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE SNAP RING FAILED OUT OF THE CLUTCH DRUM, PREVENTING THE VEHICLE FROM MOVING IN REVERSE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED. THROUGH ONLINE RESEARCH, THE CONTACT FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THE SAME DEFECT. HE BELIEVES THIS SHOULD BE REPAIRED BY THE MANUFACTURER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 90,450. UPDATED 6/9/08 *CN

MY 2000 323CI TRANSMISSION NO LONGER WORKS IN REVERSE. AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET I REALIZED THIS IS A VERY COMMON. MY CAR ONLY HAS 80K MILES AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN MAINTAINED. I'LL BE SPEAKING TO A LAWYER NEXT WEEK AFTER I COMPILE AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE. WILL THIS TRANSMISSION EVER RECEIVE A RECALL? *TR

MY 2000 BMW 323I HAD BEEN WORKING FINE. ONE MORNING I WENT TO BACK OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY AND IT WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE. THERE WAS NO WARNING THAT IT WAS ABOUT TO FAIL. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON ON THIS YEAR, MODEL AND MAKE OF CAR, DUE TO THE D-G RING IN THE TRANSMISSION. *TR