2001 BMW 330CI Complaints

1. VEHICLE WAS WORKING FINE 2. WILL NOT GO INTO REVERSE 3. NEED REBUILT TRANSMISSION $3,500.00. *TR

I HAVE A 2001 BMW 330 CI WITH 116K MILES. I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE AND IT WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS THAT INDICATED THAT SOMETHING COULD BE WRONG WITH THE CAR. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT I HAVE TO GET A NEW TRANSMISSION AND WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $4000. I WENT TO THE CONSUMER AFFAIRS WEBSITE AND DISCOVERED THAT MANY CONSUMERS REPORTED THE SAME ISSUE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW BMW IS ADDRESSING THIS COMMON ISSUE AND IDENTIFY IF THERE ARE ANY CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW 330CI. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE COOLING FAN MOTOR FAILED. THE HEAD GASKET FAILED, WHICH ALSO CAUSED THE ENGINE TO FAIL. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 02V138000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN). THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT COVER ANY DAMAGES TO THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 82,000.

THE DEFECTIVE PASSENGER AIRBAG IN A VERY MINOR CRASH BLINDED ME EVEN THOUGH I WAS PROPERLY WEARING MY SEATBELT. *TR

BMW 2001 330CI. REVERSE GEAR FAILED AND INOPERABLE (ACTS LIKE NEUTRAL AND DOES NOT ENGAGE) ALLOWED VEHICLE TO ROLL BACKWARDS DOWN HILL BEFORE I (THE OPERATOR) NOTICED I WAS MOVING. COULD NOT USE ENGINE THROTTLE TO CONTROL SPEED AS IT WAS LIKE IT WAS IN NEUTRAL. VEHICLE ONLY HAS 75K MILES ON 'NO SERVICE' AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. *TR

AFTER ONLY 39,000 MILES OF VERY GENTLE DRIVING, THE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS ARE SCRAP ON MY 2001 BMW 330CI. SYMPTOM SHOW UP AS A JERK ON THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN BRAKES ARE QUICKLY APPLIED. FRONT WHEELS CAN ALSO BE OBSERVED FROM OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE BY AN ONLOOKER MOVING WITHIN THE WHEEL WELL WHEN VEHICLE GETS ROLLING AND BRAKES ARE APPLIED AND THEN RELEASED. APPARENTLY THIS IS A WELL KNOWN HIGH WEAR AREA. INTEND TO CLAIM FROM BMW EVEN THOUGH VEHICLE IS OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY PERIOD. *NM

I WAS MAKING A LANE CHANGE IN ORDER TO MERGE ONTO THE FREEWAY TRAFFIC. WITHOUT HITTING ANY OBJECTS, UNEXPECTED DEPLOYMENT OF THE FRONT SIDE AIRBAG (DRIVER SIDE) OCCURRED. MY HEAD WAS HIT BY SOME FLYING OBJECTS FROM THE DEPLOYMENT. VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER AND COULDN'T BE STARTED AFTER THAT FOR ALMOST 15 MINS. FINALLY CHP SHOWED UP AND HELPED ME TO START MY CAR SO THAT I COULD DRIVE IT TO LOCAL DEALER. AFTER FEW DAYS OF "INVESTIGATION", THE DEALER DECIDED IT WAS NOT THE FAULT OF THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. INSTEAD, THEY BLAMED MY REAR TIRE ON MY PASSENGER SIDE CAUSING THE DEPLOYMENT. AS A RESULT, THEY REFUSED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE UNDER BMW'S COST. *JB

I HAVE A 2001 BMW 330CI THAT I BOUGHT NEW. RECENTLY THE DOOR LOCKS STARTED TO FAIL INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN THEY WOULD FAIL, YOU WOULD ONLY BE ABLE TO USE THE KEY TO MANUALLY UNLOCK THE DOORS. HOWEVER, IF YOU WERE INSIDE THE VEHICLE, YOU WOULD BE TRAPPED BECAUSE THE DOORS COULD NOT BE OPENED MANUALLY NO MATTER WHAT YOU DID FROM INSIDE THE CAR. YOU COULD POWER DOWN THE WINDOW AND GIVE YOUR KEY TO SOMEONE TO USE IT TO MANUALLY UNLOCK THE CAR FROM THE OUTSIDE. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THE COMPUTER DOOR LOCK CONTROL UNIT WAS DEFECTIVE AND WOULD COST $680 TO REPLACE IT. I BELIEVE THAT FOR SAFETY REASONS YOU SHOULD ALWAYS BE ABLE TO ESCAPE YOUR VEHICLE FROM INSIDE EVEN IF THE COMPUTER FAILS. SHOULD THIS HAPPEN IF THERE IS A FIRE OR IF YOUR END UP IN A THE WATER YOU WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE CAR. YOU ARE TRAPPED INSIDE. *JB

DT THE DRIVERS AIR BAG DEPLOYED WHILE DRIVING. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER. IT WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THIS HAPPENED AROUND MAY 31, 2005. VEHICLE ENDED UP OFF THE ROAD BECAUSE IT HIT CONSUMER IN THE HEAD. HAD HEADACHES FOR A FEW DAYS AFTERWARD. *AK *JB

1. NORMAL DRIVING. 2. SUB-FRAME FAILURE CAUSING MAJOR CLANKING IN AND LARGE UNDUE STRESS ON DRIVE TRAIN. THE DRIVETRAIN IS LIKELY TO FAIL. DEALERSHIP NOT HELPING. PERVASIVE PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL. WELL DOCUMENTED IN BMW FORUMS. 3. THE DEALER DOES NOT ADMIT THE PROBLEM. MAY COST MANY OWNERS THOUSANDS TO REPAIR. THERE WAS A EUROPEAN RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE. *AK