2000 BMW 323I

WE HAVE A SAFETY ISSUE WITH OUR BMW 323I YEAR 2000. THE ELECTRIC DOOR LOCKS WILL ACTUATE AND THEN YOU CANNOT GET OUT OF THE CAR THROUGH 3 OR 4 DOORS. THE ELECTRIC LOCKS WILL NOT DISENGAGE AND YOU CANNOT RELEASE THEM WITH THE HANDLE FROM THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. PASSENGERS ARE BASICALLY TRAPPED INSIDE THE CAR AND HAVE TO CLIMB OVER THE FRONT SEAT TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. PROBLEM HAS BEEN RECURRING FREQUENTLY. AFTER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, WE ARE USUALLY ABLE TO GET THE LOCKS TO WORK. I FOUND 10 COMPLAINTS FILED ON THIS SAME ISSUE WITH ONE DEATH AND 3 INJURIES RESULTING FROM THIS MALFUNCTION. THERE ARE PROBABLY MORE COMPLAINTS BUT I JUST LOOKED AT 3 VEHICLE YEARS. *TR

I DRIVE A 2000 BMW 323I AND AT TIMES DUE TO A FAULTY CENTER CONTROL MODULE (MOST LIKELY) I CAN NOT GET OUT OF MY CAR. IT WILL NOT UNLOCK FROM THE OUTSIDE OR INSIDE, BUT THANKFULLY I CAN ROLL DOWN THE WINDOWS IF I NEED TO GET OUT. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS IF I NEEDED TO GET OUT IN A HURRY. THE BMW DEALERSHIPS WANT TO CHARGE AN ARM AND A LEG TO JUST POSSIBLY FIX A PROBLEM. THERE ARE MANY OTHERS OUT THERE WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS. *TR

I OWN A 2000 BMW 323I WITH ONLY 21,500 MILES ON IT. THE CAR IS KEPT IN AN INTERIOR GARAGE AND DRIVEN MOSTLY WITHIN THE CITY. UNTIL TWO DAYS AGO, I HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR AND NEVER HAD ANY INDICATION THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION (OR ANYTHING ELSE FOR THAT MATTER). I BACKED OUT OF MY GARAGE, DROVE TO A STORE, DID MY SHOPPING AND RETURNED TO THE PARKING LOT. I TURNED THE IGNITION ON AS NORMAL, PUT MY FOOT ON THE BREAK AND SHIFTED THE GEAR INTO REVERSE AND TRIED TO BACK OUT, BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. IT ACTED AS IF IT WERE IN NEUTRAL BUT THE DASHBOARD CLEARLY READ THAT I WAS IN REVERSE. THERE WAS NO WARNING, NO INDICATOR LIGHT WENT ON, NO NOISE OR SOUND OUT OF THE ORDINARY. THE CAR DID DRIVE FORWARD, SO I WAITED UNTIL THE CARS IN FRONT OF ME LEFT AND DROVE MY CAR TO THE BMW DEALERSHIP WHERE I GOT THE CAR. THEY REFUSED TO GIVE ME AN ESTIMATE OF A TRANSMISSION REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT UNTIL I GAVE THEM $300 TO PERFORM A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. I DECLINED AND BROUGHT IT TO A LOCAL TRANSMISSION SHOP NEAR MY HOME. THE MECHANIC REMOVED A PAN AND SHOWED ME THE LIQUID WHICH WAS BLACKISH IN COLOR. HE SAID THAT IT HAD ALUMINUM POWDER IN IT, INDICATING THAT SOMETHING INSIDE PROBABLY BROKE AND CAUSED BURNING. I AM CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF DECIDING WHAT TO DO NEXT: EITHER GET THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED OR HAVE IT REBUILT. BMW OF NORTH AMERICA AND THE BMW DEALERSHIP I GOT THE CAR FROM REFUSE ANY FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REPAIR. *TR

IN THE MIDDLE OF A 3-POINT TURN, VEHICLE WAS SHIFTED INTO REVERSE. VEHICLE SHUDDERED AND THE REVERSE GEAR FAILED. GIVEN THAT MY CAR WOULD NO LONGER OPERATE IN REVERSE, I WAS TRAPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. OF COURSE, I WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION BECAUSE I WAS UNABLE TO MOVE MY CAR FROM THE ROADWAY. THIS IS A COMMON AND WIDESPREAD ISSUE REGARDING REVERSE GEAR FAILURE. BMW IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THIS TRANSMISSION IS PRODUCED BY GM, AND IS INSTALLED IN CADILLAC CARS AS WELL (FOR WHICH A RECALL WAS ISSUED). NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED BY BMW. *TR

'2000 BMW 323I, 108K, TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT ENGAGE IN REVERSE. ENGINE REVVED UP, BUT NO ENGAGEMENT. THIS IS SO FAR INTERMITTENT AND HAS TAKEN PLACE THREE TIMES WITHIN 1 WEEK. ALL OTHER GEARS APPEAR TO WORK FINE. ALL INSTANCES I HAD TO MANUALLY PUSH CAR OUT OF PACKING SPOT. TOOK TO REPAIR SHOP AND REVERSE WORKED AT THE TIME SO COULD NOT DETERMINE FAULT. I HAVE SINCE SEEN MANY IDENTICAL REPORTS LISTED ON WEB. *TR

I HAVE A 2000 BMW 323I WITH ZERO ACCIDENTS. THERE ARE 88,000 MILES ON IT, AND SUDDENLY THE REVERSE GEAR IS NOT WORKING. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ONLINE, I HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE FOR THIS VERY MAKE AND MODEL. I CONTACTED BMW IMMEDIATELY AND NOT ONLY DID THEY SAY THAT THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THIS TRANSMISSION, BUT THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY WOULD DO ABOUT MY SITUATION. THIS IS A RIDICULOUS PROBLEM TO HAVE AT ONLY 88,000 MILES. I WOULD LIKE TO SUBMIT FORMAL NOTICE OF BMW'S DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION. *TR

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2000 BMW 323I WITH 93K MILES. MY CAR HAS NEVER MISSED A SERVICING. YESTERDAY, WHILE PARKED, IT WOULD NOT GO IN REVERSE. THERE WAS NOT WARNING THAT ANYTHING WAS FAILING. I TOOK IT TO AN AUTHORIZED BMW SPECIALIST, AND THEY TOLD ME THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THEY QUOTED ME A PRICE OF $5,520 TO INSTALL A REBUILT TRANSMISSION FROM BMW. I HAVE READ ONLINE OF HUNDREDS OF VERY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS, ESPECIALLY WITH BMW 2000 323I. I AM SEEKING INFORMATION ON THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT SETTLED IN NJ IN 10/08, MDL 1922. BMW HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. APPARENTLY, THE TRANSMISSION WAS BUILT BY GM. THE SAME TRANSMISSION WAS INSTALLED IN THE CADILLAC. WHEN THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED, GM RECALLED ALL THE CADILLAC'S. BMW SHOULD DO THE SAME THING. A TRANSMISSION NOT GOING IN REVERSE IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. PLEASE HELP! *TR