1999 BMW 328I

I WENT TO BACK OUT OF MY GARAGE AND MY 1999 BMW 328I WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE. THE SHIFT LEVER SEEMED TO BE WORKING. THE INDICATOR ON THE DASH SAID "R". BUT THE ENGINE JUST REVVED. I PUSHED IT OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AND DROVE TO MY AUTO MECHANIC. WHEN I GOT THERE, IT WAS WORKING PERFECTLY. I DROVE IT AROUND FOR ABOUT A WEEK, AND THEN IT DID IT AGAIN. AFTER DRIVING IT FOR 10 MINUTES I CHECKED AGAIN AND IT WAS WORKING. I CALLED TWO BMW DEALERS AND ALL THEY WOULD SAY IS "YOU NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION AND IT WILL COST 5 GRAND". *TR

BMW 328I YEAR 1999. I HAVE HAD VEHICLE INSPECTED BY A REPUTABLE TECHNICIAN WHO INFORMED ME THAT MY CAR HAS PROBLEM WITH REAR SUB-FRAM SEPERATION AND CRACKING. HE MENTIONED THIS IS A DANGEROUS ISSUE, WHICH COULD CAUSE THE VEHCILE TO LOSE CONTROL. HE ALSO MENTIONED THAT THIS YEAR AND MODEL HAVE ONGOING PROBLEM. AFTER ADDITIONAL RESEARCH ON WEB, THERE ARE HUNDREDS, IF NOT THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ON THE SAME PROBLEM WITH SAME MODEL YEAR(S) 1999-2002 3 SERIES BMW CARS. I HAVE OVER 200 NAMES MYSELF, OF LOGGED COMPLAINTS ON A BMW BLOG SITE. HERE IS MY COMPLAINT TO THE NHTSA AT ABOUT 112K MILES I NOTICED A CREAKING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR SUSPENSION. UPON INSPECTION, THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR DIFFERENTIAL MOUNT HAS MULTIPLE STRESS FRACTURES AND SEPERATIONS AT THE POINT WHERE THE MOUNT IS WELDED TO THE UNI-BODY. THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD ALL REQUIRED MAINT. INSPECTIONS AT NORMAL INTERVALS. THIS CAR IS DRIVEN ON THE HIGHWAY 90% OF THE TIME AND THE REST IN RESIDENTIAL STREETS. IT IS A FAMILY CAR AND HAS HAD NO MODIFICATIONS PERIOD. THE CAR WAS PRUCHASED WITH A BMWNA CPO WARRANTY THAT HAS SINCE EXPIRED. THE DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO COVER ANY REPAIR COSTS ( ESTIMATED AT >3000 DOLLARS) BMWNA HAS IGNORED REPEATED REQUESTS FROM OWNERS TO FIX THIS DANGEROUS CONDITION. IN FACT, BMW GERMANY HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND COVERS THE COST OF REPAIRS, THEY EVEN HAVE A METHOD OF REPAIR. THIS SITUATION IS VERY DANGEROUS AND REQUIRES IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. THE SUSPENSION SHOULD NEVER SEPERATE FROM THE BODY BECAUSE OF TORSIONAL FORCES FROM THE TRANS/DIFF. IT IS CLEAR THAT THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW. I PERSONALLY HAVE A LIST OF OVER 100 NAMES WITH DOCUMENTED SUBFRAME CRACKING/FAILURE OF THE E46 BODY YEARS 1999-2000. THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF THESE HAVE SUBFRAME DAMAGE AT THE SAME REAR DRIVERS SIDE DIFF MOUNT, IN OTHER WORDS, OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE FAILURE POINTS, THE REAR DRIVERS SIDE IS NEARLY ALWAYS THE FAILURE POINT !! PLEASE I IMPLORE THE NHTSA TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE NOW.

1999 BMW 328I WAS RUNNING FINE UNTIL LAST WEEK WHEN IT WOULD NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY WHEN PLACED IN REVERSE. ENGINE WOULD JUST REV UP LIKE IT WAS IN NEUTRAL. ESTIMATED COST OF REPAIR IS $4500.00. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF OTHER COMPLAINTS LIKE MINE IN NOREVERSE.ORG. FOR THE BMW. THIS IS A KNOWN DEFAULT FROM BMW AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. PLEASE HELP RENDER THIS ABUSE BY THIS MANUFACTURER. *TR

1999 BMW 328I 4DR (E46) DOOR LOCK FAILURE DOOR LOCKS NO LONGER UNLOCK DOORS WHEN BUTTON IS PRESSED ON FOB OR FROM WITHIN THE VEHICLE. HAPPENS 2 OUT OF THREE TIME'S DOOR ARE LOCKED, DOORS LOCK AUTOMATICALLY WHEN CAR BEGINS TO MOVE. PROBLEM: LOCK NOT OPERATING, TRAP OCCUPANT IN VEHICLE, THE DOORS WILL NOT OPEN MANUALLY. THIS IS SERIOUS, YOU CANNOT UNLOCK THE DOORS TO EXIT THE VEHICLE! *TR

I, LIKE THOUSANDS IF NOT TENS OF THOUSANDS OF OTHERS, NOW HAVE A BMW THAT THE REVERSE HAS GONE OUT ON. IT IS A 1999 BMW 328I. EVERYTHING ELSE WORKS FINE. NO ISSUES PRIOR. JUST ONE DAY AFTER HAVING PARKED SOMEWHERE THE REVERSE WOULD NOT WORK. FROM THE WEBSITE DEDICATED TO THIS ISSUE I SEE THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF OTHERS THIS HAPPENS TO. DOES NOT SEEM TO MATTER HOW MANY MILES A CAR HAS. I HAVE NOT TAKEN IT TO BMW YET AS I KNOW WHAT THEY WILL SAY. IF THIS IS THIS BIG A PROBLEM WITH A SAFETY ISSUE LIKE REVERSE GOING OUT THEN BMW NEEDS TO FIX IT. IT IS NOT JUST A FEW HUNDRED CARS. IT IS THOUSANDS. *TR

1999 BMW 328I (E46) - DESIGN DEFECT IN THE REAR SUSPENSION LEADING TO A CRACK IN THE CHASSIS FLOOR WHERE THE REAR SUB-FRAME ATTACHES TO THE CHASSIS. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY HAZARD AS THE REAR SUSPENSION IS NO LONGER ATTACHED TO THE FRAME OF THE CAR. THERE ARE AT LEAST 50 INSTANCES OF THIS, OCCURRING ON 1999 - 2000 BMW E46 CARS AND ALMOST ALL OCCUR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE, DISCUSSED ON THE INTERNET. SIMPLY DO A GOOGLE SEARCH FOR: "BMW E46 REAR SUBFRAME CRACKS". BMW HAS AGREED TO PAY 75% OF THE REPAIR COST BUT I BELIEVE THIS IS A SERIOUS DESIGN ISSUE AFFECTING THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE AND COULD BE EXTREMELY UNSAFE FOR UNSUSPECTING DRIVERS. THIS SEEMS TO BE A CLEAR SITUATION REQUIRING A RECALL TO FIX AND/ OR STRENGTHEN THE SUSPENSION IN THESE CARS. I DO NOT BELIEVE I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY ANYTHING TO FIX WHAT IS CLEARLY A DESIGN DEFECT AFFECTING THE SAFETY OF THIS MODEL (E46). MY WIFE DRIVES THIS CAR WITH MY THREE CHILDREN AGES 6, 5, AND 2! *JB