2001 BMW 330CI

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW CI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE. THE CONTACT WAS TOLD BY A MECHANIC THAT THE D-CLUTCH DRUM HAD FAILED AND CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE ENGINE WOULD EXHIBIT AN ABNORMAL INCREASE IN ENGINE RPMS BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

HELLO, I AM THE OWNER OF A 2001 BMW 330CIC. YESTERDAY, MY CAR LOST THE ABILITY TO DRIVE IN "REVERSE" ONCE THE CAR IS SHIFTED INTO THAT GEAR. WHILE SEARCHING THE INTERNET, I FOUND THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON FAILURE FOR THIS TRANSMISSION MODEL, AND WAS THUS LED TO THIS WEBSITE TO FILE A COMPLAINT. MY CAR IS EQUIPPED WITH A "ZF-5HP19" MODEL TRANSMISSION. FROM WHAT I GATHER THIS TRANSMISSION COMMONLY HAS THIS FAILURE . 1. NO EVENTS LEADING UP TO FAILURE. 2. MY CAR SUDDENLY LOST THE ABILITY TO DRIVE IN "REVERSE" 3. SINCE THIS HAPPENED YESTERDAY, I A SEARCHING FOR SOLUTIONS. *TR

REVERSE GEAR DOES NOT WORK. I STARTED MY CAR LET IT IDLE FOR 3-5 MINUTES SINCE THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE WAS COLD. I SHIFTED INTO REVERSE GEAR, AND NOTHING HAPPENED. I HAD JUST PARKED THE CAR APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS EARLIER. THERE WAS NO INDICATION PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. ON THE NEXT MORNING I CALLED THE LOCAL BMW DEALERSHIP AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THEY STATED THAT I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. HOW CAN YOU DETERMINE THAT FROM A PHONE CONVERSATION, I WONDERED. I PUSHED THE CAR OUT OF MY GARAGE AND PROCEEDED TO A MECHANIC. WHEN I COMPLETED MY DIALOGUE OF WHAT HAD OCCURRED HE RESPONDED THAT I WAS NUMBER 4 FOR HIM THIS YEAR. A REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION COST BETWEEN $3K - $5K. I RETURNED HOME AND BEGAN MY UNOFFICIAL INTERNET RESEARCH...I AM NOT ALONE AND BMW OF NA IS DOING NOTHING TO ADDRESS THE MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. I CONSIDER THIS A SAFETY ISSUE. SUPPOSE I WAS 100S OF MILES AWAY OR IF I WAS IN A POSITION WHERE I NEED TO USE REVERSE TO GET OUT OF HARMS WAY AND IT DID NOT WORK. AS OTHER BMW OWNERS HAVE STATED, AT LEAST MY CHEVY OR FORD USED TO TELL ME THAT IT WAS SICK AND NEEDED SOME ATTENTION. BMW HAS NO MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENT FOR THIS TRANSMISSION. I AM ASSUMING THAT THEY THINK IT IS REPLACE UPON FAILURE. UNACCEPTABLE, THE PART THAT FAILED IS CALLED THE DRUM. A BAND BEAKS AND THE REVERSE GEAR IS BROKEN. THEY HAVE MODIFIED THE MATERIALS IN THE NEWER DRUMS TO ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM . THAT TELLS ME THAT THEY ARE AWARE THAT THE MATERIAL THEY INSTALLED IN MY VEHICLE WAS INADEQUATE. I HAVE NOT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE AT THIS TIME STILL SHOPPING AROUND FOR OPTIONS. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND A RECALL IS WARRANTED. *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

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

I BOUGHT A 2001 BMW 330CIC [XXX] IN OCT. OF 2003 FROM A PRIVATE PERSON. BEFORE I BOUGHT THE CAR I PAID ~$200 TO A BMW DEALER AND GOT IT CHECKED FOR MAJOR PROBLEMS BECAUSE THE CAR HAD ~ 53K MILES ON IT AND THEY SAID NO PROBLEMS. HENCE I WENT AND BOUGHT THE CAR FROM THIS PRIVATE OWNER. JUST AFTER 2 MONTHS I HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT CONTROL BUSHINGS THAT COST ME ABOUT ~$500 AND AFTER ANOTHER 2 MONTHS THE POWER STEERING PUMP WENT BAD. I PAID ABOUT $800 FOR THE REPLACEMENT AND PARTS. NOW JUST A FEW DAYS AGO THE CAR STOPPED DRIVING IN REVERSE. I HAVE NO PROBLEMS GOING FORWARD AND USING THE STREPTRONIC TRANSMISSION (A/T). NOW THE CAR HAS 64K MILES AND I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. THEY CHARGED ME $100 TO TELL ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS BURNT UP BY LOOKING AT THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. THE DEALER IS ASKING FOR ~ $4100 FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION INSTALLED. I HAVE CALLED THE 800 NUMBER AND THE RESPONSE THAT I AM GETTING IS THAT BMW WILL NOT COVER THIS. BUT I HAVE ISSUES WITH THAT APPROACH; 1.AS A NEW OWNER I AM AT A LOSS BECAUSE I AM NOT ENTITLED FOR GOODWILL JUST BECAUSE THE PREVIOUS OWNER USED IT. THIS IS UNFORTUNATE SINCE I PUT MY TRUST IN BMW AND PAID A HANDSOME PRICE FOR THE CAR. (TRANSMISSION IS A MAJOR PROBLEM ESPECIALLY IF IT BRAKES AT MERE 64K MILES). 2. THE TRANSMISSION IS SUPPOSED TO LAST IN EXCESS OF 20000 MILES, BUT BECOMES DYSFUNCTIONAL AT A MERE 64000 MILES (PRODUCT QUALITY) 3.FROM WHAT I CAN UNDERSTAND THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG IN THE TRANSMISSION WHICH IS CAUSING THE REVERSE GEAR NOT TO WORK BUT THAT OBVIOUSLY DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION HAS GONE BAD. I AM SURE THAT THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT THE IMPRESSION OR EXPERIENCE THAT BMW WANTS ME TO HAVE! PLEASE SUGGEST OR ADVISE ME WHAT TO DO. THE CAR IS STILL WITH THE DEALER (UNITED BMW OF ROSWELL, GA PHONE:- 678-832-4600 BMW CUSTOMER RELATION PHONE:- 1-800-831-1117 THANKS, [XXX]. *AK UPDATED 07/25/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)