2001 BMW 330I

I OWN AN AUTOMATIC 2001 BMW 330I. I HAVE HAD NO PRIOR PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE AND ON MARCH 28, 2010, I PULLED INTO A PARKING SPACE AND WHEN I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE (2 MINUTES LATER - WITHOUT STOPPING THE ENGINE) THE CAR DID NOT MOVE BACKWARDS. I PROCEEDED TO TURN OFF THE CAR, WAIT AND PUT IT BACK INTO REVERSE AND PRESSED ON THE GAS. THE VEHICLE REV'S UP BUT DOES NOT MOVE AS IF IT WERE IN NEUTRAL. AFTER SOME RESEARCH ONLINE IT SEEMS THE 2001 330I POWER TRAIN IS A COMMON FAILURE WITH NO PRIOR WARNINGS EVEN WITH ALL MAINTENANCE DONE TO THE VEHICLE. *TR

ENGINE STALLS ON A FEW OCCASIONS WHEN VEHICLE WAS TURNING LEFT AT LOW SPEED, CAUSING TEMPORARY LOSS OF POWER STEERING. WAS ABLE TO QUICKLY RE-START THE ENGINE EVERY TIME BUT COULD HAVE CAUSED CRASH OTHERWISE. THIS OCCURRED MORE FREQUENTLY AFTER 2008 (AND AFTER 60K MILES), BOTH AT LOW SPEED ON LOCAL ROADS AND AT 45 ~ 55 MPH ON HIGHWAYS, SUMMER OR WINTER CONDITIONS, WITH OR WITHOUT AC TURNED ON. OCCURRENCES ARE INFREQUENT AND UNPREDICTABLE. REPORTED TO MY BMW DEALER SEVERAL TIMES BUT DEALER WAS UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE. OTHERWISE, THE VEHICLE DRIVES PERFECTLY FINE AND I LOVE IT.

WINDOW REGULATORS (ALL WINDOWS) FAIL ON A REGULAR BASIS DUE TO MANUFACTURE DESIGN IN EQUIPMENT. IF WINDOW STOPS WORKING IN THE OPEN POSITION YOUR STUCK UNTIL REPAIRED. THE REPAIR LASTS A SHORT TIME AND THEN THE REGULATOR BREAKS AGAIN. THIS IS ALSO A SAFETY ISSUE IF ONE IS IN A SITUATION WERE THE AUTO NEEDS TO BE LOCK OR DRIVEN ON A FREEWAY. *TR

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM SCHOOL, ABOUT 30-35 MPH WHEN I HIT A POT HOLE. THE SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. I WAS RIDING ALONE & NOTHING WAS IN THE SEAT. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE SHOP & THAT WAS WHEN THE MAN WHO LOOKED AT THE CAR SAID THAT IT WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO DO THAT UNLESS SOMEONE WAS SITTING IN THE SEAT. ALSO, MY CAR ONE DAY JUST WOULDN'T UNLOCK OR IT WOULD START NOT LOCKING USING THE REMOTE. I USED THE KEY AND SOMETIMES IT WOULD WORK. IT WENT BACK TO NORMAL AFTER NOT TOUCHING IT FOR A FEW DAYS. MONTHS AFTER, IT STARTED DOING IT AGAIN. ID BE LOCKED OUT OR LOCKED IN. IT WOULDN'T WORK USING THE REMOTE, KEY, NOR MANUALLY FROM THE INSIDE. NOW, THE DRIVER DOOR WONT OPEN AT ALL, THUS I HAVE TO CRAWL ACROSS THE SEAT TO DRIVE. THE BACK BLINKER STARTED DIMMING SO WE TOOK IT TO GET IT REPLACED BUT THE MAN SAID IT WASN'T THE BULB BUT MAYBE THE WIRING. IM STARTING TO THINK MAYBE THE WIRING IS CAUSING THE MISHAPS IN THE LOCKS AND DOORS. *TR

CAR'S TRANSMISSION WILL NOT ENGAGE REVERSE GEAR. ELECTRICAL DETECTS REVERSE GEAR, REVERSE LIGHTS, BACKUP SENSORS AND MIRRORS FUNCTIONAL, TRANSMISSION WILL NOT REVERSE, ACTS AS IF CAR IS IN NEUTRAL. NOTICED ONLINE IT IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. COST OF REPAIRS: OVER $5,000. PRICE PAID FOR VEHICLE IN PERFECT CONDITION: $9,000. MILEAGE, 105K. *TR

ON MONDAY MAY 3RD, 2010, I STARTED MY 2001 BMW 330I AND SELECTED THE REVERSE GEAR ON THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, THE CAR DID NOT MOVE IN THE REVERSE GEAR, IT DRIVES FORWARD WITH NO PROBLEMS. I HAVE READ SOME OF THE COMPLAINTS AND POSTINGS ON THE WEB. IS THERE A CLASS ACTION SUIT FILED AGAINST BMW AS IT SEEMS THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT DESIGNED PROPERLY AND SUBSTANDARD SPECIFICATIONS WERE USED IN THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE COMPONENTS OF THE TRANSMISSION, A MANUFACTURE DEFECT. I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE CAR TO BE INSPECTED AND REPAIRED ON MONDAY MAY 17TH , 2010 I AM SURE THE COST AND EXTENT WILL BE EVIDENT AT THAT TIME. AS I HAVE BEEN INFORMED THE MOST COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE REVERSE IS FAILURE OF THE D CLUTCH DRUM , BECAUSE THE SNAP RING COMES OFF OF THE DRUM , AFTER THAT WHAT HAPPENS IS DIFFERENT ON EACH TRANSMISSION. THIS IS A POOR INFERIOR DESIGN, AND BMW IS AWARE OF IT. THEY HAVE REDESIGNED THE CLUTCH DRUM ,TO MOVE THE SNAP RING AWAY FROM THE DRUM'S EDGE AND CONSTRUCTED THE DRUM OF STRONGER MATERIAL AND AN INCREASED OF THE DRUMS THICKNESS. THE REDESIGNED AND IMPROVED MATERIAL IS AVAILABLE FROM BMW AND THE REPAIR COST MAY EXCEED THE CURRENT VALUE OF SOME OF THE BMW MODELS AFFECTED. IT'S THE COST IN TIME AND DOLLARS TO ME OF A POOR AND KNOWING INFERIOR DESIGN AND MATERIAL APPLICATION, A WILLFUL DECISION ON BMW'S PART AS WAS THE DESIGN AND MATERIAL SPECIFICATION FOR THEIR COIL SUSPENSION SPRINGS. *TR