2004 BMW 545I

THIS TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING AGGRESSIVELY. IT HAPPENS ON UP-SHIFT 1-2 AND DOWNSHIFT 2-1. IT HAPPENS LIKE 4 TO 5 TIMES IN A WEEK. ALSO SOMETIMES I GET A BIG SLAM ON BOTH UP-SHIFT AND DOWNSHIFT... WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION ERROR MESSAGE POPS UP AND REDUCES MY MOVEMENT TO SAFE-MODE, UNLESS I SHUT THE ENGINE OFF AND RESTART THE ENGINE. IF YOU TAKE TIME TO GO ON BMW FORUMS AND BLOGS, EVERYONE COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS ISSUE WITH THIS 5 SERIES... PLEASE DO SOMETHING.. THE PASSENGER AIRBAG RESTRAINT ERROR POPS UP EVEN WHEN SOMEONE IS NOT SEATING ON THE PASSENGER SIDE.. THIS NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO.. ALMOST EVERY BMW OWNER HAS THIS PASSENGER ISSUE...

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE THINKING THAT IT WOULD BE A SAFE CAR FOR MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS. THE TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO BE SLIPPING AND AN EXCESSIVELY HARSH 2-1 DOWNSHIFT OCCURS WHEN DECELERATING TO A STOP. ALSO, TRANSMISSION "BANGS" INTO GEAR WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A FULL OR A "ROLLING" STOP. THIS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES ON A DAILY BASIS. ONE TIME IN SPECIFIC I WAS DRIVING WITH MY 4 YEAR OLD NIECE AND IT CAUSED HER TO BECOME ALARMED AS WELL AS INJURE HER NECK. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT CAN BE DONE, THE DEALERSHIP IS SAYING THAT THEY WILL CHARGE ME AN RIDICULOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY TO UPGRADE THE SOFTWARE FOR THE TRANSMISSION. I STRONGLY FEEL THAT THIS SHOULD BE A "NO CHARGE" REPAIR OR FIX SEEING THAT NO CAR SHOULD BEHAVE IN THIS MANNER. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT CAN BE DONE, AS I AM NO LONGER DRIVING THE CAR AND TAKING THE BUS IN FEAR OF CAUSING ANY INJURY TO MY LOVED ONES. *TR

VEHICLE SLIPS IN AN OUT OF 5TH AND 6TH GEAR WHEN TRAVELING AT CONSTANT 35 TO 40 MPH IN AUTO MODE AND AROUND 60 MPH IN DS MODE. NOTICEABLE OIL LEAKS AS WELL AS OCCASIONAL SMOKE FROM TAILPIPE AND VEHICLE BANGS INTO GEAR ( WHILE DOWNSHIFTING ON OCCASION) ALSO NOTICED THAT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SEEMS TO CUT OUT FOR A SPLIT SECOND WHILE DRIVING. HEADS UP DISPLAY AND RADIO ILLUSTRATES THIS FINDING AS THEY SHUT OFF FOR A SECOND. THE CLOCK IS ALSO BEHIND A FEW MINUTES / WEEK BECAUSE OF THIS. *TR

TRANSMISSION JERKS AND SLIPS. WHEN COMING TO A STOP, THE CAR SLAMS INTO GEAR. THIS COULD CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT IF THIS OCCURRED DURING WET OR ICY ROAD CONDITIONS DUE TO BREAKING TRACTION FROM WHEELS AND ROAD SURFACE. THIS IS A MAJOR CONCERN AND AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, THOUSANDS OF 5 SERIES BMW'S HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THE RESULT IS A DEFECTIVE MECHATRONICS WHICH COSTS BETWEEN $5000-$8000 TO FIX AND NOT COVERED BY BMW OR UNDER WARRANTY. *TR

ENGINE STALLING WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE, UNABLE TO RESTART VEHICLE AFTER THE STALL. LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKE POWER ASSIST WHEN VEHICLE STALLS WHILE DRIVING. ENGINE STALLS VERY PERIODICALLY AFTER A SHORT PERIOD OF OPERATION. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER 3 TIMES AND WERE UNABLE TO PINPOINT THE PROBLEM. DEALER REPLACED BATTERY AND ELECTRICAL WIRING TO FIX PROBLEM BUT PROBLEM STILL CONTINUED. ALSO A BRAND NEW ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED AND STILL SAME PROBLEMS AROSE. MESSAGE CENTER WOULD DISPLAY "TRANSMISSION FAULT" DRIVE MODERATELY. *TT