2002 BMW E36

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW E36. WHILE IDLING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WHILE THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE REAR END OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE DEALER DID NOT INSPECT THE VEHICLE. APPROXIMATELY EIGHT MONTHS LATER, WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE AND WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED, THE ENGINE RPM'S INCREASED TO 750. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 89,950 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,000.

I AM LEASING A 2002 BMW 745LI . I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE. THE CAR HAS GONE TO THE BMW SERVICE CENTER A TOTAL OF 33 TIMES FOR SERVICE MECHANICAL & ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. A FEW TIMES CAR HAS BROKEN DOWN WHILE DRIVING AND NEEDED TO BE TOWED. THIS VEHICLE IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. I FEEL VERY UNSAFE IN THIS CAR. I HAVE CONTACTED BMW OF NORTH AMERICA VIA PHONE, EMAILS, AND LETTERS, THEY SEEM NOT TO CARE? THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALER SHIP TOLD ME THAT THIS BMW MODEL YEAR HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT HEADACHES AND PROBLEMS FOR THEM. I FEAR FOR THE WELL BEING OF MY FAMILY WHEN THEY ENTER THIS VEHICLE. THE CAR SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING. THIS MODEL HAS HAD SO MANY PROBLEMS THAT BMW OF NORTH AMERICA EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THE CAR FROM ITS ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY. I AM PAYING FOR A PIECE OF METAL! THIS VEHICLE IS ONE PROBLEM AFTER ANOTHER. I DEMAND THAT BMW OF NORTH AMERICA STAND BY ITS PRODUCT AND PURCHASE THIS VEHICLE BACK FROM ME. THE MANUFACTURER (BMW OF NORTH OF AMERICA) BUILT A PRODUCT THAT HAS DEFECTS. THEIR OWN TECHNICIANS CANNOT FIX THIS VEHICLE. I HAVE TAKEN THIS VEHICLE TO 4 DIFFERENT BMW SERVICE CENTERS. I HAVE COMPLETE RECORDS. AGAIN I DEMAND BMW OF NORTH AMERICA TO RELIEVE ME FROM THIS VEHICLE! *TR

AFTER 100,000+ MILES OF NORMAL OPERATION THE 2002, BMW X5 4.4 BEGAN EXHIBITING UNUSUAL TRANSMISSION OPERATION. AT RANDOM TIMES, DURING START UP, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL, ALLOWING THE ENGINE TO REV VERY HIGH, THEN ENGAGE IN 1ST, CAUSING AN ABRUPT LURCH FORWARD. ALSO, IT WILL EXPERIENCE THIS DISENGAGEMENT SOMETIMES WHEN DOWN SHIFTING INTO PASSING GEAR, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO REV, AND A LOSS OF FORWARD MOTION, AND THEN AN ABRUPT ENGAGEMENT, RESULTING IN A MAJOR LURCH FORWARD. THIS WAS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE, AS YOU CANNOT BE CERTAIN THE TRANSMISSION WILL ENGAGE OR DISENGAGE WHEN PULLING INTO TRAFFIC OR PERFORMING PASSING MANEUVERS. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM THERE IS CONSIDERABLE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS ON THE INTERNET AS IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM ,AND HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED NOW FOR MORE THAN 3 YEARS. IT IS RELATED TO ZF SUPPLIED TRANSMISSIONS ON BMW AND JAGUAR VEHICLES, AND IS ATTRIBUTED TO THE CONTROLLING SOFTWARE THE BMW DEALER SUGGESTED I REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AT A COST OF $7,600 , AND HAS NOT INDICATED A WILLINGNESS TO EXPLORE SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS OR ADMIT ANY COMMON PROBLEM EXISTED. REPORTS ON THE INTERNET INDICATED THAT SOMETIMES A SOFTWARE UPDATE WILL CURE THIS PROBLEM, AND SOMETIMES NOT, AS IT OCCURRED IN BOTH OLD AND NEW VEHICLES. AS AN EXPERT IN THIS FIELD, I AM STILL CONDUCTING MY OWN ANALYSIS, BUT AM COMING TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THIS IS A BMW AND ZF PROBLEM THAT NEEDS FURTHER INVESTIGATION BY NHTSA AS A CRITICAL SAFETY HAZARD IN THE AFFECTED VEHICLES. *AK