2004 BMW 325CI Power Train Problems

I OWNED THE CAR FOR A YEAR BEFORE IT STARTED GIVING ME PROBLEMS. IT FIRST GAVE ME A PROBLEM CHANGING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE. IT SLIPS AND WONT GO INTO GEAR. THE MOST DANGEROUS IS WHEN IM TURNING A CORNER AND THE CAR PUTS ITSELF INTO NEUTRAL. AT THIS TIME IT IS NOT DRIVABLE AND I'VE RESEARCHED IT AND IT IS COMMON FOR THIS VEHICLE BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THERE ISN'T A RECALL. ITS DANGEROUS! I'VE TAKEN IT TO A MECHANIC AND FOR A SECOND OPINION AT BMW. THE COST TO REPAIR MY CAR IS OVER $5,000, IF I WOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT I WOULD HAVE BOUGHT THE NEWER BMW. NOW IM WITHOUT A CAR WAITING TO GET APPROVED FOR ANOTHER LOAN JUST TO PAY FOR REPAIRS. *TR

Mileage: 100,000

AT AROUND 20K MILES, THE SMG (SEQUENTIAL MANUAL GEARBOX W/ PADDLE SHIFTERS) ON MY '04 325CI BEGAN EXPERIENCING MANY OF THE SAME PROBLEMS THAT I'VE READ ABOUT REGARDING THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. AFTER A COLD NIGHT, THE SMG WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO REVERSE OR DRIVE. IT WOULD KEEP "CLUNKING" OVER AND OVER, CONTINUALLY LOUDER, UNTIL I SHIFTED BACK INTO NEUTRAL. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO BMW, WHERE THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANNY. AT 83K MILES, I'M STARTING TO NOTICE SOME OF THE SAME PROBLEMS AGAIN. ADDITIONALLY, WITH BOTH TRANNYS, THE CAR DELAYS ITS ACCELERATION FOR ABOUT A SECOND OR TWO WHEN STARTING FROM A STOP. THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PROBLEM. ON TOP OF THAT, MY ALTERNATOR JUST WENT OUT AFTER A COLD NIGHT. IN MY OPINION, BMW'S (AT LEAST MINE) DO NOT LIKE THE COLD! *TR

Mileage: 83,000

AT AROUND 20K MILES, THE SMG (SEQUENTIAL MANUAL GEARBOX W/ PADDLE SHIFTERS) ON MY '04 325CI BEGAN EXPERIENCING MANY OF THE SAME PROBLEMS THAT I'VE READ ABOUT REGARDING THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. AFTER A COLD NIGHT, THE SMG WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO REVERSE OR DRIVE. IT WOULD KEEP "CLUNKING" OVER AND OVER, CONTINUALLY LOUDER, UNTIL I SHIFTED BACK INTO NEUTRAL. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO BMW, WHERE THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANNY. AT 83K MILES, I'M STARTING TO NOTICE SOME OF THE SAME PROBLEMS AGAIN. ADDITIONALLY, WITH BOTH TRANNYS, THE CAR DELAYS ITS ACCELERATION FOR ABOUT A SECOND OR TWO WHEN STARTING FROM A STOP. THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PROBLEM. ON TOP OF THAT, MY ALTERNATOR JUST WENT OUT AFTER A COLD NIGHT. IN MY OPINION, BMW'S (AT LEAST MINE) DO NOT LIKE THE COLD! *TR

Mileage: 83,000

WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPED ON LOW TRAFFIC STOPPED AND MOVED FORWARD, THE CLUTCH DIDN'T ENGAGE PROPERLY AND SMELLED BURNING . DEALERSHIP INSPECTED THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM . *AK

BOUGHT THE CAR NEW IN DEC. TRANSMISSION FAILED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. DEALER TALKED US INTO HAVING A CLUTCH PACK REPLACEMENT AFTER SOFTWARE UPGRADE ATTEMPTS FAILED.*AK NOW THE CAR HAS A NOXIOUS STINKING SMELL EMMINATING FROM THE TRANSMISSION. INDEPENDENT TRANSMISSION EXPERT SAYS THE CLUTCH IS SLIPPING AND BURNING INSULATION. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MERGE ONTO HIGHWAY WITH THREE PASSENGERS DOWNSHIFTED FOR MORE TORQUE THE ENGINE REVVED AS IF IT WERE IN NEUTRAL. TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE. BMW DEALER AND BMWNA ARE UNWILLING TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. THEY SAY CAR IS PERFORMING NORMALLY. PLEASE HELP.

Mileage: 4,900

MY NEW CAR WILL NOT ACCELERATE WHEN I GIVE IT GAS. CONTACTED MY DEALER AND THEY SAID IT WAS "NORMAL FOR A BREAK IN PERIOD". THE CAR HIT 2 - 3,000 RPMS WITHOUT MOVING. VERY SCARY. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES USUALLY AFTER NOT DRIVING THE CAR FOR SEVERAL HOURS. THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 2K MILES AND WAS PURCHASED IN DECEMBER. THE BMW MESSAGE BOARDS ARE FILLED WITH OTHER VICTIMS OF THIS KNOWN DEFECT. DEALER SAID I HAVE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT AND THAT THE CAR IS UNDER WARRANTY. THIS IS RIDICULOUS FOR A $45,000+ CAR TO BE UNSAFE. WILL YOU PLEASE DO SOMETHING TO ALERT OTHER DRIVERS BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED. THANK YOU. *NM

Mileage: 150

ON COLD STARTS VEHICLE DOES NOT MOVE WHEN TRANSMISSION PUT IN DRIVE. IT DELAYS FOR 10 TO 15 SECONDS TO ONE MINUTE. I WAS TOLD BY DEALER THAT IT HAS A DEFECTIVE PART AND THEY ARE CURRENTLY REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION. VEHICLE HAS 2000 MILES ON IT. ALSO HAD PROBLEM WITH THE STEPTRONIC TRANSMISSION. VEHICLE WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO MANUALLY SHIFT THE GEAR WHEN YOU SELECT MANUAL FOR THE CLUTCHLESS SHIFT. IT SIMPLY GETS STUCK AND THEN SHIFTS ON ITS OWN. DEALER HAD NOT HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM. NOW I AM DRIVING 1 2004 X5 AS A LOANER FROM THE DEALER AND IT TOO HAS THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE STEPTRONIC TRANSMISSION WHEN YOU SELECT MANUAL. I CAN SHORTEN THE DELAY BY INCREASING THE ENGINE SPEED. THE VEHICLE WILL THEN CREEPS FORWARD UNTIL THE TRANSMISSION IS FULLY ENGAGED.

Mileage: 1,000

COLD MORNING START THE VEHICLE REVS TO 2 -3K RPMS WITH LITTLE OR NO FORWARD MOTION. DRIVE IS NOT ENGAGING. PULLING OUT IN TRAFFIC WAS TERRIFYING. DEALER OFFERED SEVERAL REASONS: 1) NEEDED TO BE BROKEN IN 2) NEEDS A SOFTWARE UPGRADE 3) NEEDS A CLUTCH PACK PART AND FINALLY 4) NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION. *AK

Mileage: 80

THE STEPTRONIC TRANSMISSION WILL NOT ENGAUGE IN "D" FOR SEVERAL MINUTES AFTER SITTING OVERNIGHT. BMW REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AT 1100 MILES AND AT 300 MILES THE "NEW" TRANSMISSION IS DOING THE SAME THING. THE CAR GOES IN "R" AND POTENTIALLY COULD LEAVE YOU IN TRAFFIC WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO MOVE OUT OF THE WAY.*AK

Mileage: 1,108

PETITION FOR DEFECT INVESTIGATION OF THE 2004 BMW 325XI DUE TO HESITATION IN SHIFTING OF THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WHEN VEHICLE IS IN MOTION ESPECIALLY WHEN ACCELERATING AFTER A FULL STOP. *MR WHEN THE CONSUMER SHIFTED FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE IT EXPERIENCED DELAYS OF FROM ONE HALF MINUTE TO TWO MINUTES BEFORE THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED INTO DRIVE THEN THE VEHICLE WOULD MOVE FORWARD. *SC