This is an online automotive information provider of a detailed information on complaints, defects and recalls for BMW M3 2003 power train automatic transmission. Our users can find data on mass market car models from most popular brands. The service allows to compare and analyze statistics for reported problems, complaints, recalls for various manufacturers. We hope our site will help with selecting of a reliable and safe car. By using this tool, you will be able to get records with description of safety issues for vehicles, equipment, tires and child restraints. These issues include safety recalls for your BMW M3 2003 power train automatic transmission and complaints other owners have filed.

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2003 BMW M3 Power Train Automatic Transmission Problems, Complaints and Defects

Issue ID	861994
Internal NHTSA #	10404438
Manufacurer	BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC
Brand	BMW
Model	M3
Model Year	2003
File date	01/06/11
Component	POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Product type code	VEHICLE
Description of the problem	As you remember, we all spent about six months this past summer figuring out why our e46 m3 smg's were randomly throwing on the transmission check light and randomly cycling into neutral for around 6-15 seconds, displaying a constant "0" during an up or downshift in hot and/or humid weather. We determined after plenty of research and physically removing the smg's hydraulic control unit(hcu), and comparing hard-to-find blueprints of the unit what the malfunction was. The problem was the hcu's hydraulic fluid temperature sensor, which would go bad due to a thin-layered resistor inside the sensor that would microscopically bend and contract over time in avid heat/humidity situations, and send false data to the car's transmission control unit, giving it the illusion that the hcu was overheating and needed to be shut down. To this day, i am still puzzled as to why bmw would program the control module to do such a thing, knowing it would temporarily mame the car's ability to accelerate and/or maintain speed, and thus endanger it's occupants and the safety of other motorists around it.
Vehicle Mileage at Failure	78960
Number of Occurences	1
Source of the issue	NHTSA WEB SITE
City and State	CHARLOTTE, NC
VIN pattern	WBSBL93423JXXXXXX
Was vehicle invloved in a crash?	N
Was vehicle involved in a fire?	N
Was incedent reported to police?	N
Was medical attention required?
Was part original equipment?
No. of injured persons
No. of fatalities
Date of purchase	07/08/26
Was original owner?	N
Anti-lock brakes	N
Cruise control	N
Number of cylinders	6
Drive train type	RWD
Transmission type
Vehicle speed	35
DoT tire identifier
Tire size
Location of tire code
Type of tire failure code
Was defective tire repaired?
Date of manufacture
Type of child seat code
Type of restraint
Dealer's name
Dealer's telephone number
Dealer's city
Dealer's state code
Dealer's ZIP code

What is Recall?
A recall is when a product is removed from the market or a correction is made to the product because it is either defective or potentially harmful.
What is Failure?
Failure is the state or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, and may be viewed as the opposite of success. Product failure ranges from failure to sell the product to fracture of the product, in the worst cases leading to personal injury, the province of forensic engineering.
What is Defect?
Non-conformance of a car component with the specified requirements, or non-fulfillment of user expectations, including the safety aspects.

Last decoded VIN:

WMX1903821A042524 5N1AR2M58GC649304 WDB9440322L284947 SJNTAAE12U1136300 MMFNU58050CY97609 WVWZZZ3CZFE406657 SJNFAAJ11U2311182 SA9FASSA8BE004103 UU1DJF00567244209 JN1CV6AP3CM629684 WVWZZZ6RZEY245737 AFAPXXMJ2PPE36825

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2003 BMW M3 Power Train Automatic Transmission Problems, Complaints and Defects, Recalls and Failures

2003 BMW M3 Power Train Automatic Transmission Problems, Complaints and Defects

What is Recall?

What is Failure?

What is Defect?