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

This is an online automotive information provider of a detailed information on complaints, defects and recalls for BMW M3 2003 power train. 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 and complaints other owners have filed.
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2003 BMW M3 Power Train Problems, Complaints and Defects

 Issue ID936653
 Internal NHTSA #10471564
 ManufacurerBMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC
 BrandBMW
 ModelM3
 Model Year2003
 File date16/08/12
 ComponentPOWER TRAIN
Product type codeVEHICLE
 Description of the problemWhile driving on a relatively hot day (92 degrees f), my vehicle's smg (sequential manual gearbox) malfunction indicator light turned on and i began having problems with the vehicle randomly dropping out of gear into neutral or "0" for 6-15 seconds at a time. When out of gear, there was a complete loss of power. On one instance of dropping out of gear, i was turning right at around 10-15 mph when i found i could not accelerate and an oncoming vehicle almost ran into me. Since the first occurrence of this, this type of "stalling" has happened much more frequently when the ambient temperature reaches above 90 degrees, and now i cannot drive longer than 30 minutes without the smg mil turning on and gears start dropping. I'm concerned that this may happen at higher speeds and leave me stranded on a highway or even in stop-and-go traffic, where it seems to occur very frequently. I've researched many forums for this and have found this to be a common issue with other m3 smg owners. There is some indication from other owners that the issue might be linked to a hydraulic temperature sensor located on the main smg hydraulic pump but i have not found any information from bmw detailing a repair for this type of issue. The only option seems to be a full replacement of the hydraulic pump, which has already been done on my vehicle once before for a similar issue. This type of replacement costs almost $4000 as quoted by the dealer. I think bmw should get serious about this issue and conduct an investigation on potential campaign remedies.
 Vehicle Mileage at Failure93000
Number of Occurences1
Source of the issueNHTSA WEB SITE
 City and StateLOS ANGELES, CA
VIN pattern WBSBL93493JXXXXXX
 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 persons0
No. of fatalities0
 Date of purchase07/08/26
Was original owner?N
Anti-lock brakesN
Cruise controlN
Number of cylinders6
Drive train type
Transmission type
 Vehicle speed25
 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.

 

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