Transmission complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 1 | 11% | 8,000 miles |
| 2017 | 1 | 33% | 53,000 miles |
| 2016 | 1 | 20% | 48,000 miles |
| 2013 | 3 | 23% | 47,000 miles |
| 2011 | 4 | 13% | 44,000 miles |
| 2010 | 2 | 13% | 58,000 miles |
| 2009 | 24 | 53% | 2,000 miles |
| 2008 | 37 | 45% | 6,000 miles |
| 2006 | 2 | 14% | 104,000 miles |
| 2005 | 2 | 17% | 88,000 miles |
| 2004 | 6 | 19% | 73,000 miles |
| 2003 | 14 | 26% | 66,000 miles |
| 2002 | 8 | 20% | 45,000 miles |
| 2001 | 4 | 29% | 129,000 miles |
| 1999 | 1 | 9% | 50,000 miles |
| 1998 | 3 | 21% | 73,000 miles |
| 1997 | 1 | 5% | — |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
I initially experienced abrupt catastrophic clutch failure this past December 2019 when without any prior warning. I depressed the clutch and it failed to release leaving the vehicle in gear. Fortunately I was on a secondary road in 2nd gear and was able to bring the car a stop and then pushed it to the side of the road. The car was towed to morristown BMW in morristown nj. BMW na agreed to provide the parts and the clutch was repaired. Unfortunately, last week I again experienced the exact same issue without warning. I am now told that the master cylinder needs to be replaced. My concern is that if this failure had occurred on a major highway at speed. I would have lost control of the vehicle which would have been life threatening. …
Takata recall. Reasonable time has passed since the airbag recall. But I have not heard as to when this safety issue will be resolved.every time I drive the car I feel I am risking my life or chance for serious injury. BMW has been completely negligent with regards to resolving this issue. BMW should temporarily remedy the situation by replacing the car with a similar vehicle. I need this to be resolved now!!!. Also the drive train has a clunking noise of which I have been complaining since new. They have made temporary adjustment but the problem still surfaces. This happens when I shift gears even at slow speeds (6 spd manual transmission).
I was driving on the freeway accelerating when I hit approximately 75 MPH my car was making a loud revving sound and metal clanking sound in middle and smoke was coming from the front and back of the vehicle very thick white smoke all of a sudden my car slowed down and all the lights were blinking on the dash almost got into accidents while cars avoid hitting! My car wasn't going over 5 10 MPH there was so much smoke was getting worried,some how I managed to exit the freeway and parked I was told my english was blown! Maintenance was up-to-date only drove it on the weekends only had 52,000 miles nightmare 2011 BMW M3
The problem occurs when you slow down- like for a turn, but do not come to a complete stop. The DCT transmission seems to have trouble figuring out what gear to select because when you step on the gas to accelerate, there is a very significant delay in the onset of power- up to 2-3 seconds. By this time, the driver is usually really digging into the throttle. The transmission finally picks a gear, which results in the car suddenly lurching forward, sometimes invoking the anti-skip control. The danger in this behavior occurs when making a turn into on-coming traffic after slowing down to around 10-15 MPH. After the turn, the car is positioned in the traffic lane, but you have no power to accelerate into the flow of traffic. The oncoming cars are now closing in on your car at a fast rate, and you're basically stuck. …
Hello, I recently purchased a 2009 BMW M3 with the DCT transmission. The transmission acts like a sequential manual shifter, allowing the driver to shift up and down at their will. These shifts happen instantaneously, within fractions of a second. Additionally, when coming to a stop, the car will downshift to 1st gear on its own, instead of relying on driver input, as a matter of convenience. All of this is normal, advertised, and expected behavior. There are times, however, when the car is decelerating but not coming to a full stop (when taking a turn at an intersection, for example), that the transmission will begin its automated downshifts but then become incredibly unresponsive. In these cases, if I press on the accelerator before coming to a full stop, I'll notice a significant lag before the engine actually revs up. …
With the dual clutch automatic transmission in d mode, when slowing from 50 or 60 MPH to 15-20 MPH the transmission will not downshift and stays in 6th or 7th gear. Even with the accelerator to the floor the car will not select an appropriate gear which makes the car barely accelerate at all creating a safety hazard. This car has little to no torque (by design) at very low rpms, and it basically just sits there and doesn't move. A driver often slows like this when making a left or right hand turn and having the car just sit there under those conditions presents a huge safety issue in terms of being either rear-ended or being hit by oncoming traffic. The entire nature of the automatic program on this car is unpredictable; in some cases it will downshift, in others (as described above) it will not, which adds to the unsafe nature of this defect. …
Engine began suddenly making a very loud knocking sound without any warning, and I drove it straight to sandy sansing BMW service center, where they stated that the vehicle has suffered a catastrophic crank bearing failure. The engine has to be replaced now... Car has been meticulously maintained and always serviced at BMW dealers since it was new... A car with 56K miles on it should not have such an extreme failure in this nature...
After slowing for a yield sign, pressed accelerator and there was a delayed response, followed by sudden acceleration. Bumped truck in front of me during the surge. Car behind me almost rearended me when my car did not accelerate.
Related recalls (3)
Power train › Driveline › Driveshaft
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2016-2017 BMW M3 Sedans, 2016-2017 BMW M4 and M4 GTS Coupes and 2017 BMW M4 Convertible vehicles. The connection between the driveshaft and the flange may fail resulting in a loss of propulsion.
Remedy: BMW will notify vehicle owners, and dealers will replace the driveshaft, free of charge. The recall began April 9, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Power train › Driveline › Driveshaft
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 M3 Sedan vehicles manufactured May 30, 2015, to September 2, 2015, 2016 M4 Coupe vehicles manufactured July 3, 2015, to September 11, 2015, and 2015-2016 M4 Convertible vehicles manufactured May 29, 2015, to August 4, 2015.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driveshaft, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on January 14, 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Power train › Clutch assembly
BMW is recalling 2,500 my 2008-2009 m3 passenger vehicles with an optional double clutch transmission. The problem involves the double clutch gearbox. In a situation of rapid vehicle deceleration, the transmission software May perform a multistage downshift.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the engine and transmission electronic control unit with updated software free of charge. The recall began on December 3, 2008. Owners May contact BMW at 1-800-831-1117.
Frequently asked questions
Which BMW M3 years have transmission problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2008 (37), 2009 (24), 2003 (14), 2002 (8) and 2004 (6) model years. Transmission complaints make up 45% of all complaints for the 2008.
Is there a recall for BMW M3 transmission problems?
Yes — 3 recalls, including 18V-713 (driveshaft, Oct 11, 2018); 15V-782 (driveshaft, Nov 23, 2015); 08V-595 (clutch assembly, Nov 14, 2008). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do BMW M3 transmission problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 31,000 miles; 74% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the automatic transmission (56 mentions), followed by the manual transmission (16).
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.