10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
4,928 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2008 BMW M3 transmission problems

transmission problem

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2008 BMW M3 Owner Comments (Page 2 of 2)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #8

Mar 032009

M3

  • 1 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I have a 2008 BMW M3 with the dct transmission. The transmission itself has many errors in second gear. If you slow down almost to a stop and put your foot back on the accelerator, the car will not respond. I've had this happen in intersections while turning left before. When you've got cars coming at you at high speed and you've got no power, it will definitely get your heart beating a little faster for a minute. It's only a matter of time before someone gets killed because of this problem. It really is highly dangerous. This is an ongoing problem that any dct driver can replicate easily. BMW needs to come up with a viable solution even if it means having to replace transmissions, and it needs to happen soon. For as much as the upgrade costs, it should work the way they advertise.

- Dallas, TX, USA

problem #7

Feb 072009

M3

  • 9,400 miles
I have a 2008 BMW M3 equipped with the dct transmission and my issue is the lag with 2-3 gears, this is my daily commuter car and for some one who is stuck in stop and go traffic for about 2 hours and 45 miles each way I cant not drive my car any more because of this issue. I've become really frustrated by this behavior. It's not at all intermittent -- it happens every time the car drops into 2nd gear when slowing (and not completely stopping). Decelerating to turn corners is an exercise in frustration (especially with passengers in the car) because the car won't accelerate out of the corner right away... and if it does, it does so rapidly, throwing everyone's heads into the headrests. I've tried upshifting to third gear, but there's a lag in that as well if I've already given the car some gas. I've had the first software update performed which has not done much.

- Ashburn, VA, USA

problem #6

Feb 142009

M3

  • 4,500 miles
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.

- Fort Myers, FL, USA

problem #5

Jan 022009

M3

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I am extremely troubled by one particular problem I have noticed from the outset: There is a significant lag or hesitation of at least 1 second between applying pressure to the accelerator and the clutch engaging and giving acceleration to the wheels. This does not happen from a stand-still, but occurs primarily when the car is in motion at virtually all ranges of speed, from rolling stop (5km/hr or less) through standard road speeds of any degree (residential 30-40km/hr, city roads 50-70km/hr, or highway 90km/hr+). the problem is acute in 'd' mode, but occurs in 's' mode as well.

- Alexandria, VA, USA

problem #4

Oct 012008

M3

  • 10,000 miles
I have noticed since the safety recall on the M-dct gearbox: There is a significant lag or hesitation of at least 2 second between applying pressure to the accelerator and the clutch engaging and giving acceleration to the wheels. This results in a complete loss of power and causes the car to just "coast". this does not happen from a stand-still, but occurs primarily when the car is in motion at virtually all ranges of speed, from rolling stop through standard road speeds of any degree. The problem is acute in "D" mode, but occurs in "S" mode as well in 2nd gear. The result of this is that you can pull out into traffic and rather than increase your acceleration normally, the car will just coast with no power. This is extremely dangerous and I have had several near misses with a chance of a car rear ending me because the gearbox is functioning like this.

- Seattle, WA, USA

problem #3

Nov 012008

M3

  • 1,400 miles
There is an issue with the M-dct transmission equipped on my vehicle. The problem occurs when the car is brought to a near stop such as at an intersection, and then pressure is applied to the accelerator to try and pull away quickly. In this case the vehicle will hesitate for a long period of time, potentially leaving the car unresponsive for a few seconds while coasting slowly into the intersection with oncoming traffic bearing down. The manufacturer claims this behavior is normal for the transmission but it is certainly not safe. Additionally, the problem was exacerbated by a prior software update whose intention was to fix other problematic behaviors of the transmission. So the behavior is clearly not germane to the transmission itself, it is instead the result of glitchy software which the manufacturer should rightly be obligated to fix. I firmly believe that this problem could endanger the lives of the occupants of my vehicle and sincerely hope it can be rectified immediately.

- Canton, MI, USA

problem #2

Oct 012008

M3

  • 1,200 miles
I have a BMW M3 with the dct transmission. Since getting a software update to fix another NHTSA issue with the transmission, my car will have no power at all for a couple seconds when I slow down to around 10mph, and then try to accelerate again. This leads to a very dangerous situation when cars are coming at me and the car does not move. This occurs mainly when the dct is set to the automatic mode. Many others have had the same issue. This occurs pretty much every time I slow down to around 10-15mph from 40mph or more. Many people have told the dealer and were told this is normal!! BMW is aware of this and told the dealers it's normal. Many more complaints can be found on www.M3post.com/forums.

- Seal Beach, CA, USA

problem #1

Feb 022009

M3

  • 6,000 miles
During a rolling stop situation which is followed by any acceleration (such as a left or right hand turn), there is a throttle delay and the vehicle has the feeling of an "engine stall" and losses all power for 1-2 seconds while it searches for a gear. The problem is consistent and can be recreated at anytime. The problem presents a safety hazard in traffic situations because you are unable to move out of the way of oncoming vehicles. There are multiple complaints from owners on the internet and confirmed at the dealership. The manufacturer claims it is normal operation for the transmission. (technical service bulletin sb si B 28 07 08) however, many people did not experience the problem until after their vehicle underwent a recent recall for transmission software updates. Vehicle 2008 BMW M3 with M dct transmission.

- Salt Lake City, UT, USA

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