1999 BMW 323I transmission problems

Filed Nov 29, 2019 · Transmission · 110,000 miles · NY

Car does not move in reverse (at). No prior warning signs. Forward operation continues as good as ever.

Filed May 1, 2012 · Transmission · GA

Bmw 323i 1999 I purchased this bmw today. Upon arriving home I shifted into reverse, nothing happened. Shut off vehicle with several attempts as stated in manual no change. Vehicle was test driven all day from meeting up of seller to lending institution. Upon arrival at home vehicle would no shift into reverse.

Filed Jun 28, 2011 · Transmission · 73,000 miles · AZ

Tl* the contact owns a 1999 bmw 323i. While the vehicle was parked the gear shift slipped into reverse on its own and the rpms increased. The gear shift indicator lights would not illuminate. The contact was able to engage the emergency brake in order to avoid a crash and stated she looked at the instrument panel to see what gear the vehicle was in. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 73,000.

Filed Jan 11, 2011 · Transmission · AZ

Sporadically and without warning since I have owned the car, new, the reverse gear fails in my 1999 bmw 323i. In addition, the car seems to, intermittently and without warning, rapidly accelerate on its own. When the car accelerates, I have to apply all the pressure I can to the brake pedal, and even with that I can feel the acceleration for a few minutes before it stops. As for the reverse gear failure, I have to shift to each gear once or twice before I can get the car into reverse, and/or I just have to take the key out of the ignition and wait for a while before trying again, and/or I have to shift to and from reverse to drive several times while in a parking lot, street, etc., holding up drivers behind me. In 11 years, no mechanic has ever been able to determine why the car has these issues, and most mechanics have been unable to duplicate the problems while driving the car. Thus, nothing has been repaired and the issues remain.

Filed Nov 16, 2010 · Transmission · 214,000 miles · NM

Owner of a 1999 bmw 323i and the reverse gear failed. It occurs intermittently and continues. No action or accountability is being taken by bmw to correct the problem. This is a safety concern for owners faced with this situation.

Filed Mar 10, 2010 · Transmission · 210,000 miles · 00

I own a 1999 323i bmw. The car will not go into reverse. 1.) the car's transmission worked fine. Then without warning or indication after parking the transmission would not go into reverse. 2.)the transmission will not go into reverse. This problem comes and goes. The car cannot reverse. 3.) no corrective action has been taken yet, I am just not driving it - too dangerous.

Filed Dec 28, 2009 · Transmission · 135,000 miles · TX

Tl* the contact owns a 1999 bmw 323 I. While moving the gear shift lever from park to reverse, the vehicle would not shift gears. She had to manually push the vehicle into drive in order to switch gears. She was advised that the transmission was failing. However, no repairs were made. The failure and current mileages were 135000.

Filed Dec 14, 2009 · Transmission · 13,000 miles · GA

My 1999 bmw 323i would occasionally not engage in reverse. This happened initially without warning. After driving the car around for awhile, low and behold, reverse would engage. The dealer told me that the shift plate was not aligned and the car was thinking it was in neutral. After having that replaced at $700, the next day, same problem. Then the dealer said that it has to be that the transmission was gone. After having the transmission rebuilt at $2000, low and behold, 2 days later, the same exact thing starting happening. The car is in excellent condition and well maintained with 132,000. All of this started to happen on 10/22/2009. Bmw needs to recall the vehicle because this has happened with several owners.

Filed Jun 24, 2009 · Transmission · 138,000 miles · IN

I bought a 1999 bmw 323i in january of 2000. It was a certified bmw. I haven't had much trouble with it. I have done typical maintenance, brakes, oil changes, new plugs, wires, etc. Last year I noticed while driving at speeds more than 65 miles per hour that the rpms would move from 2500 to 3000, and a light showed up on the dash. I got to work and check my manual and it is telling me the light is a service transmission light. If you see this light, pull over, put it in park, pull the emergency brake, wait and restart the engine to reset trans. I took it to my repair tech and he plugged my car into his computer and it states that the transmission is slipping out of 5th gear. Estimate for new trans is $4,000. For a rebuilt trans is $2,500.00. I don't have that kind of money for a 10 year old car. I have noticed in the winter months (cold keeps trans fluid thicker??) that it doesn't slip as often, and in the summer months, if I keep my speed under 65 MPH, it doesn't slip as much. But it is a hassle, and I am just waiting for it to get worse. It slips out of 5th gear while on the expressways making it extremely dangerous to pull over and reset the car so that it will go into 5th gear. I don't especially like to drive it when the rpms are so high, it seems to be putting a strain on the engine, and my gas mileage has got to be decreasing tremendously, when it slips out of 5th gear.

Filed Mar 23, 2009 · Transmission · TX

I drive a 1999 bmw 323i, today the reverse stopped working for no reason at all. Drove fine this morning, I pulled into a store to run an errand and when I came out the reverse was no longer working. I now read this is a common issue with this model but that bmw refuses to acknowledge this, this is unfortunate as I've always liked bmws but now I'm stuck with a car that is unsafe and expensive to repair.