2008 BMW M3: engine stalls while driving

Filed Jan 27, 2017 · Engine · 52,500 miles · IL

Throttle actuator problem: is caused by an engineering defect in the actuator gears which deteriorate under 60,000 miles and cause the engine to go to "limp" mode. Once in limp mode the engine may stall and won't accelerate as normal; which was my case when it occurred on the highway causing a great danger to myself and society.

Filed Aug 13, 2015 · Engine · 96,000 miles · CA

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 bmw m3. While driving approximately 50 MPH, there was an abnormal noise coming from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the rod bearing and the engine needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where the rod bearings were replaced. The contact mentioned that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 96,000.

Filed Jun 25, 2015 · Engine, Steering · KY

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 bmw m3. While driving at 60 MPH, the contact heard a sudden knocking sound and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle restarted, but the noise recurred. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed with rod bearing failure and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The VIN and failure mileage were unavailable.

Filed Apr 9, 2010 · Transmission · 1 miles · FL

I am very happy to see your organization taking an interest in this issue. It is a very dangerous problem with this vehicle that bmwna is well aware of, but insists that it is "normal behavior" for my car/transmission. I brought the car into the dealer, and they were able to reproduce it, but they were told by bmw that this was "normal behavior." 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. This situation is most pronounced in the "auto" mode of the dct transmission, but also occurs to a lesser degree while in the manual mode when you select second gear in preparation for the turn. It is also very repeatable in both modes. These problems started occurring after a previous recall on this transmission where the engine would stall under hard braking or not shift under hard braking. The recall fixed that problem, but introduced this problem, which occurs almost every day whereas the previous problem only occurred during a specific situation. Thank you for looking into this dangerous matter.

Filed Jan 4, 2010 · Transmission · CA

I am very happy to see your organization taking an interest in this issue. It is a very dangerous problem with this vehicle that bmwna is well aware of, but insists that it is "normal behavior" for my car/transmission. I brought the car into the dealer, and they were able to reproduce it, but they were told by bmw that this was "normal behavior." 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. This situation is most pronounced in the "auto" mode of the dct transmission, but also occurs to a lesser degree while in the manual mode when you select second gear in preparation for the turn. It is also very repeatable in both modes. These problems started occurring after a previous recall on this transmission where the engine would stall under hard braking or not shift under hard braking. The recall fixed that problem, but introduced this problem, which occurs almost every day whereas the previous problem only occurred during a specific situation. Thank you for looking into this dangerous matter.

Filed Mar 25, 2009 · Transmission · 3,400 miles · MD

My 2008 bmw m3 e92 rapidly slows when the dct transmission is downshifting. The car lags and has almost stalled several times in the middle of the road increasing the possibility of a crash. Bmw north america customer service has refused to accept that there is a problem with the dct transmission software for all of these VIN production cars. Any help would be much appreciated. *tr thanks brad larkin

Filed Feb 4, 2009 · Transmission · 6,000 miles · UT

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.