2009 BMW M3: sudden loss of power

5 of the 45 complaints about the 2009 BMW M3 describe sudden loss of power.

owner complaints: 5
of this car's complaints: 11%
typical mileage: 44,300
recalls: 0

Is there a fix? 9 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below

Sudden loss of power by model year

2012
1
2011
1
2010
1
2009
5
2008
9
2006
1
2003
2

What owners say

Filed May 23, 2017 · Electrical · 58,500 miles · OR

Vehicle would not start and all electrical systems were dead despite a good battery. Was solved by removing glove box and fus box and pushing on the battery cable that goes into the fuse box to get a connection. This is a know issue for bmw and a recall was issued on other 3-series vehicles (2007 - 2011) with the same part numbers, but will not cover m3. This is a safety issue as loss of power to fuse box while driving can shut down the car.

Filed Oct 21, 2016 · Brakes, Driver assistance · 44,300 miles · VA

The car suddenly vibrated and the wheels locked up and skidded slightly sideways before going into a reduced power mode. If it had been raining or snowing, or at a higher speed on highway the situation could have been deadly. I had the car taken to the dealer. I was told a the throttle actuator valve was defective. The car has only 44k miles but has surpassed the 4 years of warranty. This is a known issue with thousands of cars affected. Bmw refuses to recall and repair the item if the car is not under warranty. The cost for repair is $3000.00 the part alone is $1200.00 which I was quoted. My vehicle is also affected by the takata airbag recall.

Filed Sep 18, 2015 · Engine · 56,729 miles · TX

Vehicle lost power while taking a turn. I was able to restart it and drive to a nearby parking lot. I drove around slowly to test and noticed knocking noise from the engine. I also noticed engine temperature was above normal, not quite to the next marker, but close. At that point, I had the car towed to a bmw service shop. Their diagnosis was rod bearing failure which LED to crankshaft damage, resulting in an engine, with only 57k mi, that is no longer reusable. I am now facing engine replacement costs of $15-25k.

Filed Apr 15, 2009 · Fuel system · 1,033 miles · CA

Loss of power on highway and engine misfire/stutter.

Filed Apr 6, 2009 · Transmission · 1,500 miles · GA

When transmission downshifts to 2nd gear, sudden and complete loss of power when turning. Happens with dct transmission with latest software. Many similar complaints on bmw message boards, and bmw is basically ignoring us.