GVWR: Class 2E: 6,001 - 7,000 lb (2,722 - 3,175 kg)
Make: BMW
Manufacturer: BMW M GMBH
Manufacturer Id: 967
Model: M3
Model Year: 2009
Other Restraint System Info: Dual-stage suppl. restraint system (SRS) certified to the advanced airbag requiremnets of FMVSS 208, S14.
Plant City: Regensburg
Plant Country: Germany
Seat Belts All: Manual
Series: 3 - Series
TPMS: Direct
Vehicle Type: PASSENGER CAR
Model year
COMPONENT
Complaint
2004
STRUCTURE
I INSPECTED THE TRUNK FLOORPAN AND NOTICED BUCKLING, CRACKING OF THE TRUNK FLOOR AND WELDED SEAMS COMING APART. THE REAR SUBFRAME MOUNTS WERE CRACKED ON BOTH SIDES. THE REAR SUBFRAME IS RIPPING ITSELF OUT OF THE CAR AND I'M VERY LUCKY I FOUND THIS WHILE THE CAR WAS AT REST AND NOT DRIVING AT SPEED. BMW KNOWS THIS IS FAULTY ENGINEERING BUT SOMEHOW THEIR LAWYERS FANGLED A WAY TO ONLY COVER THE REPAIRS FOR THE E46 CARS FOR 1 YEAR (2010), EVERYONE ELSE IS SCREWED. THESE CARS SHOULD BE OUTLAWED, OR AT LEAST A GIANT SIGN SHOULD HAVE TO BE PLACED IN THE WINDSHIELD EXPLAINING THIS PROBLEM TO POTENTIAL BUYERS AND THEY SHOULD BE FORCED TO SIGN A WAIVER IF THEY ARE DUMB ENOUGH TO BUY IT ANYWAYS. I BOUGHT THE CAR 2 MONTHS AGO UNDER THE IMPRESSION M3S HAD RE-ENFORCEMENT IN THIS AREA ABOVE AND BEYOND THE REGULAR E46, I WAS WRONG TO THE TUNE OF 3500.00 REPAIR BILL (AND I GOT OFF LIGHT). WHAT A MESS, THAT LITTLE BABY CHASSIS CAN'T EVEN HANDLE 333HP WITHOUT RIPPING ITSELF APART. MY BUICK GN MAKES 550HP AND THE FRAME HOLDS TOGETHER JUST FINE. *TR
2009
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
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. BASICALLY, PRESSING ON THE GAS WON'T DO ANYTHING -- THE TRANSMISSION IS OSTENSIBLY "DECIDING" WHICH GEAR IS THE OPTIMAL ONE AND WILL IGNORE ALL MANUAL GEAR CHANGES AND GAS PEDAL INPUT UNTIL IT MAKES UP ITS MIND. AT TIMES, THIS LAG HAS LASTED AS LONG AS 2-3 SECONDS. THIS LAG IS BOTHERSOME, AT TIMES DANGEROUS, AND ALARMINGLY, WAS NOT AS NOTICEABLY BAD WHEN I FIRST PURCHASED THE CAR A FEW MONTHS AGO. THIS BEHAVIOR OCCURS ON A DAILY BASIS, AND CAN BE REPRODUCED AT WILL. INCIDENTALLY, THIS LAG DOESN'T HAPPEN IF I MANUALLY DOWNSHIFT THROUGH THE GEARS TO 3RD, 2ND, OR 1ST RATHER THAN LETTING THE CAR PERFORM THE DOWNSHIFTS FOR ME. *TR