2010 BMW 3 Series Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 1about this part
- Share
- 3%of 30 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 80,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 1 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2010 BMW 3 Series, 3% of the 30 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 80,000 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Driver side floor mat curled up at front and was captured by clutch pedal when changing gear. When clutch was again engaged, mat was pulled up and interfered with subsequent brake operation before freeing itself and falling back onto floor well. Since problem was intermittent, it took a while to figure out.”
NHTSA complaint #10509785, filed 2013-04, 80,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10058551Jun 1, 2015Bmw: on transmission side, in some vehicles, the transmission fluid is leaking around the area of the oil cooler lines causing unfavorable cooling line connection tolerances to…
- 10051459Dec 1, 2012Bmw: dsc warning light is on. The warning lamps for dsc, abs and brake warning illuminated. There may also be a warning in the control display for chassis control system failure.
- 10037071Mar 1, 2012The transmission warning light is on and the vehicle will not move forward or backwards. Engine speed only increases while in neutral or park. *rm updated on 5/1/2012.
- 10037069Jun 1, 2011Bmw: there is a software problem with the dual clutch transmission module. Data can't be read from the module's memory. *rm updated 8/10/11.
- 10040045Apr 1, 2011Bmw: a new technical support process has been created regarding transmission concerns.
- 10037922Dec 1, 2010Bmw: double clutch transmission is enterring emergency mode and some gears can't be selected. This is a software problem.
- 10035010Oct 1, 2010Bmw vehicle: transmission warning light is illuminated and the transmission enters failsafe mode. Fault code 4f81 (ratio monitoring, clutch a), in some cases combined with the…
- 10037070Sep 1, 2010Bmw: gears may be shifting harsh due to arm bearing shafts in the transmission.
- 10037061Jun 1, 2010Bmw: a fault for oil wear is stored in the memory, but it does not illuminate the warning lamp.
- 10036980Jun 1, 2010Bmw: a new technical process is being used on many models to determine the root cause of double-clutch transmission problems.
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 6 | 29% |
| 2010 | 1 | 3% |
| 2009 | 2 | 4% |
| 2008 | 3 | 4% |
| 2007 | 5 | 4% |
| 2006 | 4 | 2% |
| 2004 | 2 | 3% |
| 2003 | 4 | 5% |
| 2002 | 3 | 12% |
| 2001 | 3 | 8% |
| 2000 | 35 | 40% |
Other parts of the 2010 BMW 3 Series
10 complaintsEngine
6 complaintsElectrical system
5 complaintsFuel system
3 complaintsVehicle speed control
3 complaintsExterior lighting
2 complaintsTires
2 complaintsBrakes
1 complaintsElectronic stability control
1 complaintsEngine cooling
1 complaintsEquipment
1 complaintsOther or unknown
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2010 BMW 3 Series
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology