2000 BMW 323I Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 235about this part
- Share
- 59%of 401 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 91,245miles
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 235 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2000 BMW 323I, 59% of the 401 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 91,245 miles. 5 of these say a crash was involved and 1 a fire, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I just got home and tried to put my 2000 Bmw 323I in reverse to park but nothing happened! It was as if the car was in neutral! I am very upset as I have just recently purchased this vehicle. Something needs to be done as I am not the only one who is having this problem. This is a big safety issue that needs to be fixed!”
NHTSA complaint #10574784, filed 2014-03, 174,000 miles“The vehicle has a hard time reversing, I can command it to reverse but sometimes nothing happens like it is in neutral, the car is a 2000 and only has 96k miles. This past month I have spoken with Bmw about the issue. I let them know I feel it poses a safety risk but they said they cannot help me. Even though it is clearly a mfg. Defect. Just hoping to have an advocate to help me. The car is stationary on a street.”
NHTSA complaint #10783854, filed 2015-10, 84,000 miles“I was backing out of a parking space. All of a sudden, there was no reverse gear. I pushed the car, myself. Please recall this car. I read about all of the other owners with the same problem. This is a danger to the owners and everyone around the vehicle. Not to mention, this is extremely expensive to fix. This is my first car. Please consider help with this most dangerous situation.”
NHTSA complaint #10471830, filed 2012-08, 142,000 miles“My 2000 Bmw 323I at times will not go into reverse. My car has approximately 155,000 miles. I did take it for repair and was given an estimate of about $5000 to replace my transmission. With all the complaints that I have seen with this particular problem with these cars Bmw should definitely do a recall and offer to replace these faulty transmissions.”
NHTSA complaint #10360565, filed 2010-10, 155,967 miles“I have a 2000 Bmw 323ci and the reverse gear stopped working all of a sudden. Sometimes it comes back and starts working again, but then it stops working again. I went to a transmission shop and they said it would cost about $3000. Bmw said they did not know about this problem and that I needed a new transmission. Please help!”
NHTSA complaint #10398196, filed 2011-04, 120,000 milesTransmission and drivetrain: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 235 | 59% |
| 1999 | 33 | 24% |
Other parts of the 2000 BMW 323I
70 complaintsBody and structure
27 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
17 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
11 complaintsOther or unknown
10 complaintsSuspension
10 complaintsElectrical system
9 complaintsVehicle speed control
8 complaintsBrakes
7 complaintsTires
7 complaintsEquipment
6 complaintsSeat belts
6 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2000 BMW 323I
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 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