2001 BMW 330CI Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 11about this part
- Share
- 13%of 82 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 107,500miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 11 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2001 BMW 330CI, 13% of the 82 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 107,500 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.
“Bmw 2001 330CI. Reverse gear failed and inoperable (acts like neutral and does not engage) allowed vehicle to roll backwards down hill before I (the operator) noticed I was moving. Could not use engine throttle to control speed as it was like it was in neutral. Vehicle only has 75k miles on 'no service' automatic transmission.”
NHTSA complaint #10192220, filed 2007-05, 74,000 miles“My transmission, will not work in reverse. The car just revs, and goes nowhere. This is a common problem, and still Bmw does not recall these cars. 4200.00 plus labor, for a remanufactured one from dealer. I am done with Bmw.”
NHTSA complaint #10424535, filed 2011-09, 98,000 miles“I have a 2001 Bmw 330 ci with 116k miles. I put the car in reverse and it would not go into reverse. There were no warning signs that indicated that something could be wrong with the car. My mechanic told me that I have to get a new transmission and would cost approximately $4000. I went to the consumer affairs website and discovered that many consumers reported the same issue. I would like to know how Bmw is addressing this common issue and identify if there are any class action lawsuits.”
NHTSA complaint #10238968, filed 2008-08, 116,000 miles“Hello, I am the owner of a 2001 Bmw 330cic. Yesterday, my car lost the ability to drive in reverse once the car is shifted into that gear. While searching the internet, I found that this is a very common failure for this transmission model, and was thus LED to this website to file a complaint. My car is equipped with a zf-5hp19 model transmission. From what I gather this transmission commonly has this failure . 1. No events leading up to failure. 2. My car suddenly lost the ability to drive in reverse 3. Since this happened yesterday, I a searching for solutions.”
NHTSA complaint #10273489, filed 2009-06, 112,000 miles“Reverse gear does not work. I started my car let it idle for 3-5 minutes since the temperature outside was cold. I shifted into reverse gear, and nothing happened. I had just parked the car approximately 2 hours earlier. There was no indication prior to this incident that there was a problem with the transmission. On the next morning I called the local Bmw dealership and explained what had happened. They stated that I needed to replace the transmission. How can you determine that from a phone conversation, I wondered. I pushed the car out of my garage and proceeded to a mechanic. …”
NHTSA complaint #10250959, filed 2008-12, 116,112 milesTransmission and drivetrain: other model years
Other parts of the 2001 BMW 330CI
18 complaintsAir bags
17 complaintsExterior lighting
9 complaintsElectrical system
8 complaintsBody and structure
7 complaintsEngine cooling
5 complaintsEngine
4 complaintsSteering
3 complaintsSuspension
3 complaintsTires
3 complaintsOther or unknown
2 complaintsWheels
2 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2001 BMW 330CI
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