2003 BMW 330I Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 3about this part
- Share
- 4%of 77 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 105,212miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 3 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2003 BMW 330I, 4% of the 77 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 105,212 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved and 1 a fire, according to the filers.
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.
“The car was being driven by my house and the transmision started slipping as well as it catching and breaking one of the axles leaving the car to be stuck not being able to move period surely the most important thing this resulted in the car getting hit and the fuel tank exploding my aunt want not able to make it out of the car to get out of the way and again this car didn't allow the air bags to deploy the location is unkown”
NHTSA complaint #11327653, filed 2020-06, 75,000 miles“While traveling at highway speeds, service engine soon light came on and code was p0741 was read by service technician. When fixed, torque converter seal was damaged and new torque converter was required to be installed. This is a known issue with this transmission. Bmw should have a recall, as the new seal is the same design and will fail again.”
NHTSA complaint #10461234, filed 2012-06, 135,425 miles“On cold days, the transmission would slip when put into drive for approx. 5-10 seconds before driving. On very cold days, letting the car sit for only 4 hours was enough to cause it to slip. The manufacturer was aware of this problem. The dealer ordered and replaced the transmission with a remanufactured transmission at no cost.”
NHTSA complaint #10065335, filed 2004-03Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | 17% |
| 2022 | 1 | 17% |
| 2021 | 1 | 3% |
| 2020 | 1 | 2% |
| 2019 | 5 | 12% |
| 2018 | 1 | 3% |
| 2017 | 2 | 5% |
| 2006 | 1 | 0% |
| 2005 | 1 | 4% |
| 2003 | 3 | 4% |
| 2002 | 4 | 9% |
| 2001 | 23 | 20% |
Other parts of the 2003 BMW 330I
28 complaintsAir bags
24 complaintsElectrical system
10 complaintsEngine cooling
8 complaintsTires
4 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
3 complaintsBody and structure
3 complaintsOther or unknown
2 complaintsWheels
2 complaintsBrakes
1 complaintsFuel system
1 complaintsVehicle speed control
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2003 BMW 330I
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