NHTSA Complaint #10086860 — 2001 BMW 330CI

I BOUGHT A 2001 BMW 330CIC [XXX] IN OCT. OF 2003 FROM A PRIVATE PERSON. BEFORE I BOUGHT THE CAR I PAID ~$200 TO A BMW DEALER AND GOT IT CHECKED FOR MAJOR PROBLEMS BECAUSE THE CAR HAD ~ 53K MILES ON IT AND THEY SAID NO PROBLEMS. HENCE I WENT AND BOUGHT THE CAR FROM THIS PRIVATE OWNER. JUST AFTER 2 MONTHS I HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT CONTROL BUSHINGS THAT COST ME ABOUT ~$500 AND AFTER ANOTHER 2 MONTHS THE POWER STEERING PUMP WENT BAD. I PAID ABOUT $800 FOR THE REPLACEMENT AND PARTS. NOW JUST A FEW DAYS AGO THE CAR STOPPED DRIVING IN REVERSE. I HAVE NO PROBLEMS GOING FORWARD AND USING THE STREPTRONIC TRANSMISSION (A/T). NOW THE CAR HAS 64K MILES AND I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. THEY CHARGED ME $100 TO TELL ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS BURNT UP BY LOOKING AT THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. THE DEALER IS ASKING FOR ~ $4100 FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION INSTALLED. I HAVE CALLED THE 800 NUMBER AND THE RESPONSE THAT I AM GETTING IS THAT BMW WILL NOT COVER THIS. BUT I HAVE ISSUES WITH THAT APPROACH; 1.AS A NEW OWNER I AM AT A LOSS BECAUSE I AM NOT ENTITLED FOR GOODWILL JUST BECAUSE THE PREVIOUS OWNER USED IT. THIS IS UNFORTUNATE SINCE I PUT MY TRUST IN BMW AND PAID A HANDSOME PRICE FOR THE CAR. (TRANSMISSION IS A MAJOR PROBLEM ESPECIALLY IF IT BRAKES AT MERE 64K MILES). 2. THE TRANSMISSION IS SUPPOSED TO LAST IN EXCESS OF 20000 MILES, BUT BECOMES DYSFUNCTIONAL AT A MERE 64000 MILES (PRODUCT QUALITY) 3.FROM WHAT I CAN UNDERSTAND THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG IN THE TRANSMISSION WHICH IS CAUSING THE REVERSE GEAR NOT TO WORK BUT THAT OBVIOUSLY DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION HAS GONE BAD. I AM SURE THAT THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT THE IMPRESSION OR EXPERIENCE THAT BMW WANTS ME TO HAVE! PLEASE SUGGEST OR ADVISE ME WHAT TO DO. THE CAR IS STILL WITH THE DEALER (UNITED BMW OF ROSWELL, GA PHONE:- 678-832-4600 BMW CUSTOMER RELATION PHONE:- 1-800-831-1117 THANKS, [XXX]. *AK UPDATED 07/25/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)