BMW 5 Series Hybrid: Multiple Issues Point to Bad Transfer Case

Hey there! I had a similar issue with my 2021 BMW 7 Series Hybrid last year (previously owned a 3 Series too). I've got some experience working with cars, mostly basic maintenance stuff. My car showed pretty much the same symptoms, jerking, rough shifts, and AWD problems. Took it to my trusted workshop, and they diagnosed it as defective gears in the transfer case. The repair cost me about 330 Euro, but it fixed all those issues completely. Haven't had any problems since then. Could you share more details about your error messages and when exactly the jerking occurs? Also, how many miles/kilometers do you have on your 5 Series? This info would help figure out if we're dealing with the same problem.

Thanks for sharing your experience! My car has 161011 KM on the clock, and I've maintained it well with regular service intervals. The jerking usually happens between 60-80 during steady cruising, and I get the "Drive Train Malfunction" warning on the dash. Your transfer case diagnosis sounds spot-on with my symptoms. It's reassuring to hear you got it sorted with a relatively straightforward repair. I'll definitely get it checked at the workshop. Did they need to keep your car for long when they did the repair?

Hey again! Glad my previous experience helped. Yeah, with my 7 Series, the repair took about two days total. They needed a full day to diagnose and confirm it was the transfer case, and another day to complete the repair. The good news was they had the parts in stock, sometimes that can be a pain with BMW parts. Since you mentioned the "Drive Train Malfunction" warning, that's exactly what I saw too. And the speed range you're experiencing the jerking in (60-80) matches my experience perfectly. It's pretty much textbook transfer case wear from what I learned. Just to add, after they fixed mine, they recommended I get the transfer case oil changed every 50,000 KM or so, even though BMW says it's "lifetime fluid." I've stuck to that advice, and honestly, the car's been running smooth as silk since then. One tip though, while they're in there, have them check the surrounding components too. In my case, they found some minor wear on the output shaft seal, so I had them replace that at the same time. Better safe than sorry, right? Saved me another potential workshop visit down the road. Let me know how it goes when you get it checked out!

Thanks so much for all the detailed info! That's really helpful about the two-day repair timeline, helps me plan better. I'll definitely take your advice about checking the surrounding components and getting that output shaft seal looked at too. Makes total sense to do it all while they're already working on it. I'm also going to follow your suggestion about the regular transfer case oil changes. Didn't know about that 50,000 KM interval, seems like BMW might be a bit optimistic with their "lifetime fluid" claim. Going to book it in at the workshop tomorrow and will definitely be mentioning all these points to them. Really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. It's made me feel much more confident about what I'm dealing with, and now I know what to expect with the repair. Will update you once it's all sorted!