Originally Posted by JCL

Many. And those transmission failures that have been reported, at any mileage, don't often sound like fluid problems. They often include reports of failed sensors, software problems, broken housings, etc. I am waiting to see a transmission failure caused by old or oil. BMW transmissions seem to be fail at random mileages, and fluid problems would shift the failures to higher mileages, with a more consistent failure point.

I don't believe it is because of the filter design. I think it is because things like the transmission cooler (with a temperature regulator), the lockup torque converter (far less heat into the system), the shift programming (crisper shifts, less wear on the clutches and less heat), and so on.