2000 BMW 3 Series

THE LEFT REAR SUBFRAME MOUNT TORN AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE UNIBODY/FRAME MOUNTING LOCATION. THE REAR BODY METAL FATIGUE WAS CAUSED FROM LOADING AND UNLOADING OF THE DRIVE TRAIN DUE TO AN ENGINEERING DESIGN DEFECT. THIS OCCURRED UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS AND IS A KNOWN DEFECT BY BMW. A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT REQUIRED BMW TO FIX THE PROBLEM FROM 2009 TO 2010, BUT THERE ARE STILL MANY VEHICLES ON THE ROAD THAT HAVE NOT BEEN REPAIRED OR THE METAL FATIGUE SHOWED UP AFTER THE 2010 DEADLINE FOR REPAIR. THIS IS A MAJOR DEFECT MAKING THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE THE REAR AXLE CAN SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE. THIS SHOULD BE A VEHICLE RECALL AND ALL BMW E46 3 SERIES SHOULD HAVE THE REAR SUBFRAME MOUNTING POINTS REPAIRED AND REINFORCED BY BMW AT NO COST. *TR

I HEARD A SQUEAKING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR END, TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC, AND WAS TOLD THE SUBFRAME HAS TORN OFF OF THE REAR SUSPENSION. HE CHECKED TO SEE IF THERE IS A RECALL, BUT NONE HAS BEEN FOUND. HE DID NOTICE ONLINE THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM, WITH MANY COMPLAINTS, AND THAT A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT HAD BEEN FILED. *TR

I TOOK MY YEAR 2000, BMW 328CI IN TO REPLACE A REAR DIFFERENTIAL BUSHING. THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED FRAME DAMAGE WHERE THE DRIVER-SIDE REAR DIFFERENTIAL BUSHING ATTACHES TO THE CAR BODY/FRAME. THE MECHANIC SUGGESTED I CALL MY INSURANCE AGENT TO SEE IF THIS WAS COVERED. THE INSURANCE COMPANY SENT AN INVESTIGATOR WHO INFORMED ME OVER THE PHONE & EMAIL (INCLUDING PHOTO ATTACHMENTS) THAT THE DAMAGE COULD NOT BE CAUSED BY ANY COLLISION AND WAS NOT COVERED BY MY INSURANCE POLICY. THE AGENT STATED THAT THIS WAS A BMW ISSUE. HE ALSO SENT A LINK OF A VIDEO OF ANOTHER BMW 3 SERIES WITH SIMILAR PROBLEM SHOWING METAL FATIGUE HTTP://VIDEO.GOOGLE.COM/VIDEOPLAY?DOCID=8362789948066992482# . I SENT PHOTOS OF THE DAMAGE TO ANOTHER MECHANIC WHO SPECIALIZES IN BMW REPAIR. HE SAID IT WAS NOT SOMETHING SEEN EVERYDAY BUT SOMETHING BMW KNOWS ABOUT BASED ON WHAT HE HAS READ. HE ALSO STATED THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SUGGESTED I CALL THE BMW DEALERSHIP AND ASK ABOUT ANY RECALLS. I CALLED THE BMW DEALER WHO ASKED FOR MY VIN # AND THEN SAID THERE WERE "NO OPEN CAMPAIGNS AT THIS TIME". I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP ON 10/25/2011. THE ESTIMATED COST OF REPAIR IS AROUND $5000, WHICH IS ALMOST THE SAME AS THE KELLEY BLUE BOOK VALUE OF THE CAR. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE IN THIS CONDITION. *TT

THE TECHNICIAN DISCOVERED THAT MY SUBFRAME HAS STARTED TO FAIL. TODAY I HAD MY BMW IN FOR A NORMAL BRAKE SERVICE AT MY REPAIR FACILITY. THEY NOTICED MY SUBFRAME IS STARTING TO CRACK ALONG THE MOUNTING POINTS. THIS IS USUALLY NOT FOUND IN AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION BMW ESPECIALLY SINCE THE CAR IS A NON M3, IT'S JUST A 328CI COUPE. *KB

I HAVE A 2000 BMW 323 CI CONVERTIBLE AND HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE REMOTE TRUNK RELEASE. NEITHER THE KEY FOB NOR THE RELEASE BUTTON FUNCTION; THE ONLY WAY TO GET INTO THE TRUNK IS WITH THE KEY IN THE LOCK. I DID SOME ONLINE RESEARCH LEARNED TWO THINGS. 1. THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. (TYPE 'BMW TRUNK RELEASE PROBLEM' INTO A SEARCH ENGINE TO SEE THE EXTENT.) WHILE THE PROBLEMS I HAVE ARE MERELY ANNOYING, IT IS NOT HARD TO IMAGINE THEM BEING FAR WORSE. 2. THE PROBLEM IS IN THE HARNESS WHERE THE WIRING GOES FROM THE BODY TO THE TRUNK LID. THIS LINK IS CONTAINS SEVERAL PICTURES OF EXACTLY WHAT I FOUND WHEN I PULLED MY HARNESS BACK: HTTP://WWW.M3FORUM.NET/M3FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=248956. IN MY CASE, THERE ARE THREE COMPLETELY BROKEN WIRES, ONE THAT IS HANGING ON BY A FEW STRANDS, AND ABOUT 4 MORE WHERE THE INSULATION IS AT LEAST PARTIALLY CRACKED. YES, THE CAR IS 10 YEARS OLD, BUT THIS SEEMS LIKE A MAJOR DESIGN FLAW TO ME. *TR

THE FUEL TANK SUPPORT STRAP BRACKET ON MY 2000 BMW 323CI COUPE SNAPPED OFF WITHOUT WARNING. IT HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING, I NOTICED A LOUD METALLIC GRINDING SOUND COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE CAR. I STOPPED, AND NOTICED AN 18 INCH METAL STRAP BEING DRAGGED ALONG THE GROUND, STILL ATTACHED AT ONE END (REAR END) OF THE FUEL TANK. THE FRONT SIDE OF THE STRAP HAD DISCONNECTED FROM THE CAR AND THE FUEL TANK ON THE PASSENGER SIDE HAD DROPPED SEVERAL INCHES, AND WAS 'DANGLING' TO SOME EXTENT - IT BOUNCED UP AND DOWN WHEN PUSHED. THE WELD THAT BROKE WAS HOLDING THE FRONT SIDE OF THE FUEL TANK SUPPORT STRAP, ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR. IT APPEARS THAT A SMALL AMOUNT OF METAL HAD TORN OUT OF THE FRAME THAT THE BRACKET WAS ATTACHED TO. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED BY A MECHANIC. TO REPAIR IT, THEY NEED TO REMOVE THE ENTIRE FUEL TANK AND WELD THE BRACKET BACK ONTO THE FRAME, SO THAT THE SUPPORT STRAP CAN BE RE-ATTACHED. I HAVE BEEN QUOTED $600. *TR

I HAVE A 2000 323CI BMW MY PROBLEM IS THE WELD FROM THE STRAPS THAT HOLD THE GAS TANK DETACHED FROM THE METAL THERE SEEM TO BE E DEFECT ON THE WELD AND THE GAS TANK DROPPED TO THE FLOOR!! PLEASE DON'T WAIT FOR SOMEONE TO GET HURT BEFORE SOMETHING IS DONE ABOUT IT!! I DRILLED SOME HOLES AND ATTACHED A METAL PLATE THROUGH THE INSIDE OF THE BODY(METAL TO WEAK) THEN I USED BOLTS AND PRESSURE WASHERS TO REATTACH IT! *TR

I DROVE FROM NORTH CAROLINA TO CALIFORNIA PRIOR TO PCSING OVERSEAS. HALFWAY I NOTICED A CREAKING SOUND. UPON ARRIVAL TO CALIFORNIA I TOOK IT TO A SHOP ONLY TO FIND OUT THE REAR SUBFRAME WAS TEARING FROM ITS MOUNTS. INSURANCE CLAIMS IT AS A WEAR AND TEAR ISSUE AND REFUSES TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS THE TEARING OF THE SUBFRAME DOES NOT SEEM POSSIBLE. I TOOK IT TO A BMW DEALER WHERE THEY ARE NOW RIPPING APART THE REAREND TO ONLY SPOT WELD THE REPAIR I DO NOT EVEN BELIEVE IS A PROPER REPAIR. NOW WITH INSURANCE REFUSING TO COVER IT I'M STUCK WITH AN 8,000 DOLLAR REPAIR THAT SHOULD NOT EVEN EXIST. *TR