Other Restraint System Info: Driver and Passenger Dual stage Advanced Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
Plant City: Munich
Plant Country: Germany
Seat Belts All: Manual
Series: 3 Series
Vehicle Type: PASSENGER CAR
Model year
COMPONENT
Complaint
2000
STRUCTURE:BODY
A HORRIBLE CREAKING NOISE STARTING DEVELOPING IN THE REAR OF MY 2000 BMW 323CI (WITH 82000 MILES) WHILE DRIVING. THE NOISE HAS GOTTEN WORSE WITH TIME, AND AFTER A THOROUGH SEARCH ONLINE ON THE WWW.E46FANATICS.COM FORUM WEBSITE, I FOUND MANY OTHER OWNERS OF VEHICLES WITH THE SAME CHASSIS EXPERENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. FURTHER SEARCHING LEAD TO A COMMON PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN LINKED TO THE FAILURE OF THE DRIVER SIDE REAR SUBFRAME. THIS SECTION OF THE CHASSIS FAILS UNDER PROLONGED STRESS AND A CRACK IN THE CHASSIS OF THE VEHICLE DEVELOPS, EXPOSING A BARE COMPONENT OF THE REAR SUSPENSION AND ULTIMATELY DAMAGING THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE PROBLEM IS NOT RECOGNIZED BY BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM IS RECENTLY BEGINNING TO SURFACE AMONG MANY LATE MODEL BMW CARS OWNERS AS THIS PART SEEMS TO FAIL AFTER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. NONETHELESS, THIS IS A DANGEROUS PROBLEM THAT IS NOT ISOLATED TO A SELECT FEW VEHICLES, BUT ENOUGH TO RAISE ALARM AND SUSPICION. I WAS VERY SURPRISED AND DISSAPPOINTED TO FIND THAT MY VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED THIS EXACT FAILURE JUST OUT OF WARRANTY. *AK
2001
WHEELS
WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE, I HIT A POTHOLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. MY DRIVER SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED: THE SIDE, AND CURTAIN. THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE ON THE OUTSIDE. THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE WAS FLAT. *TR