Other Restraint System Info: Driver and Passenger Dual-stage Advanced Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
Plant City: Regensburg
Plant Country: Germany
Seat Belts All: Manual
Series: 3
Vehicle Type: PASSENGER CAR
Model year
COMPONENT
Complaint
2002
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
CRANKSHAFT BEARINGS ARE STARVED OF ENGINE OIL CAUSING A SERIES OF CHAIN REACTIONS THAT ULTIMATELY BLOWS THE ENGINE, CAUSING ENGINE OIL TO SPILL EVERYWHERE AND FORM THICK CLOUDS OF SMOKE FROM EVAPORATED ENGINE OIL TO COME OUT OF THE CAR, HINDERING THE VIEW OF OTHERS BEHIND, AND CREATING A DANGERIOUSLY SLIPPERY SURFACE. THE ENGINE COMPLETELY SHUTS OFF, CAUSING VERY POSSIBLE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS THAT ARE TOO SPECULATIVE AND MANY TO LIST. THESE ISSUES HAVE BEEN OBSERVED ON VEHICLES PRODUCED WITHIN OCTOBER OF 2001 TO FEBURARY 2002. BMW REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM AS A DEFECT REPEATEDLY BLAMES THE CONSUMER. SIMPLY REPLACING THE ENGINE(WHICH IS WHAT BMW DOES) IS NOT ACCEPTABLE, DUE TO INEVITABLE LOSS OF VALUE FROM SUCH A DISASTEROUS FAILURE. FURTHERMORE, MANY HAVE PAYED MORE THAN $60,000 FOR THE CAR, EXCLUDING THE PREMIUM OF $2500-$15000 EXTRA DEPENDING ON DEALERSHIP. BMW ALSO DOES NOT PROVIDE PEOPLE WITH THIS FAILURE PROBLEM WITH ANY FORM OF COMPENSATORY ACTIONS, SUCH AS LOANER CARS FOR PERIODS AS LONG AS 2-6 WEEKS.(THE ESTIMATED TIME IT TAKES TO FIX THE PROBLEM) DT
2002
SUSPENSION:REAR
AFTER 2.5 YEARS OF OWNERSHIP OF VEHICLE A SLIGHT "CLUNK" COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE IS NOTICED WHEN MOVING FORWARD FROM A STOP SOME TIMES. WITHIN A FEW WEEKS THE "CLUNK" BECAME LOUDER AND OCCURRED MORE OFTEN. IN ADDITION THE A LOUD "BANG" ACCOMPANIED BY VIBRATIONS WOULD COME FROM THE REAR WHEN GOING OVER SPEED-BUMPS. DURING THIS TIME THE CAR BEGAN FEELING UNSAFE WHEN ON HILLS OR IN THE RAIN. IF I WAS ON A HILL AND STARTED MOVING FORWARD I FEARED AFTER THE LARGE "CLUNK" A MAJOR FAILURE COULD LEAD TO THE CAR LOSING ITS REAR DRIVETRAIN OR SUSPENSION AND FALLING BACKWARDS. I ALSO FELT THE CAR WAS NOT SAFE IN THE RAIN AND THE REAR OF THE CAR WOULD SHIFT AROUND WHEN UNDER LOAD OR ACCELERATING. I TOOK THE CAR TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND WAS TOLD THE REAR SUBFRAME WAS TEARING AT MULTIPLE POINTS. I WAS TOLD THIS WAS A COMMON MANUFACTURER DEFECT OF THE BMW 3-SERIES THAT HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR OVER 15 YEARS AND NEWER MODEL CARS WOULD TEAR THE ENTIRE FLOORPAN OUT. THE REPAIR IS COSTLY AND THE SHOP SAID THEY WOULD NOT WARRANTY OR GUARANTEE ANY REPAIR OF THIS PART AS IT IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. I CONTACTED BMW NA AND THEY HAD A REPRESENTATIVE CONTACT ME AND SETUP AN INSPECTION AT A LOCAL BMW CERTIFIED REPAIR SHOP. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND THE BMW REP THERE SAID HE WOULD TAKE A LOOK AT IT. HE SAID THAT 99% OF THE TIME THE DAMAGE IS COVERED AS IT IS A PROBLEM IN EVEN THEIR LOWEST MODELS AND EVEN IN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION CARS. LATER I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE SHOP AND WAS TOLD THAT BMW WOULD TO FIX THE CAR WITH NO COST TO ME. THEY SAID IT WAS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT AND A SERIOUS SAFETY RISK. A WEEK LATER I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE BMW NA REPRESENTATIVE, HE SAID THE CAR WAS INSPECTED AGAIN AND DECIDED THAT THE CAR WAS DRIVEN TOO HARD AND THEREFORE WILL NOT BE REPAIRED. THE REPAIR COST IS ESTIMATED AT $7600. AT THIS POINT THE CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND NOW WITH CONFIRMED TEARS IN THE BODY THE CAR COULD SUFFER FROM RUST AND/OR RODENT/PEST PROBLEMS. *TR
