2000 BMW 3 Series

I OWN A 2000 BMW 323CI WITH JUST OVER 80K ON IT AND MY REAR SUBFRAME MOUNTS HAVE RIPPED THROUGH THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR AND THE WHOLE REAR OF THE CAR IS ABOUT TO FALL OFF. AFTER SOME SEARCHING I FOUND AROUND 200 FELLOW 3 SERIES OWNERS WHO ARE IN THE SAME BOAT ALMOST ALL OF WHICH ARE 99 AND 2000 MODELS. BMWNA INSIST THIS IS NOT A DEFECT BUT DO TO AGGRESSIVE DRIVING OR SUSPENION MODES NONE OF WHICH APPLY TO ME OR THE MANY OTHERS WHO ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. ITS NOT JUST ABOUT THE ESTIMATED 3 TO 7 THOUSAND DOLLAR REPAIR BILL IT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED MAINLY FOR THE PEOPLE ON THE ROAD ENDANGERING THEMSELVES AND EVERYONE ELSE AND THE DON'T EVEN HAVE A CLUE BECAUSE THE ONLY SYMPTOM IS S SLIGHT RATTLE ONE WHICH THE AVERAGE DRIVER WOULDN'T EVEN NOTICE. *TR

THERE WAS A CLUNKING NOISE COMING FROM THE BACK. AFTER TAKING THE WHEEL OFF TO INVESTIGATE I SAW WHERE THE REAR SUSPENSION MOUNTS TO THE FRAME IT HAD PULLED THROUGH. I HAVE JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS AND WILL E CONTACTING BMW ABOUT THIS SHORTLY. AN INTERNET SEARCH WILL FIND THAT THIS IS NOT A RARE OCCURRENCE AND I BELIEVE BMW SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS. *JB

I RECENTLY PURCHASED THE CAR USED. THEN TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC FOR THOROUGH INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE TUNE UP. FRONT AND REAR SHOCKS AND STRUTS ALONG WITH SPRINGS REPLACED WITH OEM PARTS. HE AND I LOCATED THE SUBFRAME ON THE REAR DRIVER WAS TORN. CAR IS MECHANICALLY SOUND AND THE ONLY ISSUE RIGHT NOW IS THAT WHEN DRIVING, I CAN HEAR THE METAL ON METAL CLUNKING NOISE. AFRAID THAT IF IT DOES NOT GET REPAIRED, IT WILL LEAD TO MORE STRUCTURE PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR. I'M SCARE TO DRIVE THE CAR FEARING THAT AN ACCIDENT IS WAITING TO HAPPEN. PLEASE HELP WITH INVESTIGATION INTO POSSIBLE DEFECT ON BMW 3 SERIES. I KNOW THAT THERE IS CURRENTLY A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT HAS BEEN FILED WITH WASSERMAN, COMDEN & CASSELMAN, L.L.P REGARDING MANUFACTURING AND/OR DESIGN DEFECT THAT SEVERELY COMPROMISES THE SAFETY, DURABILITY, AND PERFORMANCE OF THE VEHICLE. WHICH ALLEGES THAT THE MANUFACTURING AND/OR DESIGN DEFECT INCLUDES A WEAK OR INSUFFICIENT FLOOR PANEL IN THE UNIBODY OF THE VEHICLE THAT CAUSES, AMONG OTHER THINGS, CRACKING IN THE FLOOR PAN AND MISALIGNMENT, CRACKING OR THE COMPLETE OR PARTIAL FAILURE OF THE REAR SUBFRAME OF THE VEHICLE. *NM

I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE IN MID APRIL, 2006. A MONTH AFTER MY PURCHASE I BEGAN TO NOTICE CREAKING SOUNDS COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE CAR UNDER NORMAL ACCELERATION, PRIMARILY IN 1ST GEAR. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION I FOUND THE REAR SUBFRAME TO BE TEARING FROM THE UNIBODY ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND MUST BE ADDRESSED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY INJURED. TOO MANY PEOPLE IGNORE TELL TALE SIGNS COMING FROM THEIR VEHICLES, IF BMW IS UNWILLING TO DO ANYTHING FOR THE REPAIR, THE LEAST THEY COULD DO IS SEND A NOTICE TO RECOMMEND AN INSPECTION TO ANY 3-SERIES OWNER. REPAIRING THIS COSTS MONEY, NOT LIFE AND LIMB. PLEASE BMW AND THE NHTSA, LETS KEEP IT THAT WAY. *NM

I EXPERIENCED A TYPICAL PROBLEM WITH MY 2000 BMW 323CI , AS THE SUBFRAME BEGAN TO TEAR AFTER ONLY 57000 MILES OF USE. AFTER SOME COMPLAINING, I WAS ABLE TO GET BMW TO "GOODWILL" THE REPAIRS. BUT AS SOON AS I PICKED UP THE CAR AFTER THE REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED, THE EMERGENCY BRAKE PARKING LIGHT BEGAN TO MALFUNCTION. IT WOULD COME ON WHEN THE BRAKE WAS RELEASED ETC. A COUPLE WEEKS LATER THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT BEGAN TO DO THE SAME THING. I DIDN'T THINK TOO MUCH OF IT, BUT NOW ABOUT 9 MONTHS LATER I HAVE EXPERIENCED SEVERE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. FIRST ALL THE POWER STOPPED WORKING, THE HEADLIGHTS BLINKED, A/C AND WINDOWS STOPPED WORKING, POWER LOCKS NO LONGER WORKED. THEN IT SOMEHOW FIXED ITSELF. BUT A COUPLE WEEKS AFTER, SOMETHING ELSE HAPPENED AND NOW I CANNOT EVEN START MY CAR. AGAIN, IT APPEARS TO BE SOME SORT OF POWER PROBLEM, PERHAPS SOMETHING DRAINING THE BATTERY. *NM

EXPERIENCED TEARING IN THE SHEET METAL LOCATED ABOVE THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL CARRIER. THE SHEET METAL HAD BEEN FATIGUED FROM CARRIERS MOVEMENT UNDER LOAD (ACCELERATION/DECELERATION). THE SERVICE MANAGER (ON BEHALF OF BMW NA) STATES THAT THE DAMAGE WAS A RESULT OF "HITTING A LARGE POTHOLE". IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT NO OTHER SUSPENSION COMPONENTS WERE DAMAGED AND EVERYTHING ON THE CAR IS FACTORY ORIGINAL. NO MODIFICATIONS WHATSOEVER AND NO REPAIRS UNTIL THAT POINT. THE CAR HAS BEEN REPAIRED AND THE AREA IN QUESTION HAS BEEN REINFORCED TO PREVENT FUTURE SUBFRAME FAILURES. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE FOR A CAR MANUFACTURER TO PASS BLAME FOR A DESIGN DEFECT ONTO THEIR CUSTOMERS. OBVIOUSLY, THEY HAVE LOST ANY FUTURE SALES FROM ME. *NM