2001 BMW 325CI

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET I BEGIN HEARING A NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING DRAGGING FROM THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. I PULLED THE CAR OVER AND OBSERVED THAT THE STRAP THAT HOLDS THE GAS TANK UP, WAS HANGING DOWN FROM ONE END. I THEN DROVE APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE TO AN AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR SHOP AND UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE WELD ON THE FRONT BRACKET OF THE GAS TANK STRAP HAD BROKEN AND DETACHED FROM THE FRAME. THIS CAUSED THE GAS TANK TO SAG TO WITHIN ABOUT 4 INCHES FROM THE GROUND. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE AND HAVE MAINTAINED IT WELL. I HAVE READ NUMEROUS BMW OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS EXACT PROBLEM. *TR

VARIOUS TIMES I HAVE EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT ISSUES WITH MY TAIL LIGHTS. I GET WARNINGS ON MY INSTRUMENT PANEL BUT WHEN I CHECK THE BULBS THEY ARE NOT BURNED OUT. ON OCTOBER 17, 2011, LOS ANGELES POLICE PULLED ME OVER NOTIFYING ME THAT MY TAIL LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING. WE CHECKED THE BULBS AND FUSES BUT THEY WERE OK. WE FOUND THAT WHEN YOU SLIGHTLY TOUCH THE HARNESS OF THE TAILLIGHT SOCKET THAT IS INSIDE THE BODY PANEL, THE LIGHTS GO ON AND OFF. I DID SOME ONLINE RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL CAR, BMW E46. ON SATURDAY JANUARY 21 I WENT TO SANTA MONICA BMW. THEY SAID IT WAS NOT A COMMON ISSUE. TODAY I JUST LEARNED ABOUT RECENT NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 11V438000. THIS RECALL ADDRESSES THE ISSUES I HAVE BEEN HAVING. HOWEVER, IT IS ONLY FOR MODELS MANUFACTURED AFTER SEPTEMBER 2001. MY VEHICLE WAS BUILT IN JULY 2001 BUT USES THE SAME HARNESS AND BODY PANEL ASSEMBLY THAT HAS PROMPTED THE RECALL FOR MODELS BUILT IN SEPTEMBER 2001. THUS, I BELIEVE MY VEHICLE SHOULD BE RECALLED AS WELL. PLEASE ADVISE. THANKS IN ADVANCE. *TR

2001 BMW 325 CI WAS BEING DRIVEN BY MY WIFE WHEN THE GAS TANK STRAP ON PASSENGER SIDE BROKE OFF FROM THE REAR SECTION. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT, BUMPS OR OTHER ISSUES THAT CAUSED THIS INCIDENT. THE GAS TANK HUNG DOWN A FEW INCHES FROM THE ROAD. WE GOT THE CAR TO THE MECHANIC AND LEARNED THAT WE NEEDED BOTH A GAS TANK STRAP AND A BRACKET FOR THE UNDERBODY. REGARDING THE BRACKET, BMW HAS NO SUCH PART LISTED IN THEIR SPECS. THE ONLY OPTION APPEARS TO BE RIGGING THE STRAP AND WELDING IT TO ANOTHER PART OF THE UNDERBODY. I HAVE RESEARCHED THE ISSUE AND FOUND THAT A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE. THIS COULD BE A CATASTROPHIC DANGER IF THE TANK WERE TO LOOSEN, DRAG ON THE GROUND AND ULTIMATELY CATCH FIRE. FORTUNATELY FOR MY WIFE, SHE WAS LESS THAN A MILE FROM OUR HOME WHEN IT OCCURRED. I'M SHOCKED THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL GIVEN THE COMMON REPORTING OF THE EXACT FAILURE. I WOULD BE SCARED TO DRIVE THE CAR WITH A LESS THAN EXACT REPAIR. THANK YOU. *TR

2001 BMW 325CI, PASSENGER SIDE FUEL TANK STRAP FAILURE AT FRONT WELD SITE CAUSING FUEL TANK TO HANG FROM THE UNDER BODY ONLY SEVERAL INCHES OFF THE GROUND. THE REAR FUEL TANK STRAP REMAINED BOLTED DOWN SO STRAP REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE VEHICLE, DRAGGING ON THE ROAD SURFACE CAUSING A LOUD METALLIC POPPING AND SCRATCHING SOUND WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION THUS ALERTING DRIVER. THE FAILURE SPONTANEOUSLY OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING ON RESIDENTIAL ROADWAY WITHOUT ANY OBVIOUS COLLISION FROM DEBRIS, SIGNS OF EXTERNAL DAMAGE OR EXCESSIVE RUST. THE FRONT WELD SITE AT THE UNDERCARRIAGE APPEARED TO BE TORN OR SHEARED OFF. OLD PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE AND THE STRAP HAD TO BE REPAIRED BY WELDING TO A DIFFERENT POINT OF THE UNDERCARRIAGE. *TR