1999 BMW 328I

THE WELDS SECURING THE PASSENGER SIDE FUEL STRAP BRACKET TO THE BODY FAILED WHILE DRIVING AROUND 45MPH ON A SMOOTH ROAD. I NOTICED A METAL SCRAPING NOISE AND PULLED OVER. THE BRACKET WAS STILL ATTACHED TO THE STRAP AND WAS DRAGGING ON THE GROUND UNTIL I TOOK IT OFF. THE FAILURE HAPPENED DURING COMPLETELY SAFE CONDITIONS, WITH NO WARNING SIGNS OF FAILURE. INSPECTION OF THE BRACKET AND AREA OF THE FRAME SUGGESTS THAT THE TACK WELDS WERE DEFECTIVE. IF THE FAILURE HAD HAPPENED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OR ON A ROUGH SURFACE, IT COULD WELL HAVE CAUSED A BLOWOUT OF THE REAR TIRE AND POSSIBLY DROPPING THE GAS TANK. THIS DEFECT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. A QUICK SEARCH TURNS UP DOZENS OF ACCOUNTS OF THE EXACT FAILURE FOR THIS MODEL.

BMW 328I YEAR 1999. I HAVE HAD VEHICLE INSPECTED BY A REPUTABLE TECHNICIAN WHO INFORMED ME THAT MY CAR HAS PROBLEM WITH REAR SUB-FRAM SEPERATION AND CRACKING. HE MENTIONED THIS IS A DANGEROUS ISSUE, WHICH COULD CAUSE THE VEHCILE TO LOSE CONTROL. HE ALSO MENTIONED THAT THIS YEAR AND MODEL HAVE ONGOING PROBLEM. AFTER ADDITIONAL RESEARCH ON WEB, THERE ARE HUNDREDS, IF NOT THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ON THE SAME PROBLEM WITH SAME MODEL YEAR(S) 1999-2002 3 SERIES BMW CARS. I HAVE OVER 200 NAMES MYSELF, OF LOGGED COMPLAINTS ON A BMW BLOG SITE. HERE IS MY COMPLAINT TO THE NHTSA AT ABOUT 112K MILES I NOTICED A CREAKING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR SUSPENSION. UPON INSPECTION, THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR DIFFERENTIAL MOUNT HAS MULTIPLE STRESS FRACTURES AND SEPERATIONS AT THE POINT WHERE THE MOUNT IS WELDED TO THE UNI-BODY. THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD ALL REQUIRED MAINT. INSPECTIONS AT NORMAL INTERVALS. THIS CAR IS DRIVEN ON THE HIGHWAY 90% OF THE TIME AND THE REST IN RESIDENTIAL STREETS. IT IS A FAMILY CAR AND HAS HAD NO MODIFICATIONS PERIOD. THE CAR WAS PRUCHASED WITH A BMWNA CPO WARRANTY THAT HAS SINCE EXPIRED. THE DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO COVER ANY REPAIR COSTS ( ESTIMATED AT >3000 DOLLARS) BMWNA HAS IGNORED REPEATED REQUESTS FROM OWNERS TO FIX THIS DANGEROUS CONDITION. IN FACT, BMW GERMANY HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND COVERS THE COST OF REPAIRS, THEY EVEN HAVE A METHOD OF REPAIR. THIS SITUATION IS VERY DANGEROUS AND REQUIRES IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. THE SUSPENSION SHOULD NEVER SEPERATE FROM THE BODY BECAUSE OF TORSIONAL FORCES FROM THE TRANS/DIFF. IT IS CLEAR THAT THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW. I PERSONALLY HAVE A LIST OF OVER 100 NAMES WITH DOCUMENTED SUBFRAME CRACKING/FAILURE OF THE E46 BODY YEARS 1999-2000. THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF THESE HAVE SUBFRAME DAMAGE AT THE SAME REAR DRIVERS SIDE DIFF MOUNT, IN OTHER WORDS, OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE FAILURE POINTS, THE REAR DRIVERS SIDE IS NEARLY ALWAYS THE FAILURE POINT !! PLEASE I IMPLORE THE NHTSA TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE NOW.

BMW FRAME FAILURES ARE BECOMING MORE PREVALENT IN THE E46 BODY STYLE (3 SERIES). BMW IN GERMANY APPEARS TO BE ACTIVELY FIXING CARS. HERE IN THE US, HOWEVER, BMW NA APPEARS TO BE DOING NOTHING BUT IGNORING THE PROBLEM. POSTED BELOW IS JUST ONE OF MANY POSTS OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS REGARDING THE FAILURE OF THE REAR SUBFRAME MOUNTS ON THE E46. (PLEASE NOTE THAT IT IS OCCURING TO OTHER BMW MODELS AS WELL.) HTTP://BIMMER.ROADFLY.ORG/BMW/FORUMS/E46/5633750-1.HTML COULD YOU PLEASE START AN INVESTIGATION INTO WHY BMW AG (HQ IN GERMANY) IS REPAIRING/RECALLING THESE CARS, YET NOTHING IS BEING DONE HERE? THANK YOU.*AK

THE SUBFRAME RIPPED OUT FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. VEHICLE WAS THEN DRIVEN TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE REAR TIRES SEPARATED FROM THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE, AND ONLY WERE ATTACHED BY THE SHOCKS AND REAR AXLE. DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT THE FACTORY DIDN'T REINFORCE THE UNIBODY TO THE SUBFRAME, WHICH CAUSED THIS FAILURE TO OCCUR. *AK