2000 BMW M Roadster

THE REAR SUBFRAME AND DIFFERENTIAL MOUNTS HAVE BEGUN SEPARATING FROM THE TRUNK FLOOR. THIS WAS NOTICED AS A RESULT OF ABNORMAL REAR TIRE WEAR. REPAIR OF THIS FAILURE IS ESTIMATED AT APPROXIMATELY $2,500 BY A BODY SHOP FAMILIAR WITH THIS PROBLEM IN THIS MODEL CAR. THEY HAVE ADVISED THAT CONTINUED OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE IS HAZARDOUS UNTIL THE REPAIR IS MADE. *JB

I TOOK A LOOK AT THE SUBFRAME OF MY CAR AROUND THE REAR DIFF MOUNT AND I HAVE 4 POPPED SPOT WELDS. THEN I TOOK ALL OF THE TRUNK CARPET OUT AND I HAVE 8 POPPED WELDS AND THE LEFT SEAM IS SEPARATED. THIS IS NOT THE ONLY BMW Z3 FOR THIS TO HAPPEN TOO. NHTSA NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. ITS JUST A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL SOMEONE THAT DOESN'T KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR HAS THERE REAR DIFF FALL OFF WHEN DRIVING. *JB

I HAVE A 2000 BMW MZ3 ROADSTER. IN APRIL I NOTICED THAT THE SPOT WELDS IN THE TRUNK AREA HAD STARTED TO PULL APART AND RUSTED. I SEARCH THE WEB AND FOUND THAT THIS IS VERY COMMON WITH THESE CARS. BMW IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE, HOWEVER, THEY REFUSE TO ADDRESS IT. SOME OWNERS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET BMW TO REPLACE THE TRUNK, HOWEVER, THIS DOES NOT FIX THE ISSUE. ONCE THE TRUNK IS REPLACE, IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN SOMEWHERE DOWN THE ROAD. BECAUSE BMW IS NOT ADDRESSING THE ISSUE BUT JUST COVERING IT UP I HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR A POSSIBLE FIX BY A RACE CAR COMPANY THAT DEALS WITH RE-ENFORCING CARS.

IN SEPT. 2003, I PURCHASED A USED CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED 2000 BMW M ROADSTER FROM AN AUTHORIZED BMW DEALER. IN LATE 2003, I NOTICED NOISES COMING FROM THE REAR END OF THE CAR WHICH THE DEALER ATTRIBUTED TO A LOOSE GAS TANK HOLDER, WHICH THEY REPLACED. SOON AFTER, THE NOISE RETURNED. I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK 2 MORE TIMES AND THEY COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. AFTER REASEARCHING ONLINE, I FOUND OTHER BMW OWNERS HAVE DISCOVERED THE SUBFRAMES OF THEIR CARS WERE COMING UNWELDED FROM THE BODY. AFTER HAVING MY CAR INSPECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT SOURCE, WE DISCOVERED THAT THIS WAS THE CASE FOR MY CAR AS WELL. THE FLOOR OF THE TRUNK IS SPOT WELDED TO THE REAR SUBFRAME USING A DOZEN SPOT WELDS. OVER TIME MERELY DRIVING THE CAR WITH ITS HIGH TORQUE ENGINE CAUSES THESE TACK WELDS TO BREAK CAUSING GREATER DAMAGE TO THE COMPONENTS UNDER THE CAR (DIFFERENTIAL MOUNTS, SUBFRAME,& FLOOR PAN CRACKS). IN MY CASE, 7 WELDS HAVE BROKEN & 4 MORE ARE FAILING. I HAVE ONLY PUT 6000 MILES ON THE CAR (TOTAL MILEAGE IS 56,000). BACK AT BMW, I SHOWED THEM WHAT I HAD FOUND AND WAS TOLD THAT ALTHOUGH THEY HAD SEEN THIS BEFORE, THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR THE DAMAGE BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE IT IS CAUSED BY AGGRESSIVE DRIVING. NATIONWIDE, I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS OTHER CASES INVOLVING THIS SAME BUILD DEFECT AND THE RELATED PROBLEMS. IF BMW IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND HAS SEEN IT BEFORE, WOULDN'T THEY CHECK FOR THIS TYPE OF DAMAGE BEFORE THEY GIVE A CAR THEIR CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED SEAL OF APPROVAL? ALSO, WHY WOULD THE ENTIRE SUBFRAME OF A HIGH PERFORMANCE REAR-WHEEL DRIVE, HIGH TORQUE CAR BE ATTACHED TO THE BODY USING SMALL TEMPORARY-LOOKING SPOT WELDS? IN MY CASE, THIS DEFECT HAS CAUSED ANY INJURY OR SAFETY-ISSUES YET, BUT I CAUGHT MY PROBLEM EARLY. AS THE REAR ENDS OF THESE CARS FAIL, THE DRIVERS OF THESE VEHICLES PUT THEMSELVES AND OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROADS AT RISK. I HAVE SEEN CASES WHERE CAR MANUFACTURERS HAVE ISSUED RECALLS FOR FAR LESS THREATENING PROBLEMS.

THE AIRBAG (SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEM) LIGHT ON MY CAR'S DASH INSTRUMENT PANEL KEEPS COMING ON. INFORMATION ON THE Z-3 ROADSTER INTERNET MESSAGE BOARD (HTTP://BIMMER.ROADFLY.ORG/BMW/FORUMS/Z3/) INDICATES THAT THIS PROBLEM IS A COMMON FAULT ON THE BMW Z-3/M ROADSTER MODELS, DUE TO FAULTY ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS UNDER THE SEAT OR FAULTY SENSORS IN THE SEAT BELT LATCHES. SINCE THIS COMMON FAULT AFFECTS THE SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEM, BMW SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO ISSUE A RECALL TO FIX THESE PROBLEMS.*AK

THE CONSUMER HAS EXPERIENCED THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS: FIRE RESULTING IN A TOTAL LOSS, DUE TO DESIGN FLAW/ OR MISROUTING OF WIRES DUE TO SERVICE DEALER (BMW)-WHILE DRIVING, ABNORMAL TIRE WEAR (TIRES COMPLETELY BALD ON INSIDE @ 150K MILES) DUE TO ALIGNMENT, RIGHT REAR TRAILING ARM BENT, NUMEROUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS-(BLOWN FUSE/INOPERATIVE GAUGES/INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/HEAD LAMP CIRCUIT BURNED/ & AIR FLOW METER CIRCUIT), POWER WINDOWS, DOOR LOCKS,, RADIO MALFUNCTION, SENDING UNIT, CLOCK-INTERMITTENT, HEATING/AC-MISSING INSULATION/CAUSED SHORT/CONTROLS INOPERATIVE, FAULTY LIGHTING, BODY EQUIPMENT, POWER CONTROL WIRES FOR AUX COOLING FAN/MISROUTED OVER DRIVER'S FRAME RAIL, AND HORN CIRCUIT BURNED BEHIND DRIVER'S HEADLAMP. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TIRE WEAR WAS DUE TO THE DRIVING HABIT OF CONSUMER. ALSO, THE CONSUMER HYDROPLAINED AND SPUN OFF THE ROAD(POOL OFF WATER ON THE INTERSTATE). THE CONSUMER FEELS THAT THE SERVICE DEALER AND OR MANUFACTURER, SHOULD HAVE REPLACED THE VEHICLE AT NO COST DUE TO THE DESIGN FLAW-AT THE TIME/STILL UNDER WARRANTY. SCC *TS