NHTSA Complaint #10135087 — 2000 BMW 328I

MY 2000 BMW 328I IS ALL STOCK WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A HIGH-END AFTERMARKET INTAKE... IT IS ONE OF MANY E46 BMW'S TO HAVE THE DREADED "BODY FAILURE AT REAR SUBFRAME MOUNTING POINT". LET ME BRIEFLY DESCRIBE THE ISSUE AT HAND: "...THE REAR MOUNTING POINTS FOR THE SUBFRAME CAN RIP OUT FROM THEIR SPOTS IN THE SHEET METAL. ...THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL TRANSMITS THE TORSIONAL LOAD FROM THE ENGINE THROUGH THE SUBFRAME, THEN INTO THE CHASSIS. THIS CONSTANT LOADING AND UNLOADING WEAKENS THE SHEET METAL AND CAUSES IT TO FATIGUE AND SEPARATE FROM THE CHASSIS. THIS IS WHERE WE HAVE SEEN MANY FAILURES OF THE CHASSIS ON LOW MILEAGE STREET CARS.." THAT IS A QUOTE FROM THE RESPECTED BMW SPECIALISTS AT TURNER MOTORSPORT (WWW.TURNERMOTORSPORT.COM). THAT IS THE EXACT PROBLEM THAT I'VE HAD. BMWAG (GERMANY) RECOGNIZED THIS ISSUE AND HAS ADDRESSED IT... BMWNA (NORTH AMERICA) HAS BLOWN A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF US OFF... STATING THAT WE ARE POST WARRANTY AND THAT IT'S DUE TO ROAD HAZARDS OR JUST WEAR AND TEAR. THE FRAME, SUBFRAME, AND IT'S MOUNTING POINTS SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE CAR, WITHOUT QUESTION. I'VE ALREADY GOT A LAWYER WHICH WILL BE PERUSING THIS - AND I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER BMW UNTIL THEY TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS ISSUE AND ISSUE A RECALL ON ALL E46 BMWS. THIS IS COMPLETELY UNSAFE - WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE DRIVER SIDE REAR SUSPENSION / FRAME COLLAPSES ON A WINDY ROAD OR ON THE HIGHWAY? IT WILL ABSOLUTELY LOSE CONTROL AND MOST LIKELY HEAD LEFT - TOWARDS ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I HAVE NO OTHER VEHICLE WHICH I CAN DRIVE AND THE CONDITION IS ONLY GETTING WORSE ... LOUDER ... MORE ANNOYING. PLEASE HELP. THERE ARE MUCH MORE OF US THAT HAVE THIS ISSUE... PLEASE REFER TO THE LINKS BELOW. I'M NOT TRYING TO GET OVER ON ANYONE - I JUST KNOW THAT BMW NEEDS TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE ... THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE ONE OF THE SAFEST AUTOMOBILES ON THE ROAD, NOT TO MENTION "THE ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE". THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME, I DO APPRECIATE IT. JOHN HANSON. *NM