NHTSA Complaint #10432838 — 2000 BMW 3 SERIES

I TOOK MY YEAR 2000, BMW 328CI IN TO REPLACE A REAR DIFFERENTIAL BUSHING. THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED FRAME DAMAGE WHERE THE DRIVER-SIDE REAR DIFFERENTIAL BUSHING ATTACHES TO THE CAR BODY/FRAME. THE MECHANIC SUGGESTED I CALL MY INSURANCE AGENT TO SEE IF THIS WAS COVERED. THE INSURANCE COMPANY SENT AN INVESTIGATOR WHO INFORMED ME OVER THE PHONE & EMAIL (INCLUDING PHOTO ATTACHMENTS) THAT THE DAMAGE COULD NOT BE CAUSED BY ANY COLLISION AND WAS NOT COVERED BY MY INSURANCE POLICY. THE AGENT STATED THAT THIS WAS A BMW ISSUE. HE ALSO SENT A LINK OF A VIDEO OF ANOTHER BMW 3 SERIES WITH SIMILAR PROBLEM SHOWING METAL FATIGUE HTTP://VIDEO.GOOGLE.COM/VIDEOPLAY?DOCID=8362789948066992482# . I SENT PHOTOS OF THE DAMAGE TO ANOTHER MECHANIC WHO SPECIALIZES IN BMW REPAIR. HE SAID IT WAS NOT SOMETHING SEEN EVERYDAY BUT SOMETHING BMW KNOWS ABOUT BASED ON WHAT HE HAS READ. HE ALSO STATED THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SUGGESTED I CALL THE BMW DEALERSHIP AND ASK ABOUT ANY RECALLS. I CALLED THE BMW DEALER WHO ASKED FOR MY VIN # AND THEN SAID THERE WERE "NO OPEN CAMPAIGNS AT THIS TIME". I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP ON 10/25/2011. THE ESTIMATED COST OF REPAIR IS AROUND $5000, WHICH IS ALMOST THE SAME AS THE KELLEY BLUE BOOK VALUE OF THE CAR. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE IN THIS CONDITION. *TT