2000 BMW 3 SERIES Structurebody Problems

I HEARD A SQUEAKING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR END, TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC, AND WAS TOLD THE SUBFRAME HAS TORN OFF OF THE REAR SUSPENSION. HE CHECKED TO SEE IF THERE IS A RECALL, BUT NONE HAS BEEN FOUND. HE DID NOTICE ONLINE THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM, WITH MANY COMPLAINTS, AND THAT A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT HAD BEEN FILED. *TR

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...

I HAVE A 2000 323CI BMW MY PROBLEM IS THE WELD FROM THE STRAPS THAT HOLD THE GAS TANK DETACHED FROM THE METAL THERE SEEM TO BE E DEFECT ON THE WELD AND THE GAS TANK DROPPED TO THE FLOOR!! PLEASE DON'T WAIT FOR SOMEONE TO GET HURT BEFORE SOMETHING IS DONE ABOUT IT!! I DRILLED SOME HOLES AND ATTACHED A METAL PLATE THROUGH THE INSIDE OF THE BODY(METAL TO WEAK) THEN I USED BOLTS AND PRESSURE WASHERS TO REATTACH IT! *TR

A HORRIBLE CREAKING NOISE STARTING DEVELOPING IN THE REAR OF MY 2000 BMW 323CI (WITH 82000 MILES) WHILE DRIVING. THE NOISE HAS GOTTEN WORSE WITH TIME, AND AFTER A THOROUGH SEARCH ONLINE ON THE WWW.E46FANATICS.COM FORUM WEBSITE, I FOUND MANY OTHER OWNERS OF VEHICLES WITH THE SAME CHASSIS EXPERENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. FURTHER SEARCHING LEAD TO A COMMON PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN LINKED TO THE FAILURE OF THE DRIVER SIDE REAR SUBFRAME. THIS SECTION OF THE CHASSIS FAILS UNDER PROLONGED STRESS AND A CRACK IN THE CHASSIS OF THE VEHICLE DEVELOPS, EXPOSING A BARE COMPONENT OF THE REAR SUSPENSION AND ULTIMATELY DAMAGING THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE PROBLEM IS NOT RECOGNIZED BY BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM IS RECENTLY BEGINNING TO SURFACE AMONG MANY LATE MODEL BMW CARS OWNERS AS THIS PART SEEMS TO FAIL AFTER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME....