2006 BMW 3 SERIES Engine And Engine Cooling Problems

WHITE SMOKE COMING THOUGH AC DUCTS. WHEN TAKEN TO SHOP THEY SAID IT WAS COOLANT LEAK IN HEATER CORE. REPLACEMENT WOULD COST ME $3000-$4000. *TR

I HAVE A 2006 325I SEDAN WITH 55,856 MILES ON IT. I TOOK IT IN FOR A ROUTINE SERVICE ON 4-18-2013. IT HAS BEEN MAINTAINED BY ONLY BMW DEALERSHIPS IN ITS LIFETIME WITH ALL REQUIRED MAINTENANCE DONE ON SCHEDULE. THEY CALLED TO NOTIFY ME THAT UPON INSPECTION THEY HAD FOUND THE HEAD BOLT BROKEN BEHIND THE OIL FILTER HOUSING, THE OIL FILTER HOUSING GASKET LEAKING AND THE DRIVE BELT TENSIONER LEAKING. I HAD NOT BEEN EXPERIENCING ANY OUTWARD S+S OF THIS PROBLEM. THEY QUOTED ME $3400 TO REPAIR THIS. I WAS SHOCKED THAT A CAR IN SUCH GREAT CONDITION WOULD HAVE SUCH A PROBLEM AT THIS MILEAGE. I ASKED WHY THIS WOULD HAPPEN AND ESSENTIALLY WAS TOLD IT IS UNUSUAL BUT DOES HAPPEN. THEY ADVISED A REPAIR IN THE FUTURE. I WENT HOME AND RESEARCHED THIS AND FOUND IT HAS BEEN A COMMON PROBLEM IN THIS MODEL AND THAT SUBSEQUENTLY...

MY BMW 300 SERIES WAGON (2006) HAD A BRAKE AND EMERGENCY WARNING LIGHT TURN ON. THERE WAS ALSO A SMELL OF BURNING OIL. MY MECHANIC IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM AS BROKEN ALUMINUM BOLTS ON THE CYLINDER. HE SAID HE PERSONALLY SEES THIS ALL THE TIME ON 2006 MODELS, THAT BMW IS AWARE, AND THAT THEY REDESIGNED THE PART FOR LATER YEARS. LIKEWISE, MY BMW DEALER IS AWARE OF IT AND A SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH FINDS AT LEAST 1000 COMPLAINTS POSTED AT VARIOUS SITES ON THE WEB. ALUMINUM DOES NOT HOLD UP IN THIS SETTING AND THESE BOLTS COST MORE THAN$1200 TO REPAIR. I AM TOLD BY MY MECHANIC THAT IT USUALLY HAPPENS AFTER 60K MILES WHICH MEANS MOST ARE OFF WARRANTY. BMW IS AWARE AND SHOULD EITHER DO A COURTESY REPAIR OR BE FORCED TO DO THE RIGHT THING BY NHTSA. *TR