Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| STRUCTURE | |||
| 05/21/2002 | 30560 | 4 | 05/11/1999 |
| Numerous ball joint replacements. *ph the clock bulb, thermostat, convertible top tensioner and power steering intake were replaced. *jb | |||
| 09/16/2000 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle was involved in an accident where it was struck by another vehicle, the impact resulted in vehicle being cut into two pieces, (possible structural problems), the accident resulted in 2 injuries and one death. *slc | |||
| STRUCTURE - BODY | |||
| 12/13/2011 | 180000 | ||
| The subframe has ripped away from the floorpan. through investigation this has been determined to be a very common failure on e46 bmw 3 series. this should be a mandatory recall by bmw to fix this issue. the subframe should last the life of any car. | |||
| STRUCTURE - FRAME AND MEMBERS | |||
| 04/01/2006 | 11500 | 1 | |
| I'm reporting the manufacturer problem with bmw on the subframes of the 1999 e46 323i. there have been many reports on this matter. *nm | |||
| 09/07/2004 | 104000 | 1 | 12/12/1999 |
| Consumer was concerned that a squeaking noise could be heard while driving at any speed. vehicle was taken to dealer, who inspected vehicle and found a cracked sub frame. *ak | |||
| 09/07/2004 | 104000 | 3 | 12/12/1999 |
| Cracked sub-frame at 104,000 miles. dealership stated that it was caused by pot holes, i do not drive over potholes and take care of my vehicle very much so. i am not wreckless, and i have every maintenance record available as well as other warranties. i have had numerous issues with this vehicle including transmission and clutch at 75,000 miles, electrical issues and light indicators turning on for no reason, airbag lights light up at least twice a year, engine light coming on at least once a year, and finally a cracked sub frame. this vehicle has been nothing but cost and is dangerous to drive at this point. *ak | |||
| STRUCTURE - FRAME AND MEMBERS - UNDERBODY SHIELDS | |||
| 04/06/2012 | 123000 | 1 | |
| After 6 months of squeaking & rattling sounds coming from the rear of my vehicle, i was driving on ca route 10 when i noticed the sounds were becoming more prevalent, as the car's handling began to feel loose. i reduced speed for the remainder of the trip, fearing loss of control of the vehicle, and upon arriving home had my vehicle inspected by beverly hills bmw, where they told me that my vehicle's subframe was damaged to the extent that the car was not road worthy ([xxx]) and i was advised to have the vehicle towed out of the shop. i contacted bmw customer service agent [xxx], who informed me that bmw had a program (that i believe is part of a settlement agreement of a class action lawsuit), in which they recognized there was a problem with some of the early e46 bmw models' sub-frames and offered to have them inspected & in some cases would pay for the cost of the repair. bmw chose to deny me repair, citing that they had mailed me a letter about the program previously (that i had never received) & that the program had now ended. after having my vehicle repaired by an independent party, i contacted[xxx]to see if bmw would reimburse me for some of my costs of repair and car rental, seeing as how they were a fraction of the quote from bmw. she told me to forward my invoices ($2207.70 in total) to her email, which i did. despite 3 follow-up emails, 3 voice mails, and one certified letter, i have received no further communication from bmw. the mechanical / structural integrity of a vehicle's frame, or sub-frame, should never be compromised by regular use. having a defective sub-frame in a car manufactured in the last 80 years is wholly unacceptable and constitutes a need for investigation concerning a potential recall, rather than some manufacturer-controlled program with time limits that affect the safety of its customers. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr | |||
| 01/02/2006 | 90000 | 1 | 12/24/1999 |
| Rear sub-frame has cracked. our 1999 323i model has 103,000 miles and apparently it is a common problem. called bmw usa n.a. to have an inspector check the car on 3/21/07 and was told to get the car to the dealer. the dealer said we have to make an appointment, and to date, despite numerous phone calls, we still do not have an appointment. apparently, this is a common problem with 1999-2005 323i models. the car has been modified by thickening the metal on newer models. there should be a recall since this is a manufacturing defect. *tr | |||