Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||||
| SI-B11-07-09 | 08/01/2009 | 10030850 | Bmw: thermostat housing inspection. the retaining springs of the thermostat housing quick release couplings for the coolant hoses may not be locked correctly. this situation may result in a coolant leak. models affected are m3 sedan (e | 12/09/2009 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - HOSE | |||||
| SI-B11-07-09 | 08/01/2009 | 10030850 | Bmw: thermostat housing inspection. the retaining springs of the thermostat housing quick release couplings for the coolant hoses may not be locked correctly. this situation may result in a coolant leak. models affected are m3 sedan (e | 12/09/2009 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL | |||||
| SI-B12-22-08 | 04/01/2009 | 10029304 | Bmw: as originally installed, the dme programming may cause the obd diagnostic to erroneously evaluate the efficiency of the catalytic converters. model e46 (m3) coupe and convertibles. *pe | 07/06/2009 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | |||||
| SI-B12-22-08 | 10/01/2009 | 10032574 | Bmw: voluntary emissions recall 08e-a03; m3 s54-dme reprogramming for catalyst conversion diagnosis. the dme programming, as originally installed, may cause the obd diagnostic to erroneously evaluate the efficiency of the catalytic conver | 04/14/2010 | |
| SI-B12-22-08 | 04/01/2009 | 10029304 | Bmw: as originally installed, the dme programming may cause the obd diagnostic to erroneously evaluate the efficiency of the catalytic converters. model e46 (m3) coupe and convertibles. *pe | 07/06/2009 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 10/03/2011 | |||
| The exhuast cam hub tabs break off on the 2000-2008 bmw m3 models. if caught when only one tab breaks it can be replaced. if both tabs break completly off the engine will seize. there are hundreds of people with the same issue. bmw na will not address this issue | |||
| 10/13/2011 | 123456 | ||
| I have a bmw m3 which has an smg transmission. i was driving and all of a sudden my car loses power to change the gears and my car started to jerk while on the road nearly crashing into another car. it turns out that the smg pumps for bmw m3 have always a high failure design flaw. the cost to fix that is also unbearable which nears the $5,ooo mark. there has been forums going around that this is indeed a design flaw for bmw. i almost nearly got into a car accident, but thankfully i was ok. please look into this matter as i feel as well as everyone else in the bmw comunittee that it shoudl be a recall. thank you for your time. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 08/04/2003 | 15000 | 1 | 01/06/2002 |
| Multiple problems with the vehicel. the engine was replaced at 16000, the transmission (smg) was re[;aced at 20000, now the engine rev high at idel and send stron vibration to the cabin and steering column. bmw of houston north, a local dealer in houston, tx, were less than helpful in trying to solve the current problem. it appears that they want to keep the problems with m3 quiet. *ak | |||
| 05/27/2003 | 2 | 01/26/2002 | |
| Without any indication vehicle shut down. engine was replaced by the dealer on 9/9/2002. on 5/27/2003 vehicle would not start. vehicle was taken to the dealer for repair. *ak | |||
| 07/17/2002 | 5623 | 1 | 10/01/2001 |
| Bmw has had a rash of engine failures on their new e46 m3's. these failures usually (im my case and many others) has resulted in the engine actually blowing up. this is probably one of the most dangerous failures that could happen. oil dumps all over the road, things lock up and you could easily lose control. fortunately for me, i was able to get off the road and no one else was involved. bmw has been replacing these motors under warranty, but will not disclose the reason for the failures or what has been fixed to insure it does not happen again. i have sent request to bmw asking for and official response to my particular failure and what has been done to fix it on the replacement motor. i have not received any response from bmw as of today. i have received e-mails from other concerned m3 owners stating that replacement motors have been know to fail also. i cannot afford to have another engine blow. i might not be so lucky the next time. what worries me most is that bmw seems to be ignoring the problem. eventually someone is going to get hurt or killed. *ts *nlm **dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut-over to artemis*768014 | |||
| 01/31/2002 | 1 | 10/01/2001 | |
| Engine destroyed by rod bearing failure. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 10/27/2002 | 01/01/2002 | ||
| Crankshaft bearings are starved of engine oil causing a series of chain reactions that ultimately blows the engine, causing engine oil to spill everywhere and form thick clouds of smoke from evaporated engine oil to come out of the car, hindering the view of others behind, and creating a dangeriously slippery surface. the engine completely shuts off, causing very possible potentially dangerous situations that are too speculative and many to list. these issues have been observed on vehicles produced within october of 2001 to feburary 2002. bmw refuses to acknowledge the problem as a defect repeatedly blames the consumer. simply replacing the engine(which is what bmw does) is not acceptable, due to inevitable loss of value from such a disasterous failure. furthermore, many have payed more than $60,000 for the car, excluding the premium of $2500-$15000 extra depending on dealership. bmw also does not provide people with this failure problem with any form of compensatory actions, such as loaner cars for periods as long as 2-6 weeks.(the estimated time it takes to fix the problem) dt | |||
| 07/17/2002 | 1 | 10/01/2001 | |
| Bmw has had a rash of engine failures on their new e46 m3s. these failures usually(in my case and many others)has resulted in the engine actually blowing up. this is probably one of the most dangerous failures that could happen. oil dumps all over the road, things lock up and you could easily loose control. fortunately for me, i was able to get off the road and no one else was involved. bmw has been replacing these motors under warranty, but will not disclose the reason for the failures or what has been fixed to insure it does not happen again. i have sent request to bmw asking for an official response to my particular failure and what has been done to fix it on the replacement motor. i have not received any response from bmw as of today. i have received e-mails from other concerned m3 owners stating that replacement motors have been known to fail also. i cannot afford to have another engine blow. i might not be so lucky the next time. what worries me most is that bmw seems to be ignoring the problem. eventually someone is going to get hurt or killed. ts | |||
| 08/15/2002 | 1 | 01/01/2002 | |
| Replaced under warranty at no charge by don jacobs bmw. no safety defewct mentioned. *ak | |||
| 80 | 01/01/2002 | ||
| As an owner of this vehicle i am concerned by the safety, reliability and resale value issues raised by over 80 engine failures. these have been catalogued at url http://members.roadfly.com/jason/m3engines.htm. please investigate. nlm | |||
| 03/28/2002 | |||
| Engine blew up while consumer was driving on highway. after pulling over consumer found a lot of pieces to engine on floor, and oil was every where. contacted dealer, and they were not willing to do anything. *ak | |||