2006 BMW 3 Series Engine Problems

COOLANT HOSES RELEASED AND RADIATOR SPLIT OPEN -- APPEARED WHILE DRIVING --- FLUID RELEASED ONTO WINDSHIELD

NHTSA ID

11228499

Incident

Jun 26, 2019

Mileage

132,000 mi

OIL KEEP LEAKING OUT OF TRAINING. IT WAS FIXED TWICE SO FAR. BACK BRAKE LINE KEEPS BREAKING WHEN YOU DRIVE IN SNOW.

NHTSA ID

11064320

Incident

Jan 21, 2018

Mileage

125,000 mi

ENGINE BOLTS - ALUMINUM BOLT HEADS WERE FOUND BY MECHANIC IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT. ALTHOUGH MECHANIC HAS STATED THIS DOES NOT POSE SAFETY RISK, SEEMS NUMEROUS CUSTOMERS WITH A BMW 3 SERIES 2006 HAVE EXPERIENCED THE ALUMINUM BOLT SHEERING OFF ISSUE.

NHTSA ID

11030035

Incident

Nov 9, 2016

Mileage

125,000 mi

PASSENGER AIR BAGS AND SEAT BELT WONT WORK AND BMW WONT FIX. ELECTRICAL:RADIO,CLIMATE CONTROL,HEADLIGHTS AND WINDSHIELD WASHER PUMP. WINDOW REGULATORS. AND THE WORST:LEARNING FROM X_EMPLOYEES OF BMW SAY THAT BMW PURPOSEFULLY MISS-TORQUES OIL PAN,VALVE COVER AND OIL FILTER HOUSING SO THE FAIL RIGHT AFTER 50,000 MILE WARRANTY. EVERY E90 HAS THESE PROBLEMS. AND WINDOW REGULATORS ALL EXCEPT DRIVER SIDE. IN MOTION.

NHTSA ID

10935537

Incident

May 4, 2009

Mileage

51,000 mi

FRONT TWO VALVE COVER BOLTS SHEERED OFF CAUSING OIL TO LEAK DIRECTLY ON THE EXHAUST. *TR

NHTSA ID

10706520

Incident

Jan 7, 2013

Mileage

110,000 mi

I HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD, COMPLEMENTS OF MOONACHIE, NEW JERSEY ROUTE 120, NEW JERSEY HAS THE WORST ROADS IN THE COUNTRY AND ONE OF THE HIGHEST TAXES TOO. I HAD AN AUTO PARTS PLACE THAT SOLD ME 2-STRUTS-2 SHOCKS, WHICH THE ROADS RIPPED APART ON MY CAR TELL ME, HE'D BE OUT OF BUSINESS IF IT WASN'T FOR NEW JERSEY. AFTER I HIT THE CRATER IN THE ROAD I FELT A LOUD RATTLE BUMPING SOUND WHEN I SLOWED DOWNED AND ACCELERATED, THE ENGINE NEVER REALLY IDLED RIGHT AFTERWARDS. I HAD A FRIEND LOOK AT THE CAR AND HE TOLD ME ALL FOUR BOLTS CONNECTED TO THE MOTOR MOUNTS, ALL OF THE BOLTS SEPARATED AND BROKE OFF IN THE ENGINE, THEY SNAPPED OFF COMPLETELY AND BROKE THE MOTOR MOUNTS AS WELL. I HEAR FROM READING ON THIS SITE THE BOLTS WERE A MANUFACTURES REJECT, FAULTY BOLTS. THAT BEING SAID , I WISH I COULD LITIGATE AGAINST BMW FOR USING THE BOLTS AND THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY FOR NOT PROPERLY CARING FOR THE ROADS AND LEAVING HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS ON THE ROADS WHICH I MIGHT ADD BE FATAL FOR SOME UNFORTUNATE PERSON. VISIT HOBOKEN , NEW JERSEY AND CHECK OUT THEIR MAIN STREET, WASHINGTON, THE ROADS IN NEWARK, NEW JERSEY ARE MUCH BETTER THAN THERE.COULD NEW JERSEY'S POLITICIANS BE STEALING THIS MONEY SET ASIDE FOR ROAD REPAIR? NAH, OF COURSE NOT, IN NEW JERSEY? *TR

NHTSA ID

10668605

Incident

Dec 20, 2014

WHEN STARTING FROM IDLE TO RUNNING STATE AT A STOP LIGHT THE WHOLE CAR STARTED SHAKING. TOOK THE SHOP AND THEY SAY IT A FAULTY COIL/SPARK PLUG. COSTS ME $600-$1000. LOOKS LIKE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN BMW 325I 2006. THEY SHOULD FIX THIS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10565400

Incident

Feb 20, 2014

Mileage

90,000 mi

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

NHTSA ID

10565399

Incident

Sep 23, 2013

Mileage

83,000 mi

BROKEN CYLINDER HEAD BOLTS AT THE FRONT TIMING COVER. SYMPTOM WAS OIL LEAK AT TIMING COVER. UPON INSPECTION, THE HEADS OF 4 BOLTS HAD SHEARED OFF AND 3 BOLT HEADS HAD DROPPED THROUGH THE TIMING CHAIN HOUSING AND ENDED UP IN THE OIL PAN. *TR FIRST, HEAD BOLTS SHOULD NOT FAIL. SECOND, THE SHEARED BOLT HEADS PASS THROUGH THE TIMING CHAIN HOUSING AND COULD INTERFERE WITH THE TIMING CHAIN AND CAUSE IMMEDIATE ENGINE FAILURE.

NHTSA ID

10553365

Incident

Aug 22, 2013

Mileage

47,032 mi

MY CAR STARTED HAVING A MASSIVE OIL LEAK AT AROUND 79,000 MILES. THE MOTOR SEALS STARTED TO FAIL ONCE THE CAR HAD ABOUT 70,000 MILES ON IT. THE GENERAL CONSENSUS IS THAT THE MOTOR SEALS ARE VERY COMMON TO PREMATURELY FAIL. THE BOLTS THAT HOLD THE MOTOR TOGETHER STARTED TO BREAK AT AROUND 80,000 MILES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10550771

Incident

Sep 20, 2012

Mileage

79,000 mi

I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY IN THE LEFT LANE, TRYING TO PASS A CAR IN THE MIDDLE LANE. AFTER GETTING IN FRONT OF THE CAR IN THE MIDDLE LANE, I TRIED TO ACCELERATE SO I COULD RE-ENTER THE MIDDLE LANE, BUT THE CAR ACTED AS IF IT SLIPPED INTO NEUTRAL AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE ENGINE GROWLED AS IF IT WERE IN NEUTRAL. IT KEPT DRIVING, BUT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE, DESPITE ME STEPPING HARDER ON THE GAS. THIS WAS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS AS THERE WAS A CAR IMMEDIATELY BEHIND ME, WHICH COULD HAVE REAR ENDED ME AT OVER 60MPH, AND THE CAR IN THE MIDDLE LANE THAT I WAS TRYING TO PASS COULD HAVE ALSO HIT ME ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF MY CAR. IN RESEARCHING THIS, MANY BMW OWNERS HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS, AND YET BMW HAS NOT ISSUED AN INVESTIGATION OR RECALL: HTTP://WWW.CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM/AUTOMOTIVE/BMW_TRANS.HTML THERE ARE 650 COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS PROBLEM AT THE ABOVE LINK. PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE HAVING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS LIKE THIS UNDER 75K MILES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10543753

Incident

Aug 11, 2013

Mileage

54,000 mi

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 BMW HAS CHANGED THE TYPE OF BOLT THEY USE. SO I THOUGHT I WOULD CALL THE CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE TO FOLLOW UP ON ANY ASSISTANCE FROM BMW. LONG STORY SHORT THEY TOOK THE COMPLAINT BUT BECAUSE I HAVE A LOW MILEAGE VEHICLE THAT HAS BEEN OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY FOR 3+ YEARS THEY WOULD OFFER NO HELP. YOU KNOW SHAME ON BMW THIS IS MY 4TH BMW AND VERY LIKELY MY LAST DUE TO THIS. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL, THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING NO MATTER HOW LONG IT TOOK TO GET TO THE 50,000 MILE + RANGE WHERE THIS PROBLEM SHOWS ITSELF. *TR

NHTSA ID

10508871

Incident

Apr 18, 2013

Mileage

55,856 mi

INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP NOTED ALUMINUM HEAD BOLTS BROKEN WHICH COULD CAUSE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO ENGINE. BROKEN BOLTS CAUSED OIL LEAK AND HEADS OF BOLTS COULD HAVE GONE INTO THE TIMING BELT DESTROYING THE ENGINE. INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP DIRECTED US TO THE DEALERSHIP STATING THEY HAD NOTED THIS ISSUES ON ALMOST ALL OF THIS YEAR AND MODEL. REPAIR COST WAS VERY EXPENSIVE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10465462

Incident

Jun 15, 2012

Mileage

104,526 mi

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

NHTSA ID

10418414

Incident

Aug 1, 2011

Mileage

110,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 330XI. WHILE DRIVING 24 MPH THERE WAS A CLANKING NOISE AND THE ALUMINUM BOLT THAT WAS HOLDING THE CYLINDER HEAD IN PLACE BROKE. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE CYLINDER HEAD TO CRACK THE CYLINDER HEAD AND CAUSED A MASSIVE OIL LEAK INTO THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THEY REPLACED THE ALUMINUM BOLT. THE DEALER REPLACED ONE DEFECTIVE PART WITH ANOTHER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE 25,774. THE CONSUMER STATED THE REPAIRS WERE ALMOST $4,000 AND IT TOOK MORE THAN A WEEK TO COMPLETE THE REPAIRS. UPDATED 03/12/10 UPDATED 03/30/10 *BF UPDATED 07/26/10.*JB

NHTSA ID

10315065

Incident

Jan 7, 2010

Mileage

25,774 mi