2000 BMW 323I Body & structure Problems

TAKATA RECALL. THERE HAS BEEN NUMEROUS ISSUES WITH THE INTEGRITY OF THE SUBFRAME OF THIS PARTICULAR MODEL AND YEAR OF BMW. IT EXPERIENCES RUST ISSUES FREQUENTLY. I NEED TO REPLACE SUBFRAME DO TO THIS AND WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. THIS HAS HAPPENED OVER THE YEARS, IT HAS NOT BEEN STATIONARY OR ANYTHING OF THAT MATTER. IT HAS BEEN USED AS A DAILY DRIVER, AS THAT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN TO A DAILY DRIVER SUBFRAME, SPECIALLY FROM A BMW.

NHTSA ID

11230158

Incident

Dec 13, 2018

Mileage

160,000 mi

REAR SUBFRAME BODY HAS SEPARATED FROM SUBFRAME MOUNTING SUPPORT. THE CHASSIS IS NO LONGER PROPERLY ATTACHED TO THE FRAME. THE TIED DOWN BOLTS HAVE SHEARED OFF. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY DEFECT.

NHTSA ID

10957896

Incident

Feb 1, 2017

Mileage

200,000 mi

I WAS UNAWARE OF THE PREVIOUS DEFECT NOTICES ABOUT THE FRAME / BODY HAVING A WEAK SPOT AND WAS DRIVING AT 40 MPH WHEN MY REAR SHOCK AND THE PART THAT HOLDS THE SHOCK IN PLACE WENT THROUGH THE METAL FRAME RIPPING THE METAL AWAY AND ALLOWING THE SHOCK TO PUNCTURE THROUGH THE FRAME JUST BELOW THE TRUNK AREA AND THE CAR WAS THEN INOPERABLE. I WAS QUOTED A PRICE FOR REPAIR OF 6500 AND WAS INFORMED OF THE 2005/2006 LAWSUIT WHERE BMW WAS SUED FOR THIS DEFECT AND REPAIRED SOME CARS FOR A YEAR AFTER THE LAWSUIT ENDED BUT THIS WAS PRIOR TO MY PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE AND WHEN I CONTACTED BMW OF NO AMERICA HEADQUARTERS, THEY ASKED ME TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE NEAREST BMW DEALER AND HAVE THEM DO A DIAGNOSIS WHICH I IMMEDIATELY DID AND THAT COST WAS OVER $10K OF WHICH BMW OFFERED TO PAY ONLY 20%. I THEN TOOK IT TO ANOTHER BMW MECHANIC WHO REPAIRED IT FOR $3000 AND BMW WILL NOT PAY ANY PART OF THE BILL BECAUSE IT WAS NOT DONE AT A DEALERSHIP, I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW BMW CAN GET AWAY WITH A DEFECT LIKE THIS AND SO MANY CARS AFFECTED BY IT AND NOT HAVE TO REPAIR IT AT THEIR COST? IT IS THEIR DEFECT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10633359

Incident

Apr 5, 2014

Mileage

155,384 mi

2000 BMW 323I. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE SUB-FRAME ISSUES. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED IT WAS A KNOWN DEFECT. BMW OFFERED TO PAY 25% OF THE COST. HOWEVER, THE CONSUMER REQUESTED THEY PAY 50% OF THE COST. *JB

NHTSA ID

10629787

Incident

Jul 2, 2014

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BMW 323I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ACCELERATING, AN ABNORMAL SOUND CAME FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC, WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE SUB FRAME WAS DAMAGED. THE CONTACT DID NOT CALL THE MANUFACTURER OR TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.

NHTSA ID

10512123

Incident

Apr 15, 2013

Mileage

200,000 mi

ALL PASSENGER DOORS FAIL TO OPEN (EVEN MANUALLY) DUE TO A FAULTY GM5 (COMPUTER) OR DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR RESULTING IN A HAZARD IF THERE WERE TO BE A FIRE OR ACCIDENT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10458958

Incident

May 12, 2012

Mileage

104,000 mi

REAR SUBFRAME BEGINNING TO TEAR. COMMON PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN NOTED HERE BEFORE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10418157

Incident

Aug 9, 2011

Mileage

140,000 mi

BMW E46 SUBFRAMES ARE MADE WITH A DEFECTIVE MATERIAL. OVER TIME THE SUBFRAME CRACKS. MINE HAS CRACKED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10414821

Incident

Mar 1, 2011

Mileage

204,000 mi

HEARD LOUD NOISES COMING FROM REAR END OF VEHICLE. UPON INSPECTION BY REPAIR FACILITY IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE REAR DRIVERS SIDE SUBFRAME MOUNT HAD PULLED AWAY FROM THE BODY, A LARGE TEAR IS PRESENT IN THE BODY PANEL ON EITHER SIDE OF THE SUBFRAME MOUNT. REPAIR FACILITY INDICATED THE RISK IS THAT THE CAR MAY NOT RESPOND AS EXPECTED IN AN EMERGENCY OR EVASIVE ACTION. FORM WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO COMPLETE VIN, LAST CHARACTER IS A 2.

NHTSA ID

10406385

Incident

Apr 15, 2011

Mileage

234,000 mi

HAVE BEEN INFORMED BY MY MECHANIC THAT MY SUBFRAME IS FAILING ON THE REAR END OF MY BMW. HE PULLED A REPORT SAYING THAT A LAWSUIT HAS BEEN FILED AGAINST BMW BUT NO RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED (I.E, A 'SILENT' RECALL). HIS WORDS: "MAN YOU'RE TOTALLY SCREWED." MY READING OF THE LAWSUIT IS THAT THERE WAS A LIMITED TIME TO SEEK REDRESS FROM BMW; HAVING JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT THE PROBLEM, I'M HAVING A HARD TIME IMAGINING HOW SOMETHING THAT APPARENTLY IS EPIDEMIC IN 3-SERIES BMWS AND CAN CAUSE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE (IN ONE CASE, APPARENTLY LOCKING UP THE BRAKES AND CAUSING THE CAR TO COME TO A SCREECHING HALT) HAS NOT RESULTED IN A RECALL OF MODEL WITH MANDATORY REPAIRS! AGAIN, I'M NOT A LAWYER BUT MY READING OF THE DOCUMENT MY MECHANIC SHOWED ME SEEMS TO REVEAL AN ENORMOUS DODGE BY BMW IN LIMITING THE TIME FRAME DURING WHICH ONE CAN HAVE THEM REPAIR THE PROBLEM! MY INTERNET SEARCH THIS WEEKEND SHOWS THAT THERE ARE MANY OTHERS WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT, PEOPLE DESCRIBING LOSS OF CONTROL OF THEIR CARS, ETC., AND OF COURSE I'M NOT IN THE DRIVE THIS THING ANYMORE. IT SEEMS THE SERIOUS NATURE OF POTENTIAL PROBLEMS AND OBVIOUS DEFECT IN MANUFACTURING SHOULD WARRANT SOME SORT OF MANDATORY REDRESS BY THE MANUFACTURER. (MY CAR HAS NEVER BEEN USED IN RACING OR EXTREME ACTIVITIES, JUST HIGHWAY DRIVING, MOSTLY FOR COMMUTE.) HAD I NOT ASKED HIM TO CHECK THE CAUSE OF THE SQUEAKING IN THE REAR, MY 1ST NOTICE OF THIS COULD WELL HAVE BEEN A LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10399474

Incident

May 6, 2011

Mileage

170,000 mi

2000 BMW 323 4 DOOR SEDAN INSIDE FABRIC SEPARATING FROM WINDSHIELD COLUMN FRAME, FRONT AND BACK WINDSHIELDS. GLUE IS DEFECTIVE AND BMW WILL NOT COVER THE REPAIR. IF FABRIC CONTINUES TO LIFT OFF WILL OBSTRUCT VIEW WHEN DRIVING CAUSING A HAZARDOUS SITUATION. *TR

NHTSA ID

10376700

Incident

Sep 1, 2009

Mileage

65,000 mi

SOMETIMES THE DOORS ON MY 2000 BMW 323I WILL NOT UNLOCK AND WHEN I USE THE KEY TO UNLOCK THE DOOR IT WILL ONLY OPEN THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR. WHEN THIS OCCURS THE UNLOCK BUTTON DOESN'T WORK AND PULLING THE DOOR HANDLE DOES NOT WORK EITHER. PASSENGERS HAVE TO CLIMB THROUGH THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR AND IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY WITH THERE BEING ONLY ONE ESCAPE ROUTE THIS COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. *TR

NHTSA ID

10360570

Incident

Sep 25, 2010

MY SUBFRAME IS DAMAGE UNDERNEATH THE REAR CARRIER. I NOTICED WHEN I WAS DRIVING I HEARD A LOUD KNOCK IN THE BACK. IT SOUNDED SO BAD I WENT INTO AN AUTO SHOP TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT. THEY SAID IT WAS A RECALL AND TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER. SO I WENT TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID IT WAS NOT A RECALL BUT A CLASS ACTION SUIT. MEANING THEY WOULD REPAIR IT BUT I HAD TO COME UP WITH A VEHICLE FOR 2 WEEKS WHILE THEY REPAIRED IT. I CAN'T AFFORD THE RENTAL, SO THEY LET ME DRIVE OFF WITH MY VEHICLE IN VERY VERY POOR CONDITION. I HAVE HEARD OF THE SUBFRAME BEING AN ISSUE WITH MY CAR AND WAS WONDERING IF IT WERE A PROBLEM, WHY HAVEN'T IT MADE THE RECALL LIST. IT WILL END UP KILLING SOMEONE IF IT'S NOT TAKEN CARE OF. SPECIALLY IF A DEALER IS LETTING ME TAKE IT BACK BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO GIVE ME A LOANER CAR FOR TWO WEEKS WHILE IT IS GETTING FIXED (BECAUSE IT ISN'T A RECALL THEY IMPLIED). SO HERE I'M COMPLAINING TO YOU, WERE I HOPE GOD SOMEHOW TOUCHES YOU ENOUGH TO MAKE A FEW 100,000 PEOPLE MUCH SAFER BY MAKING THIS A RECALL. FOR IT SURLY IS UNSAFE AS SAID BY MANY MECHANICS (EVEN THE DEALER SHIPS MECHANIC SAID IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE IT). BUT BECAUSE I CAN'T AFFORD A RENTAL WITH A NEW BABY, AND MANY BILLS... I'M STILL DRIVING THIS 2000 BMW 323I AND I WILL UNTIL I CAN EITHER AFFORD THE TWO WEEK RENTAL OR SOMEONE HELPS MY SITUATION. ALL PARTS ARE AVAILABLE, AND WOULD BE REPLACED BY THE DEALER AT THEIR EXPENSE (IN OTHER WORDS. A BIG COVER-UP). BUT BECAUSE IT ISN'T A RECALL, THEY LET ME DRIVE AWAY BECAUSE THEY WOULDN'T GIVE ME A RENTAL IN REPLACE OF THE FAILED BMW.... I HAVE THE INSPECTION COPY FROM DEALER STATING BELOW; CAMPAIGN SUBFRAME RECALL IS DUE DAMAGE FOUND UNDERNEATH REAR CARRIER, REQUIRES BODYSHOP ATTENTION. IF THEY ARE CALLING IT A RECALL THEN WHY ISN'T IT ON THE RECALL LIST? AND IF IT WENT TO A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT, AND LOST... WHY IS IT STILL NOT A RECALL IF ITS HAPPENING TO MANY OF THESE CARS, AND A VERY BIG DANGER WHILE DRIVING? SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE! *TR

NHTSA ID

10329061

Incident

May 5, 2010

Mileage

135,000 mi

MY 2000 BMW 323I HAS SUB FRAME FRACTURES AS DEFINED IN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST BMW. IN THE SETTLEMENT, BMW HAS AGREED TO INSPECT AND REPAIR ALL EFFECTED VEHICLES. THE DEALER TOLD ME MY CAR WAS UNREPAIRABLE AND OFFERED ME A CASH SETTLEMENT WELL BELOW AVG TRADE-IN VALUE. I WANT MY CAR FIXED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10278652

Incident

Jul 27, 2009

Mileage

160,000 mi

WHILE JACKING UP THE CAR ON THE FRONT-DRIVERS-SIDE THE JACK POINT ON THE VEHICLE FAILED. THE METAL WHERE THE JACK GOES BENT INWARDS INTO THE VEHICLE DUE TO RUST. THIS PART OF THE CAR MAY HAVE RUSTED DUE TO A WATER LEAK POSSIBLY FROM THE SUNROOF. *TR

NHTSA ID

10254245

Incident

Aug 14, 2008

Mileage

75,620 mi

1: THE REAR OF THE CAR FELT LOOSE AND SLOPPY WHILE DRIVING. BUT DIDN'T PERFORM TO UNUSUALLY. 2: THE REAR SUBFRAME RIPPED OUT OF THE SHEET METAL IT WAS ATTACHED TO LEAVING A GAPING HOLE IN THE UNDERBODY OF THE CAR, AND RENDERING THE CAR UNDRIVABLE. THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR SAT ABOUT 1.5" LOWER THAN THE DRIVERS SIDE IN THE REAR. ALSO THE REAR SWAY BAR WAS HITTING ON THE REAR PASSENGER LOWER CONTROL ARM, AND ALSO IN THE CENTER ON THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL MOUNT. 3: NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE YET. *TR

NHTSA ID

10225553

Incident

Apr 23, 2008

Mileage

137,800 mi

DRIVERS SIDE REAR SUBFRAME IS TEARING AWAY FROM BODY. THIS HAS BEEN NOTED SEVERAL TIMES ON THIS WEBSITE ALREADY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10195177

Incident

Jun 30, 2007

1999-2005 BMW 3 SERIES HAS DEFECTIVE REAR SUBFRAME MOUNTS. MY REAR SUB FRAME MOUNT OF THE DRIVER SIDE REAR HAS TORN OUT COMPLETELY CAUSING THE CAR TO CONSTANTLY CLUNK AND CREAK. *NM

NHTSA ID

10177430

Incident

Dec 24, 2006

Mileage

93,256 mi

1) THERE WERE NO EVENTS OUT OF THE ORDINARY LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE OF THE REAR SUBFRAME. ALL DRIVING WAS NORMAL IN NORMAL CONDITIONS. 2)CRACKED/SEPARATED REAR SUBFRAME, FAILED DUE TO ENGINEERING FLAWS IN DESIGN AND USE OF MATERIALS. CONSEQUENCES OF THIS FAILURE COULD BE CATASTROPHIC AND RESULT IN SEVERE INJURY AND OR DEATH. 3)I HAD MY CAR INSPECTED BY BMW NA AT MY LOCAL BMW DEALER. BMWNA AGREED THAT THE REAR SUBFRAME WAS IN FACT BROKEN AND THEY WOULD NOT BE WILLING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE REPAIR OF THIS. BMWAG (GERMANY) HAS ACKNOWLEDGE THIS COMPLIANT AND PROBLEM AND HAD ORDERED A RECALL FOR THIS YEAR THE CAR WAS MANUFACTURED. PROBLEM IS CURRENTLY BEING CORRECTED WITH A COMBINATION OF WELDING AND METAL REINFORCEMENT PLATES. *JB

NHTSA ID

10172562

Incident

Oct 1, 2006

Mileage

115,000 mi

MY 2000 BMW 323 CIC WAS SHUDDERING WHEN I DROVE IT. I TOOK IT IN FOR REPAIR AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL HAD BROKEN AWAY FROM THE SUBFRAME. MY CAR HAS LESS THAN 70,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. THE ONLY CAUSE APPEARS TO BE A DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OR MANUFACTURER OF THIS PARTICULAR CAR. BMW HAS RECALLED THIS VEHICLE IN GERMANY BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM BUT HAS NOT DONE SO HERE. IT WILL COST ME $3,300 TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM AND BMW HAS NOT AGREED TO COVER IT UNDER THE WARRANTY. *NM

NHTSA ID

10157451

Incident

May 8, 2006

CLUNKING NOISE FROM LEFT REAR UNDERSIDE OF VEHICLE. HAS TO DO WITH SUBFRAME AND MEMBERS, I.E., MOUNTING POINT WHERE SUBFRAME IS ATTACHED TO TEARS AWAY FROM THE REST OF THE SHEET METAL THAT FORMS THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID

10149062

Incident

Dec 1, 2003

Mileage

30,000 mi

2000 323I BMW BODY FAILURE AT LEFT REAR SUBFRAME MOUNT POINT. THE FOLLOWING IS A FEW OTHER PPL WHO HAD SAME PROBLEM: HTTP://FORUM.E46FANATICS.COM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=195602&PAGE=23&PP=20. *NM

NHTSA ID

10142640

Incident

Nov 13, 2005

DT: 2000 BMW 323 CI - THE REAR SUB FRAME MOUNT TORE LOOSE FROM THE CAR. TOOK VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC AND HE SAID THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THIS YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL. WHILE DRIVING, IT WAS MAKING A POPPING NOISE FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, AND THAT WAS WHY THE CONSUMER TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT HAD ANY PROBLEM LIKE THIS WITH THIS CAR. THE COST WILL BE $2500-$3000. TOO VEHICLE TO DEALER TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. THE CONSUMER DID RESEARCH AND THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THIS CAR. *AK

NHTSA ID

10138281

Incident

Sep 27, 2005

DECK LID WIRING HARNESS HAD TO BE REPLACE DUE TO WORN/CUT WIRES. THE CAR IS A 2000 BMW 323CIC WITH 28,000 MILES ON IT. THE CAR HAS BEEN OPERATED SINCE NEW ONLY BY MY WIFE. THE CAR IS KEPT IN A GARAGE AND HAS BEEN SERVICE BY BMW ONLY. A BACK UP LIGHT WAS NOT WORKING AND INSTRUMENT LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING PROPERLY. IT APPEARS EVIDENT THAT THE DECK LID HARNESS WAS EITHER IMPROPERLY INSTALLED AT THE FACTORY OR WAS OF A DEFECTIVE DESIGN. I WAS CONCERNED THAT CUT WIRES COULD HAVE PRODUCED A FIRE IF NOT CORRECTED IN A TIMELY FASHION. I HAD THE CAR REPAIRED AT OUR LOCAL BMW DEALER.

NHTSA ID

10127093

Incident

Jun 16, 2005

Mileage

27,700 mi

REPETITIVE VIBRATION IN VEHICLE. THE SUB-FRAME HAD DETERIORATED AND A WELD FAILED. *BF (LAWYER ON BEHALF OF CONSUMER TONY WARD.)*JB

NHTSA ID

10099480

Incident

Nov 1, 2004