1999 BMW M Roadster Problems

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR, THE REAR END FAIL AND BEGAN TO DRAG. AFTER GETTING THE CAR TOWED TO THE SHOP, IT WAS NOTED THE REAR END SUBFRAME WELDS CAME LOSE. AFTER CONTACTING THE INSURANCE COMPANY THEY TOTALED THE CAR OUT. I BOUGHT THE CAR BACK AND MADE REPAIRS TO THE CAR THAT COST ME $4000.00. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 BMW M ROADSTER. THE CONTACT HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS INSPECTED AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SUBFRAME HAD FRACTURED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE FAILURE. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,000. UPDATED 09/19/11 *BF THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO FATIGUE. THE SHEET METAL WAS TOO THIN AND THE BOX BEAM WAS TOO SMALL. UPDATED 11/04/11

TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR ENGINE MAINTENANCE AND ASKED THEM TO ADDRESS SQUEAKS AND RATTLES. ON INSPECTION IT WAS FOUND THAT THE REAR CROSSMEMBER HAD ALMOST COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE UNIBODY AND THE MOUNT HOLDING THE DIFFERENTIAL IN HAD ONLY 1/4 IN OF 4 INCHES HOLDING THE AFT END OF THE DIFFERENTIAL. COMPLETE FAILURE COULD HAVE CAUSED A CATASTROPHIC CHAIN OF EVENTS CAUSING A CRASH AND POSSIBLE FATALITIES. LOOKING ON LINE I FOUND NUMEROUS FAILURES OF THE SAME KIND RESULTING FROM METAL FATIGUE BROUGHT ON BY FAULTY DESIGN. AT LEAST THIS WAS THE OPINION OF OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME FAILURE. ONE PERSON HAD A PHDS IN METALLURGY.

THE DIFFERENTIAL MOUNT FOR THE CAR HAS TORN LOOSE FROM THE TRUNK FLOOR IT IS WELDED TO. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT BECAUSE I FOUND THIS DEFECT BEFORE ONE OCCURRED. HAD I NOT FOUND THIS DEFECT, THE ENTIRE REAR AXLE COULD HAVE COME LOOSE FROM THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING IT. *TR

OVER SEVERAL MONTHS I HEARD INCREASING NOISE FROM THE REAR OF MY CAR. WHEN I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC HE FOUND THAT THE ENTIRE CROSSMEMBER THAT HOLDS THE DIFFERENTIAL TO THE SUBFRAME HAD PULLED LOOSE FROM THE TRUNK. THE CAR COULD NOT BE SAFELY DRIVEN, MY BODYSHOP SUGGESTED I SEND IT TO THE BMW DEALER IN CHARLOTTE NC. THEY KEPT MY CAR FOR ABOUT 3 WEEKS AND FIXED IT. NOW 5 YEARS AND 10K MILES HAVE PASSED AND THE SUB-FRAME MOUNT IS PULLING LOOSE AGAIN, THE WELDS POP OUT AND THE NOISE HAS STARTED. IT MAKES THE CAR DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AND IMPOSSIBLE TO SELL.

TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR ENGINE MAINTENANCE AND ASKED THEM TO ADDRESS SQUEAKS AND RATTLES. ON INSPECTION IT WAS FOUND THAT THE REAR CROSSMEMBER HAD ALMOST COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE UNIBODY AND THE MOUNT HOLDING THE DIFFERENTIAL IN HAD ONLY 1/4 IN OF 4 INCHES HOLDING THE AFT END OF THE DIFFERENTIAL. COMPLETE FAILURE COULD HAVE CAUSED A CATASTROPHIC CHAIN OF EVENTS CAUSING A CRASH AND POSSIBLE FATALITIES. LOOKING ON LINE I FOUND NUMEROUS FAILURES OF THE SAME KIND RESULTING FROM METAL FATIGUE BROUGHT ON BY FAULTY DESIGN. AT LEAST THIS WAS THE OPINION OF OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME FAILURE. ONE PERSON HAD A PHDS IN METALLURGY.

I HAVE THE EXACT PROBLEM DESCRIBED IN COMPLAINT 10062088, AND KNOW OF OTHER M ROADSTER OWNERS EXPERIENCING THE SAME FAILURE IN THE BMW AIRBAG SYSTEM. THIS PERSON WAS TOLD BY BMW THAT THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHTS ARE NOT RELIABLE, BUT THE BAGS SHOULD STILL WORK. THIS CAR HAS LESS THAN 50,000 MILES ON IT. *JB

SRS LIGHT, AIRBAG SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT JUST TURNED ON FOR NO APPARENT REASON. *AK

I OWN A 1999 BMW Z3 ROADSTER, PURCHASED IN NOV 1998. RECENTLY, THE FRONT AND REAR SEAT HAVE BEGUN TO SLIP FORE AND AFT, AS WELL AS ROCK SIDE-SIDE . BOTH SEATS ARE MOTORIZED. I HAVE HAD THE SEATS EXAMINED BY MY MECHANIC WHO TELLS ME THE WORM GEAR/CRADLE ASSEMBLIES FOR BOTH SEATS ARE EXCESSIVELY WORN AND THAT TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM WILL REQUIRE REPLACEMENT OF BOTH SEAT ASSEMBLIES. INTERESTINGLY, MY MECHANIC TELLS ME EVERY Z3 THEY HAVE SEEN HAS DEVELOPED THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS STATEMENT WAS CONFIRMED BY THE BMW DEALER, ALTHOUGH NOT IN SO MANY WORDS. ALTHOUGH MY CAR IS A 1999 IT HAS ONLY 29600 MILES ON IT. I AM ALSO UNLIKELY TO HAVE OVERLY-STRESS THE SEATS AS I AM 5'6" AND WEIGH 139 POUNDS. I AM WRITING TO ASK IF THE NHTSA HAS RECEIVED ANY OTHER REPORTS OF SEAT FAILURE IN Z3 AUTOMOBILES, SINCE BMW NORTH AMERICA TELLS ME THAT THEY CONSIDER THIS "NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR." THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME RONALD AIKAWA, MD. *NM

1998 & 1999 M ROADSTER AND M COUPE BMWS HAVE A HUGE REARVIEW MIRROR THAT IS POSITIONED LOW, AND IMPAIRS FRONT VISIBILITY. MIRROR CREATES A HUGE BLIND SPOT. REPORTED TROUBLE TO DEALER AND BMWNA REPRESENTATIVE, BUT THEY HAD NO RECOMMENDATION AND STATED THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF ANY ISSUES. MANY OWNERS DISAGREE. Z3 MESSAGE BOARD LISTS MANY OWNER COMPLAINTS. URL IS "HTTP://WWW.BIMMER.ORG/Z3/MESSAGES/SEARCH.HTML" SEARCH ON "REARVIEW MIRROR". I HAVE HAD SEVERAL CLOSE CALL INCIDENTS, PARTICULARLY AT A 4 WAY STOP. WILL PROBABLY HAVE MIRROR CHANGED AT MY OWN COST TO FIX SAFETY HAZZARD, BUT DO NOT FEEL THIS IS PROPER. I LOVE THE CAR, BUT DO NOT LIKE BEING TOLD THAT A PROBLEM DOES NOT EXIST, PARTICULARLY WHEN I HAVE EXPERIENCED IT MYSELF. THE FACT THAT OTHERS HAVE THE SAME ISSUE JUST PROVIDES CONFIRMATION. *AK