Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full
Data refreshed
Our database holds 14 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2001 BMW M3. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Showing 1–14 of 14
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW M3. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING SERVICED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED OF A SEVERE CRACK IN THE SUBFRAME THAT SUPPORTED THE REAR WHEELS AND SUSPENSION. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 155,000.
INSPECTION BY TWO MECHANICS SHOWS CRACKS IN THE SUBFRAME HOLDING THE BACK WHEELS. THERE WAS A LEGAL CASE INVOLVING THIS DEFECT THAT WAS SETTLED BY BMW WHICH WAS TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND NOTIFY ALL OWNERS OF 3 SERIES BMW'S ABOUT THE DEFECT SO IT COULD BE FIXED. THEY NEVER INFORMED ME OF DEFECT AND HAVE STALED ON THE REPAIR.
PASSENGER DOOR CANNOT BE OPENED EITHER FROM INSIDER OR OUTSIDE. APPEARS LIKE THE DOOR IS DOUBLE LOCKED. LUCKILY BOTH DOORS ARE NOT DOUBLE LOCKED WITH PASSENGER INSIDE THE VEHICLE. POSSIBLE FAILURE OF LOCK ACTUATOR WITHOUT WARNING OR FAILURE OF GM5 MODULE *TR
NORMAL DRIVING HAS WEAKENED THE SUB-FRAME TO THE POINT WHERE IT HAS CRACKED AND SEPARATED FROM THE CHASSIS. *TR
LEFT REAR SUSPENSION SPRING BROKE WITH ONLY ABOUT 50K MILES. RESULTED IN NOISE, POOR SUSPENSION CONTROL OVER BUMPS. REPAIR SHOP IS REPLACING WITH A NEW ONE. *TR
AUTOMATIC DIMMING REAR VIEW MIRROR DEVELOPED A "BUBBLE," WHICH ITSELF IMPEDED REAR VIEW VISION, AND STOPPED DIMMING EFFECTIVELY, MAKING NIGHT TIME DRIVING DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS. *TR
MY M3 CIC MAKES A LOUD GRINDING/CLATTER TYPE NOISE WHEN DISENGAGING THE 6-SPEED MANUAL CLUTCH IN BOTH 1ST AND REVERSE. THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR IS MOVING AT ABOUT 1-2 MPH. BMW TECH'S SAY THIS IS NORMAL OPERATION, HOWEVER, I CAN'T DUPLICATE THE SAME PROBLEM ON A NEW M3 W/6 SPEED TRANSMISSION. *JB
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE GRAZED THE CURB AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. AS A RESULT, DRIVER'S VISIBILITY WAS IMPAIRED, AND VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A CEMENT WALL. NO INJURIES REPORTED. *AK
THE ENGINE OF THE BMW 2001 M3 HAD SERIOUS ENGINE FAILURES. THE REQUEST FROM THE BMW DEALERSHIP ON EXPLAINATION WAS REJECTED, NOR WAS THERE ANY EXPLAINATION FROM THE CONSUMER RELATIONS OF BMW NA. THE FAILURE WAS CONVERED UNDER WARRANTY BUT I WAS TOLD MY VEHICLE WAS THE ONLY ABNORMAL CAR IN THOUSANDS THAT WERE SOLD. FROM MY RESEARCH THERE WERE MORE THAN 100 DOCUMENTED CASES OF THE NEW E46 M3 ENGINE HAVING PROBLEMS RANGING FROM CRANKSHAFT FAILURE TO FULL ENGINE DETONATION AND OIL SPILLAGE. BMW SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO COMPENSATE OWNERS OF A $60K CAR IN THE DECREASE IN VALUE OF THE CAR AND ALSO HAVE EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR ONGOING PROBLEMS (THERE ARE COMPLAINTS THAT NEW "REPLACED" ENGINES ALSO EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEMS). THERE IS A VERY HIGH CHANCE A DEADLY ACCIDENT COULD OCCUR IF I DID NOT NOTICE THE PROBLEM EARLY, RANGING FROM OIL SPILLS TO FIRE. BMW IS NEGLECTING THE OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE BY NOT NOTIFYING THEM WHEN FIRST SIGNS OF PROBLEMS OCCUR. IRONICALLY BMW DOES KNOW THERE IS A PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY HAVE REPLACED ALL THE PARTS IN THE NEW ENGINE WHILE KEEPING QUIET TO CURRENT CONSUMERS, ALSO MECHANICS HAVE BEEN TOLD TO REPLACE PARTS WHILE WORKING IN THE AREA OF THE ENGINE W/O TELLING CONSUMERS. MECHANICS AT THE BMW DEALERSHIP HAS HAD MY VEHICLE FOR OVER A MONTH, WITH NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF PROGRESS.
CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE STALLING WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE . DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. MR. ATHARY PLEASE PROVIDE THE POTENTIAL FAILURE OF THE ENGINE ON THIS VEHICLE. TS
WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH PASSENGER'S REAR TIRE LOCKED UP, AND CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD GRINDING NOISE WHEN DRIVING, THERE WAS RECALL (01V245000) FOR THIS PROBLEM, BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THAT RECALL. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK THERE WAS A BOLT STICKING THROUGH THE RIGHT REAR BRAKE ASSEMBLY. THE PARKING BRAKE WAS LOOSE AND GRINDING AND THE PARKING BRAKE ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED. THE REAR BUMPER WAS DAMAGED ON LOT. *YH
BMW M3 ENIGNES ARE BLOWING UP AT AN ALARMING RATE. MANUFC CLAIMS OVERREV. WHICH IS NOT TRUE . TOO MANY FAILURES. BMW IS IN COVER UP BY MAKING US SIGN COFIDETIAL/AND NO SUE AGREEMENTS. MANY OWNERS SUFFERING LOSSESAND NO COOP. FROM MANU. OR DEALERS. PLEASE HELP.!!!!. *AK
LOTS OF COMMON COMPLAINTS ON INTERNET SITE WWW.BIMMER.ORG E46M3 POST BOARD. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK
MY CAR EXHIBITS A LOUD CLUNKING IN THE REAR OF THE CAR WHEN SHIFTING, GOING ON/OFF GAS AND FROM RELEASING THE CLUTCH AT SLOW SPEEDS. THE SEVERITY IS INCREASING WITH MILEAGE. THE SERVICE CENTER THAT I AM USING: BURDICK BMW, 3904 BREWERTON RD., N. SYRACUSE NY 13212, 315-458-7590 HAS BEEN UNABLE TO FIX THE CAR. I HAVE BEGUN RECEIVING REPORTS FROM OTHER OWNERS OF THIS PROBLEM ULTIMATELY LEADING TO THE FAILURE OF THE DRIVESHAFT ATTACHMENT AT THE DIFFERENTIAL ON THEIR CARS. THIS IS VERY CONCERNING TO ME AND I CANNOT HELP BUT WORRY ABOUT THE SERIOUS SAFETY RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROBLEM.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
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