Subframe damage for no apparent reason at 68,000 miles, can lead to loss of control of vehicle during operation. No correction has been completed, still working with bmwna to stop with the "run around" story.

- Jersey City, NJ, USA

I bought this vehicle in mid April, 2006. A month after my purchase I began to notice creaking sounds coming from the rear of the car under normal acceleration, primarily in 1st gear. Upon further inspection I found the rear subframe to be tearing from the unibody on the driver's side. This is a major safety issue and must be addressed before someone gets seriously injured. Too many people ignore tell tale signs coming from their vehicles, if BMW is unwilling to do anything for the repair, the least they could do is send a notice to recommend an inspection to any 3-series owner. Repairing this costs money, not life and limb. Please BMW and the NHTSA, lets keep it that way.

- Franklin, WI, USA

At approximate 73,000 miles I noticed a squeaking noise coming from my car, I took it to my mechanic and he found cracks in the subframe around the left rear bushing. I have researched this and it is a common occurrence with this car and model. I have taken it to the dealership and they so far are saying it is not covered under warranty.

- Foster City, CA, USA

I experienced a typical problem with my 2000 BMW 323ci, as the subframe began to tear after only 57000 miles of use. After some complaining, I was able to get BMW to "goodwill" the repairs. But as soon as I picked up the car after the repairs were completed, the emergency brake parking light began to malfunction. It would come on when the brake was released etc. A couple weeks later the traction control light began to do the same thing. I didn't think too much of it, but now about 9 months later I have experienced severe electrical problems. First all the power stopped working, the headlights blinked, A/C and windows stopped working, power locks no longer worked. Then it somehow fixed itself. But a couple weeks after, something else happened and now I cannot even start my car. Again, it appears to be some sort of power problem, perhaps something draining the battery.

- Palo Alto, CA, USA

Torn subframe where rear end is secure to chassis subframe.

- Coral Spring, FL, USA

Experienced tearing in the sheet metal located above the rear differential carrier. The sheet metal had been fatigued from carriers movement under load (acceleration/deceleration). The service manager (on behalf of BMW na) states that the damage was a result of "hitting a large pothole". it should be noted that no other suspension components were damaged and everything on the car is factory original. No modifications whatsoever and no repairs until that point. The car has been repaired and the area in question has been reinforced to prevent future subframe failures. This is not acceptable for a car manufacturer to pass blame for a design defect onto their customers. Obviously, they have lost any future sales from me.

- Commack, NY, USA

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.

- Arlington, VA, USA

Have you noticed that there are over forty (40) complaints about the BMW 3-series rear subframes? they are scattered among the various 3-series model numbers (I.e. 3-series, 323, 323ci, 328, 328ci.325, 325ci, etc.) this is all basically the same car. A technician told me that the rear axle carrier of these models were manufactured with an inherent defect. That is, one of the mounting points is too weak to absorb the normal, everyday vibration from the torque of the manual transmission. As a result, they manufactured a replacement part that is now stronger and reinforced. The fact that this problem does not happen with any type of frequency on any other BMW car, except for the 3-series that was introduced in 1999, is enough to force BMW to issue a recall. In addition, the fact that the replacement part is reinforced is the equivalent of BMW "admitting" that the original rear axle carrier had a design defect. BMW has refused to acknowledge its responsibility for this glaring defect in the car's structure despite this defects never having occurred in any other BMW -- or any other car for that matter however, it is my understanding that BMW issued a recall for this exact same problem in europe. Please explain why the transportation authorities here in the U.S. have not forced BMW to issue a recall. How can BMW justify not having a recall in the U.S. when they've issued a recall in europe for the exact same thing" please let me know if you can do anything or if a class action lawsuit is my only resort. In one of the complaints listed below, the consumer reported that BMW paid for the entire repair. Yet in all other complaints, BMW managed to avoid having to pay anything, even for cars still under warranty. How is it that american car manufacturers have to issue numerous recalls for mundane defects, but BMW manages to skate by without having to acknowledge a defect that threatens the safety of consumers"

- A, CA, USA

Noticed squeaking sounds from the back of the car. Took it to the BMW dealer and they told me that the subframe was seprated from the body where the shock absorbers are attached. If you look underneath the care you see a large cracked in the chassis. They quoted 4K to fix the problem. I started looking on the web for the problem and found many incident of this issue. Got a hold of an engineer inside BMW and basically BMW knew about this problem and decided not to fix it. This is more frequently observed in more powerfull engine. The torque of the engine is causing the sheetmetal of the body to be stressed and eventually crack. I have been contacting the BMW for two weeks and they are very uncooperative. This a design flaw and they should recall it and fix it. This is a serious problem, the back of the car could essentially fall off and cause an accident. Is BMW waiting for people to have accident and die before they recall this?

- Seattle, WA, USA

I recently found out that my subframe on my 2000 BMW 328ci was cracking. This was a problem that BMW has not fixed prior to the release of this vehicle. The previous E36 model has been a victim of this malfunction. I was browsing websites regarding my dilemma and I found that 40+ vehicles have had this subframe issue. This is one website (many more) and here is the link... forum.E46fanatics.com/showthread.php"T=195602&page=21&pp=20&highlight=subframe there are numerous amounts of other websites where this problem will be mentioned. Also, there is a repair kit that www.turnermotorsports.com makes for this car because it is an occurring problem. Here is the link.... www.turnermotorsport.com/html/detail.asp"product_id=tdr4675412 bimmer magazine also has a section informing consumers about the E46 and the subframe problem. It is in this months issue. BMW should recall this issue before someone gets hurt. My car has 60K miles and my warranty just expired. I paid a local body shop to temporarily fix this problem until BMW could repair this problem. This is obviously a dangerous issue that BMW should resolve. If this subframe cracks while driving, an accident will occur. Most people drive with children in that back seat and they could possibly be injured. Please speak with BMW and have them issue a recall for this. Regards, thanh dinh.

- Whitestone, NY, USA

Repetitive vibration in vehicle. The sub-frame had deteriorated and a weld failed. (lawyer on behalf of consumer tony ward.)

- Washington, DC, USA

The rear subframe tore out of the car's unibody (2000 BMW 328ci). It had not reached a point where there was an accident caused by it, but it was getting bad. I took the car to the dealership began the process of getting it fixed. BMW North America called me back and told me that they wouldn't fix the problem and that it was my fault.

- Colorado Springs, CO, USA

The rear subframe of my car used a thin metal to hold it and I was draiving my car in it cracked. Any further use would result in the collapse of the rear part of the car. I have it welded and reinforced.

- San Francisco, CA, USA

The subframe cracked which exposed the gas tank. The consumer feels an impact my cause an explosion.

- Berverly, CA, USA

Broken rear subframe mount - has occured in many BMW 3-series cars (mine included) that are either completely stock or where the wheels, tires, and/or suspension may have been modified in any way. It is very unusual to be obliged to repair the frame in a car as a result of damage that occurs during normal driving.

- Aurora, CO, USA