[04LSBM3]

Originally Posted by ///Marini

wow.. eff BMW. This is scary stuff and I'm sure you had to pay a crazy amount to fix the problems caused by their design flaws. I'm about to hit 60k in a few hundred miles, I can't even fathom having something like this happen or having to pay for it. I love my car and all, but I doubt I'm going with BMW ever again for a car after all of the problems that they have neglected to take responsibility for on this car.

I was hopeful they would at least help with some of it but they did not.

Its a a love hate relationship with this car, the damn thing can invigorate your soul while driving it but when she needs repairs I am not fond of her.

I will have a hard time picking up another after this, the exhaust cam tabs breaking seems very very isolated, so I am that 1% probably. I didnt have the bolts backing out which seems to be more plausible as a problem, which should never happen in any design.

[ImolarotII]

All cars breakdown and fail eventually, but this is why the E46 M is so stressful to own even if everything is OK.

It's the fact you can do everything right, and still get in to an accident.

Only difference is, BMW is the one that t-boned you.

[Vox Populi]

I honestly do not understand how BMW can deny claims on a faulty part/design which can cause such a catastrophic failure.


"Here's your car, Mr. Customer. There's a chance the engine will blow up by. There's nothing you can do to tell when it's going to happen. It's our fault it's going to happen. And when/if it does - it will be on you to pay for it."


does not compute.

[M.Williams]

what year is your car?

[04LSBM3]

Originally Posted by Vox Populi

I honestly do not understand how BMW can deny claims on a faulty part/design which can cause such a catastrophic failure.


"Here's your car, Mr. Customer. There's a chance the engine will blow up by. There's nothing you can do to tell when it's going to happen. It's our fault it's going to happen. And when/if it does - it will be on you to pay for it."


does not compute.

I agree this can be a catastrophic failure without a doubt and that alone should make BMW be willing to 1 looked deeper into the situation and 2 be more open to helping out the customer when something of this nature goes wrong, 1st owner or not, stand behind your product. It seems they would rather blame the incident on the customer doing something wrong or driving it too hard. Well I drive aggressive but I dont beat the crap out of the car, never seen a track, has zero mods that would add more stress to the internal parts.

Look I am the first one to be like "**** happens" but stuff like this isnt a couple bolts coming loose on your dumper or a tab shearing off on your headlight covers, this is inside the engine.

I dont make a **** ton of money, but enough to cover most normal problems and maybe a big one here and there, but if that tab went into the timing chain and blew up the engine, outside of finding some great deal on a used block I wouldnt be able to cover the expense of replacing the whole engine, which shouldnt blow up to begin with at 60K miles.

Car is an 2004 with 60K miles

[mredwin25]

wtf.....

[xyd]

Originally Posted by ImolarotII

All cars breakdown and fail eventually, but this is why the E46 M is so stressful to own even if everything is OK.

It's the fact you can do everything right, and still get in to an accident.

Only difference is, BMW is the one that t-boned you.

I think its inaccurate to state this, considering that the issue we are talking about is a design flaw (just like the subframe mounts, which came back to bite them in the ass) and, in these cases, are not breaking down due to common old-age.

[Joker_9]

That is the same exact spot where mine broke at, I had a SES light and the car was running in limp mode. It sort of just happened too, taking a normal drive to a city and on the way back I noticed I had no power.

Car had 75k miles and cost me about 3.5k to fix

[ImolarotII]

Originally Posted by xyd

I think its inaccurate to state this, considering that the issue we are talking about is a design flaw (just like the subframe mounts, which came back to bite them in the ass) and, in these cases, are not breaking down due to common old-age.

That was exactly my point but I guess it can be interpreted in another way.

Almost anyone I know who has put up with this cars issues and design flaw are usually handy or skilled enough to do most of the car work themselves.

"Oh I've never had any issues with my M3" Yeah, cause you basically spent replacing almost everything already for preventive maintenance. Well that will solve it wouldn't it?

Your choice is either to UNNECESSARILY SPEND on some indy shop to check our vanos bolts from falling out, SPEND on reinforcements here and there or ... be a horrible owner and neglect them.

We're a forum that needs threads like "High Mileage M3s" just to make ourselves feel good. lol


I'm sorry for your troubles, OP.
Just like you, I've saved up enough for maintenance, tensioners failing, normal wear and tear stuff, but my friends call me delusional when i tell them, I'd rather save up $5-7k than put it on mods in case BMW's design flaw rapes it all up.

[04LSBM3]

Originally Posted by ImolarotII

That was exactly my point but I guess it can be interpreted in another way.

Almost anyone I know who has put up with this cars issues and design flaw are usually handy or skilled enough to do most of the car work themselves.

"Oh I've never had any issues with my M3" Yeah, cause you basically spent replacing almost everything already for preventive maintenance. Well that will solve it wouldn't it?

Your choice is either to UNNECESSARILY SPEND on some indy shop to check our vanos bolts from falling out, SPEND on reinforcements here and there or ... be a horrible owner and neglect them.

We're a forum that needs threads like "High Mileage M3s" just to make ourselves feel good. lol


I'm sorry for your troubles, OP.
Just like you, I've saved up enough for maintenance, tensioners failing, normal wear and tear stuff, but my friends call me delusional when i tell them, I'd rather save up $5-7k than put it on mods in case BMW's design flaw rapes it all up.

I agree with you completely, preaching to the choir.

Originally Posted by joker 9

That is the same exact spot where mine broke at, I had a SES light and the car was running in limp mode. It sort of just happened too, taking a normal drive to a city and on the way back I noticed I had no power.

Car had 75k miles and cost me about 3.5k to fix

Thats about my pain to fix mine, really bothers me I had zero codes, hell I dont even know if it was like this when I bought it 3 years ago.