BMW did a great job hiding this fact from the public for some time. If it weren't for forums or internet in general, people would still be in the dark.
It truly baffles me how a company like BMW, who is widely known for their engineering and superb chassis design, made such a design flaw like this. Even some 325i and 330i models of the E46 are subjected to this problem too, and those cars don't even have that much power!
+Anoush R This also happened to my 1999 Z3 2,5, BMW downplayed the extent of this massive problem, that occurred/s in SEVERALmodels, It was a tragic waste of a perfectly good (stock) car!
+Anoush R well it happen to my e46 320i 1999 :/ Well i was lucky to find out before it spread out... and thank god i know how to weld and cut plates took me about 7 hours of sanding, cutting, welding, and painting with rust protector :) It is a expensive repair if you give it to a Auto shop or something..
+Anoush R Pure horror, It only happened to the 6 cylinder engines. BMW Has issued a service bulletin on this. A couple of iron to fix this, but in the video the damage is too great.
Not true at all! Where did you get that info? I know LOTS of people with only 316i-318i who got subframe disaster as well. Sure, the low HP of the engines helped it hold together, but it still cracked after any given amount of time, especially if rust was present. Just now, 3-4 days ago I got a picture from a friend with a 1999 318i. The subframe floor was completely ripped off on one side.
MarcusN yeah I got it on my 316i . It was a 2000 model with zero rust. and went to bmw in 2011 when I discovered it. They would not do a thing for me because it was over 10 year old. I looked after that car so well. And argued if a 9 year old model came to them with that problem and was In worse condition than my car they would repair it f.o.c? They never replied to me. It's shocking a car brand as prestigious as bmw can let this shit happen to their product. I will never touch another car belong to them. Cunts.
Ahhhhhh BMW's silent killer and their was NEVER a world wide recall due to protect its BMW name brand! BMW you should hide your heads in shame for this!
This is no surprise! My friend is a RAC breakdown guy. He told me he has owned BMWs and Mercs, a whole selection of models too over the years. None of them have proved reliable; always problems problems problems. In the end, he sold his latest BMW, an M3, and cos he needed a car urgently, bought a used Honda Civic 1995 model, with 150,000 on the clock. That was 7 years ago. And that damn Honda has never let him down. Only money he spent on it was when he bought it....new brake pads, new tires and a full service which he did himself...oil, filters, etc. Ok, so its not a supercar like his M3, but runs sweet as a nut! Theres a moral there somewhere!
Holy cow! Can I borrow a jack to pick my jaw back up? I don't even wanna look at mine now! Actually, I don't think I have that issue but I have been thinking of fitting the kit for the hell of it. Wow, that guy dodged a bullet there!
A friend of mine has this problem on his 2006 M3. I don't wish to gloat but you NEVER EVER see anything like this on an old Porsche such as a 944 S2 or turbo. These cars are built to take 200-300++ BHP. Perhaps BMW neglected to strengthen the M3 body shells.
+sparkplug964 dont back off! only e46 models were affected by this flaw and only which were produced in '99-'01, and there was a recall after '01 for models which were produced before, they'd replace the whol back subframe but only if you had all services checks, no accident, no rust and everything is stock. so there still are a few which were not handled, but if you buy a e46 after PRODUCTION DATE '01 it will definitely wont have that issue. other than that: e46 >'01 diesel models, got "those so called" swirlflaps right before the intake, those flaps are screwed with 2 small philips screws, and after some 10000 km/miles they tend to land in the cylinder, so the best practice is to remove them if not already.
A few of the specialists have seen CSLs also crack as well as the post '04 M3s too. CSLs were never made in 2001. Even with the revised stronger floor done under warranty or a Post 04 car aren't safe. There are a few reason why. The load the floor is one of the reasons but the mounting points themself and inadequate welding on the inner wing and RACP. Redish seam weld this area.
I think my subframe may have gotten to this point... Was this repairable? I have a friend that wants to give the repair a shot. I am planning on ordering new trunk pan and getting welded in along with reinforcements again. Car was reinforced 2 years back...
I was going to get a nice clean e36 328i. Now I'm going to get a non-driving one and throw enough used parts to make it run for the winter. Car is $700 vs 3--5K. That way if the subframe cracks I won't feel obligated to save my investment Ill just scrap it for $500...
TheAceHD if im not mistaken subframe cracks are more prominent on the e46 cars. my e36 328i is over 200k miles and doesn't have any subframe cracks, the only issues i have are electronical wiring failing so locks and other small motors fail to operate. no biggie really just time consuming and money of course. its really a great car, first car I've owned, shame its fender is bent due to a hit and run 😥
yeah im not sure with respect to the relative frequencies but usually the e36 has less severe and more easily repairable subframe damage if it occurs. e46 rips out worse locations when it happens. on another note I did get the e36 and it's amazing ! honestly it's so much fun I might still my 450hp 135i and just keep the money cuz this 2k$ beater is 95% the fun. intake manifold/cone filter + exhaust/decat + chip + 3.38 LSD = car almost done and it's totally different beast from stock just need some coilovers picking up tckline tmrw
Have you guys ever fully disassembled the rear end of one of theses things? As in drilled and ground the welds and separated every panel from one another? How many sheets of metal are in there?
Wow, this has made me seriously reconsider buying an E46! Would you say this level or damage is cause by track use? Or is this age related? Very disappointing BMW didn't correct this design flaw as it was a known problem in the E36 too.
soundseeker63 nope..nothing to do with track use. It's a design flaw I had it with a 316i. Lowest powered bmw ever. Shit power Drove it normally most days. It's the design on subframe bushing that causes it. A fuckin joke
@@TheIdiotPlays yeah if u ever buy one get it fully inspected by expert. either subframe should be reinforced or poly bushes installed. both preferably
Yeah something happened when that car was built i'll beat you'll never see another one like that. I don't know if that's bad metal or welds didn't take or maybe the guy doing at the factory was pissed and was getting fired?
My car E46 m3 is a 2004 car and at 120k had the most minuscule hairline crack, so seeing this really really shocks me would this just be down to having a harder life? Or some type of damage that exasperated the issue.
Everyone is going bonkers over this but this isn't every single E46. I have a 2004 that's fine. I have a 2002 that was beat up because it's an M3. It's fine. This guy probably jumped it or a previous owner all the time. The CSL probably cracked because it's meant to be pushed. This isn't me saying subframe cracking isn't a problem and whole heartedly believe in reinforcement. This isn't an end all be all for a lot of E46s, contrary to popular belief. Still a problem, but it's like a $200 fix if you buy some epoxy and a reinforcement kit. It's not like the exhaust vanos gear that almost always fails and breaks off into engines between 100000-150000 miles in the M3. THAT needed a recall. This probably did too but this isn't a $2000 fix so not as much of an issue. Cars are made by imperfect people. At least bearings were replaced and deadly airbags.
This same thing happened to my 2000 e46 328ci , no rust , no track use , adult driven , and the subframe had total separation from the body on the driver side rear mount.
I have same model , same year man ! 200k but over 15 k in maint. - car is claen ! 5 speed ; just noticed a noise , sweaking from my side rear. My same subframe Bushing spot failed & has blown through the underside ! arg , thinking of taking to BMW to see what they can/will do ; what r u gonna do ?! (
I've wanted an e46 m3 for years now and I have heard about this issue but really had no idea how much it actually affected the cars. Seeing this is actually quite shocking and has genuinely made me question whether it's worth buying one if I ever get the money together. Obviously this is an extreme example of the problem, if it's just cracked can it be repaired correctly and something put in place to ensure it doesn't happen in the future? The e46 m3 is a great car but seeing this it's a huge concern with me for any future purchase.
This guy was doing donuts and launches guaranteed! Poor car got abused a lot, damage shouldn't happen though, BMW not having to repair all these is ridiculous!
I'm a novice when it comes to stricture, is this due to bombs & speed humps. The car producing tool much power for it chassis and or poor design? I like the narrators reservations when he says 'that is quite nasty' at 4.30 was great. An Aussie guy would be swearing his arse off and an Americano would be going on about now bad BMW's are, probably. How can I view my sub frame without a lift?
d5crimson looking at question it's a dumb one. I got a pair of used wheel ramps, you simply drive onto them and they raise the car up quite a lot. These gave me a chance to have a good look under the car and everything seems fine, it's actually quite clean. One thing that bothers me a lot is that once in awhile I get this almost floating feeling from the steering wheel. It feels like torque steer without the pull yet there is wheel movement, although not directional. This isn't the only E46 I've felt this on. My brothers 325 coupe did the same thing once in a while.
Gunzee so the steering wheel feels vague or unresponsive? Could be your front wishbone rear bushes. Sounds like they could be worn. The rear trailing arm bushes are common for deteriorating, and so are the rear coil springs for snapping, or the front track rod ends for developing play. Would be best to get a garage to check everything on a ramp just to make sure. Safer than using those drive on style ones
You have to consider the age of the car and the beating a regular M3 gets. Most owners do not care about longetivity of that car and just smash the pedal for fun anytime they can. Which is most of the time. I would never buy a M3 not only because of that but also because of the overall poor quality build of the M3. The only reason I could think of buying one of those is only to resell it later with profit. For what power and comfort the M3 offers you can buy any other newer car for the same or even less money with a higher quality output and longetivity. And don't get me started on the infamous SMG transmission :D I like BMW but even this relation has its borders.
Of course, you can drive it until the entire rear subframe falls out of the car. But you got to figure once a corner gets weak and separates from the subframe it then begins to put all that pressure on the other three. It's only a matter of time before they all go and so does your car and maybe your life.
Get a 05 its fine and strong dont go smg go manual its better, and if you love the e46 m3 so much nothing can stop u from having it vanos cracks or age can not stand bitween your love for that car ;)
nissan kouki The good thing is all those problems while expensive and scary are preventable. Buy one, reinforce the subframe asap, don't wait for it to crack because it will. rebuild your vanos with the upgrade kit, then its rock solid. and for rod bearings a 2003.5+ will have that situation fixed. As for smg just buy a manual.
+agt155 or its easier to just get those issues taken care of before they become an actual issue. And then you have a driver's dream car. Get your facts straight kid.
I wonder how common this is. I have a E46 320 diesel (100kw) produced august 2000, automatic transmission, driven most of it's life by a rather relaxed person with no tendancy to do hard accellerations and such. Would my car be less likely to have this problem?
You should get swirl flaps removed before they break and destroy engine. Happens on allot of 320d of that model. Mostly later models with 150bhp. Think 2000 model had 135bhp. Would check it out just to be safe
to start with, not all E46 crack. They are all prone for it, yes. Same design. Secondly, these M3s at this time are more like a car enthusiast vehicle. Every E46 M3 would require subframe taking care of. Would it put me off buying one? Hell no. i would just inspect what i am about to buy first and personally would choose a 10 grand car with a minor cracks over a 15 grand one with no cracks. Since both of them would require this issue sorting i prefer buying 10k car and spending 5k to address it than wasting 15k and still having to address it. There are people who strenghten/modify the subframe and drop a 600-800 bhp mods and the subframe handless it just fine. But thats talking about the guys like me. There are other type of blokes, who just want to pay 15k and expect the 15y old car to be a pristine condition with no design flaws or whatsovever. Guess what, there are no manufacturer, there are no cars, that would not have any issues, brand new ones or old. Ask any, i mean any mechanic who works in any dealer. if not the warranty repairs (meaning cars have flaws) they would not have the jobs. so its plain stupid to expect cars, that have all sort of issues during the warranty periods to be flawless when they age lol.
My experience, owned a few BMWs. Car becomes unreliable and a money dump after about 50-60k. "Maintenance" is unreasonably expensive and many parts go out constantly with ridiculous replacement costs. Also, almost seems like they're built to make it hard for you to work on them. Have been a pain in my ass really. No longer have any respect for the hyped german engineering. Buy American or Japanese cars and save yourself the headache!
Speachless on this magnitude of failure! I have a condition: any business that has angled/incline entrance (my home also has) that I drive into - where the front of the car is raised before the rear end - the rear end of my M3 pops once. I'm wondering the exact source of this: Diff mounts, Subframe mounts or possibly a crack in the chassis. Anybody know the source. Can't easily diagnose I suppose! I probably need a professional service to look over it! I don't have a lift!! I just hope it's old bushings & not frame cracks!!!
#$%&#$ nightmare! I couple of years ago I looked into getting an E46 M3 but fortunately did some research and found out about this major problem with them and why so many of them have over half dozen different owners. I'm much happier with my 2012 328 xd E92.
You really have to neglect your car if you let it come THIS far. I mean, this car is literaly almost cracked in half. "Maybe we should bring it to the shop now?"
And i was told not to buy an italian car and instead get a properly built german car with quality german engineering. Truth is my old Alfa 75 3.0l QV never had its ass end tear itself apart and never left me stranded but my E36 318i subframe is only held in by one bolt now and has left me stuck 3 times. My 325i caught on fire due to an electrical issue 2 months after i had the gearbox replaced when it failed at only 126000km. I had an E30 and that was pretty great but the E46 and E39 i had have both been nothing but trouble. I really think the whole german quality thing was just good marketing and leftover NAZI propaganda at this point.
![Summer Walker - Heart Of A Woman [Official Lyric Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/SFddctbZzw8/mqdefault.jpg)
BMW did a great job hiding this fact from the public for some time. If it weren't for forums or internet in general, people would still be in the dark.
7s29 nice paint job.
BMW designed the unibody during Oktoberfest.
That is truly horrific, shame on you BMW
It truly baffles me how a company like BMW, who is widely known for their engineering and superb chassis design, made such a design flaw like this. Even some 325i and 330i models of the E46 are subjected to this problem too, and those cars don't even have that much power!
+Anoush R This also happened to my 1999 Z3 2,5,
BMW downplayed the extent of this massive problem, that occurred/s in SEVERALmodels, It was a tragic waste of a perfectly good (stock) car!
+Anoush R well it happen to my e46 320i 1999 :/
Well i was lucky to find out before it spread out... and thank god i know how to weld and cut plates took me about 7 hours of sanding, cutting, welding, and painting with rust protector :)
It is a expensive repair if you give it to a Auto shop or something..
+Anoush R Pure horror, It only happened to the 6 cylinder engines. BMW Has issued a service bulletin on this. A couple of iron to fix this, but in the video the damage is too great.
Not true at all! Where did you get that info? I know LOTS of people with only 316i-318i who got subframe disaster as well. Sure, the low HP of the engines helped it hold together, but it still cracked after any given amount of time, especially if rust was present. Just now, 3-4 days ago I got a picture from a friend with a 1999 318i. The subframe floor was completely ripped off on one side.
MarcusN yeah I got it on my 316i . It was a 2000 model with zero rust. and went to bmw in 2011 when I discovered it. They would not do a thing for me because it was over 10 year old. I looked after that car so well. And argued if a 9 year old model came to them with that problem and was In worse condition than my car they would repair it f.o.c? They never replied to me. It's shocking a car brand as prestigious as bmw can let this shit happen to their product. I will never touch another car belong to them. Cunts.
Ahhhhhh BMW's silent killer and their was NEVER a world wide recall due to protect its BMW name brand! BMW you should hide your heads in shame for this!
This is no surprise! My friend is a RAC breakdown guy. He told me he has owned BMWs and Mercs, a whole selection of models too over the years. None of them have proved reliable; always problems problems problems. In the end, he sold his latest BMW, an M3, and cos he needed a car urgently, bought a used Honda Civic 1995 model, with 150,000 on the clock. That was 7 years ago. And that damn Honda has never let him down. Only money he spent on it was when he bought it....new brake pads, new tires and a full service which he did himself...oil, filters, etc. Ok, so its not a supercar like his M3, but runs sweet as a nut! Theres a moral there somewhere!
Holy cow! Can I borrow a jack to pick my jaw back up?
I don't even wanna look at mine now!
Actually, I don't think I have that issue but I have been thinking of fitting the kit for the hell of it.
Wow, that guy dodged a bullet there!
..... issue missed at every MOT for the last 6 years ......
A friend of mine has this problem on his 2006 M3. I don't wish to gloat but you NEVER EVER see anything like this on an old Porsche such as a 944 S2 or turbo. These cars are built to take 200-300++ BHP. Perhaps BMW neglected to strengthen the M3 body shells.
How's that IMS bearing then, on the 996 ;-). Problems happen.
And when you think all the bashing a car manufacturer like Alfa Romeo gets..."Not as good as a german BMW...."
Depends on the model. Some are just catastrophic, but for example the 159 is more reliable than the Audi A4 or the BMW 3-series.
JAnx01 I love the 159, well said there.
Someone already been there before you, judging by the spray black underseal all over the place and up the damper.
Someone else has asked - what was the year, mileage and maintenance for this M3??
That’s insane! Must be poor quality control as I’ve had a 2003 M3 on 100k and a 2000 330i drift car on 130k, both abused and no signs of cracking!
This has really put me off buying one of there cars, that is plain a simple a design fault, full stop. I'm amazed there was no recall by BMW.
+sparkplug964 dont back off! only e46 models were affected by this flaw and only which were produced in '99-'01, and there was a recall after '01 for models which were produced before, they'd replace the whol back subframe but only if you had all services checks, no accident, no rust and everything is stock. so there still are a few which were not handled, but if you buy a e46 after PRODUCTION DATE '01 it will definitely wont have that issue. other than that: e46 >'01 diesel models, got "those so called" swirlflaps right before the intake, those flaps are screwed with 2 small philips screws, and after some 10000 km/miles they tend to land in the cylinder, so the best practice is to remove them if not already.
your wrong iv seen personally 02-04 e46 m3's with subframe issues this issue goes well past 2001 production cars
im not sure.. i mean i believe you, but maybe the chassis itself you've seen was made in '01.
A few of the specialists have seen CSLs also crack as well as the post '04 M3s too. CSLs were never made in 2001.
Even with the revised stronger floor done under warranty or a Post 04 car aren't safe. There are a few reason why. The load the floor is one of the reasons but the mounting points themself and inadequate welding on the inner wing and RACP. Redish seam weld this area.
Daniel Simon no not just the e46, it started with the e36 bud
I think my subframe may have gotten to this point... Was this repairable? I have a friend that wants to give the repair a shot. I am planning on ordering new trunk pan and getting welded in along with reinforcements again. Car was reinforced 2 years back...
As everything is repairable, is this been done with this one?
I was going to get a nice clean e36 328i. Now I'm going to get a non-driving one and throw enough used parts to make it run for the winter. Car is $700 vs 3--5K. That way if the subframe cracks I won't feel obligated to save my investment Ill just scrap it for $500...
TheAceHD if im not mistaken subframe cracks are more prominent on the e46 cars. my e36 328i is over 200k miles and doesn't have any subframe cracks, the only issues i have are electronical wiring failing so locks and other small motors fail to operate. no biggie really just time consuming and money of course. its really a great car, first car I've owned, shame its fender is bent due to a hit and run 😥
yeah im not sure with respect to the relative frequencies but usually the e36 has less severe and more easily repairable subframe damage if it occurs. e46 rips out worse locations when it happens. on another note I did get the e36 and it's amazing ! honestly it's so much fun I might still my 450hp 135i and just keep the money cuz this 2k$ beater is 95% the fun. intake manifold/cone filter + exhaust/decat + chip + 3.38 LSD = car almost done and it's totally different beast from stock just need some coilovers picking up tckline tmrw
TheAceHD $100 reinforcement plates and issues are gone. E46s in the other hand......
Come on BMW. The company who says they make the best driving machines can't even make a car that doesn't break constantly.
are autos the same? I was looking at a 2001 e46 325 convertible..
Have you guys ever fully disassembled the rear end of one of theses things? As in drilled and ground the welds and separated every panel from one another? How many sheets of metal are in there?
This issue was fixed with the facelift right?
Dooms Day No but it appears less I dont know why(if doesnt have coilovers, camber etc.).Also check front shock towers.
mainly affects 1999-2006 E46`s .
Wow, this has made me seriously reconsider buying an E46! Would you say this level or damage is cause by track use? Or is this age related?
Very disappointing BMW didn't correct this design flaw as it was a known problem in the E36 too.
soundseeker63 nope..nothing to do with track use. It's a design flaw
I had it with a 316i. Lowest powered bmw ever. Shit power
Drove it normally most days. It's the design on subframe bushing that causes it. A fuckin joke
@@daveh7302 Oof. Welp thanks I wont buy that low power either as you had that fault even in the slow model.
@@TheIdiotPlays yeah if u ever buy one get it fully inspected by expert. either subframe should be reinforced or poly bushes installed. both preferably
surely these breaks would have come up in the mot, long before they got to that state?
Amazing how bad that is. Cannot believe it got this bad while the previous owner was driving it still.
Yeah something happened when that car was built i'll beat you'll never see another one like that. I don't know if that's bad metal or welds didn't take or maybe the guy doing at the factory was pissed and was getting fired?
My car E46 m3 is a 2004 car and at 120k had the most minuscule hairline crack, so seeing this really really shocks me would this just be down to having a harder life? Or some type of damage that exasperated the issue.
is it possible to repair?
It kind of looks like this car got airborne pretty high and slammed down .
Everyone is going bonkers over this but this isn't every single E46. I have a 2004 that's fine. I have a 2002 that was beat up because it's an M3. It's fine. This guy probably jumped it or a previous owner all the time. The CSL probably cracked because it's meant to be pushed. This isn't me saying subframe cracking isn't a problem and whole heartedly believe in reinforcement. This isn't an end all be all for a lot of E46s, contrary to popular belief. Still a problem, but it's like a $200 fix if you buy some epoxy and a reinforcement kit. It's not like the exhaust vanos gear that almost always fails and breaks off into engines between 100000-150000 miles in the M3. THAT needed a recall. This probably did too but this isn't a $2000 fix so not as much of an issue. Cars are made by imperfect people. At least bearings were replaced and deadly airbags.
Could it be caused by drifting the car? Or just the car is getting old?
How is that floor cracked like that is it aluminium?
1.2mm sheet steel. Design flaw.
but did you fix it?
BMW German quality at its best! :)
This same thing happened to my 2000 e46 328ci , no rust , no track use , adult driven , and the subframe had total separation from the body on the driver side rear mount.
I have same model , same year man ! 200k but over 15 k in maint. - car is claen ! 5 speed ; just noticed a noise , sweaking from my side rear. My same subframe Bushing spot failed & has blown through the underside ! arg , thinking of taking to BMW to see what they can/will do ; what r u gonna do ?! (
Great stuff guys, as always. Donut.
I've wanted an e46 m3 for years now and I have heard about this issue but really had no idea how much it actually affected the cars. Seeing this is actually quite shocking and has genuinely made me question whether it's worth buying one if I ever get the money together.
Obviously this is an extreme example of the problem, if it's just cracked can it be repaired correctly and something put in place to ensure it doesn't happen in the future?
The e46 m3 is a great car but seeing this it's a huge concern with me for any future purchase.
Did you end up buying it eventually?
@@Hichamdsaber
I ended up buying an e92 m3 instead and have never looked back.
@@l34052 do you still own your e92? hows the maintanence?
This guy was doing donuts and launches guaranteed! Poor car got abused a lot, damage shouldn't happen though, BMW not having to repair all these is ridiculous!
You're probably right - there must have been some serious abuse going on.
I'm a novice when it comes to stricture, is this due to bombs & speed humps. The car producing tool much power for it chassis and or poor design?
I like the narrators reservations when he says 'that is quite nasty' at 4.30 was great. An Aussie guy would be swearing his arse off and an Americano would be going on about now bad BMW's are, probably. How can I view my sub frame without a lift?
d5crimson looking at question it's a dumb one. I got a pair of used wheel ramps, you simply drive onto them and they raise the car up quite a lot. These gave me a chance to have a good look under the car and everything seems fine, it's actually quite clean. One thing that bothers me a lot is that once in awhile I get this almost floating feeling from the steering wheel. It feels like torque steer without the pull yet there is wheel movement, although not directional. This isn't the only E46 I've felt this on. My brothers 325 coupe did the same thing once in a while.
Gunzee so the steering wheel feels vague or unresponsive? Could be your front wishbone rear bushes. Sounds like they could be worn. The rear trailing arm bushes are common for deteriorating, and so are the rear coil springs for snapping, or the front track rod ends for developing play. Would be best to get a garage to check everything on a ramp just to make sure. Safer than using those drive on style ones
You have to consider the age of the car and the beating a regular M3 gets. Most owners do not care about longetivity of that car and just smash the pedal for fun anytime they can. Which is most of the time. I would never buy a M3 not only because of that but also because of the overall poor quality build of the M3. The only reason I could think of buying one of those is only to resell it later with profit. For what power and comfort the M3 offers you can buy any other newer car for the same or even less money with a higher quality output and longetivity. And don't get me started on the infamous SMG transmission :D I like BMW but even this relation has its borders.
can you still drive it even if it has a subframe crack?
protothief yeah just don't pull away fast
Of course, you can drive it until the entire rear subframe falls out of the car. But you got to figure once a corner gets weak and separates from the subframe it then begins to put all that pressure on the other three. It's only a matter of time before they all go and so does your car and maybe your life.
Im never getting an e46 m3, I keep finding more reasons not too, SMG issues, Rod bearings, Vanos. Fuck it
***** No they didn't get your facts correct. 2004 and 2005 models have had cracks with boot floors being replaced.
Get a 05 its fine and strong dont go smg go manual its better, and if you love the e46 m3 so much nothing can stop u from having it vanos cracks or age can not stand bitween your love for that car ;)
nissan kouki The good thing is all those problems while expensive and scary are preventable. Buy one, reinforce the subframe asap, don't wait for it to crack because it will. rebuild your vanos with the upgrade kit, then its rock solid. and for rod bearings a 2003.5+ will have that situation fixed. As for smg just buy a manual.
+blues3531 Easier to just get a different car.
+agt155 or its easier to just get those issues taken care of before they become an actual issue. And then you have a driver's dream car. Get your facts straight kid.
I wonder how common this is.
I have a E46 320 diesel (100kw) produced august 2000, automatic transmission, driven most of it's life by a rather relaxed person with no tendancy to do hard accellerations and such.
Would my car be less likely to have this problem?
not as common on auto tranmission
You should get swirl flaps removed before they break and destroy engine. Happens on allot of 320d of that model. Mostly later models with 150bhp. Think 2000 model had 135bhp. Would check it out just to be safe
to start with, not all E46 crack. They are all prone for it, yes. Same design. Secondly, these M3s at this time are more like a car enthusiast vehicle. Every E46 M3 would require subframe taking care of. Would it put me off buying one? Hell no. i would just inspect what i am about to buy first and personally would choose a 10 grand car with a minor cracks over a 15 grand one with no cracks. Since both of them would require this issue sorting i prefer buying 10k car and spending 5k to address it than wasting 15k and still having to address it. There are people who strenghten/modify the subframe and drop a 600-800 bhp mods and the subframe handless it just fine. But thats talking about the guys like me. There are other type of blokes, who just want to pay 15k and expect the 15y old car to be a pristine condition with no design flaws or whatsovever. Guess what, there are no manufacturer, there are no cars, that would not have any issues, brand new ones or old. Ask any, i mean any mechanic who works in any dealer. if not the warranty repairs (meaning cars have flaws) they would not have the jobs. so its plain stupid to expect cars, that have all sort of issues during the warranty periods to be flawless when they age lol.
Wow. No I feel like my baby plates aren’t enough
My experience, owned a few BMWs. Car becomes unreliable and a money dump after about 50-60k. "Maintenance" is unreasonably expensive and many parts go out constantly with ridiculous replacement costs. Also, almost seems like they're built to make it hard for you to work on them. Have been a pain in my ass really. No longer have any respect for the hyped german engineering. Buy American or Japanese cars and save yourself the headache!
I wouldn't even want that if it was fixed the right way! Buy another car and part it out!
Speachless on this magnitude of failure!
I have a condition: any business that has angled/incline entrance (my home also has) that I drive into - where the front of the car is raised before the rear end - the rear end of my M3 pops once. I'm wondering the exact source of this: Diff mounts, Subframe mounts or possibly a crack in the chassis. Anybody know the source. Can't easily diagnose I suppose! I probably need a professional service to look over it! I don't have a lift!! I just hope it's old bushings & not frame cracks!!!
Mike Gozinta it's a design flaw In subframe bushings. This guy that done this video says so on his website. Fucking shocking workmanship
#$%&#$ nightmare! I couple of years ago I looked into getting an E46 M3 but fortunately did some research and found out about this major problem with them and why so many of them have over half dozen different owners. I'm much happier with my 2012 328 xd E92.
You really have to neglect your car if you let it come THIS far. I mean, this car is literaly almost cracked in half. "Maybe we should bring it to the shop now?"
Why would a manufacturer make vehicles able for this to happen??!!
i really hope mine is not that bad
And i was told not to buy an italian car and instead get a properly built german car with quality german engineering.
Truth is my old Alfa 75 3.0l QV never had its ass end tear itself apart and never left me stranded but my E36 318i subframe is only held in by one bolt now and has left me stuck 3 times. My 325i caught on fire due to an electrical issue 2 months after i had the gearbox replaced when it failed at only 126000km. I had an E30 and that was pretty great but the E46 and E39 i had have both been nothing but trouble.
I really think the whole german quality thing was just good marketing and leftover NAZI propaganda at this point.
What age is the car and mileage?
these cars were made from 2001-2006
FishFind3000 1999*
Superior german engineering :)
Pretty sure they off-roaded that M3.
Holy hell you reckon thats all to do with salt corrosion.
no
the metal cant handle the forces
What year was this car?
Carl Richards December 2001
looks my bmw i daily 🤣🤣🤣 glad mine is just a chunk that made a hole
Throw the WHOLE M3 away.
Beema over priced shit boxes..disgraceful
We got one that's worse.
You won't even believe it
Thanks for the message Brandon - send the video link - I'm keen to see!
WOW!!!
Das ist ja ein Kinderspiel sowas zu reparieren, ich würds direkt verstärken.
get an e36
OMG
This is why you don't drive fast over bumpy roads.
gj BMW :D
Made in Germany 🇩🇪