2006 BMW 3 Series Engine

MY CAR STARTED HAVING A MASSIVE OIL LEAK AT AROUND 79,000 MILES. THE MOTOR SEALS STARTED TO FAIL ONCE THE CAR HAD ABOUT 70,000 MILES ON IT. THE GENERAL CONSENSUS IS THAT THE MOTOR SEALS ARE VERY COMMON TO PREMATURELY FAIL. THE BOLTS THAT HOLD THE MOTOR TOGETHER STARTED TO BREAK AT AROUND 80,000 MILES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT OIL WAS LEAKING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE HEAD GASKET BOLT WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT OIL WAS LEAKING FROM THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT DIAGNOSED THAT MULTIPLE CYLINDER HEAD GASKET COVER BOLTS WERE DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 118,197.

INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP NOTED ALUMINUM HEAD BOLTS BROKEN WHICH COULD CAUSE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO ENGINE. BROKEN BOLTS CAUSED OIL LEAK AND HEADS OF BOLTS COULD HAVE GONE INTO THE TIMING BELT DESTROYING THE ENGINE. INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP DIRECTED US TO THE DEALERSHIP STATING THEY HAD NOTED THIS ISSUES ON ALMOST ALL OF THIS YEAR AND MODEL. REPAIR COST WAS VERY EXPENSIVE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING 55 MPH, THE TEMPERATURE WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSE THAT THE ALUMINUM BOLTS HOLDING THE ENGINE MELTED AND WERE SUCKED INTO THE ENGINE. AS A RESULT, THE ENGINE FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER MENTIONED THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 144,300...UPDATED 01/30/13 *BF UPDATED 2/5/2013 *JS

BOLTS FOR ENGINE BLOCK VALVE COVER BROKE OFF. OIL STARTED LEAKING AND EXHAUST SMOKING. NORMAL DRIVING, WITH NO AUTO MODIFICATIONS AND REGULAR MAINTENANCE. CONTACTED BMW NORTH AMERICA, BUT RECEIVED NO ANSWER. *TR

ENGINE BOLTS HAVE SHEERED OFF AT THREE DIFFERENT MILEAGES: 71,369, 115,162 AND 134,835. ALL TIMES THEY HAVE CREATED OIL LEAKS AND POSSIBLE ENGINE OVERHEATING. ALSO THE SHEERED BOLTS COULD OF GOTTEN LODGED IN THE DRIVE BELT CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING (ALTHOUGH LUCKILY DID NOT HAPPEN). ALL SHEERED BOLTS COST UPWARDS OF $1000 PER REPAIR TO REPLACE. *TR

BROKEN HEAD BOLTS AND BLOWN HEAD. *TR

THE HEAD BOLTS ARE CRACKED/BROKEN AT APPROXIMATELY 70,000 MILES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325XI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN STARTING THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD EXHIBIT AN ABNORMALLY LOUD NOISE AND VIBRATE WHEN FIRST STARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THEY ADVISED HER THAT ALL FOUR MOTOR MOUNTS WERE FRACTURED AND THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY CONFIRMED THAT THE MOTOR MOUNTS WERE FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 83,400. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

BMW IS AWARE THAT THE CYLINDER BOLT ON THESE MODELS HAS BEEN KNOWN TO FAIL AND ARE NOW BEING MADE OUT OF A DIFFERENT MATERIAL IN NEWER MODELS. WE REQUESTED THAT BMW PAY FOR THE COST OF THIS REPAIR, BECAUSE WE KNOW THEY ARE AWARE OF IT BEING AN ISSUE AND THEY REFUSED TO DO SO. IT IS DEFINITELY A PART THAT SHOULD BE ON RECALL FOR ALL MODELS USING THIS MATERIAL IN THE CYLINDER HEAD BOLD. UPDATED 04/21/11 *BF

NOTICED ALUMINUM HEADBOLT HAD BROKEN OFF AND CAUSED AN OIL LEAK CLOSE TO THE FRONT OF THE HEAD ON THE OIL FILTER SIDE OF THE BLOCK, CAUSING A BURNING OIL SMELL AS OIL FOUND ITS WAY TO THE BURNING HOT EXHAUST MANIFOLD, THANKFULLY, IT DID NOT CATCH ON FIRE BUT I FEEL THAT IT EASILY COULD WHILE DRIVING AND COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT SHOULD I OR SOMEONE ELSE PANICKED AS IT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED, BMW HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THIS ISSUE IN TSB'S AND ALREADY RECTIFIED THE ISSUE IN THE 2007 MODELS OF THE EXACT SAME CARS. IF BMW DOES NOT RECTIFY THIS ISSUE, MY 5TH BMW WILL BE MY LAST AND I WILL TAKE MY HARD EARNED MONEY TO AUDI, I FIND IT HEARTBREAKING THAT A COMPANY THAT USED TO HAVE SUCH A FOCUS ON QUALITY IS REFUSING TO ACKNOWLEDGE SUCH FAILURE AND TO RIGHT THE SITUATION OVER A 3$ BOLT THAT HAS NOT ONLY THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE HARM TO MANY BUT ALSO TO ALIENATE WHAT HAVE BEEN LONG TIME CUSTOMERS AND TRUE FANS OF THE BRAND. *TR

MY BMW 300 SERIES WAGON (2006) HAD A BRAKE AND EMERGENCY WARNING LIGHT TURN ON. THERE WAS ALSO A SMELL OF BURNING OIL. MY MECHANIC IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM AS BROKEN ALUMINUM BOLTS ON THE CYLINDER. HE SAID HE PERSONALLY SEES THIS ALL THE TIME ON 2006 MODELS, THAT BMW IS AWARE, AND THAT THEY REDESIGNED THE PART FOR LATER YEARS. LIKEWISE, MY BMW DEALER IS AWARE OF IT AND A SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH FINDS AT LEAST 1000 COMPLAINTS POSTED AT VARIOUS SITES ON THE WEB. ALUMINUM DOES NOT HOLD UP IN THIS SETTING AND THESE BOLTS COST MORE THAN$1200 TO REPAIR. I AM TOLD BY MY MECHANIC THAT IT USUALLY HAPPENS AFTER 60K MILES WHICH MEANS MOST ARE OFF WARRANTY. BMW IS AWARE AND SHOULD EITHER DO A COURTESY REPAIR OR BE FORCED TO DO THE RIGHT THING BY NHTSA. *TR

THERE IS A CLEAR MANUFACTURER DEFECT CONCERNING THE ALUMINUM BOLTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE VALVE COVER GASKET ON THE BMW 2006 325I'S. THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION HAS RECEIVED SEVERAL COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS MANUFACTURER DEFECT. THE ALUMINUM BOLTS HAVE BEEN REDESIGNED SINCE DISCOVERING THE MANUFACTURER DEFECT. BMWNA HAVE HAD NUMEROUS SERVICE ISSUES RELATED TO THESE DEFECTIVE ALUMINUM BOLTS. THEY HAVE ALL OPENLY ADMITTED THAT THE BOLTS IN QUESTION WERE DEFECTIVE IN NATURE AND PRODUCTION, AND THAT THE BOLTS HAVE BEEN REDESIGNED TO AVOID FUTURE FAILURES. SOME OF THESE COMPLAINTS INCLUDED, AND RESULTED IN, VEHICLES LEAKING OIL IN THE ENGINE AREA CAUSING FIRES IN THE VEHICLE. THE DEFECTIVE BOLTS POSE A SERIOUS POTENTIAL RISK TO THE SAFETY OF THE OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES, AS WELL AS TO OTHER DRIVERS WHO SHARE THE ROADWAY WITH THEM. IT IS MY STRONG BELIEF THAT THIS TYPE OF PUBLIC SAFETY RISK CANNOT GO ON ANY FURTHER WITHOUT PROPER INTERVENTION FROM THE GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES WE EMPLOY AS TAXPAYERS. I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT BMW NORTH AMERICA ISSUE A VOLUNTARY RECALL OF THE BMW 2006 325I'S AFFECTED BY THIS MANUFACTURER DEFECT. I AM NOT PRIVY TO WHAT CONSTITUTES A VEHICLE'S DEFECTIVE COMPONENTS TO REACH A "RECALL STATUS". I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT BMW OF NORTH AMERICA IS KEENLY AWARE OF THE DEFECTIVE ALUMINUM BOLTS, AND HAS ISSUED INTERNAL MEMOS TO THEIR STAFF CALLED "TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS" (TSB) TO FOREWARN DEALERSHIPS OF THIS MANUFACTURER DEFECT, AND THE STEPS TO REMEDY THE ISSUE. I HAVE REQUESTED THIS INFORMATION FROM BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, AS WELL AS SEVERAL DEALERSHIPS; AND I WAS REFUSED. I HAVE DILIGENTLY MAINTAINED MY VEHICLE AS PRESCRIBED BY THE SERVICE MANUALS, AS WELL AS THE ON BOARD COMPUTER IN THE VEHICLE. MY CONTENTION IS EXTREMELY CLEAR; THE ALUMINUM BOLTS ARE A MANUFACTURER DEFECT! FIX THEM ALL AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER. *KB

ON MY PARTICULAR VEHICLE, A 2006 BMW 325, E90 CHASSIS, THERE WAS AN OIL LEAK FOUND DUE TO A FAULTY BOLT IN THE ENGINE BAY WHEREBY MY ENGINE HAD ABOUT 52K MILES PUT ON IT. I SPOKE TO VARIOUS OWNERS WITH THE SAME VEHICLE, AND THEY TOO HAD THE SAME ISSUE WITH THEIR VEHICLES AS WELL. IT'S APPARENT THAT BMW HAS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND NEGLECTED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. *TT

THE CYLINDER BOLT BROKE AND BMW IS REFUSING TO REPAIR THE BROKEN BOLT UNDER AN ACTIVE WARRANTY. BMW IS AWARE THAT THE CYLINDER BOLD ON THESE MODELS HAS BEEN KNOWN TO FAIL AND IS NOW BEING MADE OUT OF A DIFFERENT MATERIAL IN NEWER MODELS. I REQUESTED THAT BMW PAY FOR THE COST OF THIS REPAIR BECAUSE WE ARE AWARE OF IT BEING AND ISSUE AND THEY REFUSED TO DO SO UNDER AN ACTIVE EXTENDED COVERAGE WARRANTY. IT IS A PART THAT SHOULD BE ON RECALL FOR MODELS USING THIS PARTICULAR ALUMINUM CYLINDER BOLT. I AM VERY FRUSTRATED TO HAVE PAID $4,000+ FOR AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT DOES NOT COVER A $4,260.50 REPAIR. PETER PAN BMW HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL BUT BMW OF NORTH AMERICA AND ASSURANT WHO AUTHORIZES REPAIRS HAS BEEN UNRESPONSIVE AND DENIED REPAIR.

I OWN A 2006 BMW 325I. I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY AND TURNING A CORNER AND THE ENGINE JUST STOPPED. IT WAS TOWED TO UNITED BMW IN GWINNITT GA WHERE ALL MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN DONE ON THE CAR. I WAS TOLD THAT A VALVE SPRING BROKE AND FELL INTO A PISTON CHAMBER. 96000 MILES ON THE CAR AND INSURANCE WILL NOT COVER. ALSO, ONLY 50000 MILE WARRANTY ON THE ENGINE. THE CAR HAS BEEN THERE FOR ALMOST 9 MONTHS NOW. I WAS TOLD IT WOULD COST 16000 TO FIX AND THEY HAVE THEN SINCE TOWED THE CAR SOMEWHERE ELSE AND DECLARED IT ABANDONED. I TRIED TO CALL AND GET SOME INFORMATION ON THE MATTER BUT NOBODY WILL RETURN MY CALLS OR HELP ME IN THIS SITUATION. I STILL OWE 9000+ ON THE AUTO. *KB

THIS VEHICLE HAS A MAGNESIUM ENGINE BLOCK, AND THEREFORE USES ALUMINUM BOLTS TO FASTEN THE HEAD AND THE VALVE COVER TO THE ENGINE BLOCK. WITH NORMAL DRIVING, MULTIPLE CYLINDER HEAD AND VALVE COVER BOLTS SPONTANEOUSLY SNAP OFF. THIS TYPE OF FAILURE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO DISRUPT THE TIMING CHAIN AND LOSS OF COMPRESSION, LEADING TO CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 330XI. WHILE DRIVING 24 MPH THERE WAS A CLANKING NOISE AND THE ALUMINUM BOLT THAT WAS HOLDING THE CYLINDER HEAD IN PLACE BROKE. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE CYLINDER HEAD TO CRACK THE CYLINDER HEAD AND CAUSED A MASSIVE OIL LEAK INTO THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THEY REPLACED THE ALUMINUM BOLT. THE DEALER REPLACED ONE DEFECTIVE PART WITH ANOTHER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE 25,774. THE CONSUMER STATED THE REPAIRS WERE ALMOST $4,000 AND IT TOOK MORE THAN A WEEK TO COMPLETE THE REPAIRS. UPDATED 03/12/10 UPDATED 03/30/10 *BF UPDATED 07/26/10.*JB

VEHICLE SERVICE ENGINE SOON INDICATOR COMES ON REPEATEDLY AND DEALERSHIP CANNOT REPAIR DEFECT AFTER 3 VISITS. *TR

EVENTS LEADING TO FAILURE - NONE. FAILURE OCCURRED ONCE, EXPECTED TO HAPPEN AGAIN, EXTREMELY LIKELY TO RESULT IN FIRE. TWO ALUMINUM BOLTS SECURING THE VALVE COVER BROKE UNEXPECTEDLY RESULTING IN ENGINE OIL DRIPPING ONTO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER FILLING CAR WITH SMOKE, ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS ALSO FILLED WITH SMOKE. THE CAR IS RECEIVING A NEW VALVE COVER GASKET AND NEW ALUMINUM BOLTS. HAD THIS EVENT HAPPENED WHEN THE CAR WAS RUNNING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THIS WOULD HAVE DEFINITELY RESULTED IN A FIRE. *TR

WE HAD BOUGHT A 2006 BMW MODEL # 325I, THE VEHICLE HAD 33,000 MILES ON IT. NOW THIS CAR HAS A HEAD CYLINDER LEAKAGE ON IT AND THE DEALER NEEDED TO REPLACE AN ENGINE ON IT. THE FACT IS THAT THIS CAR WAS LESS THEN 2 YRS, AND WE HAD SUCH A MAJOR ISSUE ALREADY. *TR

THE EMISSION SYSTEM WARRANTY SEEMS TO BE INCORRECT FOR MY 2006 BMW 325I. I THOUGHT THE SYSTEM MUST BE WARRANTED FOR AT LEAST 75,000 MILES. PLEASE CHECK THEIR OWNER'S MANUAL TO CONFIRM THEIR WORDING IS CORRECT. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED AFTER TRAVELING 20 MPH AND BECOMING IMMOBILED AT TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE RPM SURGED. THIS OCCURRED AT EVERY TRAFFIC LIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO DETERMINED AS A NEW VEHICLE THE COMPUTER MODULE HAS TO LEARN THE DRIVERS HABITS. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED THE DIAGNOSIS UNACCEPTABLE.

PURCHASED NEW 2006 BMW 325XI ON 9/27/2006 AND AUTO HAD ENGINE FAILURE ON 10/2/2006. FOUND TO HAVE DEFECT IN THE SPARK PLUG WHICH BURNED OUT THE COIL AND DAMAGED THE VALVE. I AM SEEKING ADVICE ON REJECTING THE VEHICLE. IT IS AT THE DEALER. *NM