1997 Bmw 328i Complaints

REAR SUSPENSION FAILURE ON E36 BMW.. I HAVE READ ABOUT THIS ON EVERY BMW FORUM.. THE REAR SUBFRAME MOUNTS TEAR THE FLOOR SHEET METAL AS THEY ARE NOT PROPERLY REINFORCED. I HAVE OWNED 4 SEPARATE CARS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM AND I KNOW COUNTLESS OTHERS. HTTP://WWW.UNOFFICIALBMW.COM/PHPBB/VIEWTOPIC.PHP?T=10859. *NM

PLASTIC RADIATOR BROKE AT UPPER HOSE CONNECTION, CAUSING SUDDEN TOTAL LOSS OF COOLANT AND ENGINE STOPPING IN HEAVY FREEWAY TRAFFIC. THIS LED TO A VERY DANGEROUS RESCUE BY CALTRANS TRUCK AFTER AN HOUR OF EXPOSURE TO HIGH-SPEED TRAFFIC.

SUDDEN AND COMPLETE FAILURE OF IGINITION SWITCH. AFTER ROUTINE DRIVE FROM WORK TO THE GYM, I TURNED THE IGNITION SWITCH TO THE OFF POSITION, AND THE ENGINE DID NOT STOP. I WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY BUT THE ENGINE KEPT RUNNING. THERE WAS NO WAY TO TUN OFF THE ENGINE USING THE KEY. DROVE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP.

SUDDEN FAILURE OF IGNITION COIL RESULTING IN A SHAKING/VIBRATING VEHICLE. WHILE ACCELLERTING IN CITY TRAFFIC THE CAR CAN LUNGE AND JERK WHILE ACCELLERATING, RESULTING IN UNPREDICTABLE ACCELLERATION. IN CITY TRAFFIC THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. I HAVE INVESTIGATED THE IGNITION COILS FOR BMW 3 SERIES CARS AND IT APPEARS THEY FAIL A LOT, YET THERE IS NO RECALL CAMPAIGN! AFTER INVESTIGATING FURTHER IT APPEARS BMW HAS SOME RECALL CAMPAIGNS FOR SOME OF THE NEWER CARS. THEY SUGGEST REPLACING ALL IGNITION COILS WITH A NEW BOSCH MODEL. MY CAR HAS BREMI MODEL COILS (PART NO. F3000-86682) AND THERE IS NO BOSCH SUBSTITUTE ACCORDING TO THE BMW DEALER (PLAZA MOTORS IN ST. LOUIS, MO). I FOUND AN EPA RECALL NUMBER FOR THE BREMI COILS FOR ANOTHER MODEL BMW AT THIS WEB SITE: REFERENCE: HTTP://WWW.EPA.GOV/OTAQ/CERT/RECALL/420B04018.PDF EPA# 2061 IT DESCRIBES AN INTERNAL FAILURE AS FOLLOWS: "BECAUSE OF PRODUCTION PROCESS FAILURES, THE IGNITION COIL OF ONE SUPPLIER (BREMI)MAY HAVE AN INTER...

IT IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE THROUGH CAR CLUBS, PARTS SUPPLIERS AND THE MECHANICS PROVIDING REPAIRS THAT THE ELECTRONIC CLIMATE CONTROL UNIT OFTEN FAILS COMPLETELY OR BECOMES INTERMITTENT IN OPERATION. WHEN IT FAILS THERE IS NO CONTROLS OR CHANCE OF CHANGING FUNCTIONS. THIS ALLOWS THE CONDITION TO EXIST THAT THE VEHICLE OPERATOR CAN NOT SELECT THE WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER FUNCTION AND POSSIBLY IMPAIRING THE DRIVERS ABILITY TO VIEW THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. I HAVE TWO CARS OF THIS BUILD TYPE AND THEY BOTH HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THE MECHANICS REPAIR BILLS OFTEN AMOUNTS TO AN EXCESS OF $400 PER REPAIR. HERE IS A QUOTE FROM A REPUTABLE PARTS SOURCE, WWW.BAVAUTO.COM WEBSITE: THIS IS THE DIGITAL CLIMATE CONTROL COMPUTER. THESE ARE A COMMON FAILURE ITEM ON ALL 1996-1999 3 SERIES. WHEN THESE FAIL, THE LCD SCREEN WILL GO DIM/BLANK (USUALLY IINTERMITTENTLY AND EVENTUALLY PERMANENTLY) AND THE VENTILATION & AIR SYSTEM WILL NOT FUNCTION." PART NUMBER: 64 11 8 379 521 DESCRIPTION: CLIMATE CONTROL COMPUTER M...