BMW M3 engine failure problems

Filed Sep 5, 2023 · Engine · TX

Starting from a traffic light at Woodlands Parkway and Gosling Road in the Woodlands, TX - Vehicle accelerated normally during shifting from 1st to 2nd gear. When shifting from 2nd to 3rd - Engine RPM went to ZERO and vehicle suddenly lost all power and died. There was a large Ford F150 behind the car. Thankfully, I was watching the tachometer and coasted to the shoulder before attempting to shift back to 2 and try a rolling start at which point vehicle came to an abrupt and sudden stop. Car was towed to an approved mechanic and was diagnosed as "another seized S65" engine. OPINION of Expert engine builders and bearing manufacturers is that the original BMW S65 bearing dimensions result in inadequate journal clearance and has been thoroughly documented. This, coupled with any potential "tolerance stacking" (- clearance) can result in a final bearing clearance which is significantly tighter than ideal and is the reason why we have seen engines fail after only a few thousand miles. This was half a second or less from being a fatal accident.

Filed Dec 18, 2019 · Engine · 95,000 miles · TX

Crank hub spun timing sprocket causing valves to impact piston and catastrophic engine failure. Quoted more than $10k out of pocket to repair. This is caused due to poor crank hub design. Car companies have been using keyed crankhubs for generations but bmw decided to not used a keyed hub.. This is very negligent considering how many of these vehicles have engine failure due to this.

Filed Dec 18, 2019 · Engine · 28,000 miles · AZ

The crankhub on these cars are ticking time bombs and is likely to fail just outside of warranty forcing huge repair bills. In some cases, a "lucky" few just need to be retimed and only require 18 hours of labor. However, others have not been so lucky and have required an all-new engine. This is an issue bmw is fully aware of but has not taken responsbility for their insufficient engineering.

Filed Dec 18, 2019 · Engine, Transmission · 8,000 miles · CA

Crank hub will be prone to spin and therefore will destroy engine which will require a full engine replacement.

Filed Oct 20, 2019 · Engine · 107,000 miles · NY

I was driving casually when the motor suddenly shut off. No noise indicating engine failure ever happened. I coasted off the road and tried to restart. Nothing but a click. Eventually tried replacing starter motor but that didn't work. No engine lights or codes ever popped up. Turns out engine seized due to failed rod bearings.

Filed Aug 8, 2019 · Engine · 22,839 miles · IL

Approximately 5 miles after receiving the vehicle the rod bearings and crank suffered complete failure. I was in motion around 60mph on a rural highway when the engine suddenly lost power. After avoiding an accident I safely pulled over and shut the car off. The engine would not start. The seized engine was diagnosed based on an immobile crank and oil contamination by the manufacturer's dealership. I then had the oil pan completely removed at an independent shop to confirm the manufacturer's diagnosis, it was confirmed. All previous oil changes were done at the manufacturer's dealership by their technicians more often than the manufacturer recommends. The most alarming part is the vehicle has less than 23000 miles. I've reached out to the manufacturer, mentioning this very well-known issue and the fact that there are class- action lawsuits pending about this very issue, only for them to tell me they are not liable. Their product failed before 23000 miles, they know about the issue however they are doing nothing for me. The public should know about this failure because it can cause a sudden loss of power at any moment.

Filed Jun 8, 2019 · Engine · 43,300 miles · KY

While shifting into 3rd gear, my engine threw a rod through the block, car has not been modified, has 43,300 original miles, original owner.

Filed Feb 8, 2018 · Engine · 42,000 miles · OH

While driving my low milage 2011 bmw m3 (42k miles) on the highway, out of no where, I noticed the car driving a little differently and slightly shaking. This happened moments before I reached my exit. I pulled over at a gas station right off the exit and opened the hood, the engine was making a tinging/scraping noise with each revolution. I closed it up, and drove to my home which was a couple minutes away. While driving, the noise was happening more in lower gears. When I got home, I looked under the car and saw it was leaking oil, and still making the noise. After some investigation, I learned the rod bearings in the engine had failed, resulting in complete engine failure. I purchased the car from an authorized bmw store at 38k miles in may of 2017, I always serviced it at my local bmw store - this occurred february 3rd, 2018. After reading up, I am learning that this is an issue with the s65 engines that are in this model of m3's. Bmw has yet to make a recall, but they are aware of the issue. No action has been taken, but something needs to be done. I can't afford a new engine (it costs 30 something thousand dollars, which is almost as much as I paid for the car), and the engine cannot be repaired. I feel wronged by bmw, and advise the federal safety agency to urge bmw to recall this engine to save future customers from catastrophic engine failure.

Filed Nov 17, 2017 · Engine · 46,000 miles · CT

Engine knocking. Connecting rod bearing and main bearing failure resulting in required engine replacement. Engine not able to be rebuilt due to cracked main bearing saddles.

Filed Oct 8, 2017 · Engine · 101,000 miles · GA

Failed bearings engine had to replace engine happened while driving on the highway