BMW M3 loss of power 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 Oct 3, 2019 · Engine · 65,000 miles · CA

While driving at approximately 70mph on the highway, cel came on, car went into limp mode, before losing power altogether while driving. Vehicle would not turn back on. Report of engine damage requiring an entire replacement.

Filed Aug 23, 2019 · Electrical, Engine · 98,000 miles · IL

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 bmw m3. The contact stated that the electrical system shorted out and all the electrical devices failed to work. The vehicle decelerated without warning and the engine went into limp mode and lost power. All the warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that a new battery was needed and a part on the fuse box needed to be replaced. The manufacturer and dealer were not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 98,000. The VIN was unknown.

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 Dec 15, 2017 · Engine · 68,500 miles · CA

Received a loss of power warning for the car. Took it to the shop, shop was unable to diagnose the problem but stated that it was probably a bent red. Took it to get a second opinion. No compression in the 4th cylinder but there is obvious cylinder wall deformation and small piston shrinkage.

Filed Jun 1, 2017 · Engine · NY · crash

I was driving my car at bout 1am on a clear 45 degree morning. I was driving at about 54 MPH on a freeway. I heard a noise come from my engine, it sound like metal being grind. My vehicle then shut off I lost power steering causing me to run into a ditch. When I finally came to a stop I noticed the vehicle will not re start. I called a tow truck. When the truck moved my car I noticed a lot of engine oil under the car. I had the truck towed to a bmw mechanic. The mechanic told me " one of your rod bearings broke sending a rod through your oil pan". And I have tiny pieces of metal all inside of my engine. He also told me that I will need a new engine.

Filed May 23, 2017 · Electrical · 58,500 miles · OR

Vehicle would not start and all electrical systems were dead despite a good battery. Was solved by removing glove box and fus box and pushing on the battery cable that goes into the fuse box to get a connection. This is a know issue for bmw and a recall was issued on other 3-series vehicles (2007 - 2011) with the same part numbers, but will not cover m3. This is a safety issue as loss of power to fuse box while driving can shut down the car.

Filed Jan 6, 2017 · Engine · 53,000 miles · CA

Engine failure resulting in loss of power at speed while driving. Engine failed because of rod bearing issue which is well known in these engines.

Filed Oct 21, 2016 · Brakes, Driver assistance · 44,300 miles · VA

The car suddenly vibrated and the wheels locked up and skidded slightly sideways before going into a reduced power mode. If it had been raining or snowing, or at a higher speed on highway the situation could have been deadly. I had the car taken to the dealer. I was told a the throttle actuator valve was defective. The car has only 44k miles but has surpassed the 4 years of warranty. This is a known issue with thousands of cars affected. Bmw refuses to recall and repair the item if the car is not under warranty. The cost for repair is $3000.00 the part alone is $1200.00 which I was quoted. My vehicle is also affected by the takata airbag recall.

Filed Jan 23, 2016 · Engine · HI

2010 e92 55k miles (88k km) the car is unmodified. The car has a full service history. The vehicle never tracked - almost all travel during my ownership were highway miles (23k). The cause of the incident was a failure of the number 1 rod bearing. The incident occurred on a wet single lane road in poor weather. I was lucky to avoid an accident when vehicles following me were caught unawares by my unexpected deceleration. The was little opportunity to pull over to the side of the road with safety due to the conditions. I lost power steering and power brakes which made the car more difficult to control.