Class action lawsuit over rear subframe failure?

[Clee888]

I just bought my 00 Z3 2.5 and I love it to death. But I just now read this forum inregards to this subframe issue. I don't race the car in any way or form, but the streets in San Francisco and Daly City aren't exactly the best. Well, I'm aboard if we are going through with this. I'm going to get my car checked at my mechanic.

[Ian 2.0]

I'm in.

[kickservebt]

If you don't want subframe problems, stay away from any E36. Any could have the failure. There does not seem to be a pattern.

Keep in mind how truly representative this thread is of all the cars produced before you let it scare you off. Just my .02.


BMW Newbie here...and considering buying a 97 Z3. What do you mean stay away from any E36. Is "E36" in the VIN or something? Thanks!

[Matt Day]

BMW Newbie here...and considering buying a 97 Z3. What do you mean stay away from any E36. Is "E36" in the VIN or something? Thanks!

E36 is the chassis designation for the 3 series (2 generations ago)- Chassis for the Z3 is 36/7, Z3 Coupes 36/8- failures in all of them, but not really common. I wouldn't let this issue change your purchase decision, just have it inspected prior to purchase and keep an eye on it.

[Randy Forbes]

I just bought my 00 Z3 2.5 and I love it to death. But I just now read this forum inregards to this subframe issue. I don't race the car in any way or form, but the streets in San Francisco and Daly City aren't exactly the best. Well, I'm aboard if we are going through with this. I'm going to get my car checked at my mechanic.
If it turns out that you need to do some reinforcement work, there's now a shop in Dublin that will install my kit in your car.

http://www.edgemotorworks.com/

[Jay9]

I have recently had the same problem with the rear differential. I was wondering if anybody has talked to BMW any figured out a way to compensate this. Or has the lawsuit that every one was talking about previously gone through? Thanks Jay

[mz.368]

I have recently had the same problem with the rear differential. I was wondering if anybody has talked to BMW any figured out a way to compensate this. Or has the lawsuit that every one was talking about previously gone through? Thanks Jay

some have gotten out of warranty cars covered - in NJ success has been at JMK in Springfield - but the repairs just bring it back to where it started. No recent updates on the class action suits. I would put your info on file with the attorney(s) and file the report with the highway safety commission no matter what you decide to do.

[Adrian G.]

I have recently had the same problem with the rear differential. I was wondering if anybody has talked to BMW any figured out a way to compensate this. Or has the lawsuit that every one was talking about previously gone through? Thanks Jay

Lawsuit....I wouldn't hold my breath. If you plan on keeping your car for a long time, Randy Forbes makes/sells a kit that will fix it once and for all.

[Jay9]

Do you have a website link where i can buy this kit? And where is the dealer that you said would repair out of warranty cars?

[Mcruiser]

Randy, there's nothing wrong with my subframe at the moment but I'd like to reinforce the diff mount with dual ears, will the roadster benefit from it ?

[mz.368]

some have gotten out of warranty cars covered - in NJ success has been at JMK in Springfield - but the repairs just bring it back to where it started. No recent updates on the class action suits. I would put your info on file with the attorney(s) and file the report with the highway safety commission no matter what you decide to do.


Do you have a website link where i can buy this kit? And where is the dealer that you said would repair out of warranty cars?

For the kit, send a PM to Randy Forbes.

JMK would not install Randy's kit, fwiw.

[ken_vs_ryu]

Looks like we all got scammed.

[Randy Forbes]

Looks like we all got scammed.How so; did you give the lawyer a retainer?

[Z3speed4me]

nope jmk will not do randy's kit

but with some help on the inside, if you can get close with someone at a dealership, you may be ok

the bodyshop manager there tom was real cool and helped me a lot and had my 1.9 fixed up on bmwusa's check book :)

i cant say the same will happen for anyone else though...

[JBgotM]

It has been picked up by a different firm and appears to be primarily addressing the 3 series

http://www.wcclaw.com/CM/ClassActions/BMW-Subframe.asp

[mpire]

Takes alot of money to get this done, so just going to have to wait. I will ask Anna next time I talk to her if she knows anything new. She was involved in the fringes of asbestos, so she has done this kinda thing before. Not like I can just call up Scruggs and ask for his help. Not enough money in it.

[Codeman]

I suppose those of use who have repaired it ourself are S.O.L.?

[JBgotM]

I suppose those of use who have repaired it ourself are S.O.L.?

if a suit goes through, then most likely you would be compensated some predetermined amount in the suit.

[Codeman]

Then I will absolutely join. Do I need to sign up anywhere? I didn't see it on the first page.

[JBgotM]

click the link in my post a few up, wcclaw picked up the suit. Send them a note saying you had to pay to fix your car and it was damaged from that same failure mode.

[MrBlonde]

Americans have a litigation sickness. Let it go and enjoy your life victim mentality free!

[Gibber66]

Americans have a litigation sickness. Let it go and enjoy your life victim mentality free!
Nah, we're just cheap and want someone else to pay for our troubles...or take the blame for our own doings.;)

Cheers,
Gibber

[MatteBlackCoupeDude]

My car has never been "raced" per se before the cracks started.

The tearing was appearing after I got the car and it had been nothing but maturely driven for 88k miles.

I've got an appointment with BMWNA on the 26th of this month to have an engineer inspect my car.


Odds are he'll toss me the "your car being lowered is indicative of racing, and we won't help you out."


I've got a stack of pages printed from randy's website to bring along.

[DEV0 E30]

My car has never been "raced" per se before the cracks started.

The tearing was appearing after I got the car and it had been nothing but maturely driven for 88k miles.

I've got an appointment with BMWNA on the 26th of this month to have an engineer inspect my car.


Odds are he'll toss me the "your car being lowered is indicative of racing, and we won't help you out."


I've got a stack of pages printed from randy's website to bring along.

Where are you going for said appointment? A dealer?

[JBgotM]

My car has never been "raced" per se before the cracks started.

The tearing was appearing after I got the car and it had been nothing but maturely driven for 88k miles.

I've got an appointment with BMWNA on the 26th of this month to have an engineer inspect my car.


Odds are he'll toss me the "your car being lowered is indicative of racing, and we won't help you out."


I've got a stack of pages printed from randy's website to bring along.

I supplied them with a list of VIN numbers of cars they had already done. Its hard to turn down a car when you have a list of the other cars it was covered under. Also, I had suspension, rollbars, etc when mine was covered.

[JT///M3]

I supplied them with a list of VIN numbers of cars they had already done. Its hard to turn down a car when you have a list of the other cars it was covered under. Also, I had suspension, rollbars, etc when mine was covered.

Can you provide that list so that if any of us have to go through this mess, we will have some ammo to use to help fight bmwna in getting it fixed on their dime?


TIA

[2kredz3]

My car has never been "raced" per se before the cracks started.

The tearing was appearing after I got the car and it had been nothing but maturely driven for 88k miles.

I've got an appointment with BMWNA on the 26th of this month to have an engineer inspect my car.


Odds are he'll toss me the "your car being lowered is indicative of racing, and we won't help you out."


I've got a stack of pages printed from randy's website to bring along.


Might want to change your sig picture :shifty doesnt look good when you have sub frame failure and a pic of you doing a burn out on every page of the forum :) i wouldnt say anything if your car was like normal coupes but your car is not like the others ;) i got bit buy that when i had my dodge. i had tires for life on the SOB when they were shot after only 18k mi i went in to get my new tires and i had given my service advisor the website that i posted on. he had seen the pics of my burn out and wouldnt cover them until i had 25k mi on the set of tires. they were bald at 18 so i was sunk.

[Gibber66]

Can you provide that list so that if any of us have to go through this mess, we will have some ammo to use to help fight bmwna in getting it fixed on their dime?


TIA
+1!

[MatteBlackCoupeDude]

Where are you going for said appointment? A dealer?



yeah, don mackey here in tucson.

[Gibber66]

:lolMBCD...not blowing smoke anymore, I see.:D

[fmcfad01]

I signed up for what it's worth...had the sub frame reinforced last July by Mr. M Car.

[The ZED]

I signed up too even though I just had mine done by Dinan.

[mpire]

So I called and discussed the whole case thing. Basically, no one has been injured from the failure. No accidents have been caused. Thats the problem. Someone dies because of this and it gets fast tracked immediately. That, and everyone seems to be fixing the problem, so the cars are not sitting and waiting for a repair.

Anyways, if the california firm wins the case on the 3 series then they will have a taste of blood and be doing the same thing for the Z cars, or at least thats what they tell me.

[Randy Forbes]

I signed up too even though I just had mine done by Dinan.I think that the Dinan version would be considered an accessory fitment, rather than a repair.

In other words, if your trunkfloor was falling out, the Dinan support wouldn't help you.

Realistically, I doubt any of us will ever see any BMW money from repair work done or diminished value. Too bad, as I've got a pair of the cars too, not to mention how busy I'd be if every job I did the owner would get reimbursed.

If you love your car, budget in the repair/preventitive fix with the rest of your mod list. If your car doesn't mean that much to you, sell it and move on.

[MatteBlackCoupeDude]

:lolMBCD...not blowing smoke anymore, I see.:D


:devillook


shhhhhhh.



If you love your car, budget in the repair/preventitive fix with the rest of your mod list. If your car doesn't mean that much to you, sell it and move on.


This is one of the best quotes about our cars there is. I haven't done any modification that isn't going to help my subframe, and am still saving my money (I did just buy rogue RSM's and I.E. bushings to help in the meantime. will install them after the visit to BMWNA, since god knows what they'll say about that)



Maybe someone should cut the diff mount on a crappy 1.9 and go roll it (after fitting a cage.) That might get BMW's attention :rofl

[DEV0 E30]

Maybe someone should cut the diff mount on a crappy 1.9 and go roll it (after fitting a cage.) That might get BMW's attention :rofl

Hey, if you want to be the martyr that's cool.

[MatteBlackCoupeDude]

Hey, if you want to be the martyr that's cool.


And do I have a 1.9? ;)

Your car has the crappy headlights and rides like a 4x4, I nominate your car :stickoutt

[DEV0 E30]

And do I have a 1.9? ;)

Your car has the crappy headlights and rides like a 4x4, I nominate your car :stickoutt

I meant go get one. But it's not like your car is fast, yet.

Haha, stock MCPs are not 4x4s compared to other BMWs. :stickoutt

My headlights after plastic-x and other cleaning methods still aren't great though. :(

Euraho meet at Evo Thursday. No excuses, just results.

[markhooks]

I think my car has the worst case of spot weld breakage around. Nearly the entire left side of the floor pan has pulled loose. I have an appointment to meet with BMW USA rep next week. I'll see what they have to say about it.

Where can I get one of "Randy's" repair kits? I will ned one if they don't do the right thing.

[Randy Forbes]

I think my car has the worst case of spot weld breakage around. Nearly the entire left side of the floor pan has pulled loose. I have an appointment to meet with BMW USA rep next week. I'll see what they have to say about it.

Where can I get one of "Randy's" repair kits? I will ned one if they don't do the right thing.Ask Randy? Just a hunch...

I doubt that yours is worse than any I've seen and corrected; is your exhaust pipes the only thing keeping the differential from dragging on the ground? Is the bottom of the cover fins almost worn through?

I don't care how bad it is, if you find the right person/place, it can be fixed.

Good luck with BMW, but know this: it won't be any better than when the car was built. BMW made a band-aid repair bracket (incorporating a section of xmbr, to save the dealer's warranty repair time) but there's no such animal as a redesigned, or stronger trunkfloor, xmbr or differential mount from the factory. It would require new crash worthiness tests, and I do not think BMW has any interest in doing that.

Just my humble opinion.

If you want more details on the reinforcement package that I have been making for almost six (6) years, contact me offline (E-mail is in my signature pic). I can provide referrences.

http://www.rfdm.com/albums/album183/RF_Subframe_Assembly_3D_2.sized.jpg