BMW to extend warranty on E46 M3s with known engine issues

[RAiMA]

Vyper340 recieved this e-mail from BMWNA.

December 2002

Re: BMW . VIN #

Dear Valued M Enthusiast,

We hope that you are continuing to enjoy your M car and that your BMW ownership experience is everything you hoped it would be. At BMW of North America we are committed to maintaining a level of automotive and service excellence that exceeds your expectations now and in the future. We are grateful to you for your passion and enthusiasm for M cars.

BMW has always maintained an open dialogue with our valued customers and BMW centers. As you may be aware, we have seen cases of damage to the connecting rod bearings resulting in engine failure. We are listening to your comments and concerns and have been meticulously researching this issue. We promise to keep you informed of any issues that affect your vehicle's engine.

To further strengthen your confidence in your BMW and assure you of our commitment, we will extend the warranty on the above referenced vehicle identification number for all internal mechanical engine components that are lubricated by engine oil to 6 years or 100,000 miles whichever comes first. Enclosed is a copy of the extended warranty statement for your records. Please insert this page into your Service and Warranty booklet, as it is transferable to any subsequent owner.

We continue to recommend that you only use BMW
W approved SAE10W-60 synthetic oil in your engine. Please be aware that your engine needs to be at operating temperature before you take advantage of its full power at high engine speeds. Please do not overrev the engine under any circumstances. Be careful not to pump the accelerator pedal when there is no engine load, e.g. when the vehicle is not in motion. The best, most efficient and safest way to warm up an engine is to drive with moderate engine speeds until you reach the operating temperature.

We assure you that we stand behind our product and will always continue to listen to our customers. If you have any additional questions please contact your authorized BMW center or call Customer Relations at 1-800-831-1117.

We wish you many more safe and thrilling miles in your M car.

Sincerely,

Hans G. Duenzl
Vice President,
Aftersales & Engineering

Good to see BMWNA are standing behind their products

[caviallo]

Add a little more:

"Extended Warranty on all S54 Engines in M3 coupe, convertible and M roadster and coupe model year 2001, 2002, and until further notice, current production 2003 (Vehicle Identification Number specific)."


If BMW NA only covers 2001, 2002 and some early 2003 models then why not M3s built in the future?

If there is a design problem with the S54 and BMW has found a fix, then wouldn't it be better to have the engines retro-fitted? I'm thinking that if this is the case, the problem is still there and BMW is betting that the overwhelming majority of engines will not have an issue (for at least 4-6 years).

I applaud BMW for what there doing and it's the right thing.

But the question of "Why are engines failing" has still not been answered. I would like to know, extended warranty of not, does my S54 have a major design flaw and will the S54 of some one that buys a M3 6 months from now have that flaw fixed. If the question is still out there, "do M3 built from in MY2001-early MY2003 have a problem?", this will end up effecting resale value vs. later MYs if I decide to sell my M3 7 years from now. And if I don't want to sell my M3 after 6 years will I have a time bombing still sitting there.

I would really like to know, is there a design flaw, what is it, and what is the permanent fix.

Don't get me wrong I'm not being stubborn or ungrateful, but I would like to know the details of the problem.

[RAiMA]

04 E46 M3 Models are getting a new engine with more power and is more reliable. If the same problems persists in the new engine, I believe a simular solution would be found.