[Ilyam5]

Originally Posted by Merda10

Hi guys

Just got info from the principal of the dealership.

Whole car needs to be stripped (Engine, gearbox, exhaust, front diff). It is a 40hour job, and parts are on order from Germany.

The best case scenario is End of November, but could be even 2022.

In their defence he was very apologetic - it's an issue from the production line.

Offered full refund as well as. $5k discount on any other car.

Thank you for the information - finally. We knew the engine will have to come out - but good to have confirmation. The concern here is parts and availability of on time delivery. With the world in panic over Christmas shipping - parts are not getting here anytime soon.
Here is a guy on x3 board who had a bend lifter and could not get parts… so bmw is giving him a new engine. I think it is a better approach
Quote from x3 board

Just thought I'd provide an update for everyone. The X3M is still in the shop. The Cylinder Head was ordered on the 29th of September and has still not arrived due to part availability. Due to this, the shop has ordered a completely new engine and will be doing a full engine replacement, which is apparently more readily available

‘I've also called BMW and they are in the process of seeing if they can give a concession on a few months payments since I've currently paid for a very expensive car that has done nothing but sit in the shop. Hoping the new engine also fixes the open recall. I suppose it depends on the date of manufacture, but 2 birds with one stone would be nice.

[Tdubb88]

@Merda10 eMMit
Thanks for the input. I appreciate the detailed info.

Cheers

[KnightedBMW]

If this latest is true, 4000 cars seems like way more than those built during that timeframe, but maybe I’m wrong. I’ll just continue to wait…

[Sbm007]

Originally Posted by KnightedBMW

If this latest is true, 4000 cars seems like way more than those built during that timeframe, but maybe I’m wrong. I’ll just continue to wait…

From what I know the Munich plant produces around 60/70 M3s and the Dingolfing plant around 70/75 G82's each day (5 days a week) - based on what I read on here by another forum member.

4000 cars would be about ~5.5 weeks worth of production which seems to be in line with the dates on the bulletin

[modat]

Originally Posted by Sbm007

From what I know the Munich plant produces around 60/70 M3s and the Dingolfing plant around 70/75 G82's each day (5 days a week) - based on what I read on here by another forum member.

4000 cars would be about ~5.5 weeks worth of production which seems to be in line with the dates on the bulletin

Its not only the m3- Its the x3m and x4m too

[KnightedBMW]

Got it. Maybe I’m wrong.

[davidg86]

Anyone have access to see if a car has been affected? I was looking at the M3 listed on carsandbids. Looks like the production date(7/19) is within the range but thats all I could find.

WBS53AY07MFL08706

[///LeFrenchie]

Originally Posted by davidg86

Anyone have access to see if a car has been affected? I was looking at the M3 listed on carsandbids. Looks like the production date(7/19) is within the range but thats all I could find.

WBS53AY07MFL08706

My production date is 7/21 and they reported the bearing issue on breakin invoice. That doesn't help a lot but big chance you are in the same boat. The info bulletin says affected M3 have a production date from 07/13 to 09/23.

[darrelljs]

Originally Posted by ///LeFrenchie

My production date is 7/21 and they reported the bearing issue on breakin invoice. That doesn't help a lot but big chance you are in the same boat. The info bulletin says affected M3 have a production date from 07/13 to 09/23.

I am close to my break in mileage, and have a vague fear that they will not give my car back to me. Sounds like you blazed that trail already and I have nothing to worry about?

Darrell

[Sottozero]

Originally Posted by darrelljs

I am close to my break in mileage, and have a vague fear that they will not give my car back to me. Sounds like you blazed that trail already and I have nothing to worry about?

Darrell

My understanding is that this is a stop sale, not a stop drive. I think you will get your car back.

[Murse85]

Originally Posted by Merda10

Hi guys

Just got info from the principal of the dealership.

Whole car needs to be stripped (Engine, gearbox, exhaust, front diff). It is a 40hour job, and parts are on order from Germany.

The best case scenario is End of November, but could be even 2022.

In their defence he was very apologetic - it's an issue from the production line.

Offered full refund as well as. $5k discount on any other car.

So are they offering 5K discount on even M cars? What if you return it, get your refund and build a new M car utilizing the 5K discount? Also, is this a corporate discount?

Thanks!

[Tdubb88]

Car arrived at the Galveston port today. Called my dealerships and was told the car would be here in a week or so. I asked about this issue and got the "oh, yes there is a stop sale on this vehicle for the main bearing shell issue" (thanks for nothing since I already knew but hasn't been informed by them) and he said "BMW was working on a remedy"… (whatever that means) but he had no further info.

Cool cool cool tight tight tight…

Sorry I know this isn't anymore new info, just providing another data point and sharing my frustration.

[MannyS]

Originally Posted by davidg86

Anyone have access to see if a car has been affected? I was looking at the M3 listed on carsandbids. Looks like the production date(7/19) is within the range but thats all I could find.

WBS53AY07MFL08706

:

[jimbethesda]

Originally Posted by MannyS

:

I think it's been determined that this engine issue doesn't show up in that database anymore. Doesn't mean it isn't affected.

[MannyS]

Thanks Jim. That is new info for me

[davidg86]

Thanks for the insight, maybe I'll just lay low for the issues to pass. I'm just being greedy anyways; wanting to switch from a 6sp to auto xdrive.

[Tdubb88]

Originally Posted by jimbethesda

I think it's been determined that this engine issue doesn't show up in that database anymore. Doesn't mean it isn't affected.

That's correct. I don't show any open issues for me either using the tool but was confirmed by the dealership and customer relations.

[HorsePower]

Originally Posted by g80 Portimaoblue

So are they offering 5K discount on even M cars? What if you return it, get your refund and build a new M car utilizing the 5K discount? Also, is this a corporate discount?

Thanks!

I saw in another thread this morning (or in this one, above - there are too many to keep track of at this point) that apparently, BMW is allocating engines and anything else necessary to fix the main-bearing-recall cars first, before building new...which could mean 9+ month waits for new orders of cars using this drivetrain. Also explains why allocations seem to have stopped, and other cars in the queue are having production weeks pushed out significantly.

To me that makes sense. If this is truly 4,000-ish cars affected, I can see why BMW wouldn't want to strand these 4,000-ish ugly stepchildren without parts, while everyone re-orders and takes delivery. The lost profit on that many cars sitting on the sidelines without parts, would be huge.

(This is all said by someone with a G80 on the Azul Ace scheduled to hit NJ on Friday, and I honestly don't know whether or not my car is affected by the bearing issue. Production date per vin decoder is 9/23, the last day of the window...)

[HorsePower]

Originally Posted by Tdubb88

Car arrived at the Galveston port today. Called my dealerships and was told the car would be here in a week or so. I asked about this issue and got the "oh, yes there is a stop sale on this vehicle for the main bearing shell issue" (thanks for nothing since I already knew but hasn't been informed by them) and he said "BMW was working on a remedy"… (whatever that means) but he had no further info.

Cool cool cool tight tight tight…

Sorry I know this isn't anymore new info, just providing another data point and sharing my frustration.

So your understanding is that they're still moving main-bearing-recall cars from the VPCs to the dealers? Not questioning you at all. That is just a disappointing update from my view point. I feel like the likelihood of damage sitting at a dealer for months may be much higher than sitting at the VPC. I also read earlier this morning (this thread or another) that certain pre-delivery affected cars would be fixed at VPCs or the factory. Which, to me, seems like a more reliable, uniform, quality-controlled fix than different techs at different dealers each doing 1 or 2, in a very busy shop full of everything from oil changes to tire rotations to major work.

When I do large mechanical jobs, including major restoration and fabrication work, being interrupted is a real problem. Let's assume that dealerships are having their most senior techs do this work. Aren't those the same techs that the others in the shop usually go to for questions etc. as issues arise? I don't think the top techs at dealerships will have the luxury of just tuning everybody else out for 40 hours and being uninterrupted for an entire business week to fix each one of these cars.

If the fix for this is truly de-constructing and re-constructing the drivetrains of these cars (as I read earlier this morning), I really feel for everyone affected. On a modern, state-of-the-art car, that's quite a task (and very different from the relatively easy in-and-out engine swaps I've helped with for 4-cylinder vintage British race cars, for example).

[///LeFrenchie]

Originally Posted by darrelljs

I am close to my break in mileage, and have a vague fear that they will not give my car back to me. Sounds like you blazed that trail already and I have nothing to worry about?

Darrell

Confirmed, no worry about that at all. I do the break in service on 10/9, they told me nothing about bearing issue. I discovered that on the invoice at home then on this post!

[///LeFrenchie]

Originally Posted by jimbethesda

I think it's been determined that this engine issue doesn't show up in that database anymore. Doesn't mean it isn't affected.

Exact. "No open issues found" too but Main Bearing Issue has been reported on my last service invoice by the dealership.

[modat]

If they are replacing engines, then why rush it?

Just let ppl drive the cars as is and queue them up for repair. Doesn't make sense to stop the whole production line.