This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
The welds securing the passenger side fuel strap bracket to the body failed while driving around 45mph on a smooth road. I noticed a metal scraping noise and pulled over. The bracket was still attached to the strap and was dragging on the ground until I took it off. The failure happened during completely safe conditions, with no warning signs of failure. Inspection of the bracket and area of the frame suggests that the tack welds were defective. If the failure had happened at highway speeds or on a rough surface, it could well have caused a blowout of the rear tire and possibly dropping the gas tank. This defect is extremely dangerous. A quick search turns up dozens of accounts of the exact failure for this model.
The BMW 323I ( BMW E46 ) fuel tank strap, which holds the fuel tank in place, detached from the car body. This is a strap holding the fuel tank in place. The 4 spot welds that hold the strap to the car body failed. Note, the fuel tank is held in place by this strap.
- Coppell, TX, USA
Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Santa Barbara, CA, USA