[jayasanala]

No mods in my car.. All service done on time and at BMW.

Writing a letter to BMW NA. I hope that this helps someone else. If anything you need to extended warranty, big mistake by me to not get it.

How much do you end up paying and did BMW help you at all?

 

[jayasanala]

This is his update, post #51:

"BMW stepped up and is completely covering the repair. They are replacing the engine at no cost.
I had to get BMW NA involved, but actually they went above and beyond and I am very happy.
Was nice to see them take care of a loyal customer."

wow that's so good to hear! i m glad they took complete care of it.

 

[jayasanala]

After reading all these posts i m really scared, i have 2012 X3 X28i drive with 60K miles on it. is this problem with every X3 do i need to be prepared for this? i have extended warranty from third party so i m wondering if any such thing happens to my car will it be covered ?
i m having a 2nd thought of getting rid of x3 before it happens.

So my question to you all is does all X3 has to go through this issue?

Thanks

 

[jayasanala]

This does not happen to all BMW vehicles with the N20 engine, but it is a known risk. Owners that have experienced such a failure are much more likely to post than those that don't. Some N20 engines have been reportedly driven up to 100K miles without this failure. Some owners have proactively had the timing chain guide changed to the improved design introduced in January 2015, but this is not inexpensive and is not something BMW has routinely covered to date.

I suggest you check with the third party providing the warranty to confirm whether such a failure will be covered under the warranty. Get the answer in writing if possible.

Actually couple of years back i did get this "Drivetrain malfunction" message but my car did stop completely but it was wobbling as if it got skid and after i come off the road and wait for few minutes it came back to normal , this happened like 3 times. so i took it to the dealer here and not sure what they did but from then on i never had that again.

is it something to do with timing chain? do i have worry since i had that issue before?

Thanks

 

[jayasanala]

i m confused with what you are saying


"As a preventative measure, he said to do oil changes very frequently - at least twice or three times the recommended intervals to avoid the oil pump failure issue."

how can we have oil changed when its not due or the computer (whatever) in the car tells us its due to change the oil? does he mean that we should have oil change done frequently regardless of when its actually due?

 

[jayasanala]

after reading all the posts i m really worried as i have 62,000 miles on my 2012 X3. my question is can we avoid this to happen or there is nothing we can do about it? other then hoping not to have the problem. my question is does this problem occurs to all X3 (2012-2013) from mileage 50k - 100K ?

i m thinking of getting rid of my X3, please let me know your opinions and suggestions.

Thanks

 

[jayasanala]

The probability of timing chain failure in the N20 engine is difficult to quantify from publicly available data. It is a risk, but not inevitable. There is no reason to believe that the majority of N20 engines from any model year will experience this problem.

What may you do to minimize or address this potential problem? Listen regularly for a change in sound from the engine that may signal timing chain problems and take your vehicle promptly into your service provider if you hear this. Consider having the timing chain guide replaced with the new part, but be aware this is expensive and BMW will not typically cover this expense. You may purchase a warranty to cover the repair costs in event of timing chain failure. Some suggest a shortened oil change interval may help to avoid problems. You may participate in a class action lawsuit in an effort to motivate BMW to provide repairs or an extended warranty.

If you are not comfortable with the risk and steps that may be taken to manage the risk, then it may be time to trade your X3.

how can i recognize that there is a timing chain problem, i mean is there a specific sound that i should listen for ?

Thanks

 

[jayasanala]

i have 65K on my 2012 X3, by reading all these posts i m really scared that it could happen to me anytime soon. so my question is how one of the top car company in the world can make cars like this and still survive in the market in the top list. i mean as the owners of these cars do we have to suffer for something the company is responsible for making defective cars. driving a BMW car was a dream for me and felt happy and proud when i got one but after reading all these posts i have been thinking a lot weather to keep it or get rid of it. very sad

 

[jayasanala]

Jay, on more than one occasion you mentioned you're worried about this problem. Is your car a 4 cylinder engine or 6 cylinder 28i?

the 4 cylinder is what's being discussed on this thread.

The 6 cylinder does not have this issue.

i believe its 6 cylinder, during the time of purchase i remember the sales person saying its inline 6 cylinder also when i look for my car value in edmunds its shows as 6 cylinder.

 

[jayasanala]

6 cylinder N52 has been pretty reliable. Relax, none of the problem described in this thread applies to you .

Thank You, its really lot of re leaf.

 

[jayasanala]

You must have bought your 2013 as a CPO or with an extended warranty. They only had 50 k back then too.

The x3 timing chain concerns was 2013, 2014 and early 2015 or so says BMW. I have 47 k on my 2014 right now and thinking of trading out of BMW altogether

i have 2012 X3 should i not worry about this ? Thanks