Bmw E46 Subframe Cracking

Rear subframe and floor failures are quite common on the E36 and E46 models. Unlike the E36 M3, the E46 models did not receive sheetmetal reinforcements from the factory and subframe and floor failures continued to be a problem well into the E46 production.
Every e46 has the same design flaw but its the harder drive, more powerful cars like the M3 that tend to suffer the most. All e46 M3 crack in the same way - Coupe, Vert, Manual or SMG.

Bmw E46 Subframe Cracking Problems
Bmw E46 Subframe Cracking Video
Bmw E46 M3 Subframe Crack
Bmw E46 Subframe Cracking Tools

15 Mar BMW E46 Subframe Reinforcement Cost

Posted at 10:00h in Blog0 Comments

Apr 05, 2014 Hi Guys So after reading the updated Jezebel thread which mentioned subframe cracks, I decided to go and have a look at mine (2002 E46 330i). And to my surprise (probably believed like most owners that this would not happen to me) I found a crack on the left side: The previous owner.

If you’re thinking of buying a E46 M3, you should be aware of the all too common subframe cracking issue that affected all E46’s. Motor Trend explains, “The suit originated in 2006 and claimed that defects in E46 3 Series models cause fractures in the rear-axle supports in the subframe. Symptoms include clunking from the rear and outright subframe failure.”

We always recommend reinforcing your subframe before the fractures happen but as you’ll see in the images below, this subframe floor had already started to crack. Fortunately for our customer, the cracks weren’t so bad that a major floor replacement was needed: See here

To date, we’ve probably done approximately 30 of these subframe reinforcements and we’ve seen the cracking on cars with mileage as low as 30,000 miles to cars as high as 150,000 miles. Keeping that in mind, if you’re in the market for a E46 it is highly recommended that you have the car professionally inspected and if you are already a E46 owner, reinforce your subframe before it leads to something worse! A typical subframe reinforcement will cost around $1,500 and if the entire floor needs to be replaced, you’re looking at somewhere around $4,000-$5,000.

AE | BMW M Power