[TEF]

While this might seem a minor annoyance, one has to question BMW's design of a simple plastic frame intended to holds the rear license plate. Rather than using an all-plastic frame and self-tapping screws to hold the plate, BMW produced an over-engineered part using SS machine screws that thread into non-SS metal inserts molded into the plastic frame.

Winter road salt rusts the inserts and causes streaking from the mount that show up prominently on my white X3. And just try to remove the license plate to fix the problem. It is virtually frozen in place by four screws rusted to the inserts. It seems only a Dremel tool or a decent of set of drill bits can bore out the screw heads.

[BIG_KID]

Just went through this.
A Dremel type tool to grind the heads off the 4 bolts that hold the plate to the mount. Two mounting screws that hold the mount to the body. The complete updated plate mount with new screws and plastic mounting thingys off Amazon for $15