[Vancity_M40i]

Is it possible people are finding long term solutions and just not updating on this thread? It seems like there are a ton of 2018 CPO owners on this forum that aren't reporting this problem.

[bcwalks2]

Originally Posted by Vancity_M40i

Is it possible people are finding long term solutions and just not updating on this thread? It seems like there are a ton of 2018 CPO owners on this forum that aren't reporting this problem.

I was nervous having seen this thread. Keep in mind this is the place to come to complain, and rightly so. Just got a 2018 with 41k miles on it. Drives great and is the best car I’ve owned. It would be hard to replace this with something else. Trading in a 2017 Porsche Macan S and this is much more enjoyable.

[Marty in NY]

Originally Posted by Vancity_M40i

Is it possible people are finding long term solutions and just not updating on this thread? It seems like there are a ton of 2018 CPO owners on this forum that aren't reporting this problem.

Well, sure, I mean anything is possible and it is fairly common when searching the internet for issues to find the complaint and not the solution. You'll read the complaint, you'll read peoples ideas and recommendations to help the person with their issue but then the trail goes cold and you never see the conclusion. Sometimes people find these forums because they are in search of a solution so they Google it and it leads them hear. They join so they can post, they get replies, they address their issue and then disappear.

If you downloaded and opened the spreadsheet I posted, you will see that not all G01's had the issue to begin with. It sort of appeared to be a manufacturing issue that was, in time, resolved at the factory. We'll never know how many X3's left the factory with the issue.

[VPT]

Thanks - The fact they diagnosed the issue and referenced something in the BMW system (like a protocol) moving to the replacement of both axles tells me they must have had enough issues to document some sort of process. There has been no push back from the dealer. I'm still skeptical on this being a permanent solution, but I cant understand how if it stops the vibration it would not continue to work unless there is some major structural issue. I went through a complete "#" show with my last vehicle (new Audi Q5) when it went off warranty which has a thread longer than this one. I'm tempted to just buy a complete piece of crap pick up truck every couple of years and say "f it" to nice cars. I wont have to worry about expensive repairs & crappy looks from people who are mad at the world.

[Marty in NY]

Originally Posted by VPT

Thanks - The fact they diagnosed the issue and referenced something in the BMW system (like a protocol) moving to the replacement of both axles tells me they must have had enough issues to document some sort of process. There has been no push back from the dealer. I'm still skeptical on this being a permanent solution, but I cant understand how if it stops the vibration it would not continue to work unless there is some major structural issue. I went through a complete "#" show with my last vehicle (new Audi Q5) when it went off warranty which has a thread longer than this one. I'm tempted to just buy a complete piece of crap pick up truck every couple of years and say "f it" to nice cars. I wont have to worry about expensive repairs & crappy looks from people who are mad at the world.

Ha ha ha, I know exactly what you mean, have had those same thoughts myself! from all the reports I read on this vibe issues, it appears that there is a misalignment somewhere that causes the rear axels to wear after X miles and unless that misalignment is corrected, putting in new axels only resets the vibe clock again.

[xylodan]

Originally Posted by VPT

Thanks - The fact they diagnosed the issue and referenced something in the BMW system (like a protocol) moving to the replacement of both axles tells me they must have had enough issues to document some sort of process. There has been no push back from the dealer. I'm still skeptical on this being a permanent solution, but I cant understand how if it stops the vibration it would not continue to work unless there is some major structural issue. I went through a complete "#" show with my last vehicle (new Audi Q5) when it went off warranty which has a thread longer than this one. I'm tempted to just buy a complete piece of crap pick up truck every couple of years and say "f it" to nice cars. I wont have to worry about expensive repairs & crappy looks from people who are mad at the world.

If you're considering wanting to return the car, I'd start with BMW NA as soon as you can. I'm two months into owning a CPO that needed three repairs and was in service for 28 days. When I got it back is when I then noticed that vibration. The dealer would not take it back, and I reached out to BMW NA 3 weeks ago and they are still determining a resolution. I'm a few days away from hiring a lawyer. I'm beyond frustrated and angry at this point.

[VPT]

Thanks for the info. What a mess.

[JoeyO]

Has the vibration issue been noticed on 2020 or 2021 vehicles? Why don’t the X3 30i have the vibration issues?

[Artovs]

Interesting thread... I might be experiencing similar symptoms on my recently purchased 2018 X3 M40i (02/18 build date / 21" wheels / adaptive M suspension / 28K Miles). The vibration is VERY subtle and I haven't felt it getting worse (owned for 2K Miles). This car has never had any part of the drivetrain replaced. I also noticed that a few of my RFT tires were "cupping", but chalked it up to bad alignment (which was out).
That said, what I really want to know is what are the long term issues with this problem that folks have experienced? Does the vibration continuously get worse until the drivetrain eventually craps out? Could tires cupping / alignment issues be related to this?
I can live with slight vibration, so any insight on what this mildly annoying symptom may be causing in the future will be super helpful. And yes... I downloaded / read through the spreadsheet. lol.

[dalek]

I have a 2018 X3 M40i that had the vibration at 50-55mph. I just got it back from the dealer and they replaced the rear output shafts, and for now, the vibration is gone. I haven't read the entire thread, but I noticed that early on in the discussion a different part number was used that is now discontinued.

In the beginning of this thread the replaced part numbers were:
BMW (33-20-7-953-549) - discontinued
BMW (33-20-7-953-550) - discontinued

My part numbers are:
BMW (33-20-8-689-745)
BMW (33-20-8-689-746)

BMW must have modified something in the output shafts for them to change the part number.

[Vancity_M40i]

Thank you for that update. This sounds promising.

[bap5000]

I just took delivery last week on a 2018 BMW X3 M40i CPO with 29,837 miles, the car has been amazing and so fun to drive until I also felt something off when cruising at 50mph and lightly accelerating. I thought at 1st lane departure was too sensitive. I now can replicate the issue on demand, and it fits what was discussed here high frequency steering wheel vibration. I’m shocked that BMW certified the car and the technicians did not notice this nor did the previous owner. I bought the car in CA and live in OR, appointment at local dealership on 6/30 we will see what they say. Hopeful this is not new to them and that they will have a fix that will last for the life of the vehicle. Wish I would have seen this earlier but also wonder why others who posted are no longer active, assuming fix worked or they sold the car. TBD on my own outcome.

[Marty in NY]

Originally Posted by bap5000

I just took delivery last week on a 2018 BMW X3 M40i CPO with 29,837 miles, the car has been amazing and so fun to drive until I also felt something off when cruising at 50mph and lightly accelerating. I thought at 1st lane departure was too sensitive. I now can replicate the issue on demand, and it fits what was discussed here high frequency steering wheel vibration. I’m shocked that BMW certified the car and the technicians did not notice this nor did the previous owner. I bought the car in CA and live in OR, appointment at local dealership on 6/30 we will see what they say. Hopeful this is not new to them and that they will have a fix that will last for the life of the vehicle. Wish I would have seen this earlier but also wonder why others who posted are no longer active, assuming fix worked or they sold the car. TBD on my own outcome.

Talk with xylodan and listen to his story. "IF" you happen to have or can find a sympathetic dealer, you might make some headway with the help of the data in this topic. Some have managed to get BMW to buy their X3 back with the help from a lawyer, some went lemon law, some just hired a lawyer to send a letter. Download the PDF I posted a few posts ago, comb your way through it and bring it to your dealer if needed. I think there was an owner in Florida, maybe the Jacksonville area that had a dealer who moved and rewelded a suspension or frame mount, memory is a bit foggy but its in the PDF. The issue is recurring, throwing new parts on the car is just a temporary patch as they too will wear out.. .. Good luck!

[xylodan]

Originally Posted by Marty in NY

Talk with xylodan and listen to his story. "IF" you happen to have or can find a sympathetic dealer, you might make some headway with the help of the data in this topic. Some have managed to get BMW to buy their X3 back with the help from a lawyer, some went lemon law, some just hired a lawyer to send a letter. Download the PDF I posted a few posts ago, comb your way through it and bring it to your dealer if needed. I think there was an owner in Florida, maybe the Jacksonville area that had a dealer who moved and rewelded a suspension or frame mount, memory is a bit foggy but its in the PDF. The issue is recurring, throwing new parts on the car is just a temporary patch as they too will wear out.. .. Good luck!

Oh no, I'm famous. LOL...

I'm having a hard time convincing a new dealer I'm working with that this is in fact an issue with my car. We went for a ride together yesterday since he couldn't replicate it on his own, he did say he felt the vibration a little but thought it was more to do with something off about the tires... So he's doing a balancing, which I imagine will do nothing and after that he wants to continue further when they have an engineer from BMW on site...

It's quite annoying as this thread really spells out the situation, and so many similarities with others. My first thinking it was an over sensitive steering alert, to thinking it was the engine lugging at low rpm's... But, it's most noticeable at the 50-55 mph range but can really be felt at all speeds when the rpm is around 1500 or below. The shop foreman said if it was a drivetrain/axle situation it would be felt at all speeds and RPM's which is contradicting what's been experienced here...

I'm still waiting on BMW NA to determine if they will buy the car back (without me hiring a lawyer) and if perhaps they'll offer me an easy sale on a new one for my troubles. But the shop foreman looked into the vehicle history and the last work done over a month ago that left the car in the shop for 28 days needing three repairs isn't posted yet meaning that BMW NA probably doesn't even have that record to look at... So I'm guessing I'll have more personal anger to manage... On top of that, this new dealer let me know that rear brake pads needed replacing meaning that the CPO was sold to me with the rear pads 75-80% worn as I've driven the car a few thousand miles in the two months I've been able to drive it. I have zero faith in the CPO process and will never do it again on any "fancy" car.

[bap5000]

Originally Posted by xylodan

Oh no, I'm famous. LOL...

I'm having a hard time convincing a new dealer I'm working with that this is in fact an issue with my car. We went for a ride together yesterday since he couldn't replicate it on his own, he did say he felt the vibration a little but thought it was more to do with something off about the tires... So he's doing a balancing, which I imagine will do nothing and after that he wants to continue further when they have an engineer from BMW on site...

It's quite annoying as this thread really spells out the situation, and so many similarities with others. My first thinking it was an over sensitive steering alert, to thinking it was the engine lugging at low rpm's... But, it's most noticeable at the 50-55 mph range but can really be felt at all speeds when the rpm is around 1500 or below. The shop foreman said if it was a drivetrain/axle situation it would be felt at all speeds and RPM's which is contradicting what's been experienced here...

I'm still waiting on BMW NA to determine if they will buy the car back (without me hiring a lawyer) and if perhaps they'll offer me an easy sale on a new one for my troubles. But the shop foreman looked into the vehicle history and the last work done over a month ago that left the car in the shop for 28 days needing three repairs isn't posted yet meaning that BMW NA probably doesn't even have that record to look at... So I'm guessing I'll have more personal anger to manage... On top of that, this new dealer let me know that rear brake pads needed replacing meaning that the CPO was sold to me with the rear pads 75-80% worn as I've driven the car a few thousand miles in the two months I've been able to drive it. I have zero faith in the CPO process and will never do it again on any "fancy" car.

This is not reassuring, you would think that BMW would have found a fix by now and notified the dealership, why certify CPO these cars if there is a known issue, makes zero sense as it's hurting their reputation. I still have the factory warranty so we shall see what happens. Surprised more 2018 owners are not reporting this and it's not a recall.

[xylodan]

Originally Posted by bap5000

This is not reassuring, you would think that BMW would have found a fix by now and notified the dealership, why certify CPO these cars if there is a known issue, makes zero sense as it's hurting their reputation. I still have the factory warranty so we shall see what happens. Surprised more 2018 owners are not reporting this and it's not a recall.

I wonder if it's a thing that developed slowly in the cars and that the previous owners never really took note of it due to the likely incremental nature of the thing. I'm guessing that as these ex-leased, or single owner cars coming in as trades start to make their way to the lots that we'll see more examples of this being noticed. Also quite possible the previous owners felt it but didn't make an issue of it and rather just traded it in for a new fresh one and didn't disclose the vibration. When you're trying to get max $ for your trade in you're not going to share information on why your car is less than perfect.

Hard to say just how many cars have the issue and if I just drive in sport mode all the time I'd barely notice it since the rpm's run higher.

But, with my wife having a brand new M40i and me having the CPO and after driving both cars more than 1000 miles it's clear as day that the CPO does not run smoothly. It's something I could probably live with as I have an extended 3 year warranty up to 100,000 miles but given that my car has had 4 repairs already, most annoying of which were rear brakes after a few thousand miles of driving in a couple of months, I have zero faith in the CPO program if they won't even replace brake pads that are 75% worn.

What's insane to me is the apathetic response from BMW NA who I contacted about this car 7 weeks ago when it went in for it's first set of repairs after only 10 days of ownership. It spent 28 days at the dealer and I tried to return the car then and take the loss and buy a new one and they told me it would not be financially advisable to do so even telling them that my staying in the area (I was in the middle of a long distance move) was going to cost me an extra $5k in living expenses paying an extra month of rent in two locations plus the cost of hiring movers instead of using a trailer as I had planned.

I'm nearing lawyer time but I'm giving this new dealership a chance to make things right. The shop foreman I worked with seemed to actually give a crap and was going to see what he could make happen on the back end after he listened to my horror story and how much this situation has cost me. If he runs into a brick wall from BMW NA I will be completely done with them as a brand. I've had 7 BMW cars and 4 motorcycles and their response has been pathetic.

[Vancity_M40i]

I find it surprising that no one has given an update on the new driveshafts. Hopefully that means the redesigned part is working as intended and no one had the need to report back here.

[Jjohnson6482]

So, drive shafts were actually identified as the issue? Just purchased a CPO 2018 with approx 15k miles and the vibration seems to be getting worse. Already in to my local dealership and told "BMW is working on it with another vehicle." Also assured that the car is safe to operate, but honestly doesn't seem that way with the problem intensifying.

[bap5000]

Originally Posted by xylodan

I wonder if it's a thing that developed slowly in the cars and that the previous owners never really took note of it due to the likely incremental nature of the thing. I'm guessing that as these ex-leased, or single owner cars coming in as trades start to make their way to the lots that we'll see more examples of this being noticed. Also quite possible the previous owners felt it but didn't make an issue of it and rather just traded it in for a new fresh one and didn't disclose the vibration. When you're trying to get max $ for your trade in you're not going to share information on why your car is less than perfect.

Hard to say just how many cars have the issue and if I just drive in sport mode all the time I'd barely notice it since the rpm's run higher.

But, with my wife having a brand new M40i and me having the CPO and after driving both cars more than 1000 miles it's clear as day that the CPO does not run smoothly. It's something I could probably live with as I have an extended 3 year warranty up to 100,000 miles but given that my car has had 4 repairs already, most annoying of which were rear brakes after a few thousand miles of driving in a couple of months, I have zero faith in the CPO program if they won't even replace brake pads that are 75% worn.

What's insane to me is the apathetic response from BMW NA who I contacted about this car 7 weeks ago when it went in for it's first set of repairs after only 10 days of ownership. It spent 28 days at the dealer and I tried to return the car then and take the loss and buy a new one and they told me it would not be financially advisable to do so even telling them that my staying in the area (I was in the middle of a long distance move) was going to cost me an extra $5k in living expenses paying an extra month of rent in two locations plus the cost of hiring movers instead of using a trailer as I had planned.

I'm nearing lawyer time but I'm giving this new dealership a chance to make things right. The shop foreman I worked with seemed to actually give a crap and was going to see what he could make happen on the back end after he listened to my horror story and how much this situation has cost me. If he runs into a brick wall from BMW NA I will be completely done with them as a brand. I've had 7 BMW cars and 4 motorcycles and their response has been pathetic.

I've been reading through your threads and am shocked by how much patience you've had. Hopefully they make it right for you.

[bap5000]

Originally Posted by Jjohnson6482

So, drive shafts were actually identified as the issue? Just purchased a CPO 2018 with approx 15k miles and the vibration seems to be getting worse. Already in to my local dealership and told "BMW is working on it with another vehicle." Also assured that the car is safe to operate, but honestly doesn't seem that way with the problem intensifying.

When you say they are working on it with another vehicle, do you mean they had another one in the garage with the same issue?

[bap5000]

Originally Posted by Vancity_M40i

I find it surprising that no one has given an update on the new driveshafts. Hopefully that means the redesigned part is working as intended and no one had the need to report back here.

I truly hope you're right, fingers crossed they re-engineering these parts to solve for it!

[bap5000]

Let's keep each other informed as I think it will help all of us. Plan to update everyone after my appointment on the 30th, apparently they are busy