[Marty in NY]

Originally Posted by Wgosma

Darn, spring really took a dump- strange.....

I'll just buff it out and add a bit of black duct tape, she'll be just fine in no time at all

[pungo]

Originally Posted by TheCoolX3

I've had many cars during my life, new and used. All get tracked, off-roaded, or abused in some other manner, and I've never seen a spring break. What are you guys doing to these X3s!?

Originally Posted by Wgosma

Darn, spring really took a dump- strange.....

See posts 13 & 17 for why and how to reduce.

[tracer bullet]

If the broken spring clearly had a crack that had gotten rusty over time, it would explain the result. Given that I'd thoroughly inspect the other side. If it looks 100% then probably good to go. If it looks iffy / has some hairlines of rust in it, get it done at the same time.

It sounds like a potential manufacturing issue given that they all seem to break the last little bit and not change the ride height. It doesn't seem like a random thing to have the results so consistently similar. Like a coating didn't get put on correctly, or got cut into at a later manufacturing step.

[Marty in NY]

Originally Posted by tracer bullet

If the broken spring clearly had a crack that had gotten rusty over time, it would explain the result. Given that I'd thoroughly inspect the other side. If it looks 100% then probably good to go. If it looks iffy / has some hairlines of rust in it, get it done at the same time.

It sounds like a potential manufacturing issue given that they all seem to break the last little bit and not change the ride height. It doesn't seem like a random thing to have the results so consistently similar. Like a coating didn't get put on correctly, or got cut into at a later manufacturing step.

Well you know, its one of those things that you never look at, its out of sight and you have no reason to deliberately inspect it and you just wouldn't think it would fail because most don't. I've read a number of posts on this topic and have seen a number of pix, 95% always the same type of fracture in the same place as mine and while not always in the rear, the majority have been.

Due to this, my money is on a mfg issue. Not properly baked? Out of control process? Who know for sure?

[pungo]

Originally Posted by tracer bullet

If the broken spring clearly had a crack that had gotten rusty over time, it would explain the result. Given that I'd thoroughly inspect the other side. If it looks 100% then probably good to go. If it looks iffy / has some hairlines of rust in it, get it done at the same time.

It sounds like a potential manufacturing issue given that they all seem to break the last little bit and not change the ride height. It doesn't seem like a random thing to have the results so consistently similar. Like a coating didn't get put on correctly, or got cut into at a later manufacturing step.

Originally Posted by Marty in NY

Due to this, my money is on a mfg issue. Not properly baked? Out of control process? Who know for sure?

If you notice, they typically break at the bottom where all the road crud & salt collects, stays moist and corrodes. I assume the powder coat gets a hairline crack, then salt get in and then starts corroding the spring. That's why I do a good power washing with the undercarriage wand to remove crud from these type of collection areas. Perhaps a plastic sleeve shrunk onto the bottom few coils would prevent the issue. I use "QMAXX Salt Aerosol Spray" on areas of concern to reduce corrosion from winter salt. I've even used "Fluid film" though it's more messy.

[Marty in NY]

Originally Posted by pungo

If you notice, they typically break at the bottom where all the road crud & salt collects, stays moist and corrodes. I assume the powder coat gets a hairline crack, then salt get in and then starts corroding the spring. That's why I do a good power washing with the undercarriage wand to remove crud from these type of collection areas. Perhaps a plastic sleeve shrunk onto the bottom few coils would prevent the issue. I use "QMAXX Salt Aerosol Spray" on areas of concern to reduce corrosion from winter salt. I've even used "Fluid film" though it's more messy.

This is the first spring in all my (lots) years of driving that has ever broke and I have always lived in winter wonderland so while there may be things that could help prevent a lot of rust, my bet is still on a defect in the mfg process.

[pungo]

Originally Posted by Marty in NY

This is the first spring in all my (lots) years of driving that has ever broke and I have always lived in winter wonderland so while there may be things that could help prevent a lot of rust, my bet is still on a defect in the mfg process.

I've been seeing spring breakage since the early 2000s so it could be due to EPA restrictions placed on the coatings. Anyway, my recommendations will reduce the likelihood of a broken spring. Speculating it's a defect in the mfg process is not going to prevent your spring from breaking

[bdok]

Originally Posted by Marty in NY

My money is on hydrogen embrittlement, I've seen what this can do in other applications and believe BMW's spring supplier had an out of control process. Interesting to note in my case is that one day my wife got in the car (2011 X3 35i at probably 70K-ish miles), started backing out of the driveway and heard a very loud bang. I was in the house and it sounded like a gun going off. Neighbors who were walking by shuttered, stopped and looked at her.

There was no obvious or visible rationale for the noise and I thought it was the brake pads breaking loose from the rotors as I had washed it the night before and put it in the garage, she was the first to take it out the next morning. So, since we couldn't find any other reason, I took it around the block, it seemed just fine, she got in it and drove off.

A little over a year later when I was replacing brake rotors and pads, I noticed the broken spring, passenger rear corner, and then it hit...we finally knew what that very loud bang was. In the year since it happened, we drove the car from Florida to NY, drove all year in NY and then back to Florida again, probably around 10K miles all in all and never knew the spring was broken...no noise, no ride hide diff, nothing.

We just got back from Florida a couple of months ago, I pulled it in the garage and have not driven it since due to the virus and as soon as the weather decides to warm up, I'll jack it up and see if there is a part number for the spring and will replace it. I have learned from members on this board that BMW used different part number springs depending on the options on your car so for those of you out there wanting to replace yours, be sure to get the correct part number spring.

Here is what my broken spring looks like. I will replace both springs and both shocks since I'm doing it myself.

.

My 2015 X3 rear passenger side just snapped out of no where about a week ago now and never in my life did I think German engineering would be so poorly made. I might as well buy my self a K car! will be visiting the dealer soon to see what they can do as these things should not happen regardless of salt climate or not. Not cool BMW not cool.

[pungo]

Originally Posted by bdok

My 2015 X3 rear passenger side just snapped out of no where about a week ago now and never in my life did I think German engineering would be so poorly made. I might as well buy my self a K car! will be visiting the dealer soon to see what they can do as these things should not happen regardless of salt climate or not. Not cool BMW not cool.

I completely agree, spring shouldn't break and 5 years isn't very long. A plastic sleeve made onto the bottom few coils would probably prevent it, but that would cost them pennies per spring LOL.

Have you ever cleaned the spring perches? See posts 13, 17 & 27 for why and how to reduce.

[Marty in NY]

Originally Posted by bdok

My 2015 X3 rear passenger side just snapped out of no where about a week ago now and never in my life did I think German engineering would be so poorly made. I might as well buy my self a K car! will be visiting the dealer soon to see what they can do as these things should not happen regardless of salt climate or not. Not cool BMW not cool.

How many miles are on your X3 when the spring broke? Interesting that in all the threads I've read on this, its normally the rear passenger side.

[ga9213]

Subaru has the same problem...rear spring recall. They were saying it's an issue with the coating allowing corrosion of the spring internally.

[pungo]

Originally Posted by Marty in NY

How many miles are on your X3 when the spring broke? Interesting that in all the threads I've read on this, its normally the rear passenger side.

Coincidental, for LHD vehicles, the right side of the road is where all the salt/dirt collect and get slung up under the suspension parts? Hmmmm, powerwash that area at the end of each winter.

[bdok]

Originally Posted by pungo

I completely agree, spring shouldn't break and 5 years isn't very long. A plastic sleeve made onto the bottom few coils would probably prevent it, but that would cost them pennies per spring LOL.

Have you ever cleaned the spring perches? See posts 13, 17 & 27 for why and how to reduce.

Originally Posted by Marty in NY

How many miles are on your X3 when the spring broke? Interesting that in all the threads I've read on this, its normally the rear passenger side.

It has 143k not much considering a lot older vehicles don't ever have this issue. It's simple BMW has some parts made very poor quality and seems that it's becoming a common thing now. Still can't believe it!

[tech10]

Mine is 2011 x3 28ix with 168,000km.
Front spring snapped yesterday morning when my wife started to drive. She heard very loud banging sound.

It seems that it is the common issue with BMW.

[Marty in NY]

Originally Posted by tech10

Mine is 2011 x3 28ix with 168,000km.
Front spring snapped yesterday morning when my started to drive. She heard very loud banging sound.

It seems that it is the common issue with BMW.

Not just BMW, I know of other brands where this has happened as well. It sure makes a loud sound, doesn't it?

[Sandy5454]

Broken springs on a lowish mileage road car is usually due to poor design, poor material specification, poor QC, or BMW just being cheap and using cheaper materials. Very rare to read of spring failure on Japanese cars, and not unusual on European made/designed cars.

[tech10]

It can be broken no matter how you drive it if you are in the snow belt.

I have replaced both front springs with one from FCP.
Here are some pictures.

[tracer bullet]

Bummer, but glad it's going again. That cracked area looks like it's been eaten at for quite a while.

Springs are chrome-vanadium and don't generally tend to corrode or crack like this. Have to agree it seems a little unusual especially the # of owners here having some kind of issue.

[gtomalik]

Stumbled on this thread as I have noticed my spring is broken on my 2015 BMW X3 35i xDrive. Car has only 87000 KM. I heard a loud screech this summer and shortly after my car was quite wobbly like a canoe or something. While doing my brakes few months later i noticed the rear, passenger side spring is broken at the bottom (almost identical to many posts here).

The question is, given that the car is not that old and the left spring seems to be ok - should i just replace that 1 spring ? Or do i need to do entire rear suspension on both sides including shocks and springs and all of the rubber bump stops...

I am thinking there could be something wrong with that one spring - or perhaps it’s due to the “auto hold” feature which holds the break when sitting at a light and only releases if you start driving - maybe it was getting stuck somehow and working that right spring to breakage point.

Any experience with just replacing that one spring and keeping everything else the same? This is 200 bucks vs 1000 bucks to do entire back suspension (which i would not mind if both shocks and both springs were bad , but here it’s just the 1 spring that is broken)

[Marty in NY]

Originally Posted by gtomalik

Stumbled on this thread as I have noticed my spring is broken on my 2015 BMW X3 35i xDrive. Car has only 87000 KM. I heard a loud screech this summer and shortly after my car was quite wobbly like a canoe or something. While doing my brakes few months later i noticed the rear, passenger side spring is broken at the bottom (almost identical to many posts here).

The question is, given that the car is not that old and the left spring seems to be ok - should i just replace that 1 spring ? Or do i need to do entire rear suspension on both sides including shocks and springs and all of the rubber bump stops...

I am thinking there could be something wrong with that one spring - or perhaps it’s due to the “auto hold” feature which holds the break when sitting at a light and only releases if you start driving - maybe it was getting stuck somehow and working that right spring to breakage point.

Any experience with just replacing that one spring and keeping everything else the same? This is 200 bucks vs 1000 bucks to do entire back suspension (which i would not mind if both shocks and both springs were bad , but here it’s just the 1 spring that is broken)

You will not want to just replace the one broken spring. When I completed my replacement, I measured the height of the rear of the car, from the top of the tire to the bottom of the wheel arch and with the new springs installed, it was one inch higher than the front, whereas before when I measured it with the old springs it was even with the front. I measured both the left and right sides. Springs fatigue with time and mileage but so slowly that you don't notice it.

My passenger side rear spring broke but when looking at it while it was still on the car, the only way you would know it was broken was when you saw the break. Meaning neither the upper or lower part of the spring (there were now two parts since it broke) were out of place. It broke at the bottom where it seats. While the broken spring was still on the car, it would clunk when I would go around a sharp corner or driving off or onto a driveway where the tongue of the driveway was a couple inches higher than the road. Going straight down the highway at 70mph you would have thought all was fine.

So, you will want to replace both the left and right at the same time or else you may have a car that is higher on one side than the other which is not good for stability around turns and the new spring will cause more pressure on the old spring side. You will regret it if you do only one side.

In terms of your shocks, I would replace those too. I found pre assembled spring/shocks and that made it super easy. In fact, it was quicker than if I would have had to remove the springs from the shock to replace only the springs. You should be able to get around 125,000km on a new set of good quality shocks and springs so by replacing them now, you should be good to go for a loooong time.

Once done, plan on doing the fronts too within a year

[Lotus 7]

Just got a bad sound out of my left rear on my 2017 X3 with 49K miles on it. Pulled the wheel to find the spring broken. All my prior BMWs were so over build it is very disappointing to have a failure on part that I think should last the life of the vehicle. The car was a CPO but I think it is out of the extended warranty at this point. Anyone have any luck getting BMW to warranty their spring failure?

Any suggestions for replacement springs or spring/struts?

Sorry the photo is sideways but it does make it easier to see the break.

Thanks -

Gary

[AF4iK]

Originally Posted by tracer bullet

Bummer, but glad it's going again. That cracked area looks like it's been eaten at for quite a while.

Springs are chrome-vanadium and don't generally tend to corrode or crack like this. Have to agree it seems a little unusual especially the # of owners here having some kind of issue.

Yea it's too consistent to be a coincidence. I get that salt, brine, etc can cause metal to wear prematurely and I'm sure that plays a role. But the vast majority of cases I'm seeing happen in the exact same spot and on the passenger side.

What I'm wondering is why it's almost always the passenger side? I'm assuming that both left and right springs are the same from the plant? So if both were made using the same process is there something about our vehicles that puts more stress on the rear-passenger side?