Recall for MY2016-2017 BMW M3 & M4 Driveshafts

[Law]

BIMMERPOST NEWS

BMW Recalls Driveshafts on M3 & M4 Models

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Driveshaft Safety Recall
NHTSA Recall No. 18V-713
Model Year 2016-17 BMW M3 Sedan, M4 Coupe & Convertible



Which BMW Group models in the US are potentially affected by this Safety Recall?
Approximately 2,677 Model Year 2016-2017 BMW M3 Sedan and M4 Coupe / Convertible vehicles in the US, produced between March 2016 and September 2016, are potentially affected.

Specific volumes and production dates are as follows:

Series	Model	Model Year	Approx. Volume	Production Dates
F80	M3 Sedan	2016-17	1,464	Jun 28, 2016 – Sep 30, 2016
F82	M4 Coupe / Coupe GTS	2016-17	943	Mar 2, 2016 – Sep 30, 2016
F83	M4 Convertible	2017	270	Jun 29, 2016 – Sep 30, 2016

What is the specific issue?
The vehicle’s driveshaft could loosen and, in some cases, may no longer provide power to the rear wheels, which could increase the risk of a crash.

What can happen as a result of this issue?
If the driveshaft loosened completely, power may no longer be provided to the rear wheels, which could increase the risk of a crash.

Why are other BMW Group vehicles not included in this Safety Recall?
The driveshaft on other vehicles were produced to different specifications.

How did BMW Group become aware of this issue?
BMW Group became aware of this issue through its quality control procedures.

Can I determine if this issue exists in my vehicle?
If you notice an unusual noise and/or vibration from underneath the vehicle, or if power is no longer provided to the rear wheels, your vehicle may be experiencing this issue.

If this occurs, carefully move away from traffic and pull over to a safe location as soon as possible. All occupants should carefully exit the vehicle and move to a safe location away from traffic. Do not continue to drive the vehicle. Contact BMW Roadside Assistance at 1-800-332-4269 immediately to have your vehicle brought to the nearest authorized BMW center.

If you are not the only driver of this vehicle, please advise all other drivers and passengers of this important information.

Can I continue to drive my vehicle (before I receive my letter)?
Yes. However, when you receive a letter requesting you to make an appointment to have this Safety Recall performed by an authorized BMW center, please do so as soon as possible. If you are not the only driver of this vehicle, please advise all other drivers of this important information.

How will my vehicle be repaired?
The driveshaft will be replaced for free and can take up to several hours to replace.

Is BMW Group aware of any accidents or injuries in the US, involving these BMW Group vehicles associated with this Safety Recall?
No.

How will I be informed of this Safety Recall?
You will receive a letter in early December via First Class mail advising you of this Safety Recall.
Depending upon parts availability, this letter may request you to schedule an appointment with an authorized BMW center to have this Safety Recall performed. In cases where parts are not immediately available, you will receive a second letter when parts become available, advising you to schedule an appointment with an authorized BMW center at that time to have this Safety Recall performed. You can locate your nearest authorized BMW center at https://www.bmwusa.com/dealers.

To ensure the BMW Group has your most recent contact and vehicle information, please register your BMW vehicle at www.bmwusa.com/myBMW. Registration is free, and will give you access to factory initiated campaigns and other information specific to your vehicle.

How long will the repair take?
This repair could take several hours; however, additional time may be required depending upon your BMW center’s schedule. The repair will be performed for free by your authorized BMW center.

Do I have to wait for my letter to have my vehicle serviced?
Yes. We are in the process of implementing this Safety Recall to ensure that the necessary parts, tools and procedures are available, prior to contacting you to schedule your vehicle to have this Safety Recall performed. For the latest updates to this Safety Recall, please visit www.bmwusa.com/recall. When you receive your letter advising you to schedule an appointment, please contact your nearest authorized BMW center at www.bmwusa.com/dealers.

The NHTSA report pertaining to this recall is attached below.

[BMWjunkie]

Bye-bye carbon driveshaft

[Roch M4]

Only for US models or all north american models?

[Graves]

I'm sorry, but this is kinda funny. CF folks getting the shaft, lol.

[Law]

Originally Posted by Roch M4

Only for US models or all north american models?

So far, the scope of this recall seems to be limited to US models only.

To confirm, I ran a VIN# for an M4 produced in 06/2016 for the Canadian market on BMW Canada's recall lookup and it showed zero "0" open recalls.

Perhaps you can try entering your own VIN# just to be sure.

[F80 / AW / 6MT]

I've received this recall notice and spoke with my dealer - as soon as the parts come in, they will give me a call. Otherwise, they've told me it's safe to drive.

[FC]

Interesting. Will they change only the connection (if such a thing is possible) or will they change out CF shafts for steel ones?

[F80 / AW / 6MT]

They (dealer) haven't disclosed any info as far as what exactly will be replaced. I do hope, if they need to replace the entire driveshaft, that it's with the carbon version, although that's probably unlikely.

[alex2364]

Just looked up my VIN and I’m affected!

[BMV///M3]

Just checked my VIN and I'm good, so far. There was the rear diff recall and now this, bummer. Hopefully its a quick fix.

[Alpine_F82]

Originally Posted by BMV///M3

Just checked my VIN and I'm good, so far. There was the rear diff recall and now this, bummer. Hopefully its a quick fix.

With my 15 m4 no recalls here yes read the years but just made for sure
And what was the rear diff recall does that effect my year?

[Bimmed Out]

Never feels good to get shafted.

[Pic18]

I always find it interesting when there are recalls for very specific periods of time like this after a car has already been out. What in the June 2016 period led them to change a process or part? What happened on Sept 30th, did they realize the mistake and hence should have said something 2 years ago?

Somewhat rhetorical in those questions but always seems weird when a manufacturer has a recall that doesn't affect all or most of the vehicles produced. The limited number of new Jeep Wranglers affected by the recent recall comes to mind.

[nickl630]

Mine is under recall. Boo lol

[FC]

Originally Posted by pheerIx

Wasn't there a guy on the forum who went through hell with driveshaft problems and BMW kept insisting nothing was wrong? Would love to see if his car was in the recall.

I recall reading about it. Curious as well.

[FriedPiston]

I highly doubt BMW will be swapping affected CFRP driveshafts with an inferior steel version. Otherwise, that's a class action waiting to happen.

[backagain]

Mine was a 2016 mid June production, which was affected by the rear differential replacement. But just ran the VIN (again), and came up empty. Fingers crossed.


If this holds, the two recalls are not related then.

[alex2364]

Originally Posted by pheerIx

Wasn't there a guy on the forum who went through hell with driveshaft problems and BMW kept insisting nothing was wrong? Would love to see if his car was in the recall.

I think you're referring to this but OP hasn't posted since 2017 and I don't think he ever posted his VIN. https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1409452

[PK1]

In a link posted in another thread on this topic, the issue was identified as being in the flange connection and not the driveshaft itself. Also, given that this doesn't affect all cars with CF shafts, I wouldn't necessarily conclude that the replacement will be a steel shaft.

[PK1]

Originally Posted by Pic18

I always find it interesting when there are recalls for very specific periods of time like this after a car has already been out. What in the June 2016 period led them to change a process or part? What happened on Sept 30th, did they realize the mistake and hence should have said something 2 years ago?

Somewhat rhetorical in those questions but always seems weird when a manufacturer has a recall that doesn't affect all or most of the vehicles produced. The limited number of new Jeep Wranglers affected by the recent recall comes to mind.

It could be a supplier quality/process change issue, not necessarily that BMW changed the specs. Critical components are often dual sourced, which could be why some parts are affected and others are not.

[Tacoma]

Originally Posted by Roch M4

Only for US models or all north american models?

I just called BMW Canada and they don't appear to be aware of this issue and the recall in the US. Unless someone can say otherwise, I can't see how only US vehicles are affected by this issue and not any other country. So for all we know, just because it shows zero recall in a Canada database, it doesn't necessarily mean your car is not impacted.

[ImagineAllTheMs]

Whelp, mine's under recall too. So I guess we gotta wait until at least mid-December. Anyone else getting a little paranoid that their driveshaft is gonna fall out in the meantime...lol