The turbocharged M3/M4 twins were the most powerful of the 3 Series-based M cars ever made when they came out. Now it appears all that extra torque from the turbocharged motor could be a bit too much for some of the driveshafts, because a weakness there is prompting BMW to recall 2,660 of its M cars.
Of those, 1,456 are M3s and 936 of them are M4s, both for model years 2016-2017. There are even some of the rare M4 GTS coupes involved in the recall as well. The driveshaft flange is reportedly too weak for the 406 pound-feet of torque (or more) subjected to it, and may fail over time. Upon failure, the connection between the driveshaft and the flange could break, "resulting in a loss of propulsion," according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Fixing it will require a new driveshaft for all the cars, done free of charge. Those who have already replaced their driveshafts will be reimbursed for the work. Randomly losing propulsion could result in a dangerous situation, but BMW says it's unaware of any crashes or injuries caused by the defective flanges.
Of those, 1,456 are M3s and 936 of them are M4s, both for model years 2016-2017. There are even some of the rare M4 GTS coupes involved in the recall as well. The driveshaft flange is reportedly too weak for the 406 pound-feet of torque (or more) subjected to it, and may fail over time. Upon failure, the connection between the driveshaft and the flange could break, "resulting in a loss of propulsion," according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Fixing it will require a new driveshaft for all the cars, done free of charge. Those who have already replaced their driveshafts will be reimbursed for the work. Randomly losing propulsion could result in a dangerous situation, but BMW says it's unaware of any crashes or injuries caused by the defective flanges.