Driveshaft failure

Have you ever heard of driveshafts failing without any warning? The car in question is a 2006 BMW 1-Series 1.6 petrol with 48,000 miles. It has happened to my granddaughter this week – she purchased the car from an allegedly respected dealership three months and 1500 miles ago. She is a steady driver and avoids wheelspin. She had just completed a short journey to home, then stopped for a minute and attempted to do a three-point turn. She went forward, then reversed and tried forward again, but there was no drive. She let out the clutch and heard a nasty noise, then she rang me. Graham Meacham With a front-wheel drive system, you would expect plenty of warning of a failing driveshaft, mainly because the failure on these vehicles is generally due to a failed CV joint. As the BMW 1-Series is rear-wheel drive, failure of the CV joints is less likely, although when the joints do fail some prior noise would be expected. It is possible that it is the splines connecting the driveshaft to the joint that are at fault; when this occurs there are not normally any prior warning signs.

You do not mention which part of the drive system has failed, so it is also possible that the propshaft or differential are at fault. Further investigation would be required to determine if the failure was due to a pre-existing condition.