Miami Engines Experience *AVOID*

[Ghost_e90m3]

As many of you know, I don’t typically voice complaints, but after a year of frustration and mounting issues with Miami Engines, I feel compelled to share my experience. This has been an ongoing situation that I can no longer ignore.

In June 2024, I sent my BMW M5 engine to Miami Engines after experiencing a catastrophic rod knock. I chose them based on the positive interactions with their team, particularly Rotchild and Ed, who made me feel comfortable and assured me they would take care of everything.

I provided all parts for the rebuild, including Manley rods, CP Carillo pistons, main and rod bearings, Carbhan valve spring kit, injectors, plugs, coils, gaskets, and more. Miami Engines completed the rebuild and shipped my engine back in August 2024.

However, the issues began almost immediately. The engine arrived poorly packaged, with just a cardboard box on top of a pallet. Not surprisingly, the engine was flipped in transit, and I was informed by the shop installing the engine that it was damaged. I immediately contacted Pawel at Miami Engines, who reassured me the damage would be addressed and the engine shipped back promptly for repairs.

Here’s where things took a turn: Miami Engines had insurance coverage for the shipping damage, yet instead of conducting a full inspection or rebuild when the engine was flipped, they only did minimal repairs. The valve cover and oil pan, which were scuffed during the shipping process, should have been replaced, but Pawel assured me that cleaning and repainting would suffice, despite my suggestion to replace them. I trusted him, thinking that as the builder, he would ensure everything was up to par. However, in hindsight, a full rebuild should’ve been done, especially considering the engine had been flipped and the potential for internal damage. They didn’t do a proper inspection, which is crucial to this whole issue.

After receiving the engine back, the car exhibited fluctuating RPMs and rough idle after only 40 minutes of idle time & no driving. Despite my trust in Pawel, the issues persisted. I shipped the car to Miami Engines in October, 2024 for a thorough inspection, and they found additional problems, including misfiring cylinders and a jammed Vanos gear.

I was initially disappointed, as I felt these issues should have been identified during the original inspection and rebuild. Nonetheless, I agreed to have the Vanos gears replaced at a discounted rate, which cost me over $2,500. After this repair, the idle improved but was still not smooth.

Despite numerous diagnostic efforts, including 400 break-in miles driven and tuning on the dyno, the car continued to misfire, with fluctuating idle and check engine lights. Ed, the service director, kept me updated, assuring me they were working on the issue, but after nearly a month, the problems were still unresolved.

Finally, in November 2024, I received the car back. As soon as I took delivery of the car from the transportation company, I noticed the check engine light was on, and the car was still misfiring. The misfires were present immediately upon delivery, and despite what I was told, the issue had not been resolved. I immediately contacted Pawel, who suggested that the change in weather from Florida to Virginia might be the cause. However, the misfires worsened, and despite multiple revisions to the tune, nothing seemed to help.

In January 2025, while driving the car on I-66, I saw white smoke coming from the exhaust, and the car went into limp mode with a drivetrain malfunction warning. I immediately contacted Pawel, and this is when he shifted the blame to my parts, specifically the head gasket, despite this not being the issue. After seeking diagnostics from two different shops, both confirmed that Miami Engines should be held accountable for the problems, especially since the engine had been damaged in transit, potentially affecting the block or other internal components. I have this in writing.

After several attempts to resolve the matter, Miami Engines has refused to cooperate. Their negligence has left me with no choice but to take legal action. I will be pursuing a lawsuit against them, and I’m not the only one. There are several other clients who have experienced similar issues and are ready to testify against Miami Engines in court.

If you’re considering Miami Engines for any rebuild or performance work, please be cautious. I’ve learned the hard way, and I want to warn others to avoid the mistakes I made.

[M5_Raz]

Sorry to hear this and hope you get it resolved.

I had a good laugh at the misfires from weather changes lol

And that Amazon prime box.. wow. What was the total cost of all this mess?

[KurtsM5]

I've also heard they're sketchy. Sorry for your woes.

[M5Rick]

You'd at least expect to get your engine back intact and running fine.

[Ghost_e90m3]

Originally Posted by M5_Raz

Sorry to hear this and hope you get it resolved.

I had a good laugh at the misfires from weather changes lol

And that Amazon prime box.. wow. What was the total cost of all this mess?

I’m in well over $30k into this build, this includes other performance mods as well.

[miamiengines]

So, let me clarify this, and I won’t be commenting back and forth.



You sent your engine to us to be built, along with most engine internal components that you chose and purchased at another vendor. We advised you against using the head gaskets you provided and the head studs you provided. We advised you that the head may lift, and recommended OEM gaskets accompanied by ARP 625+ Head Studs, both which we have in stock. You declined, and instructed us to proceed with “your parts”. We had a note on the invoice stating that there would be no warranty for failure of any of the parts you supplied.



You agreed to this. you also declined replacement of vanos gears.



This was not Miami Engines build, we simply assembled the engine for you with the mediocre parts you supplied, that I wouldn’t use on a stock S63.



We shipped the engine to you, there was an accident with the engine being dropped by the shipping company, and you received it with minor damage, we apologized for this, had the Engine sent back for inspection. We had engine disassembled and inspected. The valve cover that got cracked got replaced, along with a couple other parts.

we sent the Engine back to you, you had it installed, and since you had some fault and said you wanted tuned as well, you decided to send us the car.



when we receive the car, we diagnosed a bad Vanos gear, one of the original gears that you did not replace. We advised to replace all four Vanos gears, you only approved too, so we replaced them.



As you requested, we drove the car for several hundred miles to break in the engine, changed the oil and filter, and had the car tuned on our dyno.



it was making decent power, but we couldn’t push it further because your transmission wouldn’t hold on stock clutches, and the EU6 injectors you decided to use are not the best choice for high horsepower as their flu rate is much lower than EU5.



Now, several months later, it sounds like your head lifted, more than likely from the weak head gaskets, or head studs that we advised against using.



we told you we would help you out with the car, but instead you choose to blast us here with your lies. That’s all I have to say.

[Ghost_e90m3]

Originally Posted by miamiengines

So, let me clarify this, and I won’t be commenting back and forth.



You sent your engine to us to be built, along with most engine internal components that you chose and purchased at another vendor. We advised you against using the head gaskets you provided and the head studs you provided. We advised you that the head may lift, and recommended OEM gaskets accompanied by ARP 625+ Head Studs, both which we have in stock. You declined, and instructed us to proceed with “your parts”. We had a note on the invoice stating that there would be no warranty for failure of any of the parts you supplied.



You agreed to this. you also declined replacement of vanos gears.



This was not Miami Engines build, we simply assembled the engine for you with the mediocre parts you supplied, that I wouldn’t use on a stock S63.



We shipped the engine to you, there was an accident with the engine being dropped by the shipping company, and you received it with minor damage, we apologized for this, had the Engine sent back for inspection. We had engine disassembled and inspected. The valve cover that got cracked got replaced, along with a couple other parts.

we sent the Engine back to you, you had it installed, and since you had some fault and said you wanted tuned as well, you decided to send us the car.



when we receive the car, we diagnosed a bad Vanos gear, one of the original gears that you did not replace. We advised to replace all four Vanos gears, you only approved too, so we replaced them.



As you requested, we drove the car for several hundred miles to break in the [...]

@miamiengines
Pawel, I’d like to address your claims with the facts:

1. You did not replace the valve cover or oil pan. I have your text messages confirming this. You stated, “Valve covers and oil pan are fine, just scuffs to the paint; so we re-hot tanked both valve covers and lower pan early this morning and re-painted both.” I replied, “I was hoping to have the oil pan/valve covers replaced since the insurance company will be paying for them. If you think it’s OK and they won’t leak oil, then I’m fine with your suggestions.” I can share these messages if needed so you can jog your memory.


2. You did not fully disassemble the engine for inspection after the transit incident. I requested proof—photos or videos—but none were provided. I asked, “What would the damage assessing process look like? Would a rebuild of the motor be possible since the internals could have been damaged during the flip of the motor?” You responded, “Looks like they dropped the pallet and the engine got rolled over. Internally there shouldn’t be any damage… I’ll make sure it’s 100% before sending it back to you.” Later, you added, “I got the engine in the engine room, looked it all over, removed valve covers, engine is 100% intact.” This does not indicate a thorough internal inspection.

3. Your estimate and invoice, which I have retained, recommended replacing only 2 Vanos gears, not 4. I followed your recommendation and approved the replacement of 2 gears, as documented.

I’d like to clarify also that during the initial engine rebuild, Miami Engines never recommended replacing the Vanos gears. Additionally, I had to specifically request the replacement of the timing chain, guides, and lifters, as these were not suggested by your team despite the scope of the rebuild.

I stand by my account and have the documentation to support it. Let’s keep this transparent and factual.

[thebmw]

Anyone who ships a new engine in an Amazon box is guilty of malfeasance, carelessness, and negligence. If they are this careless with shipping, they're even more careless with something as complicated as an engine.

Pawel, it is your responsibility to send an engine back that's 100%, not the customers visual inspection. The customer doesn't know engines and he trusts you, the so-called expert.

I called Miami engines when my engine needed to be replaced. Didn't go forward with them because there were some red flags and bad experiences with other customers. I'm glad I didn't go with them.

[thebmw]

Curious, how many people are sick of these overpaid High School educated mechanics gaslighting consumers for their mistakes? Blaming the misfires on a slight change in temperature? Are you serious? How insulting to the consumers intelligence. That right there proves his guilt.

[RPiM5]

Thank you for sharing.

I rarely comment on the forums anymore, but your experience peaked my interest.

I am super sorry for your experience, I have seen this happen too many times in the F10 M5 community. I don’t have any experience with Miami Engines myself, but after moving to South Florida many years ago, and even getting to see many East Coast shops present themselves in person at the M-Invasion in Palm Beach this year, I have reached the conclusion that many of these businesses are not professional. For such a big job such as an engine build, for the over 12 years I have been in this community, there are only two places I trust, Carbahn and Trop Jeup. If you can’t get Miami Engines to make you right, then I recommend either on of these to fix your motor. To give you some assurance, I have been running my Carbahn built motor for over 7 years now and not a single major problem with it ever. Just normal small problems like crankshaft sensors going bad, map sensors, ignition coils, and other accessories giving minor issues. I even made modifications to my motor such as upgrading the fueling system to run on Full E85 and no problems at all. Steve Dinan knows what he is doing when building motors, he is a real racecar engineer, and the longevity of my engine shows.

I wish you the best in getting this mess sorted out and hope that you get your car back in running order sooner than later. I know exactly what you are going through.

[Ghost_e90m3]

Originally Posted by RPiM5

Thank you for sharing.

I rarely comment on the forums anymore, but your experience peaked my interest.

I am super sorry for your experience, I have seen this happen too many times in the F10 M5 community. I don’t have any experience with Miami Engines myself, but after moving to South Florida many years ago, and even getting to see many East Coast shops present themselves in person at the M-Invasion in Palm Beach this year, I have reached the conclusion that many of these businesses are not professional. For such a big job such as an engine build, for the over 12 years I have been in this community, there are only two places I trust, Carbahn and Trop Jeup. If you can’t get Miami Engines to make you right, then I recommend either on of these to fix your motor. To give you some assurance, I have been running my Carbahn built motor for over 7 years now and not a single major problem with it ever. Just normal small problems like crankshaft sensors going bad, map sensors, ignition coils, and other accessories giving minor issues. I even made modifications to my motor such as upgrading the fueling system to run on Full E85 and no problems at all. Steve Dinan knows what he is doing when building motors, he is a real racecar engineer, and the longevity of my engine shows.

I wish you the best in getting this mess sorted out and hope that you get your car back in running order sooner than later. I know exactly what you are going through.

100%, thx brother. I regret not choosing a Carbahn motor for my build. My experience with Miami Engines has been disappointing, and I’ve learned a valuable lesson about thoroughly vetting suppliers. I’ve heard from others who have faced similar challenges with Miami Engines but feel hesitant to share their experiences publicly. When I posted about my concerns, Miami Engines contacted me, demanding I remove the post and threatening legal action. I stand by my decision to share my experience because everything I stated is factual. Never trust Miami Engines.