One problem related to engine rattling and whining sounds has been reported for the 2011 BMW M3. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
While driving my car on the road my engine automatically placed itself on neutral, the steering froze, and the engine turned off. After turning the system off, I turned it back on and drove away normally. Once I approached the a stop light the car did the same thing again but this time it had a cracking-rattling noise coming from the engine. Without any warnings or check engine light, oil light, my car suffered from broken main and rod bearings as stated by the BMW dealer. This has caused a lot of metallic debris throughout the engine causing engine failure.