Old E34,e36 owner here. Those days are gone. Remember when the coolant tank was our biggest worry?
Bimmer owners - Any decent used model?
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Its pronounced JAAAG
According to the dashboard-light.com quality database, you should stick with Z3 and Z4's if you want excellent reliability from a BMW. This is based on reliability data from 150k vehicles in the United States. There are some additional models with above average reliability like the M3, X3 and the 1 series.
https://www.dashboard-light.com/reports/BMW.html
Carcomplaints.com breaks down BMW issues by year and model.
https://www.carcomplaints.com/BMW/
https://www.dashboard-light.com/reports/BMW.html
Carcomplaints.com breaks down BMW issues by year and model.
https://www.carcomplaints.com/BMW/
What year is Dashboard Light from? They have Saab listed next to BMW.
I checked the 3 series and it goes up to 2019 and back to '87.
JHZR2
Staff member
Granted, the new ones are a far cry from the design and simplicity of an E30.
As to OP’s question, I have a 2011 135i, owned since new. All four ABS sensors failed before 27k or whatever mileage I have now…
Otherwise pretty great car.
The oil change thing took some getting used to. You know from the manual how much to put in. So that’s easy. No reason for it to not be right. Then you use the electronic dipstick, which I guess is right, and my car doesn’t burn oil. If it did, hopefully there’s a more old school level sensor!!
Owner of a 2016 BMW 328i (F30). Bought it because it has a 6-speed manual trans, rear wheel drive. Handles and performs well. About 70K on it and no issues so far (touch wood!). Still on original clutch! Do my own service work. Oil change is easy. Cabin air filter take a bit of dismantling, but like so much easy after the first time. Immediately added rims/snow tires for Michigan winter commuting.
The electronic dipstick is annoying, but it does work. There is a 2006 325xi in my family that I maintain, it has 230k miles and burns a bit of oil. An alert will show up on the dash saying "+1 qt" when it gets a quart low. So far it has been accurate.
edyvw
$50 site donor 2025
From my experience it is MUCH easier to change oil and brakes on BMW than on Toyota.
Not to mention, on BMW you actually get brakes.
edyvw
$50 site donor 2025
Clutch on BMW will last forever if driver knows to drive one and doesn’t abuse it. Mine is at 140k, i track it, and clutch is strong as it was when I bought itnused at 84k.
I thought the site operator (@macarose ???) was on here. I've been meaning to ask him why it hasn't been updated.
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edyvw
$50 site donor 2025
I see a slight problem with that site.
BMW makes a good car, but they are complex machines that can cost a lot to make right if they have passed through the hands of owners who either drive them hard all the time and/or neglect maintenance and repair. That is why while year and model specific "heads-ups" can be helpful, the way to know what you are getting is to only consider a car that has a full service history (this applies to all used cars, in my opinion, not just used BMWs) and have it checked out by a BMW or European car shop that knows the cars well. This way you have a much better chance of not picking up a car that someone else dumped because it has a series of mechanical problems.
Also, another piece of advice I can give you from having been at this rodeo many times is to consider the prior owner. With a used car, you are buying the owner, so to speak, as much as the car. If the owner is an idiot who didn't know how to drive a manual transmission but bought one anyway, or ignored routine maintenance, or otherwise kept the car filthy dirty, and that is the way this person keeps everything, move along and find a better owner so to speak.
Keep in mind that the 70-120k mile lifespan of any vehicle is the time that certain original parts may start to break down and require replacement. This is why the point about service records and knowledgeable inspection is really important because while many of these items are hardly the end of the world, you want to make sure that the price you are paying reflects, one way or the other, the fact that certain routine maintenance repair items have either already been done, or not been done. You don't want to pay a price as if everything is perfect and then within a year you get a $2500 repair bill. Again, I think this is a uniform used car rule, it is not a specific problem to BMWs, although being a German car, setting them right will typically cost more.
Finally, and with all respect to posters above, ignore those who talk about E30s and E34s, etc. as if they were perfect and reliable. Yes, the E30 was probably BMW's most reliable car, with the M20 (probably the most reliable engine BMW has made, even a little ahead of the M30), but those cars also had their issues. I know because I owned them when they were much closer to new than they are today, and BMW ownership has always been a rewarding experience, but one that requires a driver who wants that level of involvement with the car. There is always that group of people who think the old days were golden, and I am frustrated too by some of the compromises that have been made with newer BMWs (can we get our steering feel back please?), but overall BMW still makes a good car and they are fun to own.
Good luck with it and let us know how you do.
Also, another piece of advice I can give you from having been at this rodeo many times is to consider the prior owner. With a used car, you are buying the owner, so to speak, as much as the car. If the owner is an idiot who didn't know how to drive a manual transmission but bought one anyway, or ignored routine maintenance, or otherwise kept the car filthy dirty, and that is the way this person keeps everything, move along and find a better owner so to speak.
Keep in mind that the 70-120k mile lifespan of any vehicle is the time that certain original parts may start to break down and require replacement. This is why the point about service records and knowledgeable inspection is really important because while many of these items are hardly the end of the world, you want to make sure that the price you are paying reflects, one way or the other, the fact that certain routine maintenance repair items have either already been done, or not been done. You don't want to pay a price as if everything is perfect and then within a year you get a $2500 repair bill. Again, I think this is a uniform used car rule, it is not a specific problem to BMWs, although being a German car, setting them right will typically cost more.
Finally, and with all respect to posters above, ignore those who talk about E30s and E34s, etc. as if they were perfect and reliable. Yes, the E30 was probably BMW's most reliable car, with the M20 (probably the most reliable engine BMW has made, even a little ahead of the M30), but those cars also had their issues. I know because I owned them when they were much closer to new than they are today, and BMW ownership has always been a rewarding experience, but one that requires a driver who wants that level of involvement with the car. There is always that group of people who think the old days were golden, and I am frustrated too by some of the compromises that have been made with newer BMWs (can we get our steering feel back please?), but overall BMW still makes a good car and they are fun to own.
Good luck with it and let us know how you do.
With Toyota levels of maintenance? No.
Can you DIY?
V8's are to be avoided at all costs.
Pre-2012. These are getting old.
2012 - 2019 - Climate control issues are popping up as these cars age out. All engines are turbocharged and Indy shops are throwing everything but the kitchen sink to fix issues. VVT issues are cropping up at 100k miles +/-. A lot of these cars were leased and tuned by the original or second owner The tunes accelerated wear which doesn't pop up until you start nearing 100k miles. These owners unload the car because they don't want to replace the engine.
2020 - Present. Cheaper models are more likely to have been tuned as well. Timing gear in the rear of the engine at the firewall. This is also where plastic composite oil filter housing is located. The housing can crack. Complex cooling circuits with multiple failure points. Second owners are chasing phantom coolant leaks. Water pump appears to be problematic but it's not as bad as the late 90's-early 2000's. Electronically actuated grill louvers. They can break from road strikes.
BMW is all in on electrification.
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+1
The clutch assembly on mine was replaced after 25 years (only because of a bad throw out bearing).
edyvw
$50 site donor 2025
Be aware of any turbos and modifications. Not that engines cannot take it, as, for example, B58 can take over 1000hp. But, it is cheapo tuning bcs. Turbo is very easy to tune, and everyone who knows how to write some software can do it.
B generation is proving really reliable and fuel efficient. 330 RWD in F30 had in Motor Trend test better mpg than Camry hybrid, with M sport package.
B generation is proving really reliable and fuel efficient. 330 RWD in F30 had in Motor Trend test better mpg than Camry hybrid, with M sport package.
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Well said.
I agree with the points about the older cars. They are simpler, yes, but we are talking about in some cases 30 year old vehicles. Those are project cars not daily drivers.
What the OP must ask themselves is if they care about driving enough to prioritize a fun to drive car over reliability. Lexus vehicles break down too, and the parts for them are not cheap. If the OP is the type of person where a car is an appliance, then a BMW might not be for them. Newer BMWs with the B48 and B58 engines are pretty dang reliable, but like mentioned above if you buy used make sure it is inspected prior to buying and has service records.
My Club Sport is still on the original clutch at 29 years and 150,000 miles- and it was my HPDE instructor car from 1996 to 2012.
And by the way, it is still on the original water pump.
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Very interesting!
Do you mind elaborating on what makes the above-mentioned e30s and e34's BMW's less reliable than newer models?
I don't think I said they were less reliable, in fact I think I said the E30 with M20 was probably BMW's most reliable car. But they still were not perfect and had issues. It is today, with the tendency of everyone, myself included, to view the past with "rose colored glasses" that we talk about them as if they all went 150k -200k miles with no issues when that was not the reality.
