BMW 3 series reliability?

[I_4]

My previous ride was a 2008 E92 all wheel drive with manual trans. A really nice combo. Keep in mind that the AWD will be more expensive when it comes to change the oil pan gasket. I drove the E92 from MA to WA and south to San Fran, average MPG was 27. No issues, sold it with about 100k on the odo. I currently have a 2007 E90 with auto trans. Not as nice to drive, this year I drove it from MA to WA to AK and back. 12,300 miles in one month. One flat tire near Palmer AK. One blown RR shock from frost heaves, car had lots of camping gear and Thule roof rack, etc. Replaced with Bilstein B6. Nice upgrade from stock and would highly recommend that the stock dampers be replaced with these asap,or around 60k. I use Amsoil Euro 5w-40 Classic (full SAPS). This last oil run was 16k, Blackstone report came back that I could run a little longer. Keep in mind that this was all highway, done in a short period of time. These cars are ok if you can do most of your own work, I could not afford taking it to a garage for every little thing. Previous posts mention oil leaks, and I have found that to be true. My E90 has 123k, two valve cover gaskets, one oil pan gasket at 100k, one A/C compressor, plus the usual wear items. Major service at 100k includes spark plugs, auto trans fluid, serp belt with tensioner. I am on my orig water pump. Note that they are electric on the E9x cars.

 

[jeepman3071]

The difference I find with BMW is that although they are complicated, there are many DIY videos on forums and youtube of almost every repair. I wouldn't consider them difficult to work on, just different. Once you get used to them they aren't that much harder to work on. If you want a car that you put gas in and never think about maintenance, they are not for you. If you want something enjoyable to drive that cost a bit more in maintenance, they are rewarding to own. The people with the expensive bills are the ones who go to the dealer for repairs or don't do any maintenance until there is a major problem. This way of thinking will be expensive no matter what brand. If you read the fine print on some of these "services" performed at dealerships it consists of checking over the car and replacing the spark plugs.

 

[RooflessVW]

The other big thing about BMW, VW, Audi, Mercedes, etc. is that they have big, wide, knowledgeable communities. If you have any issues, from coding to removing the engine/trans, someone has been there before and talked about it online.

There is also BMWCCA which is a wealth of knowledge in and of itself, has great events and clinics, and a 10-20% discount on parts and labor. Every now and then you can even catch a deal through BMW financial if you're a BMWCCA member.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: d00df00d
A note of caution: OP specifically asked about '07-'11 cars. Those are a bit more difficult to work on than the previous cars, and they have a different set of quirks. So, if you're commenting here based on your experience with cars before that time, what you're saying isn't necessarily applicable.


I know you know your BMW's, and I would tend to agree. My old 7 series (E32) was wonderful but the seat broke! The seat? Really? Nearly wrecked the car. Cost something like 1300 dollars just for the seat way back in the 80's.

But I still tend to agree they require more dollars to own and operate across long periods of time. I love the way the driver-centric focus is maintained across their line up. They have very few boring cars now. But like any high end automobile they tend to be more expensive overall than many folks are prepared for...

 

[MCompact]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8

But I still tend to agree they require more dollars to own and operate across long periods of time. I love the way the driver-centric focus is maintained across their line up. They have very few boring cars now. But like any high end automobile they tend to be more expensive overall than many folks are prepared for...


I don't disagree at all; my beef is with those who throw out snippets of internet wisdom that have absolutely no basis in fact. No, BMWs aren't the least expensive cars to own, but for me the additional expense is more than worth it.

 

[Andrew1972]

Reliability of friends who own 3 and 5 series seems good. They all seem to really enjoy and the a few expensive repairs ($2k ish) happen somewhere between 120k- 160k and then love is lost and they move on.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: MCompact
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8

But I still tend to agree they require more dollars to own and operate across long periods of time. I love the way the driver-centric focus is maintained across their line up. They have very few boring cars now. But like any high end automobile they tend to be more expensive overall than many folks are prepared for...


I don't disagree at all; my beef is with those who throw out snippets of internet wisdom that have absolutely no basis in fact. No, BMWs aren't the least expensive cars to own, but for me the additional expense is more than worth it.


Exactly. Every brand makes some lemons. Every single one. Most of the complaints I hear are from folks like my dentist. His 328 just coughed up the electric water pump in traffic in Atlanta and it cost him a fortune. But all he does is change the oil! If ignored or maintained improperly a complex automobile is always going to cost you big time sooner or later, no matter who made it...

 

[ford46guy]

I tried a white 2009 BMW 328xi with about 120k miles. Has nav. They wanted 7K for it, has leaks, oil filter adapter gasket(just like the ford 4.6!) and valve covers. He also said while you are in there to change a small sensor on the cam. Sold as is at a dealer, passes state inspection.

It is a great handling car. Looks like it could be a DIY thing, if I decide to get it. This dealer claims they get off lease or trade in cars from BMW dealerships that don't meet their standards for small issues but are otherwise good vehicles. He said if you go online, do homework and replace failure prone parts it is a great car. Then again if I were a soccer mom who would never go under the hood, he would not suggest it. He said any high mileage car, no matter who makes it is going to need TLC. He said there is a 5 year old honda in the bay with a messed up engine, and it had a perfect service history too.

 

[Vikas]

If you like wrenching, look up the various resources dealing with that particular model and see if it would be something that you would enjoy fixing and have the resources such as space, time, spare vehicle etc. Also make sure you have budget of $10K to purchase this $7K listed car so that you would deal with any unexpected surprises along the way. If you are already stretching your budget or this is going to be your only vehicle taking you to work every single day so that you can put the roof over your head, then stay away from this car.

Be very very suspicious of the claim that this one is being off-lease or traded at a BMW dealer. This car probably has not seen a BMW dealer for last few years. After it came off the warranty, no way it was taken back to BMW dealer for regular maintenance.

 

[HerrStig]

My son's restoring an '83 633CSI. There are a number of components which need attention and have accessibility issues beyond the norm. The dash had to be removed because the speedo drive system
(electromechanical) gears were turning to mush. But, overall it's a great looking car, not a hot rod, but very nice to drive.The car suffered from many years of gas station quality repairs including some almost criminal "rewiring". We've fixed all that and a bunch of other problems such as fan control electronics, (not a resistor and there are speed controls for heat as well as AC), dash lighting, a mpg computer which used a battery backup, and the vehicle still had it's 15.5 inch Michelin TRX tires and wheels. Michelin, after dreaming that special wheel size up, stopped making tires for it so used BMW 16 inch wheels and tires were substituted.
I'm a BMW bike owner, and have nothing against the marque other than too many people buy them for snob appeal and never use the performance they are paying for.

 

[jeepman3071]

Originally Posted By: HerrStig

I'm a BMW bike owner, and have nothing against the marque other than too many people buy them for snob appeal and never use the performance they are paying for.


Very true. Many buy a BMW because of the badge, and will complain it rides stiff. Well it does ride stiffer than say a boat-like Cadillac, but they are meant for curvy mountain roads. I drove my friend's e46 330i ZHP through some mountain roads in upper New England and it handled phenomenal. If only driven on pothole-filled city streets I could see the drawback.