It's funny how in Europe BMW's are by most people considered to be very reliable. Yet over in the US generally seem to hate them. Do US BMW's get assembled differently to ours?
different servicing environment. american technicians put a higher value on their labor and skills, and it gets more extreme with less common cars\brands.It's funny how in Europe BMW's are by most people considered to be very reliable. Yet over in the US generally seem to hate them. Do US BMW's get assembled differently to ours?
Not sure you can blame servicing. For the last 10 years most BMW's have done 20k or 2 years between servicing. Far less than they would if they were in the US.different servicing environment. american technicians put a higher value on their labor and skills, and it gets more extreme with less common cars\brands.
by servicing i mean any kind of post-warranty repairs. big labor rates (inflated hours) + big parts markup = $$$. this is where the bad reputation of these cars come from.Not sure you can blame servicing. For the last 10 years most BMW's have done 20k or 2 years between servicing. Far less than they would if they were in the US.
It's funny how in Europe BMW's are by most people considered to be very reliable. Yet over in the US generally seem to hate them. Do US BMW's get assembled differently to ours?
Exactly; it’s the people who buy BMWs to wear. They cut corners on servicing or neglect it entirely- then they whine and moan when their fashion accessory breaks down. And it’s not just BMWs; I remember a guy at my old indie shop asking if the tech would just replace the pads and rotors on one wheel of his 944 to save a few dollars.I think it largely comes from second and (worse yet) third + hand owners who are unwilling or are ignorant as to how to properly take care of the cars, and they also expect to drive them well into high mileage with the ownership costs of a Ford Focus. That's bound to lead to unpleasant results, and of course those must be blamed on the vehicle and then trumpeted all over the internet. Everyone here is a "victim" ya know.
In the US many of these cars are bought down the line by people who can barely afford to get into the car but they want the "status". My neighbor drives an older Cadillac Escalade and rents a large house in a neighborhood dominated by owners on their third house (read financially well established). I've seen that Caddy towed for being a few hours late on a payment at least two times now, maybe three. Same kind of owner, different make. I honestly feel bad for them, they just don't know any better.
US cars are sold with more standard options which creates more potential failure points.It's funny how in Europe BMW's are by most people considered to be very reliable. Yet over in the US generally seem to hate them. Do US BMW's get assembled differently to ours?
There's a reinforcement kit for that as well.I would be more worried about the rear subframe to chassis mounting points than the engine. These crack around the bolt holes and if left can cause significant floor pan damage.
get it into a specialist who knows them for a PPI as these cracks can be easily missed if you don’t know where to look. I’ve seen one car you could only see cracks with the subframe removed.
Same specialist should be able to advise on rod bearing issues.
Yes, however I have seen the welds then crack after they have been fitted. BMW was putting new rear floor pans into them under warranty then adding a structural foam into the chassis legs! Just something for anyone wanting one of these cars to be aware of before purchaseThere's a reinforcement kit for that as well.
It has not been that way for a LONG time. Most cars now are 12k km or so.Not sure you can blame servicing. For the last 10 years most BMW's have done 20k or 2 years between servicing. Far less than they would if they were in the US.
Btw...feel free to check with your psychiatrist. I'm thinking your meds may need adjusting.Congratulations! Your knowledge of BMW maintenance, repairs, and running costs is essentially zero- thus you qualify for the heralded title of BITOG BMW Expert!
You will retain that title in perpetuity as long as you never even sit in a BMW; you must further pledge to take no steps whatsoever to actually learn anything about them.
Well done!!!
It only took a year to come up with that stinging rejoinder.Dug up this old abandoned thread for that?
I guess we were trolled, guy only stuck around for a few days and hasn't been seen since. I wonder how he made out with it.I can't believe it's been a year. I clearly remember responding to the original post (a year ago) as though it was last week. Time flies.
I Owned several BMW and never had issues period full stop. MY son has his own gently used high end vehicles, he drives BMW only, BTW, he stocks MERCEDES TESLA PORCHE Audi Lexus etcYou’ve lost me at “20 year old”
Owned a 2003 530i, a true bawarian money waste machine
My first was a 1995 530i stick shift, oil changed only at BMW, yet it had a slight leak, known problem bad pan bolts down again for freeIt better be cheap. Old BMW's require a lot of care and feeding.
20 years ago, BMW oil change intervals were 15,000 miles (I'm not sure if there was a time requirement). I bought a 2001 BMW 525i that was maintained like that (it was dealer maintained and each visit was documented), it was 5 years old and had 69,000 miles on it. When I changed the oil the first time, (there was still at least one green bar on the service minder), I was shocked to see that the oil filter was covered with coked oil. The oil had completely broken down into hard carbon particles that looked like Folger's Coffee Crystals. I was crushed and was sure that I had just bought the biggest lemon in history. I started shopping for a used engine because I was sure that one was toast. Well, it's good thing I didn't buy that used engine, because we kept that car for another 15 years and put 110,000 more miles on it. That engine was fine. The rest of the car needed a lot of attention, but that engine purred like a kitten the whole time we owned. it.
THIS IS NOT A TROLL only yesterday read my lips did this car come to my attention !! needs 1 rear strut $150.10 delivered, all other service complete and recorded.I Owned several BMW and never had issues period full stop. MY son has his own gently used high end vehicles, he drives BMW only, BTW, he stocks MERCEDES TESLA PORCHE Audi Lexus etc