2006 BMW 325ix

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A manual transmission 2006 BMW 325ix sedan showed up with 135k for $5500/bo. It has slight rear bumper damage but otherwise in great condition. It's original owner is a law office/dealer taken of.

I have never seen 3 series as avoid due to reliability cars but any input on this one?
 
AFAIK, the 2006 cars had a few gremlins that were fixed later. Other than that, should be okay unless there are obvious problems.

I'd STRONGLY recommend a pre-purchase inspection at a BMW dealership or VERY reputable independent BMW specialist.
 
Yes, get a PPI from a shop that KNOWS BMWs. A service history would be nice to have as well. The 328i of that vintage is a reasonably simple car- no turbo and a durable motor. The xDrive transfer case can be problematic(another reason I prefer RWD Bimmers) but aside from that I wouldn't be afraid to buy one if the PPI report and SH were both good.
 
Id avoid these cars with the newer N52K, these engine have a few issues that can be relatively pricey to repair compared to the earlier ones. We often see water pump/ thermostat failure ($1100-1300) rear shocks and mounts ($800 depending on shocks) cam adjuster solenoids, heavy oil leaks from valve cover or oil filter housing gaskets, and ignition coil failures. The transfer case actuators are beginning to fail more often, and they require run flat tires which are more expensive to replace than regular non runflats. Plus seat mat sensors in the passenger seats fail, usually more than 1k to repair or you'll have a constant airbag light. BMWs have really fallen in terms of reliability with the release of this vehicle back in 2006. Id either try to find an older one with the more reliable engine/less electronics, or avoid a german car altogether.
 
My son drives a 2009 328i with close to 100k on it and the only issue we've had to address has been the oil filter housing gasket- and that been a trouble spot going back to the M50.
 
Originally Posted By: Audios
Id avoid these cars with the newer N52K, these engine have a few issues that can be relatively pricey to repair compared to the earlier ones. We often see water pump/ thermostat failure ($1100-1300) rear shocks and mounts ($800 depending on shocks) cam adjuster solenoids, heavy oil leaks from valve cover or oil filter housing gaskets, and ignition coil failures. The transfer case actuators are beginning to fail more often, and they require run flat tires which are more expensive to replace than regular non runflats. Plus seat mat sensors in the passenger seats fail, usually more than 1k to repair or you'll have a constant airbag light. BMWs have really fallen in terms of reliability with the release of this vehicle back in 2006. Id either try to find an older one with the more reliable engine/less electronics, or avoid a german car altogether.


what is a seat mat sensor? Rings alarm if some steals your seat mats? and whats a seat mat?
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: edwardh1

what is a seat mat sensor? Rings alarm if some steals your seat mats? and whats a seat mat?


It's a sensor for the airbag system. I've owned seven airbag equipped BMWs since 1992 and I've replaced a grand total of one mat sensor- and that was on the X3 pursuant to a recall.
 
Originally Posted By: edwardh1
what is a seat mat sensor? Rings alarm if some steals your seat mats? and whats a seat mat?

It detects if there is someone sitting in the seat. If not, then it won't deploy the airbag in case of an accident.

It broke in mine fairly early on... got a shop to fix it. Sometimes if you just put too much pressure in one spot, like when getting onto the seat with your knee, you'll break it.
 
I maintain a 2006 325XI that a good friend of mine owns. The car has 114k miles on it now. Her family bought it when it only had 20k miles on it. The car runs great. It did have the waterpump fail at about 70k miles which is typical for the N52. Other than tires, the rest of it is original, even the brakes. It does have a slight oil leak from the oil filter housing, but this is common and not too big of a job. Hers has the automatic transmission which still shifts pretty good with the original fluid (doh! I have to change that soon).

The run flat tires ride terrible and are a pain to replace, but any tire shop can convert them over to regular tires just by changing the valve stems. She just bought new tires for ~500 and had it converted to regular tires.

This car is a joy to drive, and with the X-Drive it is unstoppable in the snow. They do have their quirks. I would consider BMWs a car that is expensive to maintain, but much cheaper and easier to own if you can DIY the repairs and maintenance. Oil changes are $90+ at the local dealer. I bought the oil filter removal tool for $9 on Amazon and you can buy 7 quarts of Castrol 0w40 at Walmart with the filter for under 40 bucks.

The key is finding one that was maintained, and it looks like the one you've found has service records. It should be a fun vehicle with the manual transmission for sure!
 
What is your goal with the car? Commuter? Fun toy car? Smooth riding Cadillac?

I was selling a 2004 BMW 325i last year for someone and drove it about 2 weeks/750 miles.

It handled nice but that was about the only compliment I had.

0-60 was 10 seconds, so it was just as fast as my old 4x4 Jeep Cherokee. I made a post about it last year and some think it had a VANOS issue or something. I don't know, it ran fine but wasn't impressive with speed.
 
The E90 325i should easily dispatch the 0-60 run in the low six second range. Certainly no ball of fire- but on the quicker side of slow.
 
Originally Posted By: Audios
Id avoid these cars with the newer N52K, these engine have a few issues that can be relatively pricey to repair compared to the earlier ones. We often see water pump/ thermostat failure ($1100-1300) rear shocks and mounts ($800 depending on shocks) cam adjuster solenoids, heavy oil leaks from valve cover or oil filter housing gaskets, and ignition coil failures. The transfer case actuators are beginning to fail more often, and they require run flat tires which are more expensive to replace than regular non runflats. Plus seat mat sensors in the passenger seats fail, usually more than 1k to repair or you'll have a constant airbag light. BMWs have really fallen in terms of reliability with the release of this vehicle back in 2006. Id either try to find an older one with the more reliable engine/less electronics, or avoid a german car altogether.


I've actually heard just the opposite, that the newer BMWs are more reliable. It has been my experience as well, at least with the 3 series.

The e46 for example is plagued with sub frame cracking issues, massive oil leaks, suspension bushings constantly failing, electrical problems, fuel pump issues, sensors, cooling system problems, and vacuum leaks. When the M54 engine overheats it usually blows the head gasket and/or pulls the head bolt threads out of the block.

The e90 cars are more complex, but seem to be better engineered. Consumer reports (even though I'm not a big fan of them) gave the 2009-2011 e90 3-series an above average reliability rating.

I maintain 2 e46 cars. One with 40k miles (a 2004), and another with 121k miles (a 2005). The car with 40k has had the water pump and expansion tank replaced, and a few suspension bits. The car with 121k miles has had the entire cooling system replaced, all shocks, front springs, fuel pump, crank sensor, DISA valve, door lock actuators, 2 window motors, valve cover gasket (x3), oil filter housing gasket.

My friend's 2006 325XI e90 has 114k miles and has had the water pump replaced at 70k, tires, and now at 114k the oil filter housing is starting to seep a bit. And this is one of the earlier cars with more potential flaws.

Obviously the newer cars with direct injection and turbos are more likely to have problems (335i, 535i, 135i, etc), and the V8 cars can be a bit more problematic as well.
 
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
What is your goal with the car? Commuter? Fun toy car? Smooth riding Cadillac?

I was selling a 2004 BMW 325i last year for someone and drove it about 2 weeks/750 miles.

It handled nice but that was about the only compliment I had.

0-60 was 10 seconds, so it was just as fast as my old 4x4 Jeep Cherokee. I made a post about it last year and some think it had a VANOS issue or something. I don't know, it ran fine but wasn't impressive with speed.


The 2004 325i had a 2.5L I-6 engine. The N52 in the newer 325i e90 cars is a 3.0L. The autos are also a bit slower than the manual.
 
Originally Posted By: jeepman3071
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
What is your goal with the car? Commuter? Fun toy car? Smooth riding Cadillac?

I was selling a 2004 BMW 325i last year for someone and drove it about 2 weeks/750 miles.

It handled nice but that was about the only compliment I had.

0-60 was 10 seconds, so it was just as fast as my old 4x4 Jeep Cherokee. I made a post about it last year and some think it had a VANOS issue or something. I don't know, it ran fine but wasn't impressive with speed.


The 2004 325i had a 2.5L I-6 engine. The N52 in the newer 325i e90 cars is a 3.0L. The autos are also a bit slower than the manual.
I thought the name of the car gave a clue as to what was under the hood, the "25" in 325i meant 2.5L?

Why wouldn't they just call it a 330i?
 
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
I thought the name of the car gave a clue as to what was under the hood, the "25" in 325i meant 2.5L?

Why wouldn't they just call it a 330i?


Those days are long gone, unfortunately. Now the number essentially denotes relative power levels. For example, the F30 320i, 328i, and 330i all have 2 liter I4 engines- although the 330i does have the new B46 modular engine. rather than the N20 found in the 320i and 328i.
 
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Originally Posted By: jeepman3071
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
What is your goal with the car? Commuter? Fun toy car? Smooth riding Cadillac?

I was selling a 2004 BMW 325i last year for someone and drove it about 2 weeks/750 miles.

It handled nice but that was about the only compliment I had.

0-60 was 10 seconds, so it was just as fast as my old 4x4 Jeep Cherokee. I made a post about it last year and some think it had a VANOS issue or something. I don't know, it ran fine but wasn't impressive with speed.


The 2004 325i had a 2.5L I-6 engine. The N52 in the newer 325i e90 cars is a 3.0L. The autos are also a bit slower than the manual.
I thought the name of the car gave a clue as to what was under the hood, the "25" in 325i meant 2.5L?

Why wouldn't they just call it a 330i?


For those years:

325i/325xi = 2.5L
328i/328xi = 2.8L
330i/330xi = 3.0L

The e90 cars (2006-2011) that were non-turbo had the same N52 3.0L engine, just different power levels.
 
Originally Posted By: jeepman3071
Originally Posted By: Audios
Id avoid these cars with the newer N52K, these engine have a few issues that can be relatively pricey to repair compared to the earlier ones. We often see water pump/ thermostat failure ($1100-1300) rear shocks and mounts ($800 depending on shocks) cam adjuster solenoids, heavy oil leaks from valve cover or oil filter housing gaskets, and ignition coil failures. The transfer case actuators are beginning to fail more often, and they require run flat tires which are more expensive to replace than regular non runflats. Plus seat mat sensors in the passenger seats fail, usually more than 1k to repair or you'll have a constant airbag light. BMWs have really fallen in terms of reliability with the release of this vehicle back in 2006. Id either try to find an older one with the more reliable engine/less electronics, or avoid a german car altogether.


I've actually heard just the opposite, that the newer BMWs are more reliable. It has been my experience as well, at least with the 3 series.

The e46 for example is plagued with sub frame cracking issues, massive oil leaks, suspension bushings constantly failing, electrical problems, fuel pump issues, sensors, cooling system problems, and vacuum leaks. When the M54 engine overheats it usually blows the head gasket and/or pulls the head bolt threads out of the block.

The e90 cars are more complex, but seem to be better engineered. Consumer reports (even though I'm not a big fan of them) gave the 2009-2011 e90 3-series an above average reliability rating.

I maintain 2 e46 cars. One with 40k miles (a 2004), and another with 121k miles (a 2005). The car with 40k has had the water pump and expansion tank replaced, and a few suspension bits. The car with 121k miles has had the entire cooling system replaced, all shocks, front springs, fuel pump, crank sensor, DISA valve, door lock actuators, 2 window motors, valve cover gasket (x3), oil filter housing gasket.

My friend's 2006 325XI e90 has 114k miles and has had the water pump replaced at 70k, tires, and now at 114k the oil filter housing is starting to seep a bit. And this is one of the earlier cars with more potential flaws.

Obviously the newer cars with direct injection and turbos are more likely to have problems (335i, 535i, 135i, etc), and the V8 cars can be a bit more problematic as well.


No, Audios is spot-on from my experience. The E90s appeared to be more reliable early on, but as they aged, the issues became far more expensive and complex than the common E46 problems. Plus keep in mind that the E90 has far more modules, and many electronics replacements require coding or vehicle reprogramming.
 
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