[nadans]

It's luck imo LOL gotta pick the right car.. Doesn't make sense honestly, but it is what it is..

[jhcao1472]

I have to admit my car has been very reliable. Been very strict about maintaining my car thanks to this site. However, with this crank seal bolt broken, I have no idea how to fix this car and wonder if this is going to be expensive. I know taking the car to dealer will be pricey than most normal cars. Wondered why BMW would use weak materials for their car.

[PINeely]

Originally Posted by index1489

Bullshit your oil pan, valve cover, oil filter housing would have to leaked by now.

Your belt, tensioner idler pulleys would have been making tons of noise.

Spark plugs ignition coils

I can go on and on.



Maybe your the exception, but I wouldn't say there are plenty more like yours.

I mean aside from regular maintenance of course. I'm not claiming to have gone 200k on one set of plugs or one pan of oil, LOL. But, no I haven't replaced any coils, no my belt and pulleys aren't making noise, and no I haven't had to replace the oil pan gasket. I did replace my OFHG preemptively about 20k ago, wasn't leaking by the way but you're right, I forgot to mention that.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by jhcao1472

I have to admit my car has been very reliable. Been very strict about maintaining my car thanks to this site. However, with this crank seal bolt broken, I have no idea how to fix this car and wonder if this is going to be expensive. I know taking the car to dealer will be pricey than most normal cars. Wondered why BMW would use weak materials for their car.

Okay, so really the issues are these:

1 - The rear crank seal is leaking oil at over 100,000 miles. There are millions of cars on the road that have leaking crank seals. I suspect the rear seal is seeping a bit and the lower rear of the engine is wet. If that's the case then I suggest leave it be. It will probably stay that way for another 100,000 miles. The cost to replace it is prohibitive; it requires removal of the transmission, so expect a $1,200 bill for it. If it is leaking really bad (I've never seen one really do that) then yeah replace it if it is making a mess of your parking space.

2- Broken bellhousing bolt. Drill it, use an easy out and remove it and replace it with a new bolt. The entire bolt set for the bellhousing is about $15.

The issue is not the bolts, but how they are torqued. During the assembly of the drivetrain at the factory, most bolts are automatically torqued by the tool used to run the bolts in. Aluminum bolts are susceptible to improper torqueing procedures. The tool that was used during assembly may have gone out of calibration.

[Dark_Knight_335]

Originally Posted by iBoost

Who started this rumor? What is more problematic on a 07 compared to later builds? My 07 was a problem free, for the most part, just the usual recalls.

Either way i agree with OP, paying premium price you expect a quality product meaning it will last.

The first year of many new model cars has always had "bugs"- it's not a rumor, it's a fact.

You may have had good luck with yours, and that is fantastic,
but several others on here have had bad luck with theirs.

As a matter of fact, wasn't 2006 the first year for the E90 325, and the last year of production for the 330 the year before? I remember kicking myself for not searching for the 330 instead at the time

[spicytofu]

Yea its a hit or miss. Same thing with Audi. I learned that once you get the car and problems creep up, even when the car is fairly new, get rid of it when the warranty ends. Its just an early sign that it was poorly made. So far, my 2011 bought new has had no problems. I still have not gone in to do the battery recall yet. Not crossing my fingers because I want this car to go bad so I can get another one, but before the warranty ends lol.

[PascalsWager]

Originally Posted by Dark_Knight_335

The first year of many new model cars has always had "bugs"- it's not a rumor, it's a fact.

You may have had good luck with yours, and that is fantastic,
but several others on here have had bad luck with theirs.

As a matter of fact, wasn't 2006 the first year for the E90 325, and the last year of production for the 330 the year before? I remember kicking myself for not searching for the 330 instead at the time

IIRC, 2006 model year (05 build dates) was the last year for both the 330i and 325i nomenclature in the US.

In 2007 model year (06 build dates), they were replaced by the 335i and 328i, respectively.

This is my first BMW, and I have little background on their build quality outside the expense of parts, repairs and the tendency for BMW engineers to get cute (Battery Reg, No Dipstick, No spare, odd maintenance intervals).

I found a former CPO - also as my research shows, an early-build 'showoff' car driven by a BMW exec in LA - excellent service history, enthusiast owned, low-mile n52 with all of my desired options. I wasn't as worried about it being a first-year model as I was the rigor with which it was maintained.

As others have said, its all about how you care for and maintain a car. My previous cars all made it to 250k before I got rid of them. I fully expect this one to as well. Unfortunately, I will PAY for that longevity through repairs and preventative maintenance. Just hopefully nothing catastrophic.

It is this last statement that more fully meshes with some of the replies in the thread: You should expect solid build quality, engineering and dynamics from the luxury marque, but also expect to pay more to maintain and keep her perfect.

Seems fair in exchange for driving such an enjoyable, tactile automobile, no?

[CruzS4e92]

Originally Posted by mr_milo

I hear you but at least you have a 2006 from late 2005 in 2013. I bought a 2011 in early 2011 by early 2013 I needed a new battery ($500 charge). On top of that the top never stopped squeaking, the windows would roll down after I rolled them up and the radio / navigation would never come back to where I left it. I took it to the dealer numerous times and they could never fix everything. They did comp the battery but told me it was my driving style and short (10 mile) commute that was killing the battery and they wouldn't comp another. Their suggestion..... get a trickle charger! Now this is my DD so a trickle charger is not only a PITA but it's insulting since I bought a 6cyl petrol car and not a plug-in hybrid!

Needless to say, the car got traded in a month ago with only 27K miles on it. I figured if they couldn't fix it under warranty, then things were just going to get worst... much worst after warranty.

if a service employee at a dealership that i bought a new car from suggested i "buy a trickle charger" i'd not only tell them to fuck off i'd probably pull them over the counter and beat them within an inch of their life. they need to take the customer service seminar my bullshit company made me attend at Bucks County Community College two months ago. holy fuck.

[Dark_Knight_335]

Originally Posted by PascalsWager

IIRC, 2006 model year (05 build dates) was the last year for both the 330i and 325i nomenclature in the US.

In 2007 model year (06 build dates), they were replaced by the 335i and 328i, respectively.

This is my first BMW, and I have little background on their build quality outside the expense of parts, repairs and the tendency for BMW engineers to get cute (Battery Reg, No Dipstick, No spare, odd maintenance intervals).

I found a former CPO - also as my research shows, an early-build 'showoff' car driven by a BMW exec in LA - excellent service history, enthusiast owned, low-mile n52 with all of my desired options. I wasn't as worried about it being a first-year model as I was the rigor with which it was maintained.

As others have said, its all about how you care for and maintain a car. My previous cars all made it to 250k before I got rid of them. I fully expect this one to as well. Unfortunately, I will PAY for that longevity through repairs and preventative maintenance. Just hopefully nothing catastrophic.

It is this last statement that more fully meshes with some of the replies in the thread: You should expect solid build quality, engineering and dynamics from the luxury marque, but also expect to pay more to maintain and keep her perfect.

Seems fair in exchange for driving such an enjoyable, tactile automobile, no?

Yup! That's it!! Thanks.

[flip4335]

Originally Posted by jhcao1472

I am just going to rant here. So I have a 2006 BMW 325i since late 2005. I have to admit maintaining this car past 100K miles is so tiresome. As I was changing the automatic transmission fluid, I noticed that there is an oil leak at the crank seal. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that one of the bolts connecting the engine to the transmission has broken off (I could see the thread and other part of the bolt in inside). It looks likes they used one of the one time use aluminum bolts. I am so pissed off that BMW cannot put the extra money to buy stronger bolts that comes in Toyotas and Hondas. Now I feel so unsafe in my car when I am driving it. I think there might be some other bolts that could have broken off and causing more problems when I travel far. I think these cars are really built to be junk after some years.

Originally Posted by mr_milo

I hear you but at least you have a 2006 from late 2005 in 2013. I bought a 2011 in early 2011 by early 2013 I needed a new battery ($500 charge). On top of that the top never stopped squeaking, the windows would roll down after I rolled them up and the radio / navigation would never come back to where I left it. I took it to the dealer numerous times and they could never fix everything. They did comp the battery but told me it was my driving style and short (10 mile) commute that was killing the battery and they wouldn't comp another. Their suggestion..... get a trickle charger! Now this is my DD so a trickle charger is not only a PITA but it's insulting since I bought a 6cyl petrol car and not a plug-in hybrid!

Needless to say, the car got traded in a month ago with only 27K miles on it. I figured if they couldn't fix it under warranty, then things were just going to get worst... much worst after warranty.

Originally Posted by Dark_Knight_335

The first year of many new model cars has always had "bugs"- it's not a rumor, it's a fact.

You may have had good luck with yours, and that is fantastic,
but several others on here have had bad luck with theirs.

As a matter of fact, wasn't 2006 the first year for the E90 325, and the last year of production for the 330 the year before? I remember kicking myself for not searching for the 330 instead at the time

Originally Posted by CruzS4e92

if a service employee at a dealership that i bought a new car from suggested i "buy a trickle charger" i'd not only tell them to fuck off i'd probably pull them over the counter and beat them within an inch of their life. they need to take the customer service seminar my bullshit company made me attend at Bucks County Community College two months ago. holy fuck.

This forum and many others like it truly reflect such a small population (enthusiasts) who love and maintain their cars.

I had one of those reliable 1982 Honda Accord hatchbacks that lasted 12 years and 213,000 miles before it died, but there was a segment of its life where I was only driving 6 miles one way to work, and the exhaust died a rotten, corroded death. It seems, I never got the vehicle warmed up enough to dry out the exhaust before I shut it down when I got to work. This resulted in moisture accumulating in the whole exhaust system and a wonderful surprise over the course of a year!

Sometimes, distance does play a role in the consequences of a vehicle. Some drive 80 miles a day round trip and never experience issues. Others drive 10 miles and the car falls apart. Hell, so many times, I let the car idle until it warms up because of my past experiences.

I also believe that maintenance costs are the price you pay for having a premium ride. I never bought warranties beyond the original because, by then, the car would have been paid for, and I didn't care to prepay for issues that would crop up over the life of a vehicle. I believe in pay as you go. Why pay 3,000USD for an extended warranty so that all you have to pay is the deductible (50-100USD) at each instance?

So, after 70K miles, I have to pay $2K for repairs, for example. The car is paid up, having finished my $600+ payments oh, one year ago around 50K miles... hmmm... that would be about $7,200 in payments that I didn't spend... $7.2K - $2.0K = Yessss! I am still $5.2K ahead in savings! Oh, and I take my car in for maintenance every hmmm... six months? Shelling out what? Oh... $150 to $400 depending upon service... hmmm... $1100 per year?

Dayummmm.... what is the issue? Forum members... grow up or trade out...

[mr_milo]

Originally Posted by CruzS4e92

if a service employee at a dealership that i bought a new car from suggested i "buy a trickle charger" i'd not only tell them to fuck off i'd probably pull them over the counter and beat them within an inch of their life. they need to take the customer service seminar my bullshit company made me attend at Bucks County Community College two months ago. holy fuck.

It wasn't only the service adviser but the service manager and shop foreman too. Is it even wonder I traded in the car.

There was no way I was going to buy a new $500 battery every two years!

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Okay, so really the issues are these:

1 - The rear crank seal is leaking oil at over 100,000 miles. There are millions of cars on the road that have leaking crank seals. I suspect the rear seal is seeping a bit and the lower rear of the engine is wet. If that's the case then I suggest leave it be. It will probably stay that way for another 100,000 miles. The cost to replace it is prohibitive; it requires removal of the transmission, so expect a $1,200 bill for it. If it is leaking really bad (I've never seen one really do that) then yeah replace it if it is making a mess of your parking space.

2- Broken bellhousing bolt. Drill it, use an easy out and remove it and replace it with a new bolt. The entire bolt set for the bellhousing is about $15.

The issue is not the bolts, but how they are torqued. During the assembly of the drivetrain at the factory, most bolts are automatically torqued by the tool used to run the bolts in. Aluminum bolts are susceptible to improper torqueing procedures. The tool that was used during assembly may have gone out of calibration.

I would double check its the rear main seal, usually its just the oil pan, my was leaking in a way which I was 100 percent was sure it was the rear main seal, it wasn't.

[iBoost]

Originally Posted by Dark_Knight_335

The first year of many new model cars has always had "bugs"- it's not a rumor, it's a fact.

You may have had good luck with yours, and that is fantastic,
but several others on here have had bad luck with theirs.

As a matter of fact, wasn't 2006 the first year for the E90 325, and the last year of production for the 330 the year before? I remember kicking myself for not searching for the 330 instead at the time

I see what you're saying. But what I'm interested in knowing is what where some of they problems that were exclusive to 07 or early builds? I haven't heard of any besides the ordinary that most n54 engines experience.