[cybermgm23]

you're probably going to be disappointed. I'm seeing more and more posters on here whining about the reliability of BMW. Well sorry to burst your bubble kids, but you should be buying a BMW for the driving experience, not for reliability. Either have deep pockets or a really good warranty. Otherwise, don't buy a bmw. When I bout my 328i, I knew going in, driving a BMW is like having a super model girlfriend/boyfriend, looks good and fun to drive, but super high maintenance.

[BravoJohny33]

Originally Posted by cybermgm23

you're probably going to be disappointed. I'm seeing more and more posters on here whining about the reliability of BMW. Well sorry to burst your bubble kids, but you should be buying a BMW for the driving experience, not for reliability. Either have deep pockets or a really good warranty. Otherwise, don't buy a bmw. When I bout my 328i, I knew going in, driving a BMW is like having a super model girlfriend/boyfriend, looks good and fun to drive, but super high maintenance.

Its not that the non turbo models are not reliable. Its that you seem to get ripped off on every little repair. 350+ dollars for spark plugs wtf?

[NitroKing]

Warranty is a must.

[tcphoto]

I drove an E46 for nearly seven years and have owned my E92 for a year. It's not that they're unreliable, you simply need to pay attention to certain systems. The cooling system in the E46 is it's achilles heel and the E92 seems to be the turbos. If you are reasonably handy with tools you will save a lot of money and aggravation. I find that I spend as much on parts as I do on gas which isn't bad for the fun I have driving it.

[Needbmwpartzz]

Who buys BMW for reliability?:
Mine is somewhat reliable engine wise.....just seems everything else around it fails.

[OP3NAIR]

You marry these cars. Any German car, honestly. If you don’t stay on top of the upkeep, theyll absolutely wreck you. If you stay up with it, it’s not *that* bad if you can fix em yourself.
Problem with mine is that they seem to have synced their time of the month. One breaks and something is guaranteed to start acting up in the other one too.

[Bob Shiftright]

A set of metric tools is a must.

My 328i has been surprisingly unreliable, considering that according to Consumer Reports the 328i was supposed to be one of the most reliable BMW models, and considering how little my car has been driven. My car was built in November but I think the workers still had their hangovers from Oktoberfest. Or the car had the optional Poltergeist Package (ZPPP).

It's the most unreliable car that I ever purchased new. And my list of new car purchases included a couple of SAABs. My Acura -- the most reliable car that I've ever owned -- only lasted a couple of years. But I still have the BMW, nearly 10 years later.

Chevrolet offers a 2018 Volt lease for $289/month. It's worth at least $289/month to me not to drive a Chevrolet Volt.

Stuff $289/month into a cookie jar for repairs. It probably won't cost nearly that much. (You can probably take a nice vacation with whatever is left over.)

[BravoJohny33]

Originally Posted by Bob Shiftright

A set of metric tools is a must.

My 328i has been surprisingly unreliable, considering that according to Consumer Reports the 328i was supposed to be one of the most reliable BMW models, and considering how little my car has been driven. My car was built in November but I think the workers still had their hangovers from Oktoberfest. Or the car had the optional Poltergeist Package (ZPPP).

It's the most unreliable car that I ever purchased new. And my list of new car purchases included a couple of SAABs. My Acura -- the most reliable car that I've ever owned -- only lasted a couple of years. But I still have the BMW, nearly 10 years later.

Chevrolet offers a 2018 Volt lease for $289/month. It's worth at least $289/month to me not to drive a Chevrolet Volt.

Stuff $289/month into a cookie jar for repairs. It probably won't cost nearly that much. (You can probably take a nice vacation with whatever is left over.)

So your car is a unreliable POS but that is OKAY because all you care about is the badge?

[tlow98]

Originally Posted by Bob Shiftright

A set of metric tools is a must.

My 328i has been surprisingly unreliable, considering that according to Consumer Reports the 328i was supposed to be one of the most reliable BMW models, and considering how little my car has been driven. My car was built in November but I think the workers still had their hangovers from Oktoberfest. Or the car had the optional Poltergeist Package (ZPPP).

It's the most unreliable car that I ever purchased new. And my list of new car purchases included a couple of SAABs. My Acura -- the most reliable car that I've ever owned -- only lasted a couple of years. But I still have the BMW, nearly 10 years later.

Chevrolet offers a 2018 Volt lease for $289/month. It's worth at least $289/month to me not to drive a Chevrolet Volt.

Stuff $289/month into a cookie jar for repairs. It probably won't cost nearly that much. (You can probably take a nice vacation with whatever is left over.)

Mind listing the items that have failed?

[krhodes1]

Originally Posted by NitroKing

Warranty is a must.

Why? If you can afford to buy one of these cars new, you can afford to fix it forever. The largest cost of ownership is depreciation, not repairs. If you can't afford one used (maintenance included), you should buy something you actually can afford. Warranty companies are not charities, on average, the people who buy extended warranties lose huge amounts of money on them. Extended warranties are like Vegas, the house always wins big.

That said, while they are not Toyotas, BMWs need not be money pits either. Step one is avoiding the BMW dealerships. Cappuccino machines and free loaners do not come cheap, nice though they may be. Avoiding the bleeding edge helps a lot too. These cars are at their best at their simplest - like all cars, what isn't there won't ever break.

FWIW, my car had a couple very minor issues under warranty in the first year or so, and absolutely nothing since. Nothing but the annual oil change/inspection and routine maintenance of fluids.

[Welcome to NBA Jam]

I bought M3 thrust arms, lower control arms, inner/outer tie rods, sway bar links, installation hardware, and new tie rod boots for less than the cost of someone changing one control arm.

I have no complaints about the performance to dollar ratio.

[Efthreeoh]

Eh, mine's been reliable for over 330,000 miles. BMWs 3-series need a little work once and a while... BFD. Learn to turn wrenches.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by Bob Shiftright

A set of metric tools is a must.

My 328i has been surprisingly unreliable, considering that according to Consumer Reports the 328i was supposed to be one of the most reliable BMW models, and considering how little my car has been driven. My car was built in November but I think the workers still had their hangovers from Oktoberfest. Or the car had the optional Poltergeist Package (ZPPP).

It's the most unreliable car that I ever purchased new. And my list of new car purchases included a couple of SAABs. My Acura -- the most reliable car that I've ever owned -- only lasted a couple of years. But I still have the BMW, nearly 10 years later.

Chevrolet offers a 2018 Volt lease for $289/month. It's worth at least $289/month to me not to drive a Chevrolet Volt.

Stuff $289/month into a cookie jar for repairs. It probably won't cost nearly that much. (You can probably take a nice vacation with whatever is left over.)

I'll take you up on it. I'll lease a 2018 Volt with your $289.

[dlf750]

Agreed. I know going in what I'm getting into. I've had at least 10 BMWs, a few Audis and an Acura. And I keep going back to BMW. It's the feel of a BMW that I'm attracted to. Do they have issues? yep, every single one of them.

[CTinline-six]

[TemjinX2]

i agree these are not like the toyota or nissan where you just drive it and forget it. BMW's need to be routinely maintained.

With that said, i bought my 335i with 4yr warranty for $2800. First 1.5yrs of ownership they covered $5500 in repairs. I did spent $100 out of pocket for diy, since my warranty company wouldn't cover the OFHG until it caused a check engine light.

I'll probably move onto a F series, they seem a lot more reliable compared to the E series. My buddies m235i has been problem free for last 2yrs...only thing he swapped out is the tires and oil changes.

[PourBoi-Jay]

I've replaced the big items like water pump, thermostat, and injectors on my N54 E90. Otherwise, my car has been very solid. Only routine maintenance and mods have put a dent in my wallet. I'm convinced that many of the complaints of unreliability are due to choosing the wrong used car (i.e. Lack of research or inspection) or neglect. Sure, some have gotten unlucky....but the vast majority of E90 owners are faithful to the platform. Can't get a much better DD for the money

Also, being your own mechanic helps.

[Bob Shiftright]

Originally Posted by BravoJohny33

So your car is a unreliable POS but that is OKAY because all you care about is the badge?

"The badge"? Nope, they're as common as Toyotas in Tokyo around here. And it's a station wagon. I am invisible.

I like it because it has a stick shift and it's fun to drive.

But reliable, it's not.

[Bob Shiftright]

Originally Posted by tlow98

Mind listing the items that have failed?

I purchased the "Platinum" extended warranty. BMW covered a lot of repairs. They didn't earn much if any money with this one.

Under both the original and extended warranty -- electrical poltergeists, mainly. Several radios. Software updates. The stereo amplifier. The car is on it's third or fourth amp. Batteries. The battery cable recall. Some $1000 gizmo that's involved in the stability control. The serpentine belt tensionser. The sunroof. The driver's seat cover was replaced early on -- defective cow. Passenger seat occupancy sensor. Probably a bunch of other stuff that I've forgotten.

My best failure yet was driving back from Thanksgiving dinner several years ago and I was telling my daughter -- who is a saner person who drives a Honda Accord -- that BMWs are a lot of fun to drive and "really not all that unreliable" (she was having trouble stopping herself from laughing!) At that exact moment, deus ex machina, the BMW spirits intervened, the radio quit, half the radio display went blank, and the other half showed machine gibberish.

I thought the dealer was pretty good about fixing complaints, but now that I've been poking around the car more myself since it's out of warranty, I think they probably averaged breaking something for every time they've fixed something. That is, they don't tell you when they break a bolt off (I found one where the tech broke the bolt, actually began to tap it to remove it, and then must have said "Screw it, this is hardened steel and it's gonna take me forever to tap, three bolts is enough to hold this on.")

As noted above, my original battery was replaced by the dealer under the "courtesy" warranty program over 7 years ago. Since that time, I was careful to use a trickle charger. Earlier this year, my trickle charger gave me an error code and shut itself off, as did a second trickle charger. My big charger charged up the battery but the next morning the voltage was under 12 volts.

If it looks like a duck, right? No big deal, the battery was more than 7 years old.

I dropped it off at my indy for battery replacement and when I picked the car up, he told me that the car had a lead acid battery in it, but it came from the factory with an AGM battery -- I thought only 'verts and M Cars came with AGMs but apparently my car is optioned heavily enough and so it did.

But the interesting info was that my dealer hadn't changed the coding so the car was coded for an AGM battery, not the lead acid one that they used for a replacement. And it still lasted more than 7 years.

Also, I needed to replace the windshield this year. Not BMW's fault, but it was the weirdest crack I've ever had in a windshield -- at the bottom below the wipers. And a bunch of small trim and interior parts. Both cup holders (one broke but BMW changed the trim's appearance. I replaced the right rear door speaker this year. (Plus a couple of trim clips that I broke.)

I had the airbag recall done earlier this month. So far I haven't found anything that they broke.

Will I buy another one?

No.

BMW spared me that decision by discontinuing station wagons and SUVs with manual gearboxes in the US. I can't buy another one, even if I want too. I admit that I've considered an M2 -- but I really need that rear hatch.

So I'm not sure what I can buy next. Any ideas?

The car must have three pedals! I'm leaning towards a Golf R. (Yes, I know that going from a 328i to a VW is going from the frying pan into the fire as far as service and reliability.)

[Greyfox]

Seriously, again?

You will get out of your BMW the amount you put into it. Do proper maintenance and replace items like suspension and engine on a schedule.

And if you go to any other automotive board, you will find as many or more whiners complaining about issues with their cars. Seriously, please go look on any Toyota, Nissan, Chevy, Ford, VW, etc board.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by Bob Shiftright

I purchased the "Platinum" extended warranty. BMW covered a lot of repairs. They didn't earn much if any money with this one.

Under both the original and extended warranty -- electrical poltergeists, mainly. Several radios. Software updates. The stereo amplifier. The car is on it's third or fourth amp. Batteries. The battery cable recall. Some $1000 gizmo that's involved in the stability control. The serpentine belt tensionser. The sunroof. The driver's seat cover was replaced early on -- defective cow. Passenger seat occupancy sensor. Probably a bunch of other stuff that I've forgotten.

My best failure yet was driving back from Thanksgiving dinner several years ago and I was telling my daughter -- who is a saner person who drives a Honda Accord -- that BMWs are a lot of fun to drive and "really not all that unreliable" (she was having trouble stopping herself from laughing!) At that exact moment, deus ex machina, the BMW spirits intervened, the radio quit, half the radio display went blank, and the other half showed machine gibberish.

I thought the dealer was pretty good about fixing complaints, but now that I've been poking around the car more myself since it's out of warranty, I think they probably averaged breaking something for every time they've fixed something. That is, they don't tell you when they break a bolt off (I found one where the tech broke the bolt, actually began to tap it to remove it, and then must have said "Screw it, this is hardened steel and it's gonna take me forever to tap, three bolts is enough to hold this on.")

As noted above, my original battery was replaced by the dealer under the "courtesy" warranty program over 7 years ago. Since that time, I was careful to use a trickle charger. Earlier this year, my trickle charger gave me an error code and shut itself off, as did a second trickle charger. My big charger charged up the battery but the next morning the voltage was under 12 volts.

If it looks like a duck, right? No big deal, the battery was more than 7 years old.

I dropped it off at my indy for battery replacement and when I picked the car up, he told me that the car had a lead acid battery in it, but it came from the factory with an AGM battery -- I thought only 'verts and M Cars came with AGMs but apparently my car is optioned heavily enough and so it did.

But the interesting info was that my dealer hadn't changed the coding so the car was coded for an AGM battery, not the lead acid one that they used for a replacement. And it still lasted more than 7 years.

Also, I needed to replace the windshield this year. Not BMW's fault, but it was the weirdest crack I've ever had in a windshield -- at the bottom below the wipers. And a bunch of small trim and interior parts. Both cup holders (one broke but BMW changed the trim's appearance. I replaced the right rear door speaker this year. (Plus a couple of trim clips that I broke.)

I had the airbag recall done earlier this month. So far I haven't found anything that they broke.

Will I buy another one?

No.

BMW spared me that decision by discontinuing station wagons and SUVs with manual gearboxes in the US. I can't buy another one, even if I want too. I admit that I've considered an M2 -- but I really need that rear hatch.

So I'm not sure what I can buy next. Any ideas?

The car must have three pedals! I'm leaning towards a Golf R. (Yes, I know that going from a 328i to a VW is going from the frying pan into the fire as far as service and reliability.)

I'd say the radio/audio system in your car has some systemic issue with the wiring if the radio and amp units keep failing. Some of the other stuff are common issues, which with BMWs I've found they all develop and the fixes are well known. What you can experience with a BMW is once you get the problems sorted out, the cars a well built with good materials and are worth keeping for a long time and extended mileage levels (that has been my experience so far after 30 years) . But I'm with you, I need my cars need to be 3-pedal, but my friend we are the very few and the market, for many reasons, is not going to cater to us here in the near future. What brought me to BMW long ago was the in-line 6 engine, manual trans, and rear drive. BWM rarely builds these anymore. The turbo engines have no soul regardless of configuration.

You brought up the Volt earlier. I'm not sure you've driven one, or any electric, but what I found with the electric drivetrain is it actually drives like a manual in that it is always in the "right" gear because of the torque characteristics of the electric motor. For the modern car the Volt is actually a nice drive. I can't speak to the Gen2 version, but the Gen 1 was entertaining as compared to something not (previously) built by BMW. I'm not defending the Volt or suggesting you buy one by any means, but I just wanted to frame your previous comment about it. When you look at the Volt in comparison to other current cars (I think they all suck BTW), it's better than the average. The F3X 430i Grand Coupe I just had as a loaner this past Friday completely sucked and I contend was not built by the BMW company I am familiar with.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by dlf750

Agreed. I know going in what I'm getting into. I've had at least 10 BMWs, a few Audis and an Acura. And I keep going back to BMW. It's the feel of a BMW that I'm attracted to. Do they have issues? yep, every single one of them.

I wanted to appreciate your post, and I do for the most part. But any of the BMWs made after 2012 (post the E90) that I've driven, I can't say the issues are worth the trade-off for the "feel"; BMW has lost its DNA.