I would like to hear experiences from folks who bought a 3 series between maybe 2003-2005 or so, or have 100k+ miles on it.
What is the cost of repairs like late in the lifecycle? How has the car measured up, in terms of reliability, to other vehicles you've owned? Why would you or why would you not buy again?
Being historically an owner of Japanese cars over the last 20 years, I'm eyeballing a 3 series and wondering how the cost of repairs is going to be down the road. I typically keep a car 7-8 years but I like knowing that if I want to go 10-12 I can without rediculous expenditures.
I have a 2003 wagon 330xd. no problem so far, 135000 kms only standard revisions each 30000 kms or so one driver airbag changed, under warranty. one tie pressure monitor changed also, some 50 euros... wont chnage the car soon...
I traded in my '01 330xi with 145K miles late last year on a new 335d. These cars easily go to 200K miles *IF*
1) you replace suspension components around 100K (~$1,000)
2) you replace cooling system components around 100K (~$1,000)
3) the auto transmission doesn't fail (~$4,500)
I was only left "on the side of the road" once, by a front differential failure - extremely unusual failure. It had the original clutch, shocks, no engine problems.
They are no more expensive to maintain than a Toyota, IME (and we own three Toyotas currently.)
My two penny worth - If you're going to keep the car I would suggest an annual,oil change WHATEVER the experts say (ensure its the correct long life stuff)- In the UK the cars computer can stretch it to almost two years / 19k mils but not worth it in the long term, the autoboxes do give up the ghost -it can be the reason the older car is written off so I would sugest changing the atf every 4years(here bmw state its sealed for life but the bmw mechanics when they set up their own garages suggest strongly its changed) , also a good idea to change coolant twice as often as BMW state.
Regarding parts prices - they are sometimes more expensive but ocasionally delightfully reasonably priced so check with your BMW dealer as well as the more reasonably priced places If you need a new "thingy"
I guess the USA don't bother with the diesel thanks to the price of "gas"? If however you do get one - change the oil twice as often as advised
Over here the 2.0 diesel is faster and you get 50+mpg
While my 1999 328i is the first year E46, it currently has just under 96,000 miles on it. Excluding body repairs (a couple of fender benders), gasoline and tires, my total maintenance and repair cost over 11 years has been between $6,000 and $6,500 - most of which was done by the dealer. As this includes extra oil changes (roughly one change at 8,000 miles between "scheduled" services, I feel the car has been a good value - especially since it has never stranded me. Overall gas mileage (mostly suburban, some city, some long trips) has been 24.4 mpg.
Unanticipated repair items have included multiple A/C leaks (ca.$1,100) a couple of thermostats and the usual control arms (once at about 55,000).
The front bushings on my '01 lasted somewhere around 110K, but the 'xi bushings/suspension is slightly different than sedan/coupe.
The water pump was still original when I traded in my '01 @ 145K. Don't forget the expansion tank - if it fails you have less than 10 seconds to stop the engine to prevent probable damage.
My first 3 Series was a '94 325i with 105k miles that I bought in 2000. I drove that car until it showed 250k when an old lady in a double-knit leisure suit and blue hair turned directly in front of me and totaled the car. During roughly 150k miles in 4 years, I paid for a clutch, and paid for the results of running the engine after the upper coolant inlet hose broke off of the radiator and spewed the coolant on the two-lane mountain road. (I wish I could have done that differently, but sometimes life just isn't fair.)
I replaced my own brakes -- butt simple -- fixed the sunroof -- a bit more challenging, but still pretty easy -- and did a few other odd repairs. My take is that the BMW's I've owned are by far the easiest to service at home of any of the many cars I've owned in 40-ish years of driving.
I paid for the clutch because I just haven't the equipment needed to lower and raise a transmission, and I haven't the skill set to replace the head and do a reliable job. I could have avoided the head work if I had thought about it when I decided to move on with a fatal condition. I take the blame for the work that was needed, but timing is everything, and that played a huge role in the bad decision I made.
My kid has an '00 323i that had something fail with serpentine belt. The belt broke on the highway 200 miles from home. I was able to get all of the parts to fix the damage, and put the car back together myself.
My second kid just bought an '00 323i, and it has a problem with the transmission that turns out to be caused by really dirty fluid -- the transmission will sometimes not agree with the request to select Reverse. One shift to R will go fine, the next will leave her having the car pushed out of the parking space. You never know. Fresh fluid cured the problem. I was going to buy a solenoid to replace, but the mechanic that did the service said the part was okay, an dhe decided that a fluid change should be good enough. (I'm mildly pissed, but I have little option now.)
Today, I have a '94 325iC (convertible) with 135k miles, and I can honestly say it needs very little. I get some noise from the undercarriage that I'm pretty sure is the control arm bushings, and I can replace them myself. The motor is in great shape, the transmission is almost perfect -- the Reverse Sw. does not light the Backup Lights.
Bottom Line
I find my BMWs -- I'm up to 4 now, 3 that I currently have and 1 that was wrecked -- to be very easy to work on, and very reliable. The most recent purchase, the second '00 323i, has the most problems of any. The people that I bought it from do not work on cars at home, and they were told the transmission was shot and had to be replaced. I bought the car for what the dealer offered as a trade-in, so with the relatively minor service I've done to get it on the road, I scored a pretty good car for well below the Private Party value of the Kelly Blue Book.
That's the philosophy of MTBF and maintenance. You replace things before they fail. That's why they replace helicoptor blades at xxx hours. That's why you replace oil at intervals, rather than test it continuously and replacing it only when the total protection goes below a certain %.
The radiator, expansion tank and hoses cost a total of about $500, the labor to replace about the same.
Rather low miles. But don't forget that rubber wears out as it ages, and that may be many cycles, which impacts longevity.
sorry guys - Daves a troll who keeps following me around like a lost (killer) dog :( and would disagree with me even IF I dared suggest day follows night
I'm no troll. I'd like you guys who insist they know better than the car maker when it comes to oil changes to justify those claims. Because when proper oil testing is done, they are shown to be false. I'm not suggesting oil changes should be ignored. Just that the maker likely knows better than you...
To put things in perspective, I've owned cars since 3000 mile engine oil changes were the norm. And perhaps two engine overhauls in the life of a car. Now, despite much longer service intervals, barring an unrelated failure, most engines outlive the car.
Well, my feeling is that you should check it all for cracking and see what condition it's in. I doubt you will find a radiator that doesn't have cracks around the hose nipples at that point, but if you get lucky, you get lucky.
In the case of the water pump, you can't tell it's going until it fails catastrophically. So there is a good argument to replace it preemptively on models that are known to have pump issues.
It probably would if you took it to the dealer. You can probably do it all yourself for a little more than half that if you shopped around for parts.
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