Help - BMW maintenance/engine problems

[jwade08]

Hello all,

I am in need of some help. I just moved to IN from Chicago and am looking for a car. I am currently looking at a '07 328i Coupe with 50k miles. Some of the questions I have are:

1. What kind of maintenance costs would I be incurring?
2. What can I expect from the car as the miles go up?
3. How dependable is the power-train at 75k-100k miles?

Anything else that you feel is pertinent for me to know is greatly appreciate!

Thank you to everyone that can help me with my questions.

[fisherbln]

The 328i power-train is pretty rock solid. I would have no issue with running one up to 100K miles without a warranty. Yes, you'll pay for some repairs, but they will likely be minor.

Of course, every car is different and it is possible to get a bad one, but the odds are good that you'll be getting a relatively low maintenance car.

[Cir14]

I purchased an 07 328xi in June with 50K and it has been an absolutely awesome; I would recemond going with the 6-speed! It is kinda annoying in city traffic but you wont be disappointed. It doesnt have the power that the 335i has but I went with the 328 for the reliability rather than power & it still has a decent ammount of power to get you going.

[jwade08]

I appreciate the feedback gentlemen. Just getting one step closer to purchasing.

I do have one specific question. What kind of costs for mandatory maintenance? Oil changes, mandatory service/tune ups?

Thanks

[fisherbln]

Not too bad if you find a non-dealer shop near you. The dealer will rape you on maintenance if you're not careful. I do most of the work myself, so I really can't give you accurate estimates though.

[wdsales]

Heres the deal with dealerships.

Across the board they all charge $100/hr or higher in labor. The one nearest me (western PA) is $130/hr. On top of that they always find minor things wrong with your car. As far as weather or not they will try to convince you that minor things have to be fixed or if they'll be upfront with you about it... it depends on the dealership. Also they mark up their parts quite a bit. If you're going to buy any bmw be willing to do your research and see what goes wrong on it and when so you can keep up on your preventive maintenance. Theres been alot of talk about the new generations of BMW's being alot less reliable than older ones... but like I said that probably depends on alot on how much preventive maintenance and research you're willing to do. If its CPO and you get that extended warranty even better. I will say this though. I drive an older 5 series and on the rare occasions I do take it to dealership I take full advantage of their loaner program and have them hook me up with a brand new 328i xdrive. No lie that car is a blast. Everytime. So by no means am I saying their cars have gotten any worse, but just remember research and preventive maintenance. Bimmer magazine and this website are great places to start. Alot of good stuff in there.

Bavarian Autosport
ECS Tuning
Pelican parts

Those three websites are really good for parts.

Oil changes will likely cost you $60-$70 at a dealership without the warranty.

[pault484]

The oil change is more like $120 at my dealership

[jwade08]

I appreciate the great feedback. From what everyone has said so far, can anyone mention to me what kind of problems i could see going with an 07 328i with only 25k miles?

Thanks,

Also, forgot to mention. I am getting to purchase and i was curious how often do you need to change the oil, filter and lube chasis? Is it every 3k miles? Does it have to be synthetic?

[pault484]

BMW says every 12000 to 15000 depending on how aggressive you drive. And yes the oil has to be synthetic. There is a document online that lists the approved motor oils. If I find it I will post a link.

[floydr]

BMW says every 12000 to 15000 depending on how aggressive you drive. And yes the oil has to be synthetic. There is a document online that lists the approved motor oils. If I find it I will post a link.

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1508985

[mryakan]

And yes the oil has to be synthetic. There is a document online that lists the approved motor oils. If I find it I will post a link.
The info is in our FAQ sticky:
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showpost.php?p=19477105&postcount=46

[Not Sure]

Honestly, I've owned four BMWs and my bottom line is this: Expect approximately $1-2k in maintenance (routine and unexpected combined) per year. If you consistently get away with less than that, things are going well. If you're dumping >$2500/yr into it, I'm sorry man.

[jwade08]

I greatly appreciate the feedback from everyone. I have decided to go with a '07 328i sports sedan w/ 25k miles instead of the coupe. Figured I would like the extra room down the line.

I do have one last question. Can you guys recommend some after market websites for BMW cars?

Thanks again!

[mryakan]

I greatly appreciate the feedback from everyone. I have decided to go with a '07 328i sports sedan w/ 25k miles instead of the coupe. Figured I would like the extra room down the line.

I do have one last question. Can you guys recommend some after market websites for BMW cars?

Thanks again!
Congrats. You can check the supporting vendor section of our forum, it has a long list of vendors that sell OEM and aftermarket parts for your car.

[jwade08]

Thanks again! Still getting used to the forum and all the resources available to me.