Quote:
Originally Posted by woodchuck1
If anybody else is planning to keep their X3 beyond 100,000 miles without an extended warranty, you might want to reconsider. These cars are money pits.
I was aware of BMW's reputation for needing expensive repairs when I bought my new X3 35i in 2013. I was hoping to avoid some of that by maintaining the car meticulously (I changed oil at twice BMW's recommended frequency), by driving it responsibly, and by being alert for noises and sensations that might be early warnings of impending failures. No such luck.
My car has 120,000 miles on it. Since 100,000, we have needed a new water pump and thermostat ($1800), a new battery ($800), oil cooler gasket replacement ($800), and this week it's at the dealer for Valvetronic system repairs ($5000!) When I pick the car up and pay my $5000, I'll have an engine with 120,000 miles on it with one new part. I replaced the entire transmission in a Lexus one time for a little over half that cost. I could replace the entire very nice V8 engine in my new F-150 for that sum with money left over.
This is the last straw. My wife doesn't trust the car to get her to her destination anymore, so we'll have to sell it ASAP once we get it back from repairs. 100,000 gentle miles is not even considered high mileage in most vehicles these days. I believe all of these failures (except the battery) are due to engineering and design shortcomings on the part of BMW. As much as I've enjoyed driving this car, it is both my first and last BMW.
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These are not Honda's or Toyota's, and were certainly not built with everyday reliability in mind. The problem is your ownership strategy. I have found a very competitively priced dealership (I hustle them for 20% off labor each time, and give them the parts I ordered), that I occasionally use for major work, but barring this new development, I have almost exclusively done three things:
1. Order parts online (Certain BMW online dealership part stores, or reputable euro part, online suppliers)
2. Have my local euroshop do the work (112 bucks per hour vs 172 per hour at the dealership)
3. BMW unlike any brand, needs active preventative maintenance. I chuck parts like crazy. For instance, my passenger strut recently went in my X1, at 80K miles, so I just did all 4 and replaced the motor and trans mount too for good measure.
Despite the royal maintenance pain the butt, I still love these cars to death. Once you've driven them at the track, you'll never touch anything else. But yeah, it will destroy your wallet. BMW= Break My Wallet
