[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.

[doru]

These cars are not meant to keep if you plan on doing maintenance and repairs at dealers.
I had 6 different models/years BMW's and currently own 4. From n/a to turbo engines.
If you plan keeping these cars, and not wreck the budget, one should have some mechanical skills to do his own repairs. That's what I do.
As an example for the list that was just posted previous by the OP, I did those repairs and many more on my cars. Valve cover gaskets are not hard to replace, they fail and the DIY cost is below 100 bucks. Add a few more $$ and do the spark plugs at the same time. Oil cooler gasket is a few bucks and the procedure to replace is almost trivial. WP & T-stat are more expensive being electronically driven, my cost a few years ago was around 400-500 bucks and the procedure is not very easy, but doable.
I replaced my own batteries with better ones, but I did the coding & registering. Best AGM batteries are not more that 250-ish or so.
Concerning Valvetronic, I pulled and re-installed different iterations from V8 to i6 VVT and the procedure again is quite easy. But this was done on n/a engines. BTW, I am not sure the turbo N55 has valvetronic - I think the dealer might pull a quick one on you, albeit not cheap.
And yes, I do my own oil changes and whatever other maintenance & repairs might be needed.
As a comparison, I had an old Ford Escape and just for $hits and giggles went to the dealer for some trivial repairs - I was curious if domestics are much cheaper to repair - as everyone swears by it. To my surprise, the repair costs are pretty much in line with the German cars dealerships...
Go figure... brought the car back and did my own repairs on it at less that a tenth of dealership asking price (had to change some gaskets that started to leak in the engine - those Fords were way harder to repair that these BMW's BTW. More stuff to take out to reach things - hated it).

[najnad]

Batteries do not live forever. Replacing a ~5 yr old battery is pretty normal.

The electronic water pump is a known maintenance item. Again, not something that lives forever, even with meticulous maintenance.

Gaskets do not live forever either. Heat cycles and pressure over time degrade them until they fail.

I don't know what happened to cause you to need Valvetronic System Repairs, but likely the bulk of the cost is due to labor as they had to take apart the top of the engine.

It sounds like the biggest issue is you are taking it to the dealer for all of these repairs and paying top dollar. Find yourself a good independent shop and you will pay a lot less for the same work. I had the water pump and thermostat replaced for half of what you said you paid, for instance.

Not to mention, you drive your vehicle a lot! 120k miles in ~5 years... 24k miles a year! Of course you are going to have increased maintenance issues when the average driver does 12k-15k miles a year.

Part of owning a higher mileage vehicle is knowing you are going to have to do maintenance beyond just oil changes...various parts start to fail, it is inevitable. You are trying to pin it on BMW and/or the X3, but it is just a fact of life.

Replacing a transmission is cheap as far as labor is concerned, and I really doubt you could replace a new F-150 engine to include labor for less than $5k.

[wrp]

Paying $800 for a battery and then complaining about it means you are not so savvy with car repairs - you should take the time to find a local specialty repair shop.

[greg2step]

some of the prices you quote are very high.

I did Battery at 5 years (thats about the life in any battery no matter the car) $475. Did the water pump at 57k - was covered by extended warranty but the price without was ~$1000 inc thermostat. and this was at my dealer. May have done better but the prices you list make me feel I atleast did ok. About to trade my 2011 35i in - probably ordering a 2018 30i - m40i not in cards right now

[atarivers]

I personally would not have gone for the $5,000 repair. I would trade it in or sell it as is. Think about it, $5,000 cash and up to $10,000 or more in trade for the car would get you 1/3 of the way toward a late model, low mileage like new X3 with 2 to 3 years warranty left on it. Of course you would have car payments to make but I would not shell out $5,000 to get a car with such high mileage.

You just talked me into extending my warranty. I was debating it but I'm just not willing to keep the car without a mechanical warranty.

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.

[atarivers]

$800 seems excessive but in any case I consider a battery to be a consumable like tires and brakes. It's not really a repair, it is something that wears out with use over time rather than a malfunction.

Originally Posted by wrp

Paying $800 for a battery and then complaining about it means you are not so savvy with car repairs - you should take the time to find a local specialty repair shop.

[Killerfish2012]

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.

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

[Killerfish2012]

Originally Posted by wrp

Paying $800 for a battery and then complaining about it means you are not so savvy with car repairs - you should take the time to find a local specialty repair shop.

Yeah, you can save a fortune by buying it at autozone, and having a repair shop do the work, but you still have to take it to the stealership to have it registered.

[nyalpine90]

I guess the best route is to get extended warranty or maintenance or both. Who offers best coverage for best price, bmw program is $$$.

i already received their notice on extended program Im at 28k

[Aspen235]

Originally Posted by Killerfish2012

Yeah, you can save a fortune by buying it at autozone, and having a repair shop do the work, but you still have to take it to the stealership to have it registered.

Lots of non dealers can register a battery.


My 2 cents:

Taking a BMW to the dealer for non warranty work is expensive. It may be worth it to you for the expectation of best quality service, convenience and all the luxury amenities, but it comes at a 50% premium at minimum. Everyone should make their own value assessment, but should not be surprised when big bills come from the dealership. All of the luxury brands work that way. Lexus got me for $500 to clean my brakes, because I didn't ask for an estimate first. That won't happen again.

[atarivers]

I agree completely. I occasionally splurge on parts at the Mercedes dealer but I've never done out of warranty repairs with BMW or Mercedes, the premium is intolerable to me. I am extending my BMW warranty for sure, mechanical only. The electrical warranty is crazy expensive. If I get stitched up with a very high repair estimate, I will trade in for something that is under warranty. If I have to shell out $2k or more then I prefer to end up with something that is more than I already have.

Originally Posted by Aspen235

Lots of non dealers can register a battery.


My 2 cents:

Taking a BMW to the dealer for non warranty work is expensive. It may be worth it to you for the expectation of best quality service, convenience and all the luxury amenities, but it comes at a 50% premium at minimum. Everyone should make their own value assessment, but should not be surprised when big bills come from the dealership. All of the luxury brands work that way. Lexus got me for $500 to clean my brakes, because I didn't ask for an estimate first. That won't happen again.

[plymjack]

Originally Posted by Killerfish2012

Yeah, you can save a fortune by buying it at autozone, and having a repair shop do the work, but you still have to take it to the stealership to have it registered.

I use the CARLY app / adaptor - cost is £100 ($150?) and you can register your battery yourself....

[BIG_KID]

2011 BMW X3 28i 85,000 miles N52 engine

BMW owners that have no warranty left have to be either very wealthy or very mechanically inclined. I am in the mechanically inclined catagory. Some pricing on maintenance I performed my self include;

Oil change including buying the tool for oil filter & OEM parts $60
OEM transfer case fluid $49
OEM front/rear differential fluid $52
OEM spark plugs and special socket $70
OEM transmission fluid/filter $200
Valve cover gasket kit $45
AGM battery $145
Schwaben scan tool $150 (on sale)
New glove box door $230
OEM thermostat $100 (I have the good water pump, N52 engine)

Oil cooler gaskets not leaking yet but will do that as preventative maintenance.

[dreamspeed]

For those looking to keep their car long term check out FCP Euro. They have a lifetime no questions asked replacement warranty. You just need to send the old part back to them.

If you plan to keep a car for 100k miles that means you can buy a part used for 30k maintenance such as belts and get two free replacements during the lifetime of your ownership.

You can every get fluids replaced.

[atarivers]

85,000 is impressive, congratulations. I am not mechanically inclined at all but I did repair my glove box for the cost of a bottle of gorilla glue. I applied a generous amount and little by little clamped and waited so the de laminated cover would flatten out as I reattached it. The important part is to remove any excess glue right away or you will end up with a mess that can only be replaced.

On another note, my BMW service advisor talked me out of extending my warranty after I told him I will have no problem trading in for something with a warranty the first time I get a repair estimate of $2,000 or more. I figure it I have to shell out that kind of money I might as well get a newer car and protection from future repair ticket shock. The monthly nut won't be much different anyway. I"m not sure if I will repeat with BMW. I enjoy driving it but not enough to spend as much time with mechanics as I have been since I got it.

Originally Posted by BIG_KID

2011 BMW X3 28i 85,000 miles N52 engine

BMW owners that have no warranty left have to be either very wealthy or very mechanically inclined. I am in the mechanically inclined catagory. Some pricing on maintenance I performed my self include;

Oil change including buying the tool for oil filter & OEM parts $60
OEM transfer case fluid $49
OEM front/rear differential fluid $52
OEM spark plugs and special socket $70
OEM transmission fluid/filter $200
Valve cover gasket kit $45
AGM battery $145
Schwaben scan tool $150 (on sale)
New glove box door $230
OEM thermostat $100 (I have the good water pump, N52 engine)

Oil cooler gaskets not leaking yet but will do that as preventative maintenance.

[Killerfish2012]

Originally Posted by BIG_KID

2011 BMW X3 28i 85,000 miles N52 engine

BMW owners that have no warranty left have to be either very wealthy or very mechanically inclined. I am in the mechanically inclined catagory. Some pricing on maintenance I performed my self include;

Oil change including buying the tool for oil filter & OEM parts $60
OEM transfer case fluid $49
OEM front/rear differential fluid $52
OEM spark plugs and special socket $70
OEM transmission fluid/filter $200
Valve cover gasket kit $45
AGM battery $145
Schwaben scan tool $150 (on sale)
New glove box door $230
OEM thermostat $100 (I have the good water pump, N52 engine)

Oil cooler gaskets not leaking yet but will do that as preventative maintenance.

Start thinking about shocks.

[malicem3]

Originally Posted by BIG_KID

2011 BMW X3 28i 85,000 miles N52 engine

BMW owners that have no warranty left have to be either very wealthy or very mechanically inclined. I am in the mechanically inclined catagory. Some pricing on maintenance I performed my self include;

Oil change including buying the tool for oil filter & OEM parts $60
OEM transfer case fluid $49
OEM front/rear differential fluid $52
OEM spark plugs and special socket $70
OEM transmission fluid/filter $200
Valve cover gasket kit $45
AGM battery $145
Schwaben scan tool $150 (on sale)
New glove box door $230
OEM thermostat $100 (I have the good water pump, N52 engine)

Oil cooler gaskets not leaking yet but will do that as preventative maintenance.

Just a heads up the water pump will fail on the N52.

[Eclark5221]

Have to ask when you did the Valve cover gasket what did you have to reprogram to get the engine to keep working.
Changed my valve cover gasket and the car will not start now.

[Bilbofraggins]

I just bit the bullet at the dealer for an X6M battery...paid...330 and 130 to register....$539 Canadian taxes in .

800 USD WTF.....

On this occasion the dealer was the cheapest option...but I get things I can't or won't do at my trusted indy...

Cry me a river...

[x3sm]

This is why we have forums people! We are here to help each other avoid expensive repairs. The prices OP got are a complete rip off. Water pump and thermostat on getBMWparts.com are $390, battery is $170 ($26 with iPhone app to code it yourself), Oil cooler gasket kit with new bolts is $50, one weekend in the garage and you can do all of this yourself, pretty easy. I'm not sure about Valvetronic system though, but hopefully that is a rare phenomenon.

[agentorange]

I am rapidly becoming a believer in the theory that most luxury cars, and certainly the European makes, have been designed to make it through a three-year lease but not much else.

For example, my XKR popped a fluid bushing in the front suspension at less than 45k miles. I will admit that some of the freeways here are not that well surfaced, but, really?

The XJ that followed failed spectacularly at 41k miles due to the crappy Ford water pumps Jaguar were using. During the "brew up" the temp gauge never moved. That's BS. After the new motor went in I dumped it at Carmax because I couldn't trust it. My lack of trust was such that any trip that involved leaving the Las Vegas valley was made in a 12-year old Nissan SUV. WTF over?