[rs5416]

Hello all,

I'm new to the forum and a possible first time owner of a BMW. I recently found a listing with a very good price for a 2013 BMW X3 xDrive28i. The car has 120,000 miles. However, after reading some threads regarding this model I found that there were some potential drawbacks, one being its faulty timing chain assemblies. I'm curious if the car is a good investment if I'm willing to fork over the money to pay for a timing chain replacement (which, correct me if I'm wrong, should be around $1500 to $2000). And with the replacement timing chain, if there may be any other issues to look out for/ plan for.

Thank You

[Opie55]

There's no way to say. You don't say what the good price is, and we can't know what else may be failing at 120,000 miles. Like how recently has the suspension been refreshed, how old is the water pump, how close are the rotors to replacement, etc. If you add the timing chain repair to the price, is it still considerably less than getting one without that issue? Basically, I would not buy a 120,000 mile German car unless I planned on doing all the work myself. If your budget is such that you can only afford a car with that many miles, it's going to kill your bank account repairing it if you can't do it yourself.

[________]

I can tell you with 100% certainty the car won't be a good investment.

[Wgosma]

Originally Posted by Opie55

There's no way to say. You don't say what the good price is, and we can't know what else may be failing at 120,000 miles. Like how recently has the suspension been refreshed, how old is the water pump, how close are the rotors to replacement, etc. If you add the timing chain repair to the price, is it still considerably less than getting one without that issue? Basically, I would not buy a 120,000 mile German car unless I planned on doing all the work myself. If your budget is such that you can only afford a car with that many miles, it's going to kill your bank account repairing it if you can't do it yourself.

I agree; I am one who has purchased 3 BMW's that were at/near the 100K mike mark, I do a good deal of my own car work so this proved to be workable. As stated, already if you need to pay a mechanic for repairs/maintenance you will be digging potentially very deeply into your wallet.
Once these cars cross the 100K threshold that is when some major costs begin to occur- shocks/struts/suspension component replacement, etc.
Good luck/Bill

[rs5416]

Thank you all,
As for the price, its priced at 10,000 and was inspected at a BMW dealership and the only issues that came up were it's timing chain. It's carfax doesn't mention any replacement or refreshment of its suspension or water pump. I believe all rotors and brakes were replaced recently. The vehicle was serviced at least twice a year within its original ownership.
Would a 2013 xDrive35i be a better option or maybe a later model (2014) xDrive28i have similar issues or could I expect better reliability?

[Wgosma]

If you're going to buy used IMO you'd be very smart to pay an independent shop/mechanic to perform a detailed pre-purchase inspection. For that X3 w/120K, I'd want that and would hope the prior owner(s) could provide detailed service/repair records - CARFAX is not the best source for this information. If the car was BMW Dealer serviced (or wherever) then you want to see the detailed shop records.

All cars have their quirks and 'weak points'. IMO it's bit of a misnomer to tag BMW cars as 'high maintenance' or 'unreliable' vehicles. However they are performance cars and are less forgiving when regular service is neglected - one must pay attention to preventative maintenance items or one WILL be in for potential trouble.

Shocks and struts wear out in any car, so not unusual to expect them to have to be replaced. However, BMW uses designs that incorporate fluid-filled bushings in certain parts of the suspension - that's how they achieve a nice blend of performance and very smooth/supple ride....these type of bushings wear out a bit sooner than what one might find on another vehicle; the part is not often all that costly, but the installation labor can be.

BMW did away with providing owners with 'maintenance schedules' years ago; they've gone completely to 'conditioned based maintenance' (CBS)- cars have sensors and built-in algorithms in the car's numerous computers that compute when the car is due for service. They tout 'lifetime fluids' (transmission, differentials). What is a 'lifetime'?....some will say it's when the car's warranty runs out. I bet that fluid in the transmission of that X3 w/120K miles has never been changed - personally I'd not likely touch the car if only for that reason alone if I'm planning on keeping the car for the long term, say past 150K miles.

Whatever you come up with for serious prospective cars, seek one that has comprehensive service/repair history AND have the car inspected by a mechanic - that may cost $150 but it is money in the bank on one of these German cars.

I've never owned a BMW w/turbo engine, so I'll leave it to others to comment on that aspect. In my estimation a turbo adds to the complexity and thus reliability/maintainence is potentially negatively impacted- but that's not a statement based on personal experience.
Bill
Good Luck/Bill

[rs5416]

Thanks,
I had the car inspected at a BMW dealership and the only things that came up were the timing chain issue and the need to replace the battery. Otherwise the report came back clean.
Bill, thank you for the information, I've expected the need to replace some parts that deteriorate with age, however I'd be willing to throw in a few thousand to cover those costs as well as doing repairs myself.

[oVeRdOsE.]

Originally Posted by OnerDriver

I can tell you with 100% certainty the car won't be a good investment.

haha, yeah I was like a x3 an investment ? by definition you plan to make a profit with an investment...

A negative return investment? sure !


Are you ready to do diy, preventive maintenance and get on bmw forums ?

If the answer is no, and planing to do a lot of driving, then Ill pass on the early n20.

[najnad]

I would pass on any 28i in favor of the 35i, unless MPG is a big concern. I get ~20 MPG in mostly city driving in my 35i while my wife's B48 (turbo I4 in a 3-series GT) gets 26 MPG city without babying it. Though to get the B48 you have to jump to 2018 X3's.