[SakhirM4]

Originally Posted by QUiKSR20

Great weather here in jersey today, Time to "Get out and drive"

Tom River! My great grandfather, Addison Raws, founded America's Keswick.

[QUiKSR20]

Originally Posted by SakhirM4

Tom River! My great grandfather, Addison Raws, founded America's Keswick.

Not sure what your saying, Sorry.

[SakhirM4]

Originally Posted by QUiKSR20

Not sure what your saying, Sorry.

Sorry - America's Keswick is a retreat in Whiting which is pretty close to you.

[QUiKSR20]

Originally Posted by SakhirM4

Sorry - America's Keswick is a retreat in Whiting which is pretty close to you.

Gotcha, I see I googled it.. Pretty cool not too far from me about 5-10 miles

[Zyal8r]

Originally Posted by PoorLurker

I only read the first post where the lady was complaining about how much the Z3 costs so much to repair and maintain.


In regards to reliability - peace of mind is something that I value greatly. I am a man of warranties, so that I can continue to live with this peace of mind. With that said, if a manufacturer is known for putting out exciting cars but has reliability issues, as long as there is a warranty and a loaner car, I wouldn't mind. Some people may compare this to the hot/crazy scale with women. Many men put up with the sometimes crazy because of the hotness/attractiveness.

Yes there is that. But I think BMW knows it and lets us be their Q.C. The parts that they get from 100s of suppliers are not tested or spec'd properly. So BMW sell lots of profitable warranties and has little incentive to pay for better peripherals. Used BMWs must be purchased from a BMW dealer to get that infamous CPO, and it is no longer transferable.
I know it can be done because Lexus and infinity and even low end cars are complex and high tech now, but no one frets about failures.
All that being said, mine has been fine for years after a few early recalls, and I too am hooked.

[Kracken]

One & done for me. Sold 135 with only 44k miles.
All kinds of stuff was breaking on it. Just not worth the headache & lack of confidence it inspired regardless of performance.
Dealer service was absolutely horrible as well. What good is warranty when u can't even schedule an appointment unless it's 2 weeks out or longer only to get denied or get car back not fixed properly?
Happy as hell now in my slow 2016 ILX!
Bye bye BMW- you blew it with me with your weak, unreliable & expensive parts & terrible service.

[CookMaster]

I'm somewhat saddened by the lack of knowledge or understanding about our cars. No research, old cars with questionable maintenance histories and unwillingness to spend money on pm. The reliability you get is related directly to your care, understanding and proactive efforts. Blaming the manufacturer is just a cheap out--look in the mirror. That's why your car is doing poorly.

[04gto]

Originally Posted by CookMaster

I'm somewhat saddened by the lack of knowledge or understanding about our cars. No research, old cars with questionable maintenance histories and unwillingness to spend money on pm. The reliability you get is related directly to your care, understanding and proactive efforts. Blaming the manufacturer is just a cheap out--look in the mirror. That's why your car is doing poorly.

When you have the following problems all occur before 50 or 60k miles it is a RELIABILITY issue and BUILD QUALITY issue not a maintenance issue:

Oil filter housing gasket
Valve cover
Valve cover gasket
Winshield washer fluid pump
Windshield washer reservoir
Vanos Solinoids
Boost Solinoids
LPFP
HPFP
Turbo wastegate rattle
Windshield gasket

And on and on.

It is pretty funny how a lot of people on here (Euro deuches, or wanna be's mostly) trash American and other cars on here for being un reliable and lacking "German engineering". (I am half German, BTW) Yet I have owned many American and other cars and some of them were in fact poorly maintained before I owned them. NONE of these have come close to the expenses for repairs that I and many others here have endured, even before any modifications.

Having said all of that, I still love my car. Probably more each day. But I did my homework before my purchase and I new there would be...uuummm..."challenges". I have also been doing advanced automotive DIY since I was 17. I am not complaining just setting the record straight. To say that all of the problems that these cars have is just a simple result of poor maintenance is disingenuous at best. If anyone here cares to disagree further just look up the reliability ratings for 2007-09 335i's on consumer reports. Yes, IT IS one of the most unreliable cars sold in North America those years. Have a nice day.

[CookMaster]

Originally Posted by 04gto

When you have the following problems all occur before 50 or 60k miles it is a RELIABILITY issue and BUILD QUALITY issue not a maintenance issue:

Oil filter housing gasket
Valve cover
Valve cover gasket
Winshield washer fluid pump
Windshield washer reservoir
Vanos Solinoids
Boost Solinoids
LPFP
HPFP
Turbo wastegate rattle
Windshield gasket

And on and on.

It is pretty funny how a lot of people on here (Euro deuches, or wanna be's mostly) trash American and other cars on here for being un reliable and lacking "German engineering". (I am half German, BTW) Yet I have owned many American and other cars and some of them were in fact poorly maintained before I owned them. NONE of these have come close to the expenses for repairs that I and many others here have endured, even before any modifications.

Having said all of that, I still love my car. Probably more each day. But I did my homework before my purchase and I new there would be...uuummm..."challenges". I have also been doing advanced automotive DIY since I was 17. I am not complaining just setting the record straight. To say that all of the problems that these cars have is just a simple result of poor maintenance is disingenuous at best. If anyone here cares to disagree further just look up the reliability ratings for 2007-09 335i's on consumer reports. Yes, IT IS one of the most unreliable cars sold in North America those years. Have a nice day.

You purchased a car with known potential problems, so off setting that risk is your choice. Reliability in early models like yours is known. BMW pushes the envelope on their tech and they don't wait for a perfect Lexus reliability. Enjoy your ride, but know the history you must live with. The others complain about not knowing or just whining about having to fix a car they have no real interest in. You're one of the few that has done the due diligence, but you have a very small following. Relish your ride, because regardless of what others say, it's pretty special.

[techie182]

Old school German cars were reliable.
Not sure about newer ones. I've been hearing horrible stories all over.
My 08 328i coupe has been some what reliable.

Adaptive head light problem(twice)
Oil pan leak
Starter
Trunk actuator
Seat belt assist(3x)

Owned for 6 years drove 100k miles.
Spent only about $2k to fix those issues after warranty.

I thought about getting different brand but keep coming back to BMW.

Lexus, Acura, Infinity - ugly ugly ugly
Range Rover, Audi, Jaguar - horrible reliability(electrical and eating oil)
MB - retirement vehicles for old people.

[David70]

I am surprised at the number of "poor reliability is because the owners don't do proper maintenance and aren't proactive".

Unless BMW is just not telling us what really needs to be done, and no other car manufacturer tells us differently either, in the first 100k miles I believe they only tell us to change filters, rotate tires, replace fluids, plugs.

What is this mysterious maintenance that prevents everything else from failing? Shouldn't BMW be telling us about this if it is truly necessary to prevent failures?

[MightyMouseTech]

Originally Posted by Kracken

One & done for me. Sold 135 with only 44k miles.
All kinds of stuff was breaking on it. Just not worth the headache & lack of confidence it inspired regardless of performance.
Dealer service was absolutely horrible as well. What good is warranty when u can't even schedule an appointment unless it's 2 weeks out or longer only to get denied or get car back not fixed properly?
Happy as hell now in my slow 2016 ILX!
Bye bye BMW- you blew it with me with your weak, unreliable & expensive parts & terrible service.

Sorry, but Honda is not any better. Just the way the auto industry is these days. Everybody wants them cheaper and with more features. This is what we get.

FYI, I am an Acura dealer tech. And I only have BMW's, same with several other techs here.

[04gto]

Originally Posted by techie182

MB - retirement vehicles for old people.

-Lol

[wdb]

Originally Posted by David70

I am surprised at the number of "poor reliability is because the owners don't do proper maintenance and aren't proactive".

Unless BMW is just not telling us what really needs to be done, and no other car manufacturer tells us differently either, in the first 100k miles I believe they only tell us to change filters, rotate tires, replace fluids, plugs.

What is this mysterious maintenance that prevents everything else from failing? Shouldn't BMW be telling us about this if it is truly necessary to prevent failures?

Thanks for saying what I've been thinking.

I love my little Zed and intend to keep and enjoy it. But I'm now looking for what C&D used to call a "Q-ship"; a large, oh-so comfortable 4-door sedan that covers miles in peace with pace. I've pretty much written the Germans off my list -- M-B diesel is still on there but barely. I want something I can buy with 30K to 60K miles on the clock, drive for 40K miles or so more, and then sell on. I do not want to have to bribe any service managers or guess what sort of magic is needed to keep it reliable. I just want to drive it.

[ORIGIN M.]

I except the fact that when owning a BM Trouble-You , that sooner or later the check your wallet light will come on.

[wjjkoevoets]

(2003) BMW 330Ci:
- Alternator Failure;
- Vague "leak" in hose or cable.

Alternator failed after it hadn't been driven for a long time (5 months or so). A little bit later on the CEL kept coming on, turned out to be some leak in a hose or cable (car felt less powerful, but drove fine otherwise).

(2005) BMW 530i:
- None.

Car never had any issues. Silky smooth 6-cylinder.

(2011) BMW 120i:
- Ignition coil failure;
- Fuel injector failure.

A used car I bought at a BMW dealer with 55,000 km (34,175 miles) on it. The day after I picked up, an ignition coil and fuel injector failed. Fixed under warranty.

Never had any other issues with the car, but the N43 is not very smooth and does not come across as very reliable IMHO.

(2014) BMW M235i:
- Small bit of foil sticking out on the side.

Very happy with this car so far. Small issue with protective foil sticking out on the side which was fixed under warranty. The N55 feels very smooth and has already proven to be a reliable engine.

Somebody already said it best in this thread:
Owning a BMW is like having a very pretty girlfriend who's good in bed and cooks great, but snores like hell every once in a while.

[Zyal8r]

Anyone care to remark on whether I should take a once in a lifetime, 4000 mi road trip in my E89 35i. Will it fail in the middle of the desert and ruin the trip. or should I take my other car that has never been in the shop for anything but oil changes and tire rotation in 68,000 miles. Serious question because I want to take the Z but I am hesitant.

[David70]

Originally Posted by Zyal8r

Anyone care to remark on whether I should take a once in a lifetime, 4000 mi road trip in my E89 35i. Will it fail in the middle of the desert and ruin the trip. or should I take my other car that has never been in the shop for anything but oil changes and tire rotation in 68,000 miles. Serious question because I want to take the Z but I am hesitant.

There is no way anyone knows whether or not you will have problems. I would make sure maintenance is up to date, consider worst case/best case scenario and make a choice. Personally I wouldn't think twice about it and would hit the road.

[QUiKSR20]

Originally Posted by 04gto

When you have the following problems all occur before 50 or 60k miles it is a RELIABILITY issue and BUILD QUALITY issue not a maintenance issue:

Oil filter housing gasket
Valve cover
Valve cover gasket
Winshield washer fluid pump
Windshield washer reservoir
Vanos Solinoids
Boost Solinoids
LPFP
HPFP
Turbo wastegate rattle
Windshield gasket

And on and on.

It is pretty funny how a lot of people on here (Euro deuches, or wanna be's mostly) trash American and other cars on here for being un reliable and lacking "German engineering". (I am half German, BTW) Yet I have owned many American and other cars and some of them were in fact poorly maintained before I owned them. NONE of these have come close to the expenses for repairs that I and many others here have endured, even before any modifications.

Having said all of that, I still love my car. Probably more each day. But I did my homework before my purchase and I new there would be...uuummm..."challenges". I have also been doing advanced automotive DIY since I was 17. I am not complaining just setting the record straight. To say that all of the problems that these cars have is just a simple result of poor maintenance is disingenuous at best. If anyone here cares to disagree further just look up the reliability ratings for 2007-09 335i's on consumer reports. Yes, IT IS one of the most unreliable cars sold in North America those years. Have a nice day.

You sir are spot on!! I Love my BMW I do but when I read some peoples replies about how its normal or " what do you expect " or its the same with all cars I cannot tell if these people are actually that blinded or just flat out stupid... These are not maintenance issues they are quality control and poor design.

American and Asian cars are way more reliable, Its not even close.. The best thing I read above is " Thats because BMW pushes the limits " What limits are they pushing??? 2.0Turbo with 240hp? 3.0T with 320hp? Last time I checked the EVO and STI's engine does that with ease? If you want to talk about limits being pushed look at a Honda S2000 9K Redline 240HP NA with Accord Reliability or how about the Nissan GTR with 540HP 3.8TT with Sentra Reliability.. You guys do not sound like real car people but fanboys..

BMW's are great to drive, have soul and are built to last ( the car as a whole ) but there is many inexcusable reliability / mechanical issues that just should not exist in todays world..

Lexus is actually even making cars now with port injection on top of the DI injection to clean up the mess from the DI injection so that walnut blastings will never even be needed.

[Firaxis]

Originally Posted by QUiKSR20

You sir are spot on!! I Love my BMW I do but when I read some peoples replies about how its normal or " what do you expect " or its the same with all cars I cannot tell if these people are actually that blinded or just flat out stupid... These are not maintenance issues they are quality control and poor design.

American and Asian cars are way more reliable, Its not even close.. The best thing I read above is " Thats because BMW pushes the limits " What limits are they pushing??? 2.0Turbo with 240hp? 3.0T with 320hp? Last time I checked the EVO and STI's engine does that with ease? If you want to talk about limits being pushed look at a Honda S2000 9K Redline 240HP NA with Accord Reliability or how about the Nissan GTR with 540HP 3.8TT with Sentra Reliability.. You guys do not sound like real car people but fanboys..

BMW's are great to drive, have soul and are built to last ( the car as a whole ) but there is many inexcusable reliability / mechanical issues that just should not exist in todays world..

Lexus is actually even making cars now with port injection on top of the DI injection to clean up the mess from the DI injection so that walnut blastings will never even be needed.

End of the day, it really comes down to what car you get unless you're an early adopter.

I've had Renault's / Alfa's / Fords / GM (Vauxhall's) / Lexus / Mazda's and now a BMW, it was hit and miss with all of them. It's not like I had just one of each either, six Alfa's (3X 156, 1 X 159, 1 X Mito, 1 X Giulietta QV) (Focus 2.0 Zetec (2003) Focus ST (2013), 3 X Mondeo's) (Lexus 220d, Lexus ISF) etc. etc.

Yeah you get the picture, some of them just seemed like they'd go on forever with little maintainence. Like an Alfa 156 2.4 had a clutch / water pump changed at 100K and was still going with hardly anything else done @ 230K. It was boredom that got rid of that, then I had a 159 (same engine) that chewed up the engine and spat it out @ 37K).

Again same engine, completely different results. So whenever I order a car now, I just hope it's not built on a friday afternoon..

[tranquility]

I dunno, mind you, I've owned way less cars than the majority of you guys but comparing my old Acura RSX vs Z4 35i, the former was pretty much bulletproof. To temper this though, I've driven A LOT more in the BMW (I'm guessing 7 times the mileage so far) but I've been hit w/ the fuel injectors (out-of-pkt) and HPFP (luckily extended warr). Now I'm look at the infamous valve cover and oil filter housing gasket prbs. If you guys can give me some advice in below links, it'll be greatly appreciated.

Bottom line, ofc my BMW drives WAY better than my Acura, I only wished that it didn't have such nasty surprises in store, which apparently break down much earlier vs other brands?
http://e89.zpost.com/forums/showpost...13&postcount=8
http://e89.zpost.com/forums/showpost...2&postcount=14

[QUiKSR20]

Originally Posted by tranquility

I dunno, mind you, I've owned way less cars than the majority of you guys but comparing my old Acura RSX vs Z4 35i, the former was pretty much bulletproof. To temper this though, I've driven A LOT more in the BMW (I'm guessing 7 times the mileage so far) but I've been hit w/ the fuel injectors (out-of-pkt) and HPFP (luckily extended warr). Now I'm look at the infamous valve cover and oil filter housing gasket prbs. If you guys can give me some advice in below links, it'll be greatly appreciated.

Bottom line, ofc my BMW drives WAY better than my Acura, I only wished that it didn't have such nasty surprises in store, which apparently break down much earlier vs other brands?
http://e89.zpost.com/forums/showpost...13&postcount=8
http://e89.zpost.com/forums/showpost...2&postcount=14

Drive better? Yes, More reliable? NO.... And the K20 is a monster engine and has more advanced tech on it than mine and your BMW.. K20's are amazing engines.