[Fundguy1]

1. You should have checked the brakes, etc before buying it. Had a BMW dealer check it out. Too late for that.
2. You should have gotten aftermarket brakes like stoptech and just changed your pads before killing the rotors. Stoptech are under $700 for all 4 rotors and pads. Pads $200-300.
3. Why would you sell it now that it's already fixed to buy something else to fix?
4. Honda has repair bays to as do all the Japanese makers. I siezed a civic engine on the highway. Unmodified and not raced ever. CV joints every week too.

Oh and I drive mine about 1,000 miles a week typically. No issues. I have 207,000 miles. I needed the two repairs with the redesigned parTs. Hpfp and waste gates. They are covered by bmw extended warranty and replacement parts are sound. Two wheel bearings at 125k. Took 1,000 miles to fix those so not stranded. And a new radiator at 200k miles. Rest was just oil, brake pads, tires, etc. Nothing that's not supposed to wear out.

Sorry for your experience but first thing I check is pads and rotors, then panel gaps etc. I wouldn't sell if I were you. I'd just calm down and drive it. Go to the dealer and ask 2 questions.
1. Does it have the latest parts they replaced under warranty from recalls. These are high pressure fuel pump, wastegates, injectors, and I think coils.
2. Does it have the most up to date dealer computer software flash.

Then I would change any fluids you haven't changed at an indy, check tire tread, and drive home with confidence.

[Needbmwpartzz]

Yup.....bmws are great cars no doubt but I have found they have there niggles....most of your problems are still minor compared to what could go wrong on that car.
But you are right these cars are still $50k cars and the cost of repairing reflects that.
You should have got a 328 imho.....but each car is a crap shoot and problems happen with any marque.
My advice is if you love this car learn to DIY to save some money for future repairs or abandon the brand for the Honda/Toyotas of the world if reliability is paramount.....but this will be the best car of all you mentioned and it will eat away at your soul every time you sit behind the wheel of some sh!t Econobox....decisions decisions....goodluck whatever you do.
Sh!t....Op already moved on to newer bmw.....I think he will have a problem anytime the car breaks....I also wish for a indestructible car too....someone please inform me when one becomes available

[N55]

I owned a 08 335xi that I bought used in 09 with 12k miles. Holy batman! I was literally in the shop every 10-14 days for a variety of reasons. I still have the service records, it fills a whole binder.

I called BMW NA and complained, they said since I wasn't the original owner they couldn't do much for me, even though I bought it from a BMW dealer. They gave me a counter offer of $2000 off my next BMW. I complained that the dealer I preferred was over 45 minutes away, and the waste of time, taking off work, and the gas costs has made my first BMW ownership experience afoul. Needless to say, I took them up on their offer and got into a 2011 335xi and owned it for 1.5 years and only had to goto the shop 3 times for normal scheduled stuff.

[monkeybingo]

Originally Posted by N55

I owned a 08 335xi that I bought used in 09 with 12k miles. Holy batman! I was literally in the shop every 10-14 days for a variety of reasons. I still have the service records, it fills a whole binder.

I called BMW NA and complained, they said since I wasn't the original owner they couldn't do much for me, even though I bought it from a BMW dealer. They gave me a counter offer of $2000 off my next BMW. I complained that the dealer I preferred was over 45 minutes away, and the waste of time, taking off work, and the gas costs has made my first BMW ownership experience afoul. Needless to say, I took them up on their offer and got into a 2011 335xi and owned it for 1.5 years and only had to goto the shop 3 times for normal scheduled stuff.

$2000 off on a sticker price or $2000 off on top of the negotiated price?

[N55]

Originally Posted by monkeybingo

$2000 off on a sticker price or $2000 off on top of the negotiated price?

2k off of negotiated price!

[BeastMode335i]

At least when you fix all this stuff you'll have a new car

[newoldbeemer]

Funny someone should revive this thread. After I posted the original post, I owned a new f30 for almost two years and now I've traded that in to get back into an e92. I've come full circle.

Turns out my Bmw high is anything but short-lived after all

[Sidewinderpb]

Originally Posted by N55

I owned a 08 335xi that I bought used in 09 with 12k miles. Holy batman! I was literally in the shop every 10-14 days for a variety of reasons. I still have the service records, it fills a whole binder.

I called BMW NA and complained, they said since I wasn't the original owner they couldn't do much for me, even though I bought it from a BMW dealer. They gave me a counter offer of $2000 off my next BMW. I complained that the dealer I preferred was over 45 minutes away, and the waste of time, taking off work, and the gas costs has made my first BMW ownership experience afoul. Needless to say, I took them up on their offer and got into a 2011 335xi and owned it for 1.5 years and only had to goto the shop 3 times for normal scheduled stuff.

Yeah out of 1.5 years of ownership, my 2011 335xi has spent a collective 3.5 months at the dealership.

[Pig_in_Soup]

It's learning to do your own maintenance that will save you money in cases like the original post. That's true of almost any car. One of the rear calipers on my F-250 was locking up right before Xmas last year and I had to get it fixed so we could pull our trailer to the in-laws. Ended up being $1400 for new rotors, calipers and pads on both sides of the rear end. Got the same caliper lock up on the front a few months later (apparently a common issue with Super Duties around 2008) and fixed it myself for $450 in parts.

A lot of people don't take "wear item" costs into account when buying a user car like a BMW or Porsche. You just think, "yeah, extended warranty; I'm set." You certainly need that as well to cover high cost repairs, but there's plenty of stuff beyond that, that you have to cover out of pocket.

I'm sure the original poster realizes this now. I'm just making a broad statement to the general public.~

[Tim603]

After reading your very well written post its seems that the point of contention for you is the "uninformed factor". You see these things pop up on the dash and you have no idea whether its a serious thing or a minor thing that just looks serious on your dash.

That being said these really are great cars but they can scare you when things like this pop up and if you don't know what it is it definitely can be scary. This is by design, they want you to feel this way so you just bring it to the dealer and say "fix it".

That being said if you want to own a used BMW you need to do some research, post questions on the forums, search google and find out what problem you are actually having.

The car lift icon, just a rotating mileage counter suggesting when to bring a car in for tune up. These can be rest by you, I do it all the time (no i-drive so just use blinker stalk).

The brake icon, just relates to your brake pad wear sensor. Even after this sensor is toast you should still have plenty of pad and rotor left to finish the weekend and plan for a replacement, which an indy shop with aftermarket parts could do for a few hundred bucks and you are good for another 50k miles. Heck, most cars dont even have brake pad wear sensors!!!! Most people just wait till they hear an awful screeching sound to replace brakes.

The Leak, thats bs that shouldve been under warranty but nonetheless cars will leak from time to time, just replace the gasket and your good for another 50k+ miles.

The Grinding Sound, thats strange could be a variety of things, maybe wheel bearings? Pretty low mileage for that though.

Basically what I'm getting to is it seems you had some normal problems that really weren't that big of a deal (bulb, brakes, leak, all things cars in general will have regardless) .... as well as some individual problems to YOUR car. That is, the unreported accident and supposed rare ARS Block issue.

Don't rule out BMW just because the individual problems you have and your best bet is to chalk it up to the luck of the draw on the car that you bought. If you really like the BMW that much but dont want to pay an arm an a leg in reparis then buy a 330i or 325i without a turbo (dont even want to go down that road, basically not for the faint of heart lol). You will get the handling you seemed to like, not as much power but still a good amount, and the sport/luxury combo.

Hope this helps and sorry to hear about your first bmw turmoil!


Edit: This post is from 2013!!!! LMAO. After reading you post I just had to post an answer right away while it was still fresh in my mind. Needless to say I just read the replies, Glad to hear you got into a F30 shortly after and now have an E92!! Did you stick with 335i or go 328i?

[newoldbeemer]

Originally Posted by Tim603

After reading your very well written post its seems that the point of contention for you is the "uninformed factor". You see these things pop up on the dash and you have no idea whether its a serious thing or a minor thing that just looks serious on your dash.

That being said these really are great cars but they can scare you when things like this pop up and if you don't know what it is it definitely can be scary. This is by design, they want you to feel this way so you just bring it to the dealer and say "fix it".

That being said if you want to own a used BMW you need to do some research, post questions on the forums, search google and find out what problem you are actually having.

The car lift icon, just a rotating mileage counter suggesting when to bring a car in for tune up. These can be rest by you, I do it all the time (no i-drive so just use blinker stalk).

The brake icon, just relates to your brake pad wear sensor. Even after this sensor is toast you should still have plenty of pad and rotor left to finish the weekend and plan for a replacement, which an indy shop with aftermarket parts could do for a few hundred bucks and you are good for another 50k miles. Heck, most cars dont even have brake pad wear sensors!!!! Most people just wait till they hear an awful screeching sound to replace brakes.

The Leak, thats bs that shouldve been under warranty but nonetheless cars will leak from time to time, just replace the gasket and your good for another 50k+ miles.

The Grinding Sound, thats strange could be a variety of things, maybe wheel bearings? Pretty low mileage for that though.

Basically what I'm getting to is it seems you had some normal problems that really weren't that big of a deal (bulb, brakes, leak, all things cars in general will have regardless) .... as well as some individual problems to YOUR car. That is, the unreported accident and supposed rare ARS Block issue.

Don't rule out BMW just because the individual problems you have and your best bet is to chalk it up to the luck of the draw on the car that you bought. If you really like the BMW that much but dont want to pay an arm an a leg in reparis then buy a 330i or 325i without a turbo (dont even want to go down that road, basically not for the faint of heart lol). You will get the handling you seemed to like, not as much power but still a good amount, and the sport/luxury combo.

Hope this helps and sorry to hear about your first bmw turmoil!


Edit: This post is from 2013!!!! LMAO. After reading you post I just had to post an answer right away while it was still fresh in my mind. Needless to say I just read the replies, Glad to hear you got into a F30 shortly after and now have an E92!! Did you stick with 335i or go 328i?

Thanks, both the f30 and the e92 are 328i. This time I was more careful about the year and mileage .

Will probably go back to 335i again but it will be new.

[Cory S]

I loved my G37S. Smooth, reliable as hell (Japanese), and fun to drive.

[MightyMouseTech]

No offence, but you bought a used car "as-is", did you not get a mechanic to look it over before you bought it? Especially if you are not "handy"?

A used car is a used car, could need everything normally replaced, especially on a nearly 8 year old car. Expect to replace everything.

Sounds like you should just lease new cars.

I can't believe you expected the dealer to look at the rear brakes for free.

[Welcome to NBA Jam]

Wait. You think that front brake rotors and pads will last longer on another car? That's a maintenance item replaced on every single thing that needs to stop. Why would a warranty cover a wear item?

They're like $150 to replace. $50 for pads, $100 for rotors.

[.Limitless]

These aren't BMW problems, they're typical car problems. BMW only made it better by adding in sensors Japanese cars usually do not have, so BMW can actually warn you before shit hits the fan. All brake are due for replacement sometime during the cars life, just that instead of you knowing by either your brakes suddenly failing all together, or squeaking, there's a light on the dash that conveniently warns you. When you replace brakes for the BMW, it is always recommended that you replace both pads and rotors. Any competent mechanic that knows anything about european cars should be able to do it, BMW dealers will just rip you off. Wear and tear items like that are obviously not covered under warranty, that's practically saying that the warranty should also cover tire replacements.

I personally do think BMW's are more costly to repair, and more things are prone to failure than Japanese cars. But that has nothing to do with the problems in the OP. Let me know if you find any car that won't need their brakes changed some point in their life, I'd like to save a few hundred bucks every year or so.

[stanlalee]

Originally Posted by .Limitless

These aren't BMW problems, they're typical car problems. BMW only made it better by adding in sensors Japanese cars usually do not have, so BMW can actually warn you before shit hits the fan. All brake are due for replacement sometime during the cars life, just that instead of you knowing by either your brakes suddenly failing all together, or squeaking, there's a light on the dash that conveniently warns you. When you replace brakes for the BMW, it is always recommended that you replace both pads and rotors. Any competent mechanic that knows anything about european cars should be able to do it, BMW dealers will just rip you off. Wear and tear items like that are obviously not covered under warranty, that's practically saying that the warranty should also cover tire replacements.

I personally do think BMW's are more costly to repair, and more things are prone to failure than Japanese cars. But that has nothing to do with the problems in the OP. Let me know if you find any car that won't need their brakes changed some point in their life, I'd like to save a few hundred bucks every year or so.

Yeah they put all these sensors on that malfunction and cause more trouble than good. My brake wear sensor light would go of every several thousand miles with nothing wrong. Reset and go. When I finally upgraded brakes the sensor hadn't even been touched by the rotor and came right out without breaking. I get SOS call malfunctions which I don't even use but they magically tied it into systems I do use so that when it fails I have no radio or blue tooth. Dealer fixed it by coding something out (satellite radio module) and a week later same problem different module. I get rear tail light warning all the time when it's working. I get trunk open when it's closed and locked. Simple shit like rain and cold weather trips these sensors. We can make excuses and justifications all day based on brand loyalty but they are just unreliable period. They leak all over prematurely (VC, OFH, Oil pan, turbos), the fuel system is junk (fuel pump and injectors fail), turbos are from the early 90s lineage and fail early (both Wastegate and normally), the water pumps rarely get you to 100k. This isn't maintenance stuff just unreliability.

[hassmaschine]

was your car in a flood? Those aren't normal problems.

BMW has used brake wear sensors since the early 80s.. it's time tested, not some new gimmick.

[ritzzzzzwik]

I say find a good indy. Ask around on the forum here to see if there is one in your area. I suspect some forum members would be willing to help out as well. Brakes/shocks/spark-plugs, are consumables, like tires. So dont expect the warranty to cover them. Depending on your warranty they may or may not cover the sensor, if you know the brakes are good. As I see it, you have some minor issues, annoyance, but minor. Find a good indy, and your brakes should be squared away fairly cheaply. Again ask around. Its not just a BMW thing, any car could have problems like this. The 328 is a pretty stout thing, and any car at that age would most likely need, brakes, tires, shocks, and spark-plugs. So dont worry about so much, its a one time thing. The warranty is for other major things- who I think should have covered your coolant leak issue. Again, and indy may be more inclined to get this sorted or you, BMW dealerships can be a complete ass at times, simply because they are so overwhelmed with regular calls/warranty work.

[XM_Rocks]

Originally Posted by ritzzzzzwik

I say find a good indy. Ask around on the forum here to see if there is one in your area. I suspect some forum members would be willing to help out as well. Brakes/shocks/spark-plugs, are consumables, like tires. So dont expect the warranty to cover them. Depending on your warranty they may or may not cover the sensor, if you know the brakes are good. As I see it, you have some minor issues, annoyance, but minor. Find a good indy, and your brakes should be squared away fairly cheaply. Again ask around. Its not just a BMW thing, any car could have problems like this. The 328 is a pretty stout thing, and any car at that age would most likely need, brakes, tires, shocks, and spark-plugs. So dont worry about so much, its a one time thing. The warranty is for other major things- who I think should have covered your coolant leak issue. Again, and indy may be more inclined to get this sorted or you, BMW dealerships can be a complete ass at times, simply because they are so overwhelmed with regular calls/warranty work.

OP gone.

This thread has lived on about 20X longer than his ownership length.

[ritzzzzzwik]

Originally Posted by XM_Rocks

OP gone.

This thread has lived on about 20X longer than his ownership length.

LOL why is this thread still here. Anyway I did my duty, gave some more pointless free advice to someone who wasnt bothered

[stanlalee]

Originally Posted by hassmaschine

was your car in a flood? Those aren't normal problems.

BMW has used brake wear sensors since the early 80s.. it's time tested, not some new gimmick.

This was a common problem for 07's. I searched the forum and found out its relatively common. The sensors aren't the problem, the electronics the sensors are plugged into is the problem. The sensor does nothing but mechanically break a circuit when worn thru by the rotor. All modern cars use the same principle. Only BMW flashes you warnings and requires you to reset the system when the circuit isn't even close to being tripped.

[XM_Rocks]

Originally Posted by ritzzzzzwik

LOL why is this thread still here. Anyway I did my duty, gave some more pointless free advice to someone who wasnt bothered

lol

It keeps popping back up every 4-6 months.