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Id a 335I manual before the scoob... bloody expensive on parts, evertime I drove it the dash was telling me something else had failed.. had the 6mths, did 3k kms, cost me near €4k in parts, (injectors, seals, gaskets, sensors, etc )
+ they are 10 times harder to work on than a subaru, everything needs to be coded through the ECU.. pain in the hole..
They don't feel fast, but at least the engines and gearboxes don't seem to die when you throw 500+ at them, unlike Subarus. Just everything else on the car does, but once you replace it all, they can be really, really good.
They don't feel fast, but at least the engines and gearboxes don't seem to die when you throw 500+ at them, unlike Subarus. Just everything else on the car does, but once you replace it all, they can be really, really good.
Why is that exactly? Surely it cant be beyond BMWs abilities to build a decent car that doesn't break so frequently?
I'm struggling to think of a performance petrol BMW engine that doesn't have issues. All the ones I'm familiar with seem to have problems, more so than VAG for example.
Engine bearings, high pressure fuel pumps, injectors, electric water pumps, coils, crank hub, oil pump nut, plastic cooling systems, worn wastegates all come to mind.
Last edited by john banks; 15 December 2017 at 10:32 PM.
I would like to own a BMW as I like the styling and its driving ability but every time I come to change my car and research I end up with something else. Their build quality just seems naff.
I'm struggling to think of a performance petrol BMW engine that doesn't have issues. All the ones I'm familiar with seem to have problems, more so than VAG for example.
Engine bearings, high pressure fuel pumps, injectors, electric water pumps, coils, crank hub, oil pump nut, plastic cooling systems, worn wastegates all come to mind.
F80 M3 engine seems to be doing ok?
Did 31k miles in 3 years in ours and it didn’t miss a beat.
In fact, absolutely nothing went wrong with any part of the car in that time.
Crank hubs can spin on S55 causing catastrophic engine failure.
Worse tuned but can happen stock. It is a fairly easy 800+ HP engine with this one major weakness which is not yet resolved. Now reflashable through OBD. Just finishing code for it to do flex fuel and realtime tuning.
just mirrors most modern cars unfortunately.............
amazing that in the last 10yrs or so the real world build quality has nose dived but people seem more happy to accept it??
I think you are right. Although I see BMW and VAG as some of the worst due to experience and what I read. By far the most reliable cars I’ve had are Japanese. My last car, a Mercedes B class I bought when it was 4 years old, 27,000miles and it needed; all 4 doors replacing due to rust, new starter motor, steering rack, seat covers, wing mirror wiring, 2x shocks, 2x springs, 2x top mounts, ARB, drop links, boot lid latch, front left calliper, CV joint and driveshaft. Got rid of it for a Honda as I was sick of the problems. 1.5 years later and not a sausage has gone wrong.
I've lusted over BMW's for many years, mostly due to the rear wheel drive as I love it... never taken the plunge though due to almost everyone I've ever known that's had one has ended up spending a small fortune on them... no bill seems to be sub £500 and more often than not £700 to £2k at a time... which is just shocking.
I had a spell owning Mercs and found them to be quite good, but they were all pre year 2000 vehicles, only problems I had over 4 vehicles was one fuel pump leaking due to a rusted mounting bracket (aluminium on steel duh) and a broken spring... beyond that they were great to own and be in.
There are a few other newer cars that I discounted due to reliability and have since ended up going full on retro, partly because of how boring modern cars are to drive and partly because I detest being 'Held to ransom' by thieving bar stewards... it erks me greatly when I can't find a fault and part and then fix something myself.
I also don't need a modern fancy motor as the furthest I drive is about 40 miles once every 3/4 months rest of the time I'm just pottering about on single track roads for 3/5miles at a time so they're just a pointless waste of money and a potential source of stress, mental and financial.
...My last car, a Mercedes B class I bought when it was 4 years old, 27,000miles and it needed; all 4 doors replacing due to rust, new starter motor, steering rack, seat covers, wing mirror wiring, 2x shocks, 2x springs, 2x top mounts, ARB, drop links, boot lid latch, front left calliper, CV joint and driveshaft...
Yeah, mine was half a new car. I sold it on to we buy any car and would imagine it would be scrap now at 10 years old. Shocking really as I have had other cars around that age in the past, a Ford Cougar being the last which was far, far better built than the Mercedes.
Crank hubs can spin on S55 causing catastrophic engine failure.
Worse tuned but can happen stock. It is a fairly easy 800+ HP engine with this one major weakness which is not yet resolved. Now reflashable through OBD. Just finishing code for it to do flex fuel and realtime tuning.
Any hope of the B58 engine reflashable through the OBD any time soon John?
I'm struggling to think of a performance petrol BMW engine that doesn't have issues. All the ones I'm familiar with seem to have problems, more so than VAG for example.
Engine bearings, high pressure fuel pumps, injectors, electric water pumps, coils, crank hub, oil pump nut, plastic cooling systems, worn wastegates all come to mind.
Not aware of any engine issues on the N55 unit either, my M135i is coming up 5 yrs old now and not missed a beat.
Not aware of any engine issues on the N55 unit either, my M135i is coming up 5 yrs old now and not missed a beat.
I have a 6 year old N55. They still lose water pumps, charge pipes, had a VANOS recall. Albeit when tuned, the cast cranks on the N55 are a budget option and the turbo is woefully undersized.
12 December 2017, 05:04 PM
BMW 335i
