how expensive is BMW maintenance????

Question

I was thinking about buying a BMW 323ci or 328ci with about 150k on it. Would it be a reliable car?? Plus how expensive is maintenace for a BMW compared to a normal end car such as a honda or toyota? Will the price burn a whole in my pocket??

Answer 1

My "service low doodad" just showed up when i started my car this morning. I know I need a tune up and haven't done it yet. I love my second hand car. It's a 318ti and does great on gas. I had to replace some type of hose that broke or wore down when i first got it which cost around $200 for service and part. if you find a mechanic that won't rip you off the car is worth buying. Just don't get a speeding ticket.

Answer 2

I have a 2000 323i and I have done all my own maintenance to date (91k miles.) The Robert Bentley service manual is very good and comprehensive - it spells out virtually everything you need to do and how to do it.

The synthetic oil life is monitored by the engine computer and a replacement is indicated every 12-15k miles. Oil is $5/qt (6 qts) plus oil filter ($12.) There is also an air filter and cabin fresh air filter (Bosch/BMW.) Those items are on Inspection 1.

Brakes are not hard to do ($200-400) if you do them yourselves (pads and/or rotors.) I've changed the coolant once (need to do soon again) - recommend the BMW coolant which is pre-mixed with distilled water.

I have replaced spark plugs, fuel filter and the intake camshaft position sensor. 4 tires and several sets of windshield wiper inserts. That's all for the entire car. I probably need to change the clutch (another $250) and shocks/struts soon.

There are many websites which sell German auto parts at significant discounts. One I am pleased with is in Southern Calif, named after those small birds which swim in the Antarctic ocean. They also have good technical articles on major repairs.

If you can do some or all these things yourself, you can save a lot over the dealer. If you have a dealer maintain it, you'll get factory trained technicians, but at a very expenive labor rate, and full price on the parts.

On balance, a BMW's parts are significantly more than Honda or Toyota. But then, the performance can't be compared.

Answer 3

I do all my repairs and maintenance on my own. It is actually very cheap car to maintain if you can DIY. It is as cost effective as 80s Mercedes Diesel.

But if you have to use dealer service, BMW maintenance is divided into Inspection 1 and inspection 2. Inspection 1 runs around $400. Inspection II is about $800. You will hit one of these inspection every 30K miles. In my experience, BMW up to 1995 is very reliable. Most BMWs are driven on modified M5x engines and they have been using this engines for about 15 years and they are known to be rock solid. The problem with these cars are Bahr radiators. They are made out of plastic, and they can break off any time on old BMWs. And When it happenes, the engine over heats and blows the head gasket. This is how $400 radiator repair job becomes $1200 head gasket replacement job.

Answer 4

BMW and similar luxury car manufacturers typically have high maintenance costs, mainly because if you can afford the name brand now, you should be able to keep up the high cost of that name brand in the years to come. For a sixteen year old, unless you have an outstanding job and can afford both the high up-keep and insurance costs, I would stick to a cheaper car. Any car that you buy will eventually go through some sort of trouble, and the fix is typically not cheap. Rule of thumb, the higher price on the lot, the higher price in the shop. There will always be opportunities in the future to buy a shiny new BMW, but as a starter car, I don't think its a great choice.

Answer 5

I just called two good non dealership specialist repair shops for Acura vs BMW quotes on the same type of repair for a apples to apples comparison. They are typically both about half cheaper than the dealer's repair shop or better. 2007 Acura TL vs 2007 BMW 328i were used. 90k checkup was $175 TL vs $650 BMW. To be fair, the BMW includes extra computer programming and a 100 point inspection, but otherwise very similar work. A blown out headlamp replacement: $15 TL vs $100 BMW (for the xenon? lamps). This gives you an idea of what to expect for everything else. I just picked two service types off the top of my head and checked a review site for two 4 star shops.

Answer 6

How Much Are Bmw Parts

Answer 7

maintenance as in oil changes and such will not cost much more if any at all other than that if u find a good local shop that specializes in euro cars it wont be that much more than a civic and ull have a much nice car

Answer 8

If you have to ask about how high maintenance is on a BMW you shouldnt be driving one... Back to your question the maintenance rather expensive but you get a well built long lasting car that can easily outlast many cars on the road with up to 300,000 miles if properly maintained...

Answer 9

Sky high.