Are BMW's reliable and overall good cars with little problems??

Question

also lets say i buy a used BMW 300 series with about 40-60K miles on it.

would this be a good buy? cause i always see these going for about 15,000 with that many miles on it and used in the 300 series of BMW's

Answer 1

Let's face it, if you want really reliable cars, nothing beats the Japanese.

I have 3 BMWs in the family. But I also have a 1997 Nissan Altima with 1/4 million miles and it's still running perfectly. In fact, I just returned from a 300-mile trip on it today!

But BMWs are not unreliable either, they are more reliable than Mercedez-Benz cars according to the most recent Consumer Reports; where none of the Mercedes Benz's were given the "recommended" stamp at all.

So that's for overall reliability for the marque.

As for 3 series BMW, 40k-60k miles is nothing to be worried about as long as proper maintenance was kept up, and that you intend to continue to care for the car properly.

BMW gives all its cars a 4-year/50,000 mile all-inclusive warranty with no-cost servicing. So most of the cars in these mileage would probably be well taken care of by BMW dealer servicing.

So go for it.

You will be able to get accurate market pricing on the exact model of 3-series you are looking from at www.edmunds.com.

Answer 2

I have a 3 series bmw, with the m52 engine. The motors will last a long time. The only issues that most people have with BMW's is window regulators, and lower control arms. SOME have issues with rear subframe tearing, where the rear diff rips from the sheet metal in the rear. Few have had the problem, I however haven't with 150k miles and still ticking, knock on wood. They make reinforcement kits to prevent it.

Other than that, they are good cars, not very fast from a dead stop, but good from a roll. They handle well and are very stylish.

Answer 3

The 3 series is a great car. Very reliable if you know what to expect. There are several checklists online of common failures and when ther occur. One major weak point is the cooling system which WILL fail between 70k and 110k don't let it go to long.

Radiator has some plastic bits that can and will crack over time.
Engine driven fan will explode.
Water pump is plastic and will deteriorate and fail. Thermostat housing that will crack.
(total parts ~$300 labor is 2-3 hours)(easy to do yourself)

Window regulators start to have some issues.
(can be expensive to fix if you can't do any of the work)

Out side of those problems the cars are great. When you think of how short the list actually is, it's amazing really.

Answer 4

Yes, they are great, E30's will always have problems. all cars corrode, as it is mainly metal all welded together and we even get old and need to go doc's to be serviced regularly.
Bmw's are great, early E36's have alot of problems, go for anyhing after half way through 1995. avoid 316's as they don't accelerate quickly. 318 is econimical. 325's are poweful and fun.. depends if you want to blow around 200 quid on tax for models over 1.8. E46, 1999/2000 models are reliable but trim levels and extras were low. 2001 e46's are when they improved, just look at the dash and steering wheel improvements. regular service is also a good idea. Nissans are rubbish, they use Renault gearboxes, now the worst jap cars about. Toyota's are ok. Honda is now better than toyota. you get some rofue Jazz's which have nothing but problems..
best BMW to get under £3500 quid would be a 318is with vadars and m3 extras. 4k or more go for 328's or bargain m3's... (e36 range though).
otherwise anything out of the e46 rang apart from 316's are good

Answer 5

well i OWn a 328i

its a Fun car to drive

also it may depend on what generation you are talking about

there are the

E30's
E36's 92-98
E46's 99-05
E96's 06-present

also
the one flaw with a BMW and any Luxury German car

is the computer system

and sensory

but very easy to fix however expesive

but thats the only problem i have encountered

Overall

the BMW is a Very Fun car to drive around

and is quite reliable when it comes to Driving

but the computer thing Frequent till you fix it right

if that answers your question well

its been an honor

Answer 6

I have had 2, HAD a 328 and HAVE a M3 now, I love BMW's. I will never own anything else.

As long as you take care of them they last a very long time.

Most of the reliability things that you hear about cars are just stereotypes and aren't true about every single car that comes off the line. I put more money in repairs into my old civic that I have put into either of my BMW's.

Answer 7

300 series are mercedes benz,are u talking about 3 series in BMW.
IT WILL BE A GOOD BUY.
BMW cars are durable and reliable,but you must maintain them well with regular oil changes/services as per manufacturers recomendations.
BMW has1,3,5,7 series ,many on the roads
40,000 to 60,000 miles is considered low usage if for about 5 years-7years car.
How old is this car you are talking about.?
BMW 3 litre engine can easily last upto 180,000 miles b4 first overhaul,provided you do your preventive regular maintainance.

Answer 8

absolutely not. i saw my bmw machanic so much over the years that he sent me a christmas card every year. I think i put his kid through college. I rarely had a repair bill that was less than $500, it was usually much more. once out of warranty, you probably need to find an independent mechanic as the dealer rates are outrageous. great car, horrible reliability. if you want little problems, go japanese.

Answer 9

well i cant really answer your question but ia m getting a bmw 3 series coupe soon and i am really excited about it can't wait till i get it ;) it looks great thats all i can say so far but hopefully it will be reliable ;P