Debunking the myth, 1 anecdote at a time

[KIAman]

So my 2006 BMW 330i has finally hit the 125,000 mile mark.

Total Repair History

Replace steering column - TSB - Free
Dented front wheel over pothole - Warranty - Free
100,000 miles worth of maintenance - Free

Preventative maintenance

Water pump, thermostat, hoses, coolant @ 110,000 - $600 (did myself)
AT Transmission filter + fluid @110,000 - $250 (did myself)

Car still feels new, no other issues and still gets 25mpg on average and I still drive it like I stole it on a daily basis.

 

[JackBurton]

Did you buy it new?

 

[basslover1]

Newer German cars are reliable for the most part, but when shit goes wrong they're a bitch to troubleshoot and parts are expensive. IME the engines and drive trains are bullet proof, it's the stupid electrical crap that is a pain in the ass and it usually compounds it self over time.

Example, my driver's door (VW Passat) doesn't lock electronically but it locks the old fashioned way it does however unlock both ways. New lock switch, door wiring harness and actuator didn't fix the issue. All of the other locks function perfectly with the remote or key (where applicable). Oh, and locking the car with the key does arm the alarm system so the car knows the door is locked it just doesn't know what pushing the lock button on the remote is supposed to do for that door only.

It's probably a really stupid part that when works correctly is a "feature" but when it's broken good luck trying to find which part broke.

 

[KDKPSJ]

Example, my driver's door (VW Passat) doesn't lock electronically but it locks the old fashioned way it does however unlock both ways

There's your issue. Aren't VW and BMW, despite both being German cars, in fairly different league when it comes to reliability? Of course it's not dramatic like Japanese (ie. Lexus vs Mitsubishi), though.

 

[KIAman]

Did you buy it new?

Yup, for just a hair over $46k in 2005. Although I've also got a Honda that hasn't had a single problem either and it is reaching up to 150k miles.

 

[LTC8K6]

But if you had to replace the steering column on a 2006 Buick it would be evidence of crapola construction...

 

[basslover1]

There's your issue. Aren't VW and BMW, despite both being German cars, in fairly different league when it comes to reliability? Of course it's not dramatic like Japanese (ie. Lexus vs Mitsubishi), though.

Perhaps, but I think when my car was built in 1998 most ever German manufacturer was screwing up somehow.

 

[KIAman]

But if you had to replace the steering column on a 2006 Buick it would be evidence of crapola construction...

Well, to be fair, the column never broke but the TSB said there was a chance your steering wheel will remain locked even with the car started or something like that.

So when I heard about the TSB, I told the service guys to do it.

If you wanna see crapola construction, this car has the upgraded 8 speaker sound but one day I wanted to see what the subwoofers were made of under the front seats. Not to anyone's surprise, they were made of paper! LOL. They still sound fine.

 

[supastar1568]

So my 2006 BMW 330i has finally hit the 125,000 mile mark.

Total Repair History

Replace steering column - TSB - Free
Dented front wheel over pothole - Warranty - Free
100,000 miles worth of maintenance - Free

Preventative maintenance

Water pump, thermostat, hoses, coolant @ 110,000 - $600 (did myself)
AT Transmission filter + fluid @110,000 - $250 (did myself)

Car still feels new, no other issues and still gets 25mpg on average and I still drive it like I stole it on a daily basis.

Thats great. But aren't you upset that a year later BMW ditched the 330i in favor of the 335 for basically the same price

 

[KIAman]

Thats great. But aren't you upset that a year later BMW ditched the 330i in favor of the 335 for basically the same price

At first I was and I even got offers to trade in my car for a 335 for a great deal, but after thinking it through, I would have gotten better acceleration at a cost to MPG and engine complexity (I like doing my own work). Also, a lot of options I got for free on the 330 were now additional on the 335 so I stuck with the 330 in the end.

Also, the primary reason I got this car was luxury sport comfort so the "sport" was really secondary, I even got an AT after driving a manual for the 10 previous years.

 

[KIAman]

So I got really lazy and went through an automatic touchless car wash. After the wash was done, the machine turned on the dryer fans and instructed me to go forward. I creeped forward but had to go over the tire stop bump which seemd like it only protruded about 2 inches off the ground but when I went over it, SCREECH.

I didn't think much of it because the noise wasn't that loud but as an afterthought, I looked under my car when I got home and the protective plastic panel was ripped off. NOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Just a warning to owners with low cars.

 

[Raduque]

Preventative maintenance

Water pump, thermostat, hoses, coolant @ 110,000 - $600 (did myself)
AT Transmission filter + fluid @110,000 - $250 (did myself)

Wow. It's less than $100 for the parts to change the water pump on my truck, and probably about $50 to do the atf and filter.

 

[Pandora's Box]

So I got really lazy and went through an automatic touchless car wash. After the wash was done, the machine turned on the dryer fans and instructed me to go forward. I creeped forward but had to go over the tire stop bump which seemd like it only protruded about 2 inches off the ground but when I went over it, SCREECH.

I didn't think much of it because the noise wasn't that loud but as an afterthought, I looked under my car when I got home and the protective plastic panel was ripped off. NOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Just a warning to owners with low cars.

I will never go through a car wash again, will only wash my cars myself from now on. Last week I took my 4 week old Hyundai Elantra through a brush car wash (I know dumb idea, but I was lazy). Got home to find a series of minor scratches going from the left front tire base to the center of the drivers side passenger door. All because I was lazy and didnt want to spend 2 hours cleaning the car myself. Called the car wash owners, they said "the sign outside the car wash clearly states we are not responsible for damages". Sigh.

 

[manimal]

thought you drove a Kia? lol sorry couldnt help it


I love stories like this. We hear enough crap from luddites who've never owned one...

 

[Spungo]

All because I was lazy and didnt want to spend 2 hours cleaning the car myself

wtf? Are you cleaning it with a tooth brush or something?

 

[Pandora's Box]

wtf? Are you cleaning it with a tooth brush or something?

if im going to wash it by hand I might as well wax it too

 

[KIAman]

thought you drove a Kia? lol sorry couldnt help it


I love stories like this. We hear enough crap from luddites who've never owned one...

Actually, when I first registered at Anandtech, I drove a KIA sportage. It was the love of my life and served me 10 years until I got the 330. And that is the story of my username.

I've also modded my car with PSS9, interior LED kit, white angel eyes and BMS powerbox all right when warranty ran out at 100k and still going strong on those too.

 

[thomsbrain]

It's the next 100,000 miles that will tell the story.

 

[BurnItDwn]

I thought BMW was considered expensive after warranty not due to lack of reliability, but instead, due to parts being expensive, and sometimes taking more labor than other cars may take? In other words, something that would cast $500 for parts and labor for a Chevy or a Ford might cost $1500 to fix for BMW.

 

[soccerballtux]

if im going to wash it by hand I might as well wax it too

just use zip-wax wash/wax and call it a day. Makes it very easy to wash car every week or two.

 

[soccerballtux]

It's the next 100,000 miles that will tell the story.

+1

 

[desy]

http://businesscenter.jdpower.com/news/pressrelease.aspx?id=2009043
Looks like BMW was avg in 2006 after 3yrs

 

[SparkyJJO]

wtf? Are you cleaning it with a tooth brush or something?

Some of us prefer to actually wash the car, not just dump a bucket of soap water over it and call it a day

 

[Arkaign]

I thought BMW was considered expensive after warranty not due to lack of reliability, but instead, due to parts being expensive, and sometimes taking more labor than other cars may take? In other words, something that would cast $500 for parts and labor for a Chevy or a Ford might cost $1500 to fix for BMW.

Pretty much. A great example is the VANOS seals, which really need to be replaced at some point between 75k-150k miles depending on model/year. They can be a real pain, and more expensive than the roughly equivalent service on most other cars. I think it's even recommended to use aftermarket seals for certain model year BMW engines :

http://www.beisansystems.com/

I think just that job can take 4-8 hours depending on your skills and experience. And of course the parts will be priced at German levels.

I am a BMW fanboy, but it's just the honest truth that the parts are more expensive, and there will be more labor than your typical japanese/domestic car. At least some of that could just be the entry/mid lux category though.

 

[BassBomb]

did yourself thats the key