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BMW X3 Reliability

41 messages,  Last post on Feb 23, 2013 at 2:01 PM

You are in the BMW X3 & X5 Forum.

What is this discussion about? BMW X3, BMW X5, SUV

Messages Page 2 of 5

#2 of 41 Re: Consumer Reports & BMW X3 Reliability [hb3749] by anon3

Apr 11, 2007 (2:50 pm)

Replying to: hb3749 (Apr 08, 2007 9:58 pm)
Consumer Reports strikes again. I put very little faith in their reliability recommendations on any vehicle that is less than 3 years old. They don't publish the criteria/formula that they use to arrive at the "not recommended" reliability rating and there are glaring flaws in their rating methodology. For example, one annual car edition designated the 2002 X5 as "not recommended". On another page in that very same magazine, they stated that they had "insufficient data" to rate the 2002 X5's reliability. That is very poor analysis methodology.
 
My family drove a 2004 X3 for 18 months. It never went back to the dealer for repair. It was completely trouble free. Granted that was still a relatively new vehicle, but 18 months trouble free is a good sign. Similarly, my personal experience completely contradicts Consumer Reports' rating of the X5. We've had 5 X5's. All but the very first one (BMW's very first SUV model) have been completely trouble free.
 
If you're looking at a brand new X3, the warranty covers everything - even wiper blades - and you can get a free loaner while your car is in service. So your risk is very low for the first 50,000 miles.
 
Also note that a car can have an average of less than 2 problems per vehicle and still receive a below average rating. New vehicles are so reliable that even a single problem on average will ding their ratings.

#4 of 41 X3 90K miles reliability by markw501

Feb 21, 2010 (9:25 am)

I am looking at getting a new 4x4, and really want an x3. Love the looks and everything. However my budget only allows me to get an X3 with 80k to 90k miles on it. How reliable are these SUVs? I read in the forums and everyone talks about up to 100K miles.
 
 Are they not reliable from 100K -200K. Also, I heard the engines go out after 155K.
 
Many cars now days go beyond 200K. Are the German cars less reliable over the long haul?
 
Are there warranties that cover until 200K? Would they be worth it?
 
Any responses would be appreciated!
Thanks,
Mark

#5 of 41 Re: X3 90K miles reliability [markw501] by roadburner

Feb 21, 2010 (9:33 pm)

Replying to: markw501 (Feb 21, 2010 9:25 am)
Long term durability depends on the maintenance the truck has received from mile 001. The inline six in the X can last over 200K; aside from normal maintenance about all you may have to replace will be the valve cover gasket and the water pump. Have any used BMW inspected by a qualified BMW tech. My wife drives a 2004 X3 2.5 with over 92K on it and it has been totally reliable. We plan to keep it past 150K.

#6 of 41 Re: X3 90K miles reliability [markw501] by pp2009pp

Feb 21, 2010 (10:52 pm)

Replying to: markw501 (Feb 21, 2010 9:25 am)
There are relatively few X3's that are beyond 100K if most cars do around 10-15K miles per year. If you are maxing out your budget just to buy the car, will you be able to cover a few thousand in repair bills should they come your way?
 
From a purely financial perspective, you are better off buying a less expensive car with fewer miles and then pocketing the money for future repairs. Maybe not as much fun on the road but better for a good night's sleep.

#7 of 41 X3 lasting to 200K by pp2009pp

Feb 24, 2010 (11:25 am)

As far as that goes, if the car doesn't break, has pieces that break replaced, has easy highway miles, etc. etc. it can last to 200K.
 
What car built today has an engine that, if kept in good shape, can't do that? That is simply meaningless. The very high mileage BMWs I have seen belong to people working at dealerships or independent shops or have been held together with lots of work put into them.
 
BMWs are EXPENSIVE to maintain because when something breaks it is easily a $1K bill out of warranty. Just call your friendly neighborhood dealer and see what it costs to replace the brakes.

#8 of 41 Re: X3 lasting to 200K [pp2009pp] by roadburner

Feb 25, 2010 (11:37 am)

Replying to: pp2009pp (Feb 24, 2010 11:25 am)
Maintenance and repair costs on my wife's X3 are averaging 3 cents per mile. My 15 year old 3 Series has over 120K miles on the clock and the maintenance/repair costs average 5 cents per mile.
The key is finding a good dealer or indie BMW tech that offers a BMW CCA discount.

#9 of 41 Expensive to maintain by pp2009pp

Feb 26, 2010 (12:55 pm)

I know a BMW that averaged $1/mile on repairs and that is not at the dealership but with a good independent garage.
 
1, 2 or 3 or even 20 individual experiences do not make any difference to the future bank account of someone looking for a reliable car. NONE of the European car manufacturers have more than an 'ok' rating on reliability over their entire line.
 
If someone is stretching their finances just to purchase a car, the best car to buy is an inexpensive car with a warranty. Budget is the significant factor here, not rolling the dice on a car that costs $1K every time the hood is popped.

#10 of 41 Re: Expensive to maintain [pp2009pp] by roadburner

Feb 26, 2010 (7:38 pm)

Replying to: pp2009pp (Feb 26, 2010 12:55 pm)
I know a BMW that averaged $1/mile on repairs and that is not at the dealership but with a good independent garage.
 
Really. Let's have a little more detail: Model? Age? Mileage? Specific repairs? Name of shop?
 
1, 2 or 3 or even 20 individual experiences do not make any difference to the future bank account of someone looking for a reliable car. NONE of the European car manufacturers have more than an 'ok' rating on reliability over their entire line.
 
How many BMWs have you owned? Years and models? Where did you get your empirical data from?
 
Budget is the significant factor here, not rolling the dice on a car that costs $1K every time the hood is popped.
 
You sure like to throw that phrase around a lot, but you never back it up with any facts.
And by the way, how many miles do you have on your X3? Have you hit 2000 miles yet?
In any case, forum participants can evaluate the number and content of your earlier posts as well as those I've made and determine for themselves who has the greatest credibility.

#11 of 41 Fess up by pp2009pp

Feb 27, 2010 (1:16 am)

You have no statistically meaningful data so why are you demanding it of others? All you have are a couple of data points.
 
I don't know anyone who has ever owned a BMW who considers them to be highly reliable and inexpensive to maintain. Do you really own one? I'm beginning to think that your car is simply on paper.
 
The X3 is bouncing around the road providing heart-thumping moments when it simply fails to respond to its accelerator and mild whiplash when it decides that it should simply slow itself to a crawl before the driver actually hits the brakes....that is often 20 feet from the stop sign or intersection. I would only suggest an X3 to someone who feels that driving has become too entirely predictable and should, instead, be quite difficult.
 
I would never suggest a BMW to anyone who is going to stretch to simply buy the car and would lose sleep over a big repair bill.

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