2006 BMW 1 Series 116i ES 1.6 petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Unreliable and too costly. Not economical

Faults:

Our 06 plate BMW 1 series is giving us problem after problem.

Timing chain jumped was an expensive job. Then oil leaks. Then clutch replaced.

No cup holders, and no dipstick to check oil.

Petrol was expensive on this car.

Never ever again with a BMW 1 Series. It's a lemon.

General Comments:

Not reliable. Too costly to maintain.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 21st February, 2017

26th Feb 2017, 18:59

Wait until BMW fans will chime in with 'never had a single issue in 200000 miles' stories.

In reply to 26th Feb 2017, 18:59

27th Feb 2017, 07:32

You mean owners. Not likely with the 1-series, it's a matter of whether or not you've had a major problem.

2006 BMW 1 Series 135i from North America

Summary:

Love the car, hate the burnt piece of machinery sitting in front of my home!!!

Faults:

At 90,000 miles, my car had an electrical fire. It just happened last night, so I don't have all the specifics yet, but the fire investigator said it was clearly a manufacturer defect. The car was parked and hadn't been driving in more than 3 hours.

A quick search on Google demonstrates that this is a common occurrence with some BMW models. I am hoping that after this is all said and done, I am still a fan of BMW's customer service.

Until now I my only issue with my car was the run flat tires, they are the worst. I have replaced the full set twice in 90,000 miles. And not because of balding, but because the tires have had holes in them. Run flat tires are not cheap!

General Comments:

I loved my car and thought it was worth the price. Now I am scared to own a BMW. My car was parked; what if it had of caught fire when I was driving it.

In the end, I hope that this goes over seamlessly. I don't know where to begin with BMW. Do I go to the dealership where I bought the car, or do I go to the corporate headquarters? I welcome advice.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 14th March, 2010

25th Mar 2010, 20:44

I also have an E82 and I am interested to know more about your car's spontaneous fire. Did you have insurance? How did the fire investigator know it was a manufacturing defect? Have you shown the issue to BMW? Was the car made in USA or Germany? I would be surprised if BMW factory showed no interest. Your detailed comments would be appreciated.

31st Mar 2010, 18:53

I also found comments about engine fires in BMW cars. In this case it was an old (1992) 530.

..."the most likely cause of an engine fire is a leaking fuel line. It is possible that whoever did the repairs left a fuel line loose or damaged a fuel line in the process of making repairs. Proving this will be difficult, what you can do is hire an accident investigator who specializes in the automotive sector to look at the car and determine where the fire started. It may look like a total mess under the hood, but a good investigator will be able to determine the cause and document it for you. If you have comprehensive insurance, your insurance company's investigator will be able to do this for you. A fuel leak is the most likely possibility of an engine fire. Another possibility is engine oil leaking onto the exhaust manifold from a leaking valve cover gasket. Another possibility, but far less likely, is an electrical fire."

My question to you is... who did your last service? Freds Garage or BMW???

2006 BMW 1 Series 130i Sport from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

Excellent engine. Chassis built quality in doubt

Faults:

Windows squeaking.

General Comments:

I purchased this car last week. I was going to purchase a 120, but by the time I ticked all the option list, the 130 was a better buy.

The straight six 3 liter engine is very powerful, with the paddle shift on the steering wheel making gear changing very exciting. The engine note is louder than the 120, but it's bigger capacity, so it's expected.

I think the steering wheel feedback is too strong on the 130, sometimes you get steering kick when the road is not so good.

Overall I'm happy with the car, and with the dealer, but I'm very disappointed with windows squeaking after owning the car for one week. I am not sure of the cause - could be the motors for the electric windows. I am taking back to the dealer see what they say, but for the money I have paid, I am very surprised to see that windows squeaks.

Tim.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 2nd July, 2006

7th Jul 2006, 14:14

Well, this is me again, I left the review originally. The squeak is caused by the rubber being too dry. Its common on the 1 series according to the dealer. They will replace the door rubber. Hope that will fix it.

The car seem to have lot of steering kick. I do not know the reason. Anyway if the dealer cannot fix the car, I will live with it.

I don't know, I was expecting a better car, especially with the 130 being top of the range. I am starting to think maybe the car is not new. Should have purchased the 120, it's got enough power. The 130's a bit hard to drive.. is a bit over powered, not as smooth as the 120, because you need to rev low to drive normal. The engine doesn't like that.

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