Cd changer malfunctioned after 300 miles.
Erratic idle in second month of ownership.
Cam sensor changed.
Air mass sensor changed.
Temperature sensor changed and engine re-coded.
2 headlight bulbs burnt out within 3 days of each other.
High fuel consumption and lack of power as a result in a crack in the diaphragm of the engine hence no vacuum and the intake body changed.
Erratic idle persisted, BMW computer was not showing a fault, I went ballistic as the car was driving like it had carburretors instead of injectors and after a few overnight stays at the dealerships the throttle body was changed as the linkage was feathered to the great surprise of their chief mechanic and the engine re-coded again.
Car went in for an oil service at 29k miles, new front wishbone bushes, rear brake pads car returned with scratches on it and incorrect mileage on the service booklet. Drove down to the dealership and got them to wax clean the side of the car and amend the mileage, have they not heard of quality control ?
Steering pulling to one side after 800 miles wishbone bushes cracked and wishbones affected by incorrect installation (independednt mechanics opinion) and the car being jacked up for an MOT by the wishbones instead of the jacking points on the underside, clear scratches on the ball joints/wishbones.
New wishbones, front wishbone bushes, radiator had a bulge at the bottom so the radiator was replaced, new steering column and steering arms.
Steering tracking done, but left suspension not centered so had to be done again as the centering point was removed.
Headlight bulb burnt out again and one indicator bulb burnt out in the same day.
Internal temperature sensor not working and the a/c system working erratically.
Prop shaft coupling cracked due to out of balance prop shaft, new prop shaft and new clutch.
Erratic idle again, car going in for a few overnight stays so that cold starts can be performed.
Very solid and comfortable ride, due to the 17 inch alloys and low profile tyres you do tend to feel pot holes and other anomalies in the road.
Comfortable for motorway journeys and electric seats easily adjustable.
Beautiful engine and sound, but lacks low end torque, a friend owns a 330ci and that has a lot more power from fewer revs obviously due to a bigger engine.
Not particularly economical and with prices of about £0.95 per liter a full tank will cost you £55 and will cover on average (mainly inner city driving) about 180-220 miles.
Dealerships not too keen with warranty work and after being promised a call from the service department twice, I picked up the phone and booked the car in myself.
Would be a lot happier with the car if it had not spent about 3 weeks till now at dealerships being repaired, I have only had the car for 17 months.
I believe you are referring "bushings," not "bushes". The last I checked, BMW doesn't utilize shrubs in the construction of their vehicles.
The above comment must be from an American. In Britain, the term used is "bushes" not "bushings". Also, the British terms for hood and trunk are "bonnet" and "boot", respectively, so the comment writer should not make any clever remarks about headgear or footwear being incorporated into automotive construction, should he/she happen to see these terms used in a review.
Sorry you've had such a rough time with it.
I have had a litany of faults with my 318SE. I've had it for about 18 months, but now I'm just sick of it. Since new its had; new discs, new brake sensors, new rear passenger door card, water ingress at rear door, new thermostat, new expansion bottle, broken fag lighter (!), failed driver's side window, intermittent fault with heater matrix and two new rear tyres!
Its hopefully getting sold next week as p/x on a Boxster. The front lights towards the grille are showing a fault, but I can't face getting it fixed and the driver's window is still slow.
I will never buy a BMW again.
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From the writer of the original comment:
Yes I accept that the correct term is bushings, and found the comment on shrubs very amusing. This page is about car reviews so lets please stick to the subject matter and not write comments if they have no purpose.
The car is in the UK not in the USA and after a barrage of emails, the car is being replaced, but I am likely to be liable for the mileage covered so the car will not be a straight swap, but a swap and a bankers draft to cover the wear and tear on my vehicle which is not unreasonable.
At the same time I am unaware of any figures as a replacement has not been found yet to the specification, colour, transmission etc of my model yet and will update the site upon conclusion of my dealings with the various dealers and BMW GB who have been very helpful so far, but they say the proof is in the pudding so its wait and see.
It seems that the more elctronic and technically complex they make cars the more likely they are to suffer some fault or other. At the same time the cars become less cars and more machines. I used to have a 320 E36 and that was a wonderful drivers car and except for the usual tyres and servicing nothing much went wrong. It seems to me your car was made on a Monday as they would say in Germany.
I have a company car at the moment that is well I would say just about adequate, but all of my friends that have new cars have nothing, but problems, not anything majors, but a friends who has a CL500 has been in and out of garages with SRS lights that keep coming on, active suspension that keeps leaking etc etc and it is up to the servicing departments over here to sort out the problems with manufacturing abroad. It's a shame that such prestigious makes rank lower in reliability tables than they used to a few years ago, maybe some lessons could be learnt from Japanese cars as they seem to have bulletproof reliability.
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