Is this a problem?

[PetitPimousse]

I am looking at a used 08 m3 and I have a few concerns and questions. First, it is not CPO and has 22k miles. Is that a lot for that car?
Also, the carfax shows it was a corporate lease owner. Is that a negative in your opinions?
An additional question is, it appears to have been an early build 08 (arrived in the US in 03/08) so were there any issues with the early 08s?
And lastly, the carfax doesn't show the 1200 mile service but does show many ligh bulb replacement for the tail lights. I've read about this on here but isn;t there a fix beyond repeatedly replacing bulbs?

Thanks a lot!

[FredVMI]

You've asked a number of good questions, which indicates that you're doing your homework before buying.

The mileage is what it is. 22k miles on an early '08 is not ideal, but, it's not terrible either. The fact that it was a leased vehicle (and a corporate lease at that) could be cause for some concern if the owner did not maintain the vehicle properly and/or if it was abused. However, at the end of the day, there's no way to know for sure how the car was treated.

You didn't mention whether the dealer selling the vehicle is a BMW dealer. If the vehicle is being sold by a BMW dealer, you have little to worry about. A BMW dealer will not put a BMW on their lot that is known to have issues (CPO or not). Not being a CPO vehicle (at a BMW dealership) is not necessarily an issue either. It costs the dealer quite a bit of money to classify a BMW as a CPO vehicle. The dealer likely assessed the vehicle and determined that it's clean enough to not warrant the additional investment. That doesn't mean that it's perfect; as would be expected with any used vehicle. Not being a CPO would be especially likely on an M car as they don't need incentives to be sold quickly.

If the vehicle is not being sold by a BMW dealer, then you have some additional work to do. Again, there's no way to know for certain how the vehicle was treated. Additionally, you should not rely on CARFAX or AutoCheck for the vehicle maintenance history. The only way to properly assess the vehicle's condition and to determine the maintenance history is to have the car inspected by a BMW dealer. Any reputable dealer will allow you to take their car to an independent source (like a BMW dealer) to be inspected (at your cost, of course). BMW performs such inspections routinely. They will also provide you with the maintenance history on the vehicle. If the maintenance history on the vehicle is deficient in BMW's system, it can be brought current after you purchase the car. There also might be a reasonable explanation for the deficient history, such as, the owner lived too far from a BMW dealer and had the maintenance performed locally. In short, all potential issues will be uncovered during a BMW inspection. And, if there are any issues, your car is still under warranty.

Regarding the early build date, I wouldn't worry too much about that. There are very few known issues with the vehicle. The only major issue (relatively speaking) is with the DCT (if so equipped). There is a TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) on the DCT that requires an ECU re-flash. Review of the service history will indicate if the TSB has been performed. That service is of course performed at no cost to you.

Tail light issues have been reported by some owners on this forum. Multiple bulb replacements would tend to indicate a socket or wiring problem. I don't have a lot of info on that issue, but, it wouldn't stop me from buying an M3!

In summary:

1. Being sold be a BMW dealer? No worries.

2. Not being sold by a BMW dealer? Have the vehicle inspected by BMW.

That's about all I have for you. I've typed too much already. Hope the info helps!

[PetitPimousse]

Hey FredVMI, thank you very much for your great reply. It is indeed being sold by a BMW dealership but not CPO, which doesn't seem to be a big deal. The 1200 mile service does not show up on the carfax but I'll make sure to ask.
It is a 6MT so the DCT issues are not going to affect this car.
I am very excited about the car. Only thing missing (that I care about) are the 19 inch wheels but I was going to get aftermarket wheels at some point anyway so not a big deal.

[Res Ipsa]

What is wrong with 22k miles? That's about 11k miles per year.

[PetitPimousse]

I agree it's not that much. What concerns me more is the corporate lease because (I may be very wrong on this) i would assume these cars are not taken care of as well as owned, financed or personal leased cars.

[DEAN325i]

bought mine March of 2008 with 2 miles. now I got 41k miles. I drive it the way it was made to be driven. I drive it hard. And zero issues! you should be fine

[Res Ipsa]

A corporate lease means it was leased through someone's business and used as a tax write-off. I don't see how that's indicative of vehicle care one way or another.

[FredVMI]

Originally Posted by PetitPimousse

Hey FredVMI, thank you very much for your great reply. It is indeed being sold by a BMW dealership but not CPO, which doesn't seem to be a big deal. The 1200 mile service does not show up on the carfax but I'll make sure to ask.
It is a 6MT so the DCT issues are not going to affect this car.
I am very excited about the car. Only thing missing (that I care about) are the 19 inch wheels but I was going to get aftermarket wheels at some point anyway so not a big deal.

You're very welcome! If the only desired option that's missing is the 19" wheels and the price is right, then go for it! Remember to post pics after you buy!

[FredVMI]

Originally Posted by Res Ipsa

What is wrong with 22k miles? That's about 11k miles per year.

Agreed. The mileage is a non-issue!

[FredVMI]

Originally Posted by Res Ipsa

A corporate lease means it was leased through someone's business and used as a tax write-off. I don't see how that's indicative of vehicle care one way or another.

I believe it's a well-established fact that leased vehicles (personal and corporate) have a higher incidence of abuse and neglect than non-leased vehicles. This is true across all makes. While there are many leased vehicles that are properly cared for by their owners, there's a higher percentage of leased vehicle owners that just don't care because they know that they're tossing the keys back at the end of the lease term. On a vehicle-by-vehicle basis, there's no way to know what you have. Hence the inspection by a BMW dealer.