Reliability of M3 Compared to Normal E9X 3 Series

renaissance · 12-09-2013, 08:57 PM

Does M3 have better reliability compared to normal E9X 3 series? I found many E9X 3 series owners complain about their cars but I seldom heard my friends complain about their M3. Is it because some parts used in M3 are better than normal 3 series? Or because of different production plant?

TrevorM3 · 12-09-2013, 09:14 PM

m3 is pretty dam reliable.

That's all that needs to be said.

Ezio · 12-09-2013, 09:20 PM

i am shocked how much better the DCT is over the SMG.

the m3 is reliable. but like most high strung motors, they need to be taken care of. this is a car i would like to buy new over used. only reason is they get abused if not warmed before hard driving. replace the rod bearings if you are buying used with high miles. general statement, i know you already have a m3 OP

GVIFlyer · 12-09-2013, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ezio

i am shocked how much better the DCT is over the SMG.

the m3 is reliable. but like most high strung motors, they need to be taken care of. this is a car i would like to buy new over used. only reason is they get abused if not warmed before hard driving. replace the rod bearings if you are buying used with high miles. general statement, i know you already have a m3 OP

Don't you think that the car does a pretty good job of protecting itself when it's cold by limiting RPM?

Ezio · 12-09-2013, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GVFlyer

Don't you think that the car does a pretty good job of protecting itself when it's cold by limiting RPM?

it does! but when the engine is bitter cold the stock RPM blocker goes to like 5k RPM or 6 RPM. somewhere around there. revving to 4k+ on a cold engine is bad enough. and trust me people will get into there car, pull on to a street and hit 5K on a very cold engine. i am not going to sit here and say i haven't done that either.

ideal operating temp is around the 210 mark. watch how long it takes to get there.

remember BMW wants the car to last for its warranty time.

Spyris · 12-09-2013, 10:31 PM

Here's two threads that tells you high mileage for whatever its worth.

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthr...682601&page=19

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthr...=894069&page=4

E30_80Y · 12-10-2013, 08:11 AM

I have a Friend that works at BMW as a mechanic/tech he said that they are built better.

dparm · 12-10-2013, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by E30_80Y

I have a Friend that works at BMW as a mechanic/tech he said that they are built better.

That's purely anecdotal and doesn't really help us. Objective repair data is more useful.

TrueDelta.com may have the data you seek, OP.

brio · 12-10-2013, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by renaissance

Does M3 have better reliability compared to normal E9X 3 series? I found many E9X 3 series owners complain about their cars but I seldom heard my friends complain about their M3. Is it because some parts used in M3 are better than normal 3 series? Or because of different production plant?

Depends on which e9x 3 series you're referring to. I have an E90 330i with the N52 engine and I think its pretty reliable. Of course it's had the basic common BMW issues, like leaky valve cover & oil filter housing gaskets,, water pump/thermo, alternator. Those all appeared after 100k miles on the clock. I now have 141k and its still pushing strong.

Now the N54 E9x are a different story as far as reliability...well at least some of them.

PrimeBMW · 12-10-2013, 09:43 AM

about a year ago BMW published some data and the e9x M3 was the most reliable vehicle in their line up. don't worry......it is a great car and very reliable. ( somebody will find the thread I am sure )

renaissance · 12-10-2013, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrimeBMW

about a year ago BMW published some data and the e9x M3 was the most reliable vehicle in their line up. don't worry......it is a great car and very reliable. ( somebody will find the thread I am sure )

Is this what you mean?

BMW had a bad year, with five of its 11 models scoring below average. While the BMW M3 topped the sporty cars category, the 1-, 3-, and 5-Series models with the 3.0-liter turbocharged (N54) engine had high problem rates related to the fuel system, among other gripes.

dparm · 12-10-2013, 08:46 PM

The Porsche thing is misleading, BTW. Those cars do not get DD'd like the majority of the other cars on that list...so yeah, they're going to have fewer issues.

Darkone · 12-11-2013, 07:07 PM

Relative to a camry/Honda/boring car, not as reliable.
However, I think most performance cars are not reliable if you dog them and don't baby them.
Having said that, baby it with extra oil changes, don't go high rpm until oil temps are reached, and then you will have a reliable car. Not as reliable as a boring Camry but lets don't have unrealistic expectations!!

grantmax · 12-11-2013, 07:42 PM

Every car will have gremlins. Treat it like a "Choose Your Adventure" book.

The e9x 335 has everything from fuel pump failures to potential turbo plumbing problems (one of the most annoying problems to have) and finally just a regular old turbo failure.

The e9x M3 has the rod bearing issue coupled with potential DCT issues.

Koldun · 12-11-2013, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by I am Earl

3 years and 22k miles, the only issue I had is the god damn door squeaks (and thats not even a real problem, I just had to throw it out there to be sarcastic

).

WD40 if it does become a thing. Rattles start to set in around 20K miles it seems.

Koldun · 12-11-2013, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dashman

That is simply a prediction, not based on any real live data.

The predictions are based on reliability reports from the previous year.

Koldun · 12-11-2013, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dashman

So why don't they just publish the reliability reports, if there is such a thing?

Why do they publish it as a prediction?

It's all too subjective

Yes, it's based on reports from consumers, and not collected in any systematic and scientific manner. The actual reports are basically a collection of Amazon-style reviews. M3 owners reported fewer problems with their cars than owners of any other BMW model. Infer from that what you will.

jaehshim · 12-11-2013, 11:09 PM

bmw turbos will most likely fail or cost a fortune to run
bmw na will continue rise in its value
bmw will take time and money to realize this, customers will take time and money to realize this
and bmw will come back to NA in some form, as E30~E9X M3's value shoots the roof

The Automotive Enthusiast · 12-11-2013, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaehshim

bmw turbos will most likely fail or cost a fortune to run
bmw na will continue rise in its value
bmw will take time and money to realize this, customers will take time and money to realize this
and bmw will come back to NA in some form, as E30~E9X M3's value shoots the roof

Cross your fingers.

12-09-2013, 08:57 PM	#1
renaissance Private First Class 70 Rep 171 Posts Drives: E90 M3 Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Taipei iTrader: (0)	Reliability of M3 Compared to Normal E9X 3 Series Does M3 have better reliability compared to normal E9X 3 series? I found many E9X 3 series owners complain about their cars but I seldom heard my friends complain about their M3. Is it because some parts used in M3 are better than normal 3 series? Or because of different production plant?
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12-09-2013, 09:14 PM	#2
TrevorM3 Banned 3322 Rep 8,083 Posts Drives: 6.3 AMG Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Florida iTrader: (0)	m3 is pretty dam reliable. That's all that needs to be said.
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12-09-2013, 09:20 PM	#3
Ezio Brigadier General 380 Rep 3,934 Posts Drives: 2023 Alfa Romeo, 2023 m240i Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: MI iTrader: (0)	i am shocked how much better the DCT is over the SMG. the m3 is reliable. but like most high strung motors, they need to be taken care of. this is a car i would like to buy new over used. only reason is they get abused if not warmed before hard driving. replace the rod bearings if you are buying used with high miles. general statement, i know you already have a m3 OP
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12-09-2013, 10:31 PM	#6
Spyris Private 10 Rep 69 Posts Drives: None Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Orange County iTrader: (0)	Here's two threads that tells you high mileage for whatever its worth. http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthr...682601&page=19 http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthr...=894069&page=4
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12-10-2013, 08:11 AM	#7
E30_80Y Still love my E30 8 Rep 133 Posts Drives: E30S52+E90M Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Florida iTrader: (3)	I have a Friend that works at BMW as a mechanic/tech he said that they are built better. __________________ E90 sparkling graphite-borla exhaust-arkym carbon fiber front lip-gloss black kidney grills-rd sport springs-19" iss forged fm-10
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12-10-2013, 09:43 AM	#10
PrimeBMW Major 662 Rep 1,424 Posts Drives: E46 M3+S62, E92 M3 Join Date: May 2009 Location: Portland, OR iTrader: (0)	about a year ago BMW published some data and the e9x M3 was the most reliable vehicle in their line up. don't worry......it is a great car and very reliable. ( somebody will find the thread I am sure )
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12-10-2013, 08:46 PM	#12
dparm Stop the hate, get a V8 3850 Rep 8,625 Posts Drives: C7 Corvette GS, AMG C63 S Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Frisco, TX iTrader: (1)	The Porsche thing is misleading, BTW. Those cars do not get DD'd like the majority of the other cars on that list...so yeah, they're going to have fewer issues. __________________ Now: 2017 Corvette Grand Sport, 2021 AMG C63 S sedan Past: 2011.5 M3 sedan ZCP
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12-11-2013, 07:07 PM	#13
Darkone Banned 2 Rep 48 Posts Drives: M3 E92 Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	Relative to a camry/Honda/boring car, not as reliable. However, I think most performance cars are not reliable if you dog them and don't baby them. Having said that, baby it with extra oil changes, don't go high rpm until oil temps are reached, and then you will have a reliable car. Not as reliable as a boring Camry but lets don't have unrealistic expectations!!
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12-11-2013, 07:42 PM	#14
grantmax Lieutenant Colonel 142 Rep 1,637 Posts Drives: 2011 M3 ZCP Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: LA iTrader: (1)	Every car will have gremlins. Treat it like a "Choose Your Adventure" book. The e9x 335 has everything from fuel pump failures to potential turbo plumbing problems (one of the most annoying problems to have) and finally just a regular old turbo failure. The e9x M3 has the rod bearing issue coupled with potential DCT issues.
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12-11-2013, 11:09 PM	#18
jaehshim Major 492 Rep 1,374 Posts Drives: E90 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: NE iTrader: (3)	bmw turbos will most likely fail or cost a fortune to run bmw na will continue rise in its value bmw will take time and money to realize this, customers will take time and money to realize this and bmw will come back to NA in some form, as E30~E9X M3's value shoots the roof __________________
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