*Help* Potentially purchasing first BMW - appreciate a scrub of deal

[deuce0515]

Originally Posted by N1rve

I recommend buying bimmerlink as this helps you monitor the car and check for codes/clear codes/etc.

You can buy bimmercode to code things in and out like disabling the legal warning on the screen, etc. It's a nice to have.

Checking the bimmercode website (https://bimmercode.app/cars/bmw/x7/g07-lci/), it appears I have limited coding options for 2023 BMW X7, any other options?

[StradaRedlands]

Originally Posted by deuce0515

Thanks everyone. We moved forward on the purchase. I have 1 year of factory warranty remaining. I watched multiple how to videos on brakes, oil, etc., those should be no problem, may need to be a scan tool and such.

Congratulations on the new ride!

[N1rve]

Originally Posted by deuce0515

Checking the bimmercode website (https://bimmercode.app/cars/bmw/x7/g07-lci/), it appears I have limited coding options for 2023 BMW X7, any other options?

I'm not too sure, bimmercode is just a nice to have but not required. Bimmerlink is more useful as it's more of a diagnostic tool.

[JABCAT]

Originally Posted by BenFenner

Yah. No shit. Where do you think a huge factor in unreliability comes from?

The forum wigged out before I could edit my post above. I want to stress that every item in the post above is a "known issue" and "they all do that" and are thus "maintenance" items.

And you're here telling me BMWs are reliable.

It seems you're just upset you have 20-yr-old vehicles that need some items replaced.

First you say, "Owners like you who are blissfully ignorant are the reason second-hand BMWs are in such horrific condition that they need essentially a full restoration after ~8 years of ownership. Well, of course it's also BMWs fault for making such insanely unreliable vehicles."

Now you claim "they all do that". So which is it, clueless owners who don't take care of their vehicles or BMW making shitty vehicles?

All of my & my family's BMWs have been reliable. Sorry yours aren't. In fact, I've only had 2, what I would consider "unreliable" vehicles out of 43 I've had to date.

A '99 WS6 TransAm that had the infamous LS1 oil consumption issue. After a battle with GM that involved the Attorney General's Office, they replaced the engine under warranty. The other was a '06 Chrysler 300 SRT 8 that would shut the engine off at freeway speeds nearly killing me & my children. That vehicle was totaled (separate incident) & four years later I received an urgent recall notice for...the engine shutting off unexpectedly.

Other vehicles I've owned that have a reputation for being unreliable: Jeep is always at the bottom. I've owned at least 10 different Jeeps & driven them 100s of thousands of miles - no issues.

My son currently has a '03 Wrangler X with 159k mi on it.

Cracked exhaust manifolds (known issue), so I replaced the exhaust manifolds with headers.

Worn suspension components - known issue, so I replaced the entire suspension.

Just replaced the engine & transmission mounts.

Cracked headgasket - just replaced

Stuck brake caliper - replaced both front calipers, rotors, & pads.

It's 23 years old, things break & need replaced. I'm not on a Jeep forum saying how unreliable the '03 Wrangler is & that means the '26 is unreliable.

You don't like fixing your 20-yr-old BMWs, buy a newer car.

[Janjohn]

Originally Posted by deuce0515

Thanks everyone. We moved forward on the purchase. I have 1 year of factory warranty remaining. I watched multiple how to videos on brakes, oil, etc., those should be no problem, may need to be a scan tool and such.

Congratulations on your purchase. It is a beautiful X7!

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by BenFenner

All the stuff you have no idea about or are forgetting/avoiding and unloading on the 2nd and 3rd owners like me.

Try these "maintenance" items I've had to do recently:

E36/8 - Replace radiator to address common failure mode.
E36/8 - Add engine oil cooler to avoid common failure mode.
E36/8 - Replace hood latch pull handle to avoid common failure mode.
E36/8 - Replace crankshaft position sensor to address common failure mode.
E36/8 - Replace oil filter housing gasket to address common failure mode.
E36/8 - Rebuild VANOS actuator to avoid common failure mode.
E36/8 - Replace brand emblems to address common failure mode.
E36/8 - Remove mechanical radiator fan to avoid common failure mode.
E36/8 - Replace (or bypass) the interior light dimmer switch to address common failure mode.
E36/8 - Repair and reinforce the glove-box mounting support to address common failure mode.
E36/8 - Adjust sticking HVAC blend door to address common failure mode.
E36/8 - Rebuild/repair door lock cylinder to address common failure mode.
E36/8 - Replace A/C expansion valve to address common failure mode.
E36/8 - Replace driver's side door pull to address common failure mode.

E53 - Replace all 4 door handle carriers to address common failure mode.
E53 - Replace all 34-feet of rear brake hard-line to address common failure mode.
E53 - Replace oil filter housing gasket to address common failure mode.
E53 - Replace cup-holder tangs to address common failure mode.
E53 - Replace cup-holder roll-top cover to address common failure mode.
E53 - Replace steering angle sensor to address common failure mode.
E53 - Replace coolant expansion tank to address common failure mode.
E53 - Replace brand emblems to address common failure mode.
E53 - Remove mechanical radiator fan to avoid common failure mode.
E53 - Replace center console audio display LCD and ribbon cable to address common failure mode.

E91 - Replace oil filter housing gasket to address common failure mode.
E91 - Replace valve cover to address common failure mode.
E91 - Replace brand emblems to address common failure mode.
E91 - Replace upper windshield trim to address common failure mode.
E91 - Replace ignition coils to address common failure mode.
E91 - Repair exhaust leak by O2 sensors (with revised BMW hardware) to address common failure mode.
E91 - Replace crankshaft position sensor to address common failure mode.
E91 - Replace DME fan to address common failure mode.
E91 - Replace water pump and thermostat to address common failure mode.
E91 - Replace front windshield washer fluid pump to address common failure mode.
E91 - Replace rear windshield washer fluid pump to address common failure mode.

E90 M3 - Replace rod bearings to avoid common failure mode.
E90 M3 - Replace valve covers to address common failure mode.
E90 M3 - Replace VANOS hub covers to avoid common failure mode.
E90 M3 - Repair bell-housing and replace clutch, pressure plate, flywheel, and crank angle sensor to address common failure mode.




And these I have yet to do but are on the docket:

E36/8 - Overhaul the windshield washer system to address common failure mode.
E36/8 - Reinforce the rear diff mount and repair the trunk floor to address common failure mode.
E36/8 - Replace passenger's side door pull to avoid common failure mode.
E36/8 - Replace headlight housings to address common failure mode.
E36/8 - Wire-tie oil pump nut to avoid common failure mode.
E36/8 - Replace dead pedal to avoid common failure mode.

E53 - Replace lower oil pan gasket to address common failure mode.
E53 - Replace transfer case actuator to avoid common failure mode.

E91 - Replace TPMS sensors to address common failure mode.

E90 M3 - Replace throttle body actuators to avoid common failure mode.
E90 M3 - Replace main crank bearings to avoid common failure mode.
E90 M3 - Replace upper windshield trim to address common failure mode.
E90 M3 - Replace plenum-to-throttle-body boots to address common failure mode.



I want to stress that every item above is a "known issue" and "they all do that". It is absolutely bananas. There is a reason most of these cars are leased and most owners are scared to own these cars past the warranty period.

Owners like you who are blissfully ignorant are the reason second-hand BMWs are in such horrific condition that they need essentially a full restoration after ~8 years of ownership. Well, of course it's also BMWs fault for making such insanely unreliable vehicles.

The Z3 coupe is at least 23 years old
The X5 is at least 19 years old
The E91 is at least 13 years old

I mean come on... and may I point out you can still get parts from BMW for all of them?

[BenFenner]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

The Z3 coupe is at least 23 years old
The X5 is at least 19 years old
The E91 is at least 13 years old

Keep telling yourself that.

No 23-13 year old Honda has anything even close to those problems. It boggles the mind what BMW owners are willing to overlook.

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

and may I point out you can still get parts from BMW for all of them?

I've lost count of how many parts I need are NLA from BMW.

Try again.

[pbonsalb]

You are pretty down on BMWs. Maybe you should buy a Toyota. I think you would be happier.

I maintain and repair a 27 year old BMW, an 18 year old BMW, a 14 year old BMW, an 8 year old BMW and a 6 year old BMW and have no complaints.

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by Stradson

Buy an e90

Originally Posted by dcstep

Yeah, it's so easy to replace the rod bearings and throttle actuators every few thousand miles. The great thing is that you'll get to see both the top and bottom of the V8 in great detail. It's a beautiful engine,particularly if you're a mechanic paid by the hour.

His suggestion is ridiculous, but I’m pretty sure he has in mind an N52 E90, not an ///M3 and the N52 doesn’t have those concerns in any way, shape, or form.

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by BenFenner

Keep telling yourself that.

No 23-13 year old Honda has anything even close to those problems. It boggles the mind what BMW owners are willing to overlook.

I've lost count of how many parts I need are NLA from BMW.

Try again.

Congrats. You’re one of the weirdest BMW owners I’ve seen on this forum in the twenty years I’ve been here. Why the hell do you own them?!

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by deuce0515

Thanks everyone. We moved forward on the purchase. I have 1 year of factory warranty remaining. I watched multiple how to videos on brakes, oil, etc., those should be no problem, may need to be a scan tool and such.

Congrats!! For those of us who didn’t get to see the car from the link you posted, pics or it didn’t happen!!

[BenFenner]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

Why the hell do you own them?!

Because the other options are worse. All mainstream cars are trash. BMW just happens to make trash that aligns with my needs.

If Toyota made a 2-seater manual/RWD Starlet into the 21st century I would have one. Instead, I have the 5MT clown shoe and put up with BMW's nonsense for it.
(But really I'd be in a Honda S2k if the E36/8 did not exist.)

If Mazda made a manual SUV or otherwise excellent towing/hauling/adventure vehicle in the 21st century then I would have one. Instead I have the 6MT X5 and put up with BMW's nonsense for it.

If Nissan/Datsun still made the manual/RWD 510 wagon into the 21st century I would have one. Instead, I have the 6MT/RWD E91 and put up with BMW's nonsense for it.
(When we picked up the wagon, we were actually heavily considering the newly designed Mazda6 wagon in ~2015 even though it is FWD. But in Mazda's infinite wisdom they decided not to sell it in the US.)

If Honda made a manual/RWD/DOHC V8/4-door Accord at any time ever, then I would have one. Instead, I have the 6MT E90 M3 and you get the rest.
(Although the M3 is really just a donor car. I can't imagine owning one of these long term. It really needed to be a hatch/wagon.)


When you have to have a manual transmission, and prefer RWD, a hatchback, engine tech beyond WWII, and metric fasteners, your options are extremely limited. Trust me, if I could buy anything other than BMWs and get what I want, then I would.

Instead I get the best I can, and wrench and wrench and wrench and wrench (which I loath to do). Luckily we have 4, so at any given time 1 or 2 of them are road worthy.

I realize I don't belong here. The tens of thousands of members of the Anti-BMW BMW Club really are more my speed. We all share the same PTSD.

Originally Posted by deuce0515

Thanks everyone. We moved forward on the purchase.

Congrats, and sorry for the thread-jack. I have issues.

[Randall V]

Originally Posted by BenFenner

When you have to have a manual transmission..

Umm.. As much as I like a manual transmission, I just have to accept they are going to get harder and harder to find in new cars, essentially becoming unobtanium except in the ultra expensive niche cars..

And then there is this whole "electric" thing..

Eventually you will need to just move on. And I'm saying this while I am the original owner of a 2012 E92 328i naturally aspirated manual with 40k miles. I know it won't last forever and parts are going to be hard to find. Luckily it has been reliable, though it is a tad under powered by today's standards.

[pbonsalb]

Yes, for someone who does not mind a 15 year old car and the issues that come with that, one of the last of the naturally aspirated inline 6 engines is a good choice. Circa 2011-2012 X3, 128i, 328i and maybe there is another model. I gave a 2012 X3 with N52 to one of my nieces and maintain and repair it. Needs some suspension work, but no surprise and no complaint given it is 15 years old and has 150k miles.

The OP was never interested in an old car. He was looking at X7, none of which are very old. This thread has definitely changed its direction to one guy complaining about the work his old cars require while refusing to buy newer cars. He will have to change his mindset from the glass is half empty to the glass is half full if he wants to find more joy in life.

[SYT_Shadow]

Of course it can be maintained like any other car. Nothing special or specific.

I'm shocked to hear of so many people living in fear of not having a warranty.

[StradaRedlands]

Originally Posted by SYT_Shadow

Of course it can be maintained like any other car. Nothing special or specific.

I'm shocked to hear of so many people living in fear of not having a warranty.

It's what lets me buy used cars for cheap!

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by pbonsalb

You are pretty down on BMWs. Maybe you should buy a Toyota. I think you would be happier.

I maintain and repair a 27 year old BMW, an 18 year old BMW, a 14 year old BMW, an 8 year old BMW and a 6 year old BMW and have no complaints.

Me too. My wife's 1997 Z3 has most of its OE parts still available from BMW. In 2017, at 20-years-old, I was still able to replace the clock module in the dash.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by BenFenner

Keep telling yourself that.

No 23-13 year old Honda has anything even close to those problems. It boggles the mind what BMW owners are willing to overlook.

I've lost count of how many parts I need are NLA from BMW.

Try again.

I have driven my BMWs collectively over 1 million miles since Nov. 1988 and have DIY'ed nearly everything except AC, alignments, and tire mounting/balancing (because I don't want to invest in those tools). Total chassis miles is 1.165M. My creds:

- 1989 E30 (original owner) - 18 years, 256,000 miles - four (4) of those years and miles it spent in the environs of New York City for God's sake
- 1997 E36/7 (original owner) - now going on 28 years, 201,000 miles
- 2006 E90 (original owner) - 19 years, 426,800 miles - recently killed by a flood in May 2025
- 2005 E46 (bought used at 100,000 miles) - kept for 30 months, drove it 35,000 miles during my ownership
- 2008 E86 (bought used at 23,000 miles) - now going on 17 years old, 123,500 miles

So please do not tell me, "keep telling myself that" - LOL

If you want to keep naturally aspirated manual BMWs, you will have to reach back deeply into BMW's catalog that ended with the N52 in 2013 or so. Complaining about needing repairs on decades-old BMWs is just silly. All old cars need such repairs even Honda, Toyota and Lexus. Shit, Subaru's - LOL. We all get it, we are disappointed with BMW's current offerings with no N/A manual variants, yet we wrench too, but don't bitch about it.

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

His suggestion is ridiculous, but I’m pretty sure he has in mind an N52 E90, not an ///M3 and the N52 doesn’t have those concerns in any way, shape, or form.

2009 E92 M3 V8, rod bearings and throttle actuators.

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

His suggestion is ridiculous, but I’m pretty sure he has in mind an N52 E90, not an ///M3 and the N52 doesn’t have those concerns in any way, shape, or form.

Originally Posted by dcstep

2009 E92 M3 V8, rod bearings and throttle actuators.

??? So what. Your point is what??

[JABCAT]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

I have driven my BMWs collectively over 1 million miles since Nov. 1988 and have DIY'ed nearly everything except AC, alignments, and tire mounting/balancing (because I don't want to invest in those tools). Total chassis miles is 1.165M. My creds:

- 1989 E30 (original owner) - 18 years, 256,000 miles - four (4) of those years and miles it spent in the environs of New York City for God's sake
- 1997 E36/7 (original owner) - now going on 28 years, 201,000 miles
- 2006 E90 (original owner) - 19 years, 426,800 miles - recently killed by a flood in May 2025
- 2005 E46 (bought used at 100,000 miles) - kept for 30 months, drove it 35,000 miles during my ownership
- 2008 E86 (bought used at 23,000 miles) - now going on 17 years old, 123,500 miles

So please do not tell me, "keep telling myself that" - LOL

If you want to keep naturally aspirated manual BMWs, you will have to reach back deeply into BMW's catalog that ended with the N52 in 2013 or so. Complaining about needing repairs on decades-old BMWs is just silly. All old cars need such repairs even Honda, Toyota and Lexus. Shit, Subaru's - LOL. We all get it, we are disappointed with BMW's current offerings with no N/A manual variants, yet we wrench too, but don't bitch about it.

Sounds like the BMW complainer bought ragged out 20-yr-old cars probably pretty cheap & is just complaining those cheap ragged out cars need repairs. As you point out, he'd run into the same issues with any of the other brands he mentioned. And his throwing out Nissan/Datsun when complaining about BMW quality just shows he has no credibility.

OP - congrats on the X7

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by JABCAT

Sounds like the BMW complainer bought ragged out 20-yr-old cars probably pretty cheap & is just complaining those cheap ragged out cars need repairs. As you point out, he'd run into the same issues with any of the other brands he mentioned. And his throwing out Nissan/Datsun when complaining about BMW quality just shows he has no credibility.

OP - congrats on the X7

During the tenure of the E30 from 1988 to 2006, my wife drove the E30 from November 1988 to February 1997 (when she acquired the Z3). I drove a 1989 Acura Integra from March 1989 through February 1997. I bought the E30 from her so she could buy the Z3. So, we ran the '89 E30 and the '89 Integra concurrently from March 1989 to February 1997. In that time she put 120,000 on the E30 and I put 230,000 on the Integra. The E30 needed periodic antenna replacements ($20 and 5 minutes to remove and install), one recall for the heater core, and at 120,000 the steering rack developed a leak. Also, at 120,000 the thermostat housing cracked and began to leak, which was an easy repair. In the pursuing 9 years from 1997 to 2006 the E30 needed a clutch at 230,000, I replaced the heater core with an upgraded all-metal unit, the fuel pump died at 220,000. I redidi the suspension somewhere around 1999. Lastly the seat covers wore out and I replaced them with OE covers from BMW.

The integra went through a front rotor warpage event at 1,200 miles that I forced Acura to replace under warranty, two left-side halfshafts, two muffler replacements, and an igniter failure (which was then later replaced under a recall). It also needed two repairs on the body wiring harness for the hatch (the wires broke from repeated openings), and the left rear fender lip developed a rust spot, and a clutch at 190,000 miles. By 1997 the Integra's interior was starting to bleach out in areas the sun got at it.

At the 230,000 mile point for each car the BMW was in far better shape than the Integra. The E30's clutch went 40,000 miles farther than the Integra's and the Integra spent 85% of its miles on the highway between DC and Baltimore while the E30 spent four (4) years total in Manhattan and Dobbs Ferry (brutal on any automobile).

Both the E30 and Integra required periodic maintenance of the rubber timing belt/water pump, and valve adjustments. And of course, periodic replacements of driveline juices.

In 2025, E30s are still highly desirable, yet does anyone even remember the 1st gen Integra? Nah. LOL.