BMW's Poor Quality Discussion w/ Pictures

[slow&rusty]

Hi Gang - I am a huge BMW fan since the beginning of time, I have owned lots of cars but surprisingly and for whatever reason never owned one (although came close a time or two).

Anyway, my lovely girlfriend owns a 2004 E46 325i (with a little over 110k) and since we've been together I have spent a considerable amount of time working on it and maintaining it for her and I am surprised and disappointed at the overall build quality of this car.

The interior of this car is literally falling apart and the icing on the cake was the plastic gas pedal that broke due to the pivot point fatiguing this was last week when she was 300 miles away visiting family . As she was in very remote farming area the only Mcgyver fix was to take a hinge off a cupboard and using self tapping screws to keep it together - hilarious but certainly did the trick, while funny this could have been a serious safety issue. Never seen a failure like that before!

Beyond that the self dimming rear view mirror is dead with all black crystals so you cannot see out of it, much of the interior cloth fabric is also coming apart or sagging and the sunroof is inoperable due to the interior slider / sunshade, as such it cheapens the interior "feel" of the car.

Mechanically I have replaced both front control arms bushings due to significant deterioration (very common) and the car until recently suffered from a bad oil leak due to a failed gasket on the oil filter housing (apparently also very common). I got that fixed (took 3-4 hours) and just yesterday I noticed the oil pan gasket is now starting to weep oil and will require the engine to be removed or entire subframe dropped from my research on the E46 forums..which is huge undertaking. The pump for the windshield washer also decided to go on permanent vacation recently (not a big deal but another thing on the list to address).

I typically keep cars for a long time and realistic on what to expect as I monitor how and where they age and wear. I am surprised how this car has not stood up well with time. I would like to add that the car is mostly garaged (75% of the time) and has never had kids or pets in it or been smoked in.

On the plus side, the straight six pulls nicely and has wonderful and smooth power delivery and the shiftable auto does shift well (although this improved after I recently flushed it and installed a new filter and BMW fluid). The car is also a nice size and has very good AC.

Here are some pics.









I am quite sure this will be the last BMW that she will own and she mentioned that if I were not working on the car, she could not justify the cost of maintenance even through an indy specialist.

Whats your take? Thanks for listening / reading.

[LakeCleElum]

5 yrs ago, I really pushed my wife toward a BMW XI, maybe 3 or 4 years old....She drove a few and I am so glad she passed......I told her to get anything she wanted.....She picked a top of the line 2007 Accord, V6, leather, etc........Zero issues......We also kept her 1999 Camry V6 that now has 221,000 miles.......Besides struts, the only thing every was a wiper motor.....Recently removed the seat covers and the whole interior looks new.....Would drive across the county tomorrow in it........

I hear horror stories all the time about new German cars......

[intakexhaust]

Nothing new here and goes way back in time of schitty smelly interior BMW's. But man can they make some fun fast sports sedan's.

note: Speaking from experience having 1960's +

edit: Fine job on that pedal repair. Better than the factory could do. (hint: what does that tell you about BMW cutting corners - pun

[willtel]

The gas pedal in mine broke like that but I was slamming gears pretty good when it happened. E46s are know for consuming suspension and cooling system parts on a regular basis.

That is the first one I have seen with a falling headliner. An upholstery shop could fix all that pretty easily.

[dennis in se pa]

I was never a fan of BMWs. And it is because of the build quality, I like the design. I saw a new 750 il in a parking lot, so I naturally went over to check it out. There was a warranty repair list lying on the back seat that was two legal pages long! Not as bad as Audi's though I guess. From my experience Volvos used to be the best cars for build quality even after Ford bought them. Now that the Chinese own them we will have to wait and see.

[EarlyPorsche]

Buddy of mine has an E46 with those same issues and then some.

The headliner and pillar fabrics on his are comedic in that they are sagging hard.

To BMW's defense these vehicles were bottom of the line models. Probably intended for 5-7 years of good looks both inside and out and then BMW stops caring.

Worst part about them? That waxy smell that will not go away.

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by EarlyPorsche

To BMW's defense these vehicles were bottom of the line models. Probably intended for 5-7 years of good looks both inside and out and then BMW stops caring.

That would be an acceptable excuse if the car cost, oh, 12 to 15,000 dollars new, but that is not even the case, and I read build quality horror stories about all BMW models across all price points. They've decided that the VW build quality model is the one to emulate, which is so sad, because those BMW engines are so very smooth and sweet.

[Neilk]

Regarding the dropping headliner, I had the same issue in my VW Jetta that was traced back to faulty sunroof drains causing water to back up and soak the headliner. VW even had a recall for it. I would take a look at them. Still sucks.

[onewhippedpuppy]

That's nothing new, I've been saying for years that their build quality is crap. People knock domestics but the cheapest built cars that I have worked on have been BMWs or Minis. I've had three, never again.

[fastfredracing]

Long time BMW owners here also, and I think we are done. She loves them, and wants another, but frankly, I am sick of fixing them. Granted ours now has 145k, but the sunroof is broken, drivers window regulator , idle control valve failed, lots of oil leaks, and other annoying little engine problems, ( crankcase vent valve, ) water pump, thermostatt radiator . The fukaking check engine light never stays off for more than 6 months. As soon as you get one problem fixed, another one crops up . Abs sensors, air bag lights.... it never ends
We are on our second set of control arms, ball joints, bushings, etc. The rear springs have both broken. I can go on and on. If the car did not drive so nice, I would have put it out to pasture a long time ago.
I find it a real shame that my crappy build quality gm truck , with almost 200k on it, has been FAR FAR more reliable than the last 3 Bimmers we have had .

[sugarwood]

Gas pedal
Rear view
Bushings
Oil leak
Oilpan gasket.

On the other hand, the car is over 10 years old, and these are 5 cheap repairs.
I think it could be a lot worse.

[KNS]

I think BMW quality must be hit or miss. As a counterpoint, my '04 BMW 325i has been the best car I've ever owned. It's got 193,000 miles and can't believe how trouble free it has been. I have replaced control arm bushings ( three times now) and the oil filter housing gasket. A couple of (very slight) leaky power steering lines also, lots of cooling system stuff (preventatively). A few other of other issues - a window regulator, but I've never even had a check engine light. It's spooky reliable.

That headliner looks awful, It's got to be heat related (?). I notice you have a dark colored or black car. I'm in Phoenix but my car is silver and no headliner problems.

I bought a 2013 128i which is a fantastic drive but you can really tell that BMW has cut corners in materials and quality (more so than on my 325i, anyway). I really love the inline sixes and rear wheel drive but with the direction BMW is going with their cars these will be my last modern BMWs.

[dewolf]

Wow, I must be lucky. All the BMW's we've had have been brilliant. The wife has an E46 320i wagon which has 210,000kms on the clock and the interior is like new. Almost no wear on the seats at all, including the drivers. I have changed the valve cover gasket, the trans fluid and filter and the usual suspension bushes but no major dramas at all. Everything works. Same with her E39 540i before that. No major dramas at all. Just bought her an E91 323i M Sport. I have checked the vin on my BMW's and all were made in Germany. Some cars were made in South Africa. Check to see where yours was made

BMW Model Archive · BMW VIN Decoder · bmwarchive.org

E46 Wagon with 210,000Kms on the clock. Never been painted, touched up or crunched.



And the newest. 120,000kms and looks and drives like new.

[wdfifteen]

I loved BMWs since my friend loaned me a 2002tii. I think they lost their way. My next BMW experience was with a 535xi which would have been a great car without all the video game crap on the dash. Great brakes, powerful engine, best lighting I've ever experienced in a car. I was so pissed at BMW for saddling such a great car with iDrive and all the other gingerbread. Then it started to break down. I was never so glad to get rid of a car as I was to see that 535 go away. I have a Z-3 which is fun in its way and a lot more faithful to the heritage of the 2002.
BMW needs to decide whether they want to make luxury cars or performance cars. If they want luxury, but a cast iron V8 under the hood and spend the money on quality headliners and nice interiors. If they want performance, stop adding gimcracks and gizmos and made a simple, straight forward performance sedan.

[strupgolf]

I just got back from a 1000 mile trip in my BMW M3, 1998. It ran beautifully and got 27 mpg. I've been a fan of BMW for some time and have to say they are built great. You might have a bad one, bu you could have a bad Chevy too.

[onewhippedpuppy]

The fact that people list a huge number of quality related issues but then state, "it's a 10 year old car", is why BMW is still profitable. Most 10 year old econoboxes won't have any of the issues listed here. I just sold my little sister in law's neglected 2005 Mazda3 with 150k, except for needing shocks it was in great shape. I have had a number of 10+ year old 996s that don't fall apart inside. For that matter, I've never even had to replace suspension bushings on a 986/996, even in cars over 100k.

[Nostril Cheese]

I make a lot of money fixing modern BMW's. They havent made a quality product since the E39.

[wildthing]

They say the 00 to 05s are the worse of the lot. The 06 and onwards, the rumor is that BMW acknowledged that quality must improve. Of course, the 06es are only now coming up on their 10 years, so time will tell.

Apparently the Australian market gets better quality BMWs.

[Eric Hahl]

Had an 01 330i, great driving car but plagued with electrical issues. Headlights burn up in no time, cam shaft sensors, front suspension, leaking gaskets. Told my wife next time this car breaks we are getting it fixed and saying goodbye. All those problems and more in 120k miles.
My 04 Subaru outback sport on the other hand was great. Drove it to 225k miles and ya know what I had to replace? Nothing. OK, fluids, a few headlight bulbs, filters, etc. Never changed the clutch, never changed the timing belt, ticking time bomb but it ran great until I sold it just few weeks ago. Loved that car except for the seats. They kinda sucked.

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[5String43]

We're on our fifth BMW in recent years. No problems at all - well, yeah, maintenance is expensive once they fall off the warranty program. But in spite of that, we've been very happy with them.