2007 BMW 3 Series 328i 3.0L I6 petrol from North America
Summary:
Fun little sport sedan, especially with the 6MT
Faults:
Hydraulic valve adjuster ticking started at about 12,000 miles, and had the cylinder head replaced at about 16,000 miles. The head replacement took care of the issue.
CBS display for oil change kept increasing rather than decreasing. At one point, the CBS indicated 24,000 miles to next oil change after I had driver 6,000 miles since the last oil change (30,000 miles between oil changes per the CBS is ridiculous). Got a software update that took care of the issue.
Flat tire, but the replacement was covered by my wheel and tire package, and I am sticking with run-flats because it helped me get to the dealership on the flat tire!
General Comments:
I love the car, it is quite comfortable and great fun to drive.
BMW's claims that several fluids in the car are "lifetime fill", I think is BS. I plan on keeping the car for a few more years, and to help that I plan on getting most fluids changed more frequently than BMW advises.
The dealership gives me a free loaner almost always, but getting an appointment needs to be done at least 2 - 3 weeks in advance.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 4th December, 2009
9th Mar 2010, 00:08
Wow, that is horrible. I'm seeing a lot of problems with the newer BMWs. Makes me want to hold my e36 tight and never let go.
The 'lifetime fill' is truly BS. I have a '96 328IS 5 speed, & drained my differential fluid after 150k miles, and it was dark and sparkly. Trans fluid was dark too.
You should change the fluids at 100k miles at most, 50k if you're extra cautious like me.
9th Mar 2010, 00:09
As for the oil, I wouldn't trust the computer either. 12,000 miles for an oil change is ludicrous.
Good way to break your car and make you buy a new one.
I change my synthetic at 6k. Recommendation on my car was 7k.
15th Apr 2010, 12:15
Trust your oil/filter ratings, which can be anything from 3000 miles to 15,000 miles. Also consider that BMW generally hold more oil (7+ quarts) than other cars, so it does not get stressed as much. Take your driving style into consideration as well.
Changing your transmission fluid may loosen gunk and wreck your transmission. Unlike most other systems, this is a very real possibility. Many manufacturers do not recommend a transmission flush and will not do one for that reason. If you want to risk transmission flushes, do so very early on in the car's life, otherwise just top up.
25th Feb 2013, 10:09
Yeah, they don't recommend taking care of the transmission fluid at all. That way they they can just wait until the transmission goes out prematurely, and you have to buy a new one at the tune of a few thousand or more. More money for them. If people took care of the transmission, then the sales of transmissions would hit rock bottom.
4th Dec 2009, 15:26
You had to replace the head at 16K on a BMW? Wow that is pretty bad. Also, letting oil go to 6,000 miles is never a good idea unless you are driving with synthetic and mainly on the highway. Usually 3,000 to 4,500 is a good rule of thumb. Don't go by the manufacturers computer to tell you when to change the oil. I made that mistake on my last Honda. It was reading 40% oil life left at 7,000 miles and the oil was down over a quart and looked like black mud. I trusted the service department and went with their computer... that one time. After that it was every 3,000 miles. Oil breaks down in ANY engine, and BMW's aren't any better on crappy old oil then any other car is. Plus they are much more expensive to fix than most.