The importance of the owner taking care of the vehicle’s maintenance and repairs increases as the vehicle ages.
High mileage BMWs can be quite valuable to second, third, and fourth owners, but if the mileage reaches close to 100,000, it is crucial that the car has been well-kept.
The last thing you want to do is buy a ten-year-old E90 3 Series with 120,000 miles on it and poor maintenance from the previous owner. It WILL deplete your bank account and BE VERY UNRELAXED. You will have spent thousands of dollars more than the cost of the automobile by the time you are done restoring one to decent shape!
I have firsthand experience with the dramatic impact that properly maintained BMWs make. In my line of work, I occasionally purchased 3 Series BMWs with more than 100,000 miles on them to conduct some small repairs and resell, and occasionally I purchased BMWs with the same mileage for $500 since they were in terrible shape.
In This Article...
What kind of mileage does a BMW have to have?
Although the average BMW can travel between 100,000 and 250,000 miles, excessive mileage is actually regarded as being a little less than this. Most dealers won’t carry BMWs with mileage over 100,000, and some even think 60-80,000 is a high mileage range for these vehicles.
Therefore, you’ve reached the high mileage area if you’re looking at BMWs with between 60 and 80,000 miles on the odometer. Keep a watch on this because it demonstrates that there are high mileage BMWs available with vastly different mileage estimates.
All-around High Mileage
100,000 km or more is regarded as high mileage for the majority of sellers and BMW owners. Drivers typically estimate that a car will only last four to five more years after 100,000 miles.
A basic BMW will survive for at least 150,000 kilometers. But because to technical improvements made by BMW, some of their cars may now survive up to 200,000 or even 250,000 kilometers. In order to get the most life out of a used BMW, try to choose one with fewer than 100,000 miles on it.
A typical American driver logs 12,000 to 13,000 miles annually. Multiply the number of years you anticipate using the vehicle by 12,500 miles, and then account for the remaining mileage on the BMW. For instance, you must go at least 62,500 miles if you want this BMW to last for 5 years. You must locate a BMW with 100,000 miles or fewer because they only last between 150,000 and 200,000 kilometers. More than that, and the BMW is probably going to malfunction before the five years are up.
How can I maintain my BMW for more than 100,000 miles?
Regularly swap out the oil and filters. Every 8,000 miles or once a year, your BMW should have its oil and filter changed (roughly two years of driving depending on how often you drive).
Regular air filter replacement and a brief checkup with a mechanic once a year are recommended, particularly if you want to drive the automobile for an extended amount of time.
When feasible, ease up on the accelerator and steer clear of abrupt acceleration and braking.
Aggressive driving not only puts your safety and the safety of others in danger, but it may also harm your car’s engine, brakes, and suspension.
It is better to invest in a solid BMW warranty at the time of purchase when it comes to insurance and warranties.
This will cover any maintenance or repairs that your BMW could need, which could get rather pricey if the vehicle’s extended warranty doesn’t cover them.
You can drive 80,000 miles, which is a sizable distance, if you have a reliable insurance policy and a warranty.
Regularly check your car for wear and replace any worn out fluids, belts, hoses, or other parts as needed.
Replace brake pads, for instance, if they have degraded more than 30% from their initial condition.
A BMW can it last 300k miles?
While a BMW 3 Series can travel 200,000–250,000 miles, there are numerous instances of 3 Series cars traveling more than 300,000 miles without experiencing any significant mechanical problems.
How many kilometers are too many for a BMW?
With good care, almost any BMW has the ability to last up to 200,000 or even 250,000 miles, and there will always be outliers that last even longer.
Is purchasing a BMW worthwhile?
When BMW began promoting its cars as the “Ultimate Driving Machine” in the 1970s, the company soon grew to become one of the world’s top luxury automobile manufacturers.
BMW has a long history of producing eye-catching vehicles and SUVs that receive high praise from automotive writers.
Both auto fanatics and everyday people who just want the best for their vehicles greatly prize them.
Because they are high-performance luxury vehicles with excellent interiors, a smooth ride, high levels of comfort, and some of the best technological features available, BMWs are a good investment. BMW is a brand that embodies high status, and their cars offer an exceptional driving experience.
How much does a BMW require in maintenance?
Remove the Band-Aid now. Every 10,000 miles, BMW owners may anticipate paying between $150 and $400 per service. A significant service may cost up to $3,000 or more. In the end, owners spend more on maintenance and repairs than most brands, between $1,000 and $1,700 annually.
You may always purchase an extended warranty, either directly from BMW or through a third-party service contract, if you’re concerned about future ownership costs. Standard BMW maintenance expenditures are not covered by a car warranty, but it will cover pricey items that are more prone to break over time.
We’ve combed the market and selected a handful of the top third-party extended vehicle warranty companies because there are many possibilities for extended coverage. These are businesses who did well in regards to things like price, standing, and customer support.
To help you reduce your out-of-pocket vehicle ownership costs, compare the best BMW extended warranty packages above.
Is BMW prone to breakdowns?
The only fully electric BMW in this study is the i3, which is also the first mass-produced electric vehicle to leave Germany and the only fully electric BMW on the market in 2019. The producer will launch a number of new electric vehicles in 2021, including the BMW ix3.
Despite the fact that there are over 17,000 of these vehicles on UK roads, ReliabilityIndex was unable to compile an accurate performance report due to a lack of data.
The Which? consumer reliability survey included more than 55,000 participants, and with this number of responses, there was enough information from BMW i3 owners to create a comprehensive picture of the car’s dependability.
A remarkable 16% of newer vehicles contain faults (which, in comparison with other BMW models and other brands, is good). When they do have problems, they are also quite quickly fixed; the average downtime for an i3 in the 12 months before to the poll was just one and a half days.
The number of cars that had a fault so severe it forced them off the road entirely was 4.4%, despite the fact that the fault rate is well below average (which is positive). Although this is higher than the industry average for more recent electric vehicles, the entire % needs to be viewed as a number as with other data-based statistics. Less than 1% of all new BMW i3 owners are actually impacted by the breakdown rate, which is only 4.4% of the 16% total recorded issues.
Serious motor troubles, which can occasionally result in a full motor failure, and ventilation system problems are the most frequent problems that i3 owners report.
According to statistics gathered by Which?, 36% of owners of older i3 models (between 3 and 8 years old) reported having a problem with their car. 7.4% of owners reported having trouble starting their cars. The i3 is not like many older automobiles, which require much more time to fix than their more modern rivals. Owners were without their cars for an average of two days when the vehicle needed to be taken in for maintenance (only half a day longer than when their vehicles were new).
The engine electrics were the main problem customers had with an older generation i3. 15% of owners who experienced a problem determined that this was to blame. Battery charging issues were reported by a very tiny percentage of owners.
Overall, evidence obtained from current owners of the i3 by Which? indicates that it is a dependable electric vehicle. Due to this, the upgraded model received four out of five stars in the 2020 consumer report. Older models only received two stars out of five since they were not thought to be as dependable, had more major breakdowns and troubles, and were not thought to be as desired.
The i3 is a model that you may be considering if you want to go electric, and its reliability makes leasing a new car a very appealing option. Especially when you consider the stark disparity in reliability between the newer and older versions.
Older BMWs are they worth it?
BMW is renowned for producing some of the best driving machines the world has ever seen, yet the majority of mechanics will advise you to steer clear of pre-owned models.
Once upon a time, BMW was a renowned automaker, a premium German brand with a lengthy history and an amazing collection of vehicles crisscrossing the globe. Sadly, though, circumstances are now different for the employees at the Bavarian Motor Works. The brand has been permanently damaged with prior owners and do-it-yourselfers due to an emphasis on producing mass-market automobiles that don’t age well.
August 2021 revision: You’ll be delighted to know that we’ve updated this post and go into more detail about the many issues a Bavarian automobile owner may run into if they decide to purchase a used BMW. This should assist you in making the greatest choice for your upcoming automobile purchase.
The majority of knowledgeable owners and mechanics will advise you to avoid used BMWs, especially those manufactured within the previous 20 years or so. Simply put, they are not worth the money you will undoubtedly have to invest in them. They are expensive to repair, have expensive replacement parts, and require a lot of labor.
They certainly have a cool appearance and a certain charm. But when you force personal checks to pour in at the neighborhood Euro repair shop, that beautiful siren tune will finally hit a string of unfavorable notes. Here are 15 compelling arguments against buying a used BMW.
Are repairs on BMWs expensive?
This German automaker has grown to become one of the most well-known automobile brands globally since 1916. Due to their extensive appeal, BMW’s range of high-end luxury vehicles is appreciated by everyone from regular drivers to celebrities and even the most well-known spy in the world. In fact, just between January 1 and October 1, 2021, the U.S. experienced 243,613 BMW sales!
BMW offers up to 16 different vehicle designs in total, ranging from the sporty BMW M series to the compact X1 series. BMWs will cost more to maintain and repair than other makes and models because they are luxury cars. BMW owners should budget upwards of $1,000 to $1,700 annually for maintenance and repairs.
How long does a BMW last?
The durability of the car is undoubtedly one of your first concerns if you’re thinking about joining the club of “Bimmer” owners.
You don’t want to purchase a car that will break down after a year or two, leaving you with the choice of paying for expensive repairs or purchasing a new vehicle. How long do BMWs last, then?
BMWs may live more than 15 years with proper maintenance. BMWs with proper maintenance may travel far over 200,000 miles, and in certain cases, over 250,000 miles. Although this is significantly less common, certain BMWs have reportedly lasted beyond 300,000 kilometers.
In the USA, most people travel 13,467 miles (21,673 km) annually, giving cars an average lifespan of at least 15 years.
BMWs can survive longer because their average annual mileage tends to drop as they age because of this.
You may learn everything you need to know about extending the life of a BMW in the next sections of this article. We’ll also examine the typical lifespan of BMW gearboxes and engines.