According to data from 2017 provided by U.S. News, BMW models had an average of 139 issues per 100 vehicles. A comparable but marginally lower 131 faults per 100 cars were experienced by Mercedes-Benz.
The majority of vehicles from other automakers are thought to be free of problems before 100,000 miles, aside from regular wear and tear. For this reason, many warranties include the first 100,000 miles. Even after only 20,000 miles, minor mechanical issues can arise, but routine maintenance can generally fix them.
Conversations on Quora reveal a range of customer experiences. Significant issues also point to factors including road conditions, driving habits, and regular maintenance. For instance, clutches can go far beyond 100,000 miles unless the driver shifts quickly or grinds in harder than usual on a regular basis.
The lesson? More expensive cars are not necessarily more reliable. While certain BMW models continue to run smoothly after the typical road life, most BMW owners start having issues sooner rather than later. Additionally, those fixes typically cost more.
In This Article...
When do BMWs first experience issues?
BMWs may begin to experience more issues at roughly 100,000 miles, but this relies on how well the car has been maintained over its lifespan.
Any automobile can have issues at any time, but typically after a BMW has driven about 100,000 miles, special care should be taken.
The frequency of difficulties depends on a number of variables, such as:
- How the vehicle was operated throughout its lifetime
- Whether or not short or long distances have been the majority of your driving
- Whether the vehicle was garage- or outdoor-stored
- which kinds of roads have been traveled on
- Service records for the vehicle
- Whether or not preventative maintenance was performed
- How intricate the automobile is
More than you might imagine, the characteristics of the driver (or past drivers) may be important. BMW owners frequently strive for maximum performance from their vehicles, and consistent aggressive driving can put all of the car’s parts under stress. As a result, they’re more likely to give up too soon.
Similarly, a driver who drives too cautiously may suffer consequences. Without sometimes revving the engine, carbon deposits may amass inside the engine, thereby strangling some of the major components.
Age, in addition to mileage, can be a factor. There are several plastic and rubber parts in BMWs, and these materials can degrade over time. Rubber seals can deteriorate and split, which can lead to a variety of problems for the owner.
BMWs have a reputation for being luxurious and frequently feature cutting-edge technology. Unfortunately, the risk of a problem occurring increases with the amount of technology used.
Is the BMW X5 trustworthy?
Two very different outcomes tell a very different story when it comes to evaluating the X5’s dependability.
ReliabilityIndex data indicates that BMW’s hefty SAV (Sports Activity Vehicle) is at the higher end of the repair cost spectrum and also appears to have suspension problems that have been reported to be widespread across several BMW vehicles.
If you’re searching for a car with a plush interior but a boxy, tyrannical appearance (is this purposeful given that they both belong to the same parent company? ), consider the Bentley Continental GT. if so, the X5 might be the ideal vehicle for you.
ReliabilityIndex data may give the impression that the X5 is a less than ideal car if you’re looking for something that will be dependable, however the data is very inconsistent.
The car had a score of 254 from ReliabilityIndex, and the average cost of repairs is about PS70 higher than that of the 1 Series, coming in at PS611.61, on average. Since the average amount of time off the road for a basic issue is just under three hours, parts are unquestionably the most expensive component of any repair. Over 34% of reported problems involved the axle and suspension.
Owners who took part in the 2020 Which? consumer survey say the outcomes for the X5 are much better. Only 21% of owners of new models had any problems with their automobiles, and those lucky owners also had their cars off the road for much less time for repairs. Regarding the breakdown rate, there is also another advantage. Only 3.3% of drivers who encountered issues discovered that they were severe enough to prevent them from using their X5. The X5 does remarkably well in this category considering that the average breakdown percentage for new vehicles (across all manufacturers) is 5.5%.
Of course, reliability declines as a vehicle ages, just like it does with many other vehicles. Unfortunately, 43% of owners of X5s that are 3 to 8 years old reported having problems, some of which resulted in them being without their cars for as long as four days.
The most frequently reported problems with older versions involved the exhaust/emissions system. This was cited as the reason by 17% of owners for visiting their garage. Another 7% of the vehicles had suspension issues.
In light of everything, the BMW X5 received a rating of four out of five stars for newer models, compared to an extremely mediocre three stars for vehicles between three and eight years old.
BMW: Oil Filter Gasket Leak
A second weak point is the gasket that joins the oil filter to the BMW engine; this gasket regularly leaks, connecting the oil filter to the moving elements that require the oil. Less oil in the engine causes more wear and tear and may trigger additional technical issues. The gasket on a BMW that joins the oil filter to the engine can deteriorate over time, but if the damage is discovered early enough, it may be possible to repair it quickly and reasonably cheaply. If you wait too long, you might have to spend several hundred dollars to solve this specific issue.
Breakdown of the BMW Reliability Rating
With a 2.5 out of 5.0 reliability rating, BMW is ranked 30th overall out of 32 automobile brands. This evaluation is based on the average of 345 different models. A BMW has typical ownership expenses with an average annual maintenance cost of $968. A 15% chance of a repair being severe and an average of 0.9 visits to a repair shop per year are some other factors that affect BMW reliability.
Are BMWs 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. 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.
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.
Do BMWs frequently experience issues?
Searching through the various websites that offer reliability data will undoubtedly confirm that BMWs are unreliable automobiles; many show BMW as below average, costing more in annual repairs, ending up in the shop more frequently, and having a higher likelihood of severe, expensive repairs when compared to other auto brands. While it would be absurd to fully ignore these findings, many BMW owners, including ourselves, do not share the prevalent belief that BMWs are wastes of money.
There are undoubtedly some BMWs that have suffered from expensive, persistent problems. Finding horror stories and complaints about dependability is not difficult. On the other hand, a lot of BMWs also reach 100,000 miles with no problems or only a few minor ones. Our 2008 BMW 535i has had more problems than it should have, although our 2007 335i and 2008 135i have generally been dependable vehicles. Remember that these are all N54 engines, which are notorious for being among the least reliable BMW engines, and are all 12–13 years old. Nevertheless, we have a good reliability experience with 2 of the 3.
Given the limited sample size, two out of three may not seem particularly good. The point we are trying to make is that it is difficult to gauge overall reliability and that it actually depends on the individual circumstances. Another BMW may be meticulously kept but have innumerable problems, another one may be poorly maintained but reach 100,000 miles without any problems. This is not exclusive to BMW; you can find examples of this with any automaker.
Is maintaining a BMW expensive?
BMWs are by far the most expensive car manufacturer to repair, claims Your Mechanic. The competition is not even close. With an average maintenance cost of $17,800 over ten years, BMW comes in #1. Mercedes-Benz came in second with an average maintenance cost of $12,900 during a 10-year period. In contrast, the typical Toyota only cost $5,500 to maintain during a 10-year period because they are recognized for requiring less maintenance.
According to Your Mechanic, such high maintenance costs are usual in German premium vehicles. Audi comes in sixth with an average $12,400 maintenance expense over a 10-year period. This is primarily a result of the pricey, high-end parts that these luxury vehicles require. Naturally, it will cost a lot of money to fix those pieces when they break or need maintenance.
However, while being premium vehicles, they also have ongoing problems. For instance, according to Your Mechanic, a BMW is four times more likely to not start than a typical automobile. It was ranked seventh overall as a result. Additionally, the window regulator on the BMW required replacement 18 times more frequently than the window regulator on the ordinary car.