Keep 2007 328i? Need advice.

MM328i · 01-24-2012, 12:25 PM

Yes, another "should I keep my car thread", but I could really use some advice from the community. I have a 2007 328i with roughly 47.5K miles. I've taken pretty good care of it, oil changes every 8,000 miles or so, taken care of maintenance as computer warranted, TLC, etc. My CPO runs out Jan. 2013. I feel that I've been unlucky with the car, given the following:

1. N51 Valve ticking. Dealer replaced lifters 12,000 miles ago, and while I have not had any ticking, save for literally one day a while ago, I'm expecting to need a new cylinder head at some point. At this rate, it will probably happen outside of warranty.
2. Alternator died. Dealer replaced, but apparently during the job the mass air flow sensor was throwing errors, so they replaced it if my memory serves. Even if it was not replaced, something occurred with the Mass Air Flow sensor which could potential cause issues down the way.
3. Steering wheel squeaked, so they replaced SZL module under CPO.
4. Rear door actuator died, replaced under CPO warranty.
5. Was experiencing slow cranks. I took it in, and while I thought it was the starter, they diagnosed a dying battery, which they replaced at $400. Still had slow cranks, as well as the starter bendix hitting the fly wheel causing a loud screech during start up on occasion. They replicated the issue, and replaced starter.
6. While changing starter, it looks as if they found a faulty, oil leaking belt tensioner, so that was replaced under CPO.
7. My air conditioner is making a growling noise, which increases at times as RPMs rise. It sounds as if the blower may be faulty/rusty?
8. My B Pillar is starting to make a terrible rattle noise, outlined in a TSB.
9. After software update because of SZL replacement, transmission has just not been the same. Not as responsive, borderline slipping at times. They say adaptive transmission points were reset, but that it's normal and that it will take time to readapt. I know that's true, but it's bothering me that the transmission is not acting as responsively as before.

I usually have leased cars, but I wanted to keep this BMW, maintain it, and have it paid for outright for several years. With the issues I have had, I feel as if this may be a bad idea given that my warranty ends in about a year. Can anyone provide me some insight on whether staying with this car may be a losing proposition? No one can predict my car's future, and for all I know once any outstanding issues my car has are fixed, it may be issue free for a long time. I don't see that as being likely at this point. I keep getting emails about getting a new BMW for the same monthly price I'm paying currently, hence I'm exploring my options.

Any insight from BMW Nation would be appreciated! Thanks guys!

Rockyca · 01-24-2012, 12:56 PM

It is always nice to have no car payment but it is up to you. I always pay cash for my cars an maintain them as needed out of pocket

Bavarian13 · 01-24-2012, 01:40 PM

Those issues really aren't that bad when you think about it. Honestly most people would overlook some of that if it was out of warranty. lol

Did you buy the battery from the dealer?

Honestly, I'd keep it. You still have a good amount of time left on your CPO and you know the car. Unless you're buying a new one or really want a 335 then I don't see the harm in keeping it.

NaNo_F1 · 01-24-2012, 01:44 PM

I would absolutely keep it! I also have an 07 328i and love it to death! Mine has 60k miles on it and never had any problems! Not CPO. Only replaced normal wear and tear. I know what you mean about the transmission, unfortunately 328's didn't get the best auto tranny and I also had mine reset and I feel like it slips into 6th every chance it gets! lol

MM328i · 01-24-2012, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rockyca

It is always nice to have no car payment but it is up to you. I always pay cash for my cars an maintain them as needed out of pocket

Yeah, it would be nice and that was my logic. But leasing would essentially be an insurance policy against large, unexpected repair costs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bavarian13

Those issues really aren't that bad when you think about it. Honestly most people would overlook some of that if it was out of warranty. lol

Did you buy the battery from the dealer?

Honestly, I'd keep it. You still have a good amount of time left on your CPO and you know the car. Unless you're buying a new one or really want a 335 then I don't see the harm in keeping it.

Yes, I should have been more clear. Went ahead and had them install a new battery. After 5 years I thought I was due anyways. You're right that some of these are relatively minor, but they would have costs associated with them out of warranty, and the way things are going I nervous about continued issues arising.

Thanks to both for your comments.

Bavarian13 · 01-24-2012, 01:53 PM

If you plan on keeping it, find a good Independent mechanic. I have 3 I've taken my cars to and relative to the dealer it's a steal.

MM328i · 01-24-2012, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NaNo_F1

I would absolutely keep it! I also have an 07 328i and love it to death! Mine has 60k miles on it and never had any problems! Not CPO. Only replaced normal wear and tear. I know what you mean about the transmission, unfortunately 328's didn't get the best auto tranny and I also had mine reset and I feel like it slips into 6th every chance it gets! lol

You've been lucky! I wonder if mine is lemonish then. I love my car, but I have to be smart and not let this depreciating asset become a money pit. I'm hoping I can fix any major problems before my CPO expires, then be prudent, do preventive maintenance, and find a good independent. I'm considering doing an ATF service at 50K to help maintain the transmission.

I don't want to give it up! Why wasn't I born a millionaire!?

Thanks for your thoughts.

asus389 · 01-24-2012, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MM328i

7. My air conditioner is making a growling noise, which increases at times as RPMs rise. It sounds as if the blower may be faulty/rusty?

Most likely the blower bearing. Happened to my 2006. Replaced under warranty.

bimmer_335 · 01-24-2012, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MM328i

You've been lucky! I wonder if mine is lemonish then. I love my car, but I have to be smart and not let this depreciating asset become a money pit. I'm hoping I can fix any major problems before my CPO expires, then be prudent, do preventive maintenance, and find a good independent. I'm considering doing an ATF service at 50K to help maintain the transmission.

I don't want to give it up! Why wasn't I born a millionaire!?

Thanks for your thoughts.

your car has low miles with minor niggles here and there; nothing major if you ask me. It does sound like its probably suffering from 'not driven enough' syndrome. Really it depends on how comfort level with the car. Since you're still making payments i'd say sell it and get a new one. You should get top dollars for it

Kolyan2k · 01-24-2012, 04:21 PM

thats a lot of problems for 328 with only 47k miles.

JimVR4 · 01-24-2012, 05:47 PM

I will be in your shoes in about two years. I have 31K right now and will probably hit 50K just before the out of service date. I actually couldn't drive my new 328i home from the dealer where I bought it. As we finished up all the paperwork I stepped outside sales and the SA got in the car with me and setup the bluetooth. He stepped out and I tried to start the car and it wouldn't. They thought it was a key fob malfunction but ended up being the starter.

Talk about a bad first impression!! But I love my car and I can't imagine the engine having that big an issue. Hopefully all the other systems will be reliable but who knows. I think as a car ages you either have to be a good mechanic or have access to one that doesn't break the bank because things will break and wear out. It's hard to do your own maintenance on these cars though.

I have to say I'm a little turned off that you can't even change a battery on these cars without programming. I had to buy a new jack already because the car was too low for my old one. I see myself eventually getting the gear for coding the car and doing some of my own maintenance. If I was not a DIY kind of guy I would probably sell the car at some point and get one with a service package.

The other thing I need to check is what is the cost to extend the service to 100K. They tried to sell me when I bought the car but I held off and now I'm thinking of going for it as it probably takes only 1-2 issues to have the service package pay for itself.

MM328i · 01-24-2012, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asus389

Most likely the blower bearing. Happened to my 2006. Replaced under warranty.

sounds about right. will have this looked at.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bimmer_335

your car has low miles with minor niggles here and there; nothing major if you ask me. It does sound like its probably suffering from 'not driven enough' syndrome. Really it depends on how comfort level with the car. Since you're still making payments i'd say sell it and get a new one. You should get top dollars for it

i don't know. those minor niggles would probably have amounted to a couple thousand bucks out of pocket. low miles yes, but shouldn't that represent less wear and tear? i like the car a lot, want to keep if i'm confident it won't cost an arm and a leg to keep.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kolyan2k

thats a lot of problems for 328 with only 47k miles.

i would agree right? i mean some people have only changed their oil, and i've dealt with all this?

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimVR4

The other thing I need to check is what is the cost to extend the service to 100K. They tried to sell me when I bought the car but I held off and now I'm thinking of going for it as it probably takes only 1-2 issues to have the service package pay for itself.

i would look into CPO after your lease ends. if you want to buy outright, you can have your car CPO'd. depending on what it needs, they will charge you to get up to CPO standards. for me it was a couple thousand, which as you can tell by my story has been worth it.

apme123 · 01-24-2012, 08:22 PM

I would keep it, there will be some maintenance items to do like bushings, thermostat, water pump. That's like that with any kind of car.

wynnnj1977 · 01-24-2012, 09:55 PM

If you feel like to you have a lot of issues with your car, I'd just say go find another CPO 328 (or 335, if you want more power) and you just trade your car in. I bought CPO 2003 e46 on 2006 and I had a lot of issues with it, so I decided to trade that car in just right before CPO expired (I got decent trade in value) and got CPO 2006 330 (on dec 2008). I haven't got any issue with my current car yet (knock the wood!), so I decide to keep my current car even it's out of warranty.

Kolyan2k · 01-24-2012, 09:58 PM

having had 3 German cars I would say reliability is not very consistent.

MM328i · 01-25-2012, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by apme123

I would keep it, there will be some maintenance items to do like bushings, thermostat, water pump. That's like that with any kind of car.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wynnnj1977

If you feel like to you have a lot of issues with your car, I'd just say go find another CPO 328 (or 335, if you want more power) and you just trade your car in. I bought CPO 2003 e46 on 2006 and I had a lot of issues with it, so I decided to trade that car in just right before CPO expired (I got decent trade in value) and got CPO 2006 330 (on dec 2008). I haven't got any issue with my current car yet (knock the wood!), so I decide to keep my current car even it's out of warranty.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kolyan2k

having had 3 German cars I would say reliability is not very consistent.

i guess the decision i have to make is whether i want to keep a car that i have put considerable equity into, and deal with the costs that may or may not arise from that, or put that equity into a leased or even used CPO car, lose that equity, but have the "insurance" of a steady cost with no large unexpected repair costs. thanks for the comments.

Kolyan2k · 01-25-2012, 10:38 AM

As you can see in sig, I sold my 2 BMWs with same mileage as yours. M3 had 1 year of CPO left and 335i had 2 years of CPO left. I think selling your car while it still has CPO is a big plus. I sold my 335i only $1.5k less then I paid for it (and thats because i needed to sell fast, could have sold for $500 bucks difference easy), sold M3 for about $1-1.5k gain. But I also had other circumstances....M3 had to go, 335i was a bit boring, and on top of it I had $3-4k balance with BMW financial which i wanted to cover. All couldn't have worked out better for me.

apme123 · 01-25-2012, 09:51 PM

Kolyan2k, do have an f20 swap or something, cause your sig shows 9k rpm?

Kolyan2k · 01-25-2012, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by apme123

Kolyan2k, do have an f20 swap or something, cause your sig shows 9k rpm?

lol....that sig is used by many s2k members. it would be cheaper to buy flashpro and increase redline :-) many are running 8.5k safely

Chriztofor · 01-25-2012, 11:22 PM

Op, get rid of it. That list is too long for such a low mileage bmw. My e46 has the original starter, alternator, and a/c and it has about 200,000 miles. Cut your losses before the cpo runs out.

ndog14 · 01-26-2012, 12:05 AM

Get rid of it. I plan to do the same with mine summer 2013. I have the lifter tick and I don't want to drop the ridik amount of money to fix so I decided to procrastinate it with some oil thinner. I will probably get a Lexus.

Taipei-TT · 01-26-2012, 06:22 AM

The remaining warranty would give a potential buyer piece of mind. If you are having doubts about it, I'd move along. The worst case scenario is you keep it, warranty up, face a repair bill, bite the cost, and then unload the car.

I faced this with a 2008 Audi TT I had from new...after extensive repairs that were both major and minor, I unloaded it the day the warranty was up and bought my 3 series. Don't regret the hassle and I could handle the costs, so it worked out a lot better for me now that I have a car under warranty that has been reliable.

01-24-2012, 12:25 PM	#1
MM328i Bimmerhead 1 Rep 35 Posts Drives: 328i Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: AZ iTrader: (0)	Keep 2007 328i? Need advice. Yes, another "should I keep my car thread", but I could really use some advice from the community. I have a 2007 328i with roughly 47.5K miles. I've taken pretty good care of it, oil changes every 8,000 miles or so, taken care of maintenance as computer warranted, TLC, etc. My CPO runs out Jan. 2013. I feel that I've been unlucky with the car, given the following: 1. N51 Valve ticking. Dealer replaced lifters 12,000 miles ago, and while I have not had any ticking, save for literally one day a while ago, I'm expecting to need a new cylinder head at some point. At this rate, it will probably happen outside of warranty. 2. Alternator died. Dealer replaced, but apparently during the job the mass air flow sensor was throwing errors, so they replaced it if my memory serves. Even if it was not replaced, something occurred with the Mass Air Flow sensor which could potential cause issues down the way. 3. Steering wheel squeaked, so they replaced SZL module under CPO. 4. Rear door actuator died, replaced under CPO warranty. 5. Was experiencing slow cranks. I took it in, and while I thought it was the starter, they diagnosed a dying battery, which they replaced at $400. Still had slow cranks, as well as the starter bendix hitting the fly wheel causing a loud screech during start up on occasion. They replicated the issue, and replaced starter. 6. While changing starter, it looks as if they found a faulty, oil leaking belt tensioner, so that was replaced under CPO. 7. My air conditioner is making a growling noise, which increases at times as RPMs rise. It sounds as if the blower may be faulty/rusty? 8. My B Pillar is starting to make a terrible rattle noise, outlined in a TSB. 9. After software update because of SZL replacement, transmission has just not been the same. Not as responsive, borderline slipping at times. They say adaptive transmission points were reset, but that it's normal and that it will take time to readapt. I know that's true, but it's bothering me that the transmission is not acting as responsively as before. I usually have leased cars, but I wanted to keep this BMW, maintain it, and have it paid for outright for several years. With the issues I have had, I feel as if this may be a bad idea given that my warranty ends in about a year. Can anyone provide me some insight on whether staying with this car may be a losing proposition? No one can predict my car's future, and for all I know once any outstanding issues my car has are fixed, it may be issue free for a long time. I don't see that as being likely at this point. I keep getting emails about getting a new BMW for the same monthly price I'm paying currently, hence I'm exploring my options. Any insight from BMW Nation would be appreciated! Thanks guys! __________________ 2007 E90 328i \| BLK ON BLK \| STEP \| ZSP \| ZPP \| XENON \| CA \| OEM ALARM Last edited by MM328i; 01-24-2012 at 01:48 PM..
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01-24-2012, 12:56 PM	#2
Rockyca First Lieutenant 34 Rep 356 Posts Drives: 2016 340i M-Sport Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Toronto iTrader: (1)	It is always nice to have no car payment but it is up to you. I always pay cash for my cars an maintain them as needed out of pocket
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01-24-2012, 01:40 PM	#3
Bavarian13 Second Lieutenant 3 Rep 252 Posts Drives: E90 335, E36 M3 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Carmel iTrader: (0)	Those issues really aren't that bad when you think about it. Honestly most people would overlook some of that if it was out of warranty. lol Did you buy the battery from the dealer? Honestly, I'd keep it. You still have a good amount of time left on your CPO and you know the car. Unless you're buying a new one or really want a 335 then I don't see the harm in keeping it.
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01-24-2012, 01:44 PM	#4
NaNo_F1 Lieutenant 14 Rep 434 Posts Drives: 07 E90 328i Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Houston, TX iTrader: (9)	I would absolutely keep it! I also have an 07 328i and love it to death! Mine has 60k miles on it and never had any problems! Not CPO. Only replaced normal wear and tear. I know what you mean about the transmission, unfortunately 328's didn't get the best auto tranny and I also had mine reset and I feel like it slips into 6th every chance it gets! lol __________________ Titanium Silver (TiAg) \|\| OEM 219M Wheels \|\|BMW Performance Exhaust \|\| BMW Performance AT Shift & Boot \|\| BMW Performance Gloss Black Grills \|\| MTech E-Brake \|\| MTech Steering Wheel \|\| LCI Headlights \|\| UHP LED License \|\|
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01-24-2012, 01:53 PM	#6
Bavarian13 Second Lieutenant 3 Rep 252 Posts Drives: E90 335, E36 M3 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Carmel iTrader: (0)	If you plan on keeping it, find a good Independent mechanic. I have 3 I've taken my cars to and relative to the dealer it's a steal.
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01-24-2012, 04:21 PM	#10
Kolyan2k Major General 930 Rep 5,538 Posts Drives: 2006 S2000 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Boston iTrader: (1)	thats a lot of problems for 328 with only 47k miles.
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01-24-2012, 05:47 PM	#11
JimVR4 Captain 338 Rep 842 Posts Drives: 21 X5 M50i M-Sport Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: San Jose, CA iTrader: (0)	I will be in your shoes in about two years. I have 31K right now and will probably hit 50K just before the out of service date. I actually couldn't drive my new 328i home from the dealer where I bought it. As we finished up all the paperwork I stepped outside sales and the SA got in the car with me and setup the bluetooth. He stepped out and I tried to start the car and it wouldn't. They thought it was a key fob malfunction but ended up being the starter. Talk about a bad first impression!! But I love my car and I can't imagine the engine having that big an issue. Hopefully all the other systems will be reliable but who knows. I think as a car ages you either have to be a good mechanic or have access to one that doesn't break the bank because things will break and wear out. It's hard to do your own maintenance on these cars though. I have to say I'm a little turned off that you can't even change a battery on these cars without programming. I had to buy a new jack already because the car was too low for my old one. I see myself eventually getting the gear for coding the car and doing some of my own maintenance. If I was not a DIY kind of guy I would probably sell the car at some point and get one with a service package. The other thing I need to check is what is the cost to extend the service to 100K. They tried to sell me when I bought the car but I held off and now I'm thinking of going for it as it probably takes only 1-2 issues to have the service package pay for itself. __________________ 2021 G05 X5 ///M50i / Phytonic Blue / Cognac Vernasca iStep 03/2023.50
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01-24-2012, 08:22 PM	#13
apme123 First Lieutenant 25 Rep 359 Posts Drives: 2002 Honda S2000 Join Date: May 2005 Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA iTrader: (0)	I would keep it, there will be some maintenance items to do like bushings, thermostat, water pump. That's like that with any kind of car. __________________
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01-24-2012, 09:55 PM	#14
wynnnj1977 Private First Class 3 Rep 110 Posts Drives: 06 Jet Bl/Bl, 330xi, 6MT Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: NJ iTrader: (1) Garage List 2006 330xi [0.00]	If you feel like to you have a lot of issues with your car, I'd just say go find another CPO 328 (or 335, if you want more power) and you just trade your car in. I bought CPO 2003 e46 on 2006 and I had a lot of issues with it, so I decided to trade that car in just right before CPO expired (I got decent trade in value) and got CPO 2006 330 (on dec 2008). I haven't got any issue with my current car yet (knock the wood!), so I decide to keep my current car even it's out of warranty.
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01-24-2012, 09:58 PM	#15
Kolyan2k Major General 930 Rep 5,538 Posts Drives: 2006 S2000 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Boston iTrader: (1)	having had 3 German cars I would say reliability is not very consistent.
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01-25-2012, 10:38 AM	#17
Kolyan2k Major General 930 Rep 5,538 Posts Drives: 2006 S2000 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Boston iTrader: (1)	As you can see in sig, I sold my 2 BMWs with same mileage as yours. M3 had 1 year of CPO left and 335i had 2 years of CPO left. I think selling your car while it still has CPO is a big plus. I sold my 335i only $1.5k less then I paid for it (and thats because i needed to sell fast, could have sold for $500 bucks difference easy), sold M3 for about $1-1.5k gain. But I also had other circumstances....M3 had to go, 335i was a bit boring, and on top of it I had $3-4k balance with BMW financial which i wanted to cover. All couldn't have worked out better for me.
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01-25-2012, 09:51 PM	#18
apme123 First Lieutenant 25 Rep 359 Posts Drives: 2002 Honda S2000 Join Date: May 2005 Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA iTrader: (0)	Kolyan2k, do have an f20 swap or something, cause your sig shows 9k rpm? __________________
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01-25-2012, 11:22 PM	#20
Chriztofor Colonel 103 Rep 2,783 Posts Drives: '06 325i and '13 X5 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Chicago Burbs iTrader: (1)	Op, get rid of it. That list is too long for such a low mileage bmw. My e46 has the original starter, alternator, and a/c and it has about 200,000 miles. Cut your losses before the cpo runs out. __________________ If no codes are being thrown use Chevron Techron fuel injector cleaner (concentrate). It solves rpm fluctuating upon cold start-up. Also, for most BMW problems start off by scanning your car with the Peake Research Tool. It contains the actual BMW codes. If you want to register a newly installed battery for free (just buy a $10 cable) and google/download BMWLogger
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01-26-2012, 12:05 AM	#21
ndog14 Banned 52 Rep 1,746 Posts Drives: E90 328xi 6MT Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Pittsburgh, PA iTrader: (0)	Get rid of it. I plan to do the same with mine summer 2013. I have the lifter tick and I don't want to drop the ridik amount of money to fix so I decided to procrastinate it with some oil thinner. I will probably get a Lexus.
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01-26-2012, 06:22 AM	#22
Taipei-TT Captain 25 Rep 642 Posts Drives: 2014 X3 2.0D Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Canadian in Taipei iTrader: (0)	The remaining warranty would give a potential buyer piece of mind. If you are having doubts about it, I'd move along. The worst case scenario is you keep it, warranty up, face a repair bill, bite the cost, and then unload the car. I faced this with a 2008 Audi TT I had from new...after extensive repairs that were both major and minor, I unloaded it the day the warranty was up and bought my 3 series. Don't regret the hassle and I could handle the costs, so it worked out a lot better for me now that I have a car under warranty that has been reliable.
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