[brivera94]

Hello, I need opinions on what I should do with my current car, I have a 2012 528i with 137,000 miles on it. I recently had a drivetrain malfunction warning pop up on my screen, I took it to a mechanic to see what was wrong with it only to find out that he didn't know and recommended that I take it to the BMW dealership. Beforehand, the car was driving with minimum power output and after the mechanic checked it the car wouldn't turn on anymore so I had to get it towed to the service center. I have attached an image of the services that need to be performed which is very costly, $10,000+. Would you guys recommend that I get the service performed(would it leave it like new?) or should I just use that money to purchase another used BMW? What would you guys do? Thank you!

[ezaircon4jc]

You could always take the repair estimate to your competent indie (probably not the guy you already used).

[Opie55]

There's too much we do not know here. Would these repairs make it like new? Of course not. Everything else will still be 11 years old and have 137,000 miles on it. But what about the cosmetic condition of the car? And how much do you love it? Are you ready for something "new"? What is the car really worth? You have reached that sweet spot of age/miles where complex cars make little economic sense for people who cannot DIY. It is true you could go elsewhere to get that work done somewhat cheaper, but unless you really love it for some reason I personally would not keep it.

[StradaRedlands]

Ah, the dreaded N20 timing chain guide disintegration... sorry bud, it's toast. They're not scamming you, it's a BIG problem with pre-2015 engines. If your indy doesn't know about it, they aren't knowledgeable about BMWs and you should look elsewhere. A proper German specialist would probably charge about half that, but maybe more now, I don't know. They could advise you on the top additional stuff as well (some of which would be included in the timing rebuild). DO NOT PAY DEALER PRICES FOR THIS SERVICE! Maybe $6,000 for everything??? Still cheaper than a new car. But your mileage means everything else is going to be failing soon. Water pump, alternator, starter, oil sump gasket, engine mounts, trans service, DISA valves, suspension rebuild... just a matter of time.

If you really like BMW and want an entry fiver, I say bail on this one and get a newer 530i with the much more reliable B48 engine. A 2012 528i (first year with the N20) just isn't that great of a car IMHO.

But this last year I dropped $12,000 into keeping our 2011 running, so what do I know...

[sredwine]

Most of those pre-2016 timing chain/guide issues were addressed by a BMW recall or other program-they may cover that fully or in part.Check with BMW NA.

[Thecastle]

Well, its not worth much unless you repair the car. Basically you have a non-runner. A 2012 528i with 132,000 miles with standard options in fair condition has a trade in value $3800 if its a runner. Non-running maybe 1K in value. Repair cost at an indy maybe 6K.

So basically your car is mechanically totaled. Its more expensive to repair it than the value of the car. Dump it, and move on. Sorry its not worth fixing as the repairs exceed the value of the car. Only repair if you plan to keep it a while and you don't have a better $7K option, like a toyota.

[Double Nickel]

10k...IJS'n