[Lildude512]

So this is something I tried to find online on google. The main question I have is how long will this car last. I don’t ever see a whole lot of older bmw’s out and about on the roads around me. I read a couple of other forums that discussed how bmw can easily go over 300,000 miles with proper maintenance. What exactly is this internet sensational term proper maintenance. Like are we talking that most people don’t change their oil on regular intervals. The dealer SA told me change the oil every 10,000 mile. I have 26k right now on the car. Do bmw car have some special “maintenance” and if so what is it? Owners manual says to change the air filters every 3rd oil change and spark plugs at 50k and that’s it power steering fluid? Brake fluid? trany oil is long term, coolant longterm so what am I missing. Like I have read a couple of common issues such as oil housing cover gasketas early as 50k. Like I expect the standard wear and tear items brakes, tires belts but what else do I need to do to make my 535i last. My Chevy made it to 90k only issues it had was the ac compressor break but it still had warranty. So fixed no cost. I bought the extended warranty that takes me out to 100k on my bmw. So tell me what your expectations/ experiences are?

[lsturbointeg]

huh? so you made 2 post about the same question

[Lildude512]

Yeah thank you my computer glitched up I have fixed the duplicate post.

[lsturbointeg]

you're asking a question that's gonna have lots of opinions. even if you do all the scheduled maintenance stuff fails for whatever reasons. since I bought my car as a CPO I've had at least 4 recalls. I've had oil filter gasket housing leak which I was told is common on the 535. so i'm sure other's will chime in. this is a very active forum so if you do some research here a lot of your questions have been answered multiple times if you look

Good luck!

[johnhva]

Mike Miller of BMWCCA has a good BMW maintenance plan.

BMW maintenance plan

I'm no expert and I know oils these days are durable but I change my 535 oil every 7-8k when there's a dealer special or at least once a year. OEM air filter is cheap so I change it out every year myself. Coolant and brake fluid 2 years. PS 3 years. Mine's at 46k so it's early for tranny fluid change but I'll do that and diff oil by 65k. Italian tuneups whenever possible. F10 cabin filter change is a bear compared to my E46 so I haven't gotten to it.

My 2c.

[lsturbointeg]

if you're under BMW Maintenance program they will not do any services until you get the message on your computer even if you request to have them change the oil early

[wcr3d]

If you have searched that much you had to of run across many recommendations for service schedules.
You have to realize by now this is not like your chevy.
High performance = high maintenance = high costs, lower if you DIY but still.
You will also find out that warranty and maintenance coverage are different things.
People are different, same as wants and expectations.
Some want new every chance they get, some want to keep and feel like they get their money's worth.
I see plenty of older models in my neck of the woods.
In fact just as many older ones as new.

[Lildude512]

Yeah I have looked a lot and I get that with performance comes maintenance but that is what I want to know. What maintenance? Do these cars just break more often? My Camaro has had very little problems just change the fluids and good to go. My Suzuki motorcycle same. Both vehicles are high performance and very little issues. Now I get it bmws are very different cars but I just don't understand how a $80k car can't out last most Japanese and American similars. Or at least that's what I found on the internet. I don't believe it so now I am going to find out with my 535i and my s1000rr. Hopefully I won't go broke!

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by Lildude512

Yeah I have looked a lot and I get that with performance comes maintenance but that is what I want to know. What maintenance? Do these cars just break more often? My Camaro has had very little problems just change the fluids and good to go. My Suzuki motorcycle same. Both vehicles are high performance and very little issues. Now I get it bmws are very different cars but I just don't understand how a $80k car can't out last most Japanese and American similars. Or at least that's what I found on the internet. I don't believe it so now I am going to find out with my 535i and my s1000rr. Hopefully I won't go broke!

We have a 2012 and a 2014 535i. So far the only repairs we've had are on the 2012 (~84K miles). They consisted of replacement of a sensor for the Comfort Access system and the calve cover and oil filter housing gaskets. Up until last Nov. we were covered by the maintenance so didn't have to pay for any scheduled maintenance. The 2014 is a couple hundred miles shy of 48K miles and has only needed the cupholder replaced.

IMHO, as long as the maintenance is performed and problems are corrected before they escalate (like oil leaks), reaching a couple of hundred miles should be attainable. That said, I would stick with BMW's bread-and-butter; the straight-6 engine.

[wcr3d]

Originally Posted by Lildude512

Yeah I have looked a lot and I get that with performance comes maintenance but that is what I want to know. What maintenance? Do these cars just break more often? My Camaro has had very little problems just change the fluids and good to go. My Suzuki motorcycle same. Both vehicles are high performance and very little issues. Now I get it bmws are very different cars but I just don't understand how a $80k car can't out last most Japanese and American similars. Or at least that's what I found on the internet. I don't believe it so now I am going to find out with my 535i and my s1000rr. Hopefully I won't go broke!

Neither of them are also luxury.
It takes a lot more to put the two together.
Look through the IDrive for the items it monitors and schedules.
Then think about other wear items, bushings, shocks, etc.
Everyone will have their own opinions of when, you have to make your own.

[cipher5]

I have a 2011 and literally follow the iDrive notifications. It's 2019, I have 85,000 miles with no issues. FWIW.

[philipm785]

I've driven 3 BMWs to or beyond 100k miles and they've all held up really well. They all leak oil at one point or another and they will need some items like hoses and belts addressed as they age, but in general I've found that they've continued to drive really well and be an enjoyable car to own even as they age. Where I am here in Atlanta there are lots of E90s, older X5s, etc. on the road. They may have electronic or other issues but you rarely see them on the side of the road.

Just go into this knowing that you need to be willing to spend some money keeping it up.

[ezaircon4jc]

Lildude512:

Want to see older BMW's? Come to southern California. Older 3-Series' are as ubiquitous as Mustangs around here. 5-Series' are less so and 7-Series' even less. That's not to say there aren't that many, just not as many as the "3".

Remember, very, very few people come to an internet forum to say what a great car they have. They come to vent or look for answers to problems. I've read about what a disaster my previous cars were, yet I never had the amount of problems I read about. Some? Yes, but those were problems generic to most cars. Oil leaks will appear after time/miles. The gasket material will eventually fail; usually around 100K-150K miles. Same with a water pump. I would still stay away from the V8. According to the guys at my dealership the V8 is fraught with unsolvable problems. Maybe cutting a hole in the hood to let out all the heat trapped in the valley!

That said, I say go for it! Like all cars (I know you're looking at a 2016), you will want avoid the first year of a "new" model. The 2016 is one of the last of the F10's so you are looking at a year where they had pretty much worked out all the bugs.

[Lildude512]

Originally Posted by ezaircon4jc

Lildude512:

Want to see older BMW's? Come to southern California. Older 3-Series' are as ubiquitous as Mustangs around here. 5-Series' are less so and 7-Series' even less. That's not to say there aren't that many, just not as many as the "3".

Remember, very, very few people come to an internet forum to say what a great car they have. They come to vent or look for answers to problems. I've read about what a disaster my previous cars were, yet I never had the amount of problems I read about. Some? Yes, but those were problems generic to most cars. Oil leaks will appear after time/miles. The gasket material will eventually fail; usually around 100K-150K miles. Same with a water pump. I would still stay away from the V8. According to the guys at my dealership the V8 is fraught with unsolvable problems. Maybe cutting a hole in the hood to let out all the heat trapped in the valley!

That said, I say go for it! Like all cars (I know you're looking at a 2016), you will want avoid the first year of a "new" model. The 2016 is one of the last of the F10's so you are looking at a year where they had pretty much worked out all the bugs.

Exactly! One of the reasons why I started this thread to find out what others that don't have problems have experienced. I totally get that thing will break over time any and almost all car need things like hoses and belts. I was just concerned with the overall longevity. I want to keep my 535 for as long as possible and yes I can do most repairs to keep it up. Also I don't mind spending money to keep it running. Just as long it doesn't get too expensive for the repair. Good to know that you don't see a lot of bmw on the side of the roads and to be honest I haven't seen any here in Knoxville.

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by Lildude512

Exactly! One of the reasons why I started this thread to find out what others that don't have problems have experienced. I totally get that thing will break over time any and almost all car need things like hoses and belts. I was just concerned with the overall longevity. I want to keep my 535 for as long as possible and yes I can do most repairs to keep it up. Also I don't mind spending money to keep it running. Just as long it doesn't get too expensive for the repair. Good to know that you don't see a lot of bmw on the side of the roads and to be honest I haven't seen any here in Knoxville.

Granted, my BMW experience is only 4 years and (between the two 535i's) just over 60K miles, but I wouldn't hesitate to purchase another BMW straight-6. Our 2012 has been out of warranty for a year and although it isn't driven much anymore (less than 3K miles a year), all I've done is the fluid changes. Just did the brake fluid and coolant. At the dealer that was right around $450. My SA also told me the car is just fine with no issues. I believe him not only because we're friends, but I would think them having the car would give them ample opportunity to "fine something" wrong. There are also no squeaks or rattles. Well, none other than I introduced with stuff in the storage spaces .


We were in your neck of the woods last October... Went to Dollywood and really enjoyed it! IMHO more family friendly than Disneyland!

[BigKutta]

No reason to believe that it wont last. I've had two BMWs long term now, an e46 and the F10, and both have been solid and very reliable! Even after 7 years of ownership my F10 drives great and feels like a new vehicle. I look after mine well, and have them regular serviced, so that will help. But otherwise, no other car feels solid after all these years...that's just good engineering.

P.S. I did get the dreaded N20 timing Chain guide whine 6.5 yrs into ownership, and BMW replaced the chains for $0, potentially saving me from a shot engine later.

[lsturbointeg]

Originally Posted by Lildude512

Exactly! One of the reasons why I started this thread to find out what others that don't have problems have experienced. I totally get that thing will break over time any and almost all car need things like hoses and belts. I was just concerned with the overall longevity. I want to keep my 535 for as long as possible and yes I can do most repairs to keep it up. Also I don't mind spending money to keep it running. Just as long it doesn't get too expensive for the repair. Good to know that you don't see a lot of bmw on the side of the roads and to be honest I haven't seen any here in Knoxville.

You can buy 2 of the same cars same make and model and I bet both will have different maintenance issues. one will leak oil while the other doesn't. one will have shitty MGP while the other doesn't. the list goes on and on

[SilverSlurf]

2012 535i 96k(bought in 2015 at 28k with remainder of warranty left)
Done so far
-rear brakes 47k(warranty)
-oil filter housing gasket, tensioner + belts, water pump(at 85k - 1800 or 1850 at indy)
-valve cover + gasket, valve walnut blast, spark plugs, one fuel injector + program, passenger seatlbelt sensor(at 96k 2000 indy)

Coming up:
-transmission filter and fluid change
- expansion tank(had it crack in my e60 so just a preemptive measure)
-shocks and struts(probably will go with Bilstein B6 and will use it as an excuse to install lowering springs- saw the set for 775 on turner and pair it up with sportline sports, will mostly likely be a diy)
-front brake pads(diy)

on the horizon:
-suspension parts like control arms and the like