[dekadent]

Lately I've been pumping a lot of money into repairs of my 2007 E90 335i, fully loaded, NAV, manual, 91K mileage. I love the car, I frankly don't even want anything else all that much, but spending $317 on a rear window regulator (and now the second window is giving me attitude), $385 on leaking oil filter housing seal, $530 on thermostat replacement - all in the course of 2 months got me worried that older the car gets more of a money pit it becomes.

Guys at the Euro Import place I do most repairs at told me I should change all spark plugs ($255) and if and when clutch craps out they will replace it for $1134, but beyond that they don't anticipate anything major.

In other places I read that turbos can fail at any moment leaving me with 5K+ bill.

So, would it be a smart thing to sell it ASAP or should I brush off all worries and keep driving it ?

Thanks for any and all replies.

[MikesBMW]

Mine has 93k miles on, turbos were replaced once under warranty along with the power steering rack, since then I've paid out of pocket for a water pump, thermostat, battery, and normal maintenance including spark plugs, brakes, oil changes. My adaptive headlamps don't work at times and looks like I may have a tire pressure sensor issue as well. But I love the car, drives so well and still looks great. Most people think the car is just a couple years old not 7 years old.

[Danman5666]

That's what happens with higher mileage cars - things start to break and/or need to be replaced. We don't have Hondas, so costs are going to be substantially higher.

Your choices: 1) Pay the repair costs or 2) Pay for a new(er) car at whatever cost that could be at (I was looking at a new 335 myself, which is about 48k for the one I want).

[AllBlackBimmer]

The question that matter is...

is the car paid off?

A paid off car with a few repairs is a lot cheaper than a new car.

But, yes, the 335's can get pricey in maintenance.
I wouldn't really worry about your clutch at 90k, many have made it well past 150,000k on their stock clutches.

Turbo maintenace or repairs could be a nightmare... you would think will all the new cars being turbo, turbo work would get cheaper... nope, not yet.


If your going to keep the car for a long time, just deal with the minor repairs. If you only want to keep it another year or 2, then making a bunch of repairs only to sell/trade your car in another year or 2 doesn't make that much sense.

[ef11]

Since mine is under warranty, I guess I should start driving it hard to get the turbos replaced before my warranty expires. Need to start running JB4 with E85 pronto!

[NormE91]

Well, your clutch does not have to "crap out". If you drive it properly it will last a LONG time.

Also, you can change your spark plugs yourself much cheaper if you're inclined to DIY.

If you're not into DIY, and you're not into spending $$ to get things fixed/maintained, you might want to think about trading in on a new car. The payment might be bigger, but it's a fixed cost with no surprises.

Good luck!

[ezmaass]

I owned my 2007 335i from new for 6.5 years and solid it recently at 89k miles. I maintained the car well - every service on time, drove it with respect (still spirited by not flogging it), and garaged it. It was an "unusual" 335i as it had only a few issues in all of that time, none very major - an exhaust rattle and a hood sensor.

So, with a 335 paid off many moons ago, and a service history that was nearly spotless, why did I get rid of it, you ask? Because it's GOING to get expensive. I got lucky. The N54 335's are just notoriously expensive. I could afford to fix it, so money isn't the problem. Dumping a few grand a year into the 335 is still cheaper than buying a new car, yes. But it's also inconvenient, and I didn't want to find myself stranded somewhere with it, either.

Now, while the 335 has its own warts (turbos, HPFP, t-stat, oil leaks, etc), many OTHER issues are just common for any 3-series and any aging German luxury car. Window regulators? I went through 3 or 4 of them on my previous 325i. It happens. Blower resistor motors? Again, went through 2 or 3 of them in the past. These things just break. And it's a BMW - not a Ford. It'll cost some $$$. A $300 - $500 repair for a BMW is cheap repair! If you hit a REAL problem (not some silly regulator issue), you can be in for several thousand in a blink.

If you're going to own a 6, 7, or 8+ year old German luxury car, it's best to make sure it's paid off and/or you have the budget for some repairs. If the car is paid off, you can put a few grand into the car each year and still be financially ahead of buying a new one. But if you're making payments on it, and it's still depreciating, AND you're putting a few grand of repairs in each year, THAT, my friend, is what's called a money pit.

My 0.02 cents - if you're going to buy an older car like this, buy it in cash and keep some dough on the side for repairs. $2k/year minimum for a 335. If you can't afford to buy a car in cash, or you won't have money to spare for repairs, then buy a CPO car. It'll be more expensive, but it'll be under warranty. The difference of $2k - $3k/year in repairs can be $166 - $250 per month in a payment. So when you're contemplating the payments for a CPO and non-CPO car, if the difference is less than $250/mo or so, you're better off getting the CPO car.

To the OP, I'd suggest getting rid of the car. If it's paid off, you have equity in it which is only diminishing - cash it out. Get into a new or CPO car with a warranty. If this was a 328, for instance, I'd probably tell you to keep it... especially if you liked the car. The N/A I6 engines are rock solid and will go for 200k miles with little mechanical issue. Not the 335i.

[BoostaVita]

OP, I would recommend you to keep it base only from my experience. Mine is at ~158k miles now and still bring a smile on my face every time I drive it. I paid my dues (WP, Tstat, Mecha sleeves) and bloodied my knuckles (DIY plugs, injectors, oil change), but I think all high mileage parts wear out eventually. TBH, you probably can't get a fair value on your car since 335 depreciate fast. Why not just keep it and save a little every month for repairs. Best wishes on whatever decision you make.

[trk06]

Originally Posted by ericfox11

Since mine is under warranty, I guess I should start driving it hard to get the turbos replaced before my warranty expires. Need to start running JB4 with E85 pronto!

[bbbuzzy]

Different viewpoints here was too be expected. Here's mine:

You said yourself that not much else interests you. So why not keep the car for now, start setting aside the equivalent of a monthly payment for what you would buy minus any equity you have in the car, and keep your eyes open to what you might like next. If you need more repairs, the money you've set aside should cover it and if the repairs exceed what you would be paying for a new ride, then make the move. I'm not sure I agree with the sentiment about depreciation. Your car has slowed down it's rate of depreciation, with all new cars losing half their value in a few short years. After the initial hit, the "loss" due to depreciation is not so bad and certainly less than a new car payment.

Good luck with your decision.

[andy92782]

I just had this argument with myself (sell it or keep it). I've had my '07 335i since new, currently at 84K miles. Over the past few months I've put about $1500 into it (walnut shell blast the intake valves and new water pump & thermostat). The turbos were replaced 50K miles ago under warranty as I had one of the earlier builds with the wastegate rattle. My car never had HPFP problems.

Carmax just offered me $12K for it. I figure I can get $1-2K more if I sell it private party. It's currently depreciating about $150/mo. If I budget an extra $200/mo for repairs and maintenance ($2400/yr which I feel is adequate) that's still a net cost of about $350/mo which is a LOT less than the $600/mo it will cost me to lease a new F30 335i, which quite frankly I don't like all that much.

In the ~3 years since my car's warranty expired, it's cost me about $2750 in repairs and maintenance. 'Snot bad, all things considered.

Perhaps it'll start costing me more money in the future but I don't anticipate anything major any time soon. It'll go another 3 years before needing another walnut shell blast and probably another 6 years before the water pump blows again. I doubt I'll have it that long, if anything because I'm starting to get bored of it.

It still looks and drives a hell of a lot nicer than any other $12K car I can think of and that's why I decided to keep it.

I originally leased my 335i for 24 months and at the time I expected I'd just lease another one. But hey, if BMW offered to sell me the car for $9K under the lease residual value, what's a bloke to do?

[E90_boostjunky]

Fuck I'm so over these damn unreliable cars.. But then again its my fault for continuing to mod it. Ive dumped over 22k on just maintenance and performance parts in just 2 years. And im going to shed out another 2500 this month on a new battery and some other bs. Got mine with 48k miles now at 81k.

[BD_F22]

Am I the only one that caught the fact you said it's going to cost you $255 for new spark plugs? Spark plugs are $70 at most and I think my shop charged me like $50-$60 to install them.. Where do you bring your car that they charge you $250 to change spark plugs..

I also think the key to maintenance with these cars is doing preventative maintenance along the way.. I only have 43k miles and have already changed all spark plugs, all coil packs, walnut blasting, oil filter gasket, with 3k oil change intervals.. I like to change stuff before it breaks before its too late.

[Potty_Pants]

Originally Posted by NormE91

Well, your clutch does not have to "crap out". If you drive it properly it will last a LONG time.

Also, you can change your spark plugs yourself much cheaper if you're inclined to DIY.

If you're not into DIY, and you're not into spending $$ to get things fixed/maintained, you might want to think about trading in on a new car. The payment might be bigger, but it's a fixed cost with no surprises.

Good luck!

Norm,

in the normal world with normal cars driven by normal people , your 100% correct the clutch will last a super long time....

Unfortunately bmw has their lovely CDV inline which cushions the clutch travel resulting in wear. its somewhat rare but failures do occur within the first few years of ownership and are covered under warranty.

If I were to provide any advice regarding clutch. $1100 for a replacement is a good price in my book... and when it fails get the CDV passthru when its replaced.

ppp

[SHEEDI]

Originally Posted by ericfox11

Since mine is under warranty, I guess I should start driving it hard to get the turbos replaced before my warranty expires. Need to start running JB4 with E85 pronto!

Keep in mind that driving it hard might break other things beside turbos

[DarkRider23]

So you're planning on spending $45k to save $2-$3k in repairs over the course of a few years? Not worth it unless you want a newer car. All cars are going to need repairs once they get older.

[John 070]

So you avoid changing the plugs, and replacing the clutch, and let's say even 3k on the turbos, by buying a new car. 52k gets you a 4 cyl. F31 today. That makes no sense at all (I've always suspected that people who justify a new car by fear of what might be actually just want a new car). There's no financial justification for doing such. Plus, plugs are a $68 DIY job.

[Bamaben]

Those prices you paid for repairs were cheap!

[MikesBMW]

What's this walnut blasting folks speak of? I've got 93K miles on my 07 335i and it still drives great, powerful, clutch is fine, engine seems to run smooth. Is the walnut blasting a must or just to squeeze a few more horsepower out of the engine?

[Infamy]

Damn I've had my 335i for a lil over a year. It's a 2010 build with 80k. I have not had a single problem. Jb4, dwn pipes, DCI, CP, rbpcv. Best car I ever had.

[SHEEDI]

Originally Posted by MB135i

What's this walnut blasting folks speak of? I've got 93K miles on my 07 335i and it still drives great, powerful, clutch is fine, engine seems to run smooth. Is the walnut blasting a must or just to squeeze a few more horsepower out of the engine?

This is called Walnut blasting

[Denny347]

Now I do not own a 335i but rather a 330i but for a few differences, the repairs are about the same. If you are a DIY, you can keep the costs WAY down. Plugs are easy, so are oil changes, and brakes. I replaced the front wheel bearing myself for about $90 each and 2 hrs of my time. I am planning on replacing my upper/lower front control arms myself for about $400 in the spring. These are greatly cheaper than having a dealer or indy do it.