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BMW 318d with 118K miles on it worth considering ? - O_Relly
Hi everyone,

What are your thoughts on the below car -> October 2011 BMW 318d with 118K miles on it,
www.evanshalshaw.com/search/vehicledetails/used-ca.../

It does feel like a lot of miles for a car that is shy of 5 years. (Approx 25k miles a year) However it appears to be a fleet car that has done that many motorway miles and I am told that is probably not too bad when compared to a car driven around the city with lots of start/stops.

Researching the internet, I am aware of N47 timing chain issues on this engine model which BMW cars made between 2009 and early 2011 suffered. -> en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_N47

However can't deny the fact that there are probably hoards of users out there who haven't run into this problem and are probably oblivious.

The car comes with 3 months warranty and I have the option of purchasing a 2 year warranty for £445. So technically even if I were to run into this issue within 2 year time, I should be covered by the dealership warranty ?

Also I am reading some users say that the average life of a good diesel engine is 200K to 300K easily if well maintained.

Thoughts, suggestions ? Is it worth the risk considering this car and getting another 50 to 60K miles on it over the course of the next 5 years ?

Apart from the high mileage, it does appear like the car is in pretty good condition, I did test drive it and it rode well. Am not an expert with cars though! The same of same age with sub 60K miles is priced at £14 K by BMW Approved Used (aka Peter Vardy).

Cheers,
O_Relly.

Edited by O_Relly on 19/07/2016 at 23:57

BMW 318d with 118K miles on it worth considering ? - Wackyracer
Personally, I've always had the view that mileage equals wear and although engines are greatly improved in this matter, everything else is still wearing out at the same time. Alot will depend on who drove the car for those miles too, mechanical sympathy is a wonderful thing.
BMW 318d with 118K miles on it worth considering ? - RobJP
Personally, I've always had the view that mileage equals wear and although engines are greatly improved in this matter, everything else is still wearing out at the same time. Alot will depend on who drove the car for those miles too, mechanical sympathy is a wonderful thing.

Agreed.

I saw a 318d in BCA Manchester a few months ago. 2012 car with a ridiculous 290,000 miles on the clock. Yes, two hundred and ninety thousand.

BMW 318d with 118K miles on it worth considering ? - Fernando P

To clock up that amount of mileage, the car may well have been a "company" car that did not belong to the driver(s). Serviced on time no doubt but less care will invariably have been taken with it. I know someone driving such a car with similar annual mileages and always said to myself that I would positively avoid one like it as expensive repairs etc are just round the corner - with the added inconvenience, which is why the "company" does not use them for ~ 3 years.

BMW 318d with 118K miles on it worth considering ? - oldroverboy.
The car comes with 3 months warranty and I have the option of purchasing a 2 year warranty for £445. So technically even if I were to run into this issue within 2 year time, I should be covered by the dealership warranty ?

It is not a dealer warranty. it will be a 3rd party warranty, mostly good for use as toilet paper.
Spend the extra £500 ish on a better car. withiut the badge you will find plenty of alternatives.
BMW 318d with 118K miles on it worth considering ? - Ian_SW
A few years ago, most cars like that were clocked and put up for sale with 50k on the clock, with many buyers who then owned the car for the next few years none the wiser.

I wouldn't be afraid of high mileage on its own. Engine running hours are equally important, but sadly normally only recorded on tractors and boats. A bigger factor in this case is that it is a five year old car with slightly high miles (Only an average of 60 miles per day, which isn't high enough to guarantee it's spent it's life on the motorway.) 25k miles a year is normal for people who live in properly rural areas.

A far better deal would be if you can find a 2-3 year old car with 90-100k on it. It probably won't be hugely more expensive, and 50k miles a year is guaranteed 200 miles or three hours per day on cruise control motorway driving which really doesn't wear a car very much.

BMW 318d with 118K miles on it worth considering ? - Gibbo_Wirral
Like oldroverboy said, the warranty may well cover you for major failures, but won't cover for wear and tear parts. Have you priced up the usual "consumables" - discs, pads, clutch, exhaust, DPF?
BMW 318d with 118K miles on it worth considering ? - madf

Budgte £1000 for new disks and pads, £500 for suspension bits and £300 for the odds and sods..NONE will be covered by warranty..

(Son bought a 57k miles 316i several years ago and he spent those kind of sums in first 2 years..)

BMW 318d with 118K miles on it worth considering ? - brum
More importantly the dpf is definitely a limited life component. I believe there is a dpf life miles left counter accessible via the on board computer display/diagnostics, It would be advisable to examine that before buying. I believe dpfs often need changing at around 100k (source hj) so this car might require one soon at a cost of around £1500.

BMW 318d with 118K miles on it worth considering ? - Miniman777
Personally, I'd walk away from a car with a telephone number mileage. As others have pointed, consumables will cost, but if you were prepared to use Euro car parts and an indie BMW garage, it may work.

You say the dealer will give 3 months warranty but in reality has 6 month legal obligation and only if a problem occurred would you find out how accommodating (or not) they are. I dont know of Evans Halshaw's reputation, but I once looked at cars on their lot and was less than impressed with the valeting. What else do they miss.

As for aftermarket warranties, we've all seen stories in HJ's column of companies squirming away from their responsibilities. Clearly you are restricted by budget, but there are vehicles in BMWs Approved used programme with high mileages, and my advice would be to get one of those.

This is because, IMO, the BMW warranty is very good. I had a Cooper S, bought at 51k, piston broke after 6 weeks. Was taken in to franchised dealer, stripped and diagnosed, and a new short engine fitted, decoked, and returned in 2 weeks during which time I had a hire car. Cost to me? Nothing. Invoice cost - £6,600. Went back 6 months later for coolant loss, and had (another) new water pump and thermostat housing, again hire car for duration, no cost to me.

That's how a warranty should work - and it was included in the cost of the car, not an extra.

After market warranties tend to have a limited liability. A friend was crowing about his warranty but went quiet when he discovered it covered a maximum of £1,000 labour AND parts. For a serious defect, £1,000 wont go far - the BMW warranty liability is to the cost of the vehicle which is far superior. Always check the maximum payouts before buying.

Edited by Miniman777 on 20/07/2016 at 18:34

BMW 318d with 118K miles on it worth considering ? - O_Relly
Thanks everyone for the valuable comments and advise!

I have decided to let it go. Evans now to refund £200 I paid to have the car moved from York to Edin. Yes, the deal was that the money would be refunded if I didn't like the car.

I am now looking at doing a test drive of this vehicle here,
www.petervardy.com/item/21108/BMW/3-SERIES-SALOON....l

It's a 2012 316i Petrol engine with about 16K miles on it, but with a price tag or £14.5K

That's quite a leap budget wise, I know! My original budget was sub 10K.

A friend joked, that I could go for the earlier diesel with high miles for £7K and even if I had a costly fault which cost me £5K, that would still work out cheaper than the £14.5K option from BMW approved.

However, weighing out options, I think there is certainly more peace of mind and value going for BMW approved option over the cheap £7K Evans option. It is priced at £7K for a reason.

Thanks again folks.
BMW 318d with 118K miles on it worth considering ? - RobJP

Really low mileage is as bad as really high mileage ! Exhausts get ruined by not being warmed up (so lots of condensation to rust them from the inside out), oil not getting up to temperature, etc.

First, decide if you want petrol or diesel. Your annual mileage and type of driving will dictate that.

Then, find a car with reasonable mileage. So for a diesel, 15-20k a year. If petrol it'll probably be lower, 8-12k per year.

BMW 318d with 118K miles on it worth considering ? - Avant
I agree with Rob. I bought a 7-year-old BMW Z3 about eight years ago with 70,000 on the clock with full BMW service history. I had it for five years, and nothing went wrong apart from replacement of a rattling water pump. It passed all its MoTs with no advisories.

I sold it partly because SWMBO had got a convertible, so there was one in the family, and partly because clutch, battery, exhaust etc were all at least 5 years old, something expensive was bound to happen soon.

You can of course get a newer car for your money if you avoid the prestige makes; but if you really want a BMW, make sure it has FSH and a moderate mileage.
BMW 318d with 118K miles on it worth considering ? - O_Relly
Thanks Rob and Avant, very valid points for consideration!

Cheers
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