BMW 3 Series Touring - BMW 3 Series 2007 reliability?

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Tue 16 Jan 2018 10:29
BMW 3 Series Touring - BMW 3 Series 2007 reliability? - jonnyjjbean

Are there ay issues with a 3 series (petrol) from 2006/2007? I have 6k to spend on an estate and can either go 2010 Mazda, Ford, Toyota or 2007 BMW.

Is there any benefit to BMW? I know a lot of people have them and in searches tere seems to be a lot with high mialage which suggests they last...

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Tue 16 Jan 2018 13:40
BMW 3 Series Touring - BMW 3 Series 2007 reliability? - SLO76
I wouldn’t. There’s loads of woe from elderly BM ownership, stick with Mazda, Honda, Toyota or a petrol Ford Focus or Mondeo. The 1.6 petrol is a Yamaha design and the 1.8 and 2.0 a Mazda.
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Tue 16 Jan 2018 14:37
BMW 3 Series Touring - BMW 3 Series 2007 reliability? - Steveieb

I expect you have the same to say about the diesel version SLO.

But did this vintage have the N47 engine that threw chains ?

Or is it possible to have a new tensioner fitted ?

And did this vintage have a DPF ?

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Tue 16 Jan 2018 14:41
BMW 3 Series Touring - BMW 3 Series 2007 reliability? - Avant

Don't forget to have a look at Cars for Sale on this website. There are three petrol Mazda 6 estates there between £6k and £7k: I appreciate your budget is £6k but you may be able to beat the seller down a bit.

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Tue 16 Jan 2018 15:52
BMW 3 Series Touring - BMW 3 Series 2007 reliability? - pd

The newer diesel came in at the end of 2006 so that era is right on the cusp of the changeover.

It should be easy to tell which engine any car has - the older M47 had 163bhp by the end of its life so if the car is a 177bhp model it has the N47 with the dodgy timing chains.

Aparts from the odd dodgy swirl flap (which seems more of an issue on the 6-cylinders anyway) the M47 is a reliable old lump on the whole.

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Tue 16 Jan 2018 16:15
BMW 3 Series Touring - BMW 3 Series 2007 reliability? - SLO76
It’s likely to be an N47 at this age but even the older engine was prone to loads of issues as it ages. BM’s are also weak on suspension components and electrics. There was a good article in Car Mechanics a year or so back that involved them buying an old E46 320D Tourer and it would put anyone off buying an old BMW. They had to replace half the car in the time they ran it.

The only viable older BMW’s are the 6cyl petrols preferably the E39 5 series which was probably the best car they ever built.
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Tue 16 Jan 2018 17:07
BMW 3 Series Touring - BMW 3 Series 2007 reliability? - corax
It’s likely to be an N47 at this age but even the older engine was prone to loads of issues as it ages. BM’s are also weak on suspension components and electrics. There was a good article in Car Mechanics a year or so back that involved them buying an old E46 320D Tourer and it would put anyone off buying an old BMW. They had to replace half the car in the time they ran it. The only viable older BMW’s are the 6cyl petrols preferably the E39 5 series which was probably the best car they ever built.

I remember those articles :-) And yet they had bought a Renault Laguna previously and it was one of the most trouble free cars they ever had.

Glad I never went for an E46. They were pretty similar to my old E36 except more complicated and more issues it seems, especially those 2.0 diesel versions. BMW's always seem to need suspension components especially front wishbones.

I preferred the E34 to the E39, great looking solid barge.

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Tue 16 Jan 2018 17:15
BMW 3 Series Touring - BMW 3 Series 2007 reliability? - SLO76
“I preferred the E34 to the E39, great looking solid barge.”

Still a fan of the E34 too, a classic. I ran a 518 part ex for a few months and it though slow it drove great. Less about gadgets and more about driver appeal and quality were BMW back then. The 525 24v was the real sweet spot in the range.
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Tue 16 Jan 2018 22:25
BMW 3 Series Touring - BMW 3 Series 2007 reliability? - CK91437
I wouldn’t. There’s loads of woe from elderly BM ownership, stick with Mazda, Honda, Toyota or a petrol Ford Focus or Mondeo. The 1.6 petrol is a Yamaha design and the 1.8 and 2.0 a Mazda.

.

Edited by CK91437 on 16/01/2018 at 22:27

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Tue 16 Jan 2018 22:26
BMW 3 Series Touring - BMW 3 Series 2007 reliability? - CK91437
I wouldn’t. There’s loads of woe from elderly BM ownership, stick with Mazda, Honda, Toyota or a petrol Ford Focus or Mondeo. The 1.6 petrol is a Yamaha design and the 1.8 and 2.0 a Mazda.

as mentioned by SLO76

bmw, avoid, expensive rubbish.

unless you have a very big budget for repairs, or it's under warranty.

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Tue 16 Jan 2018 23:35
BMW 3 Series Touring - BMW 3 Series 2007 reliability? - focussed

I've had two BMW products. The first was an E34 520i back in the late 90's early 2000's.

Lovely car to drive, felt like it was hewn from solid steel no rattles or vibes etc.

But - the unit ignition coils failed on a regular basis until all six had been replaced, the rubber manifold between the mass airflow sensor and the inlet manifold failed with cracks, twice, (more about the quality of BMW rubberware shortly) and the plastic water pump impeller disintegrated meaning an instant overheat. (Oh yes said the parts guy we can do those on exchange at a reduced price - so kind of him!)

And then the LED dash display faded out - and then I got rid of it via a private sale.

The second BMW is the current 2001 reg R1100S motorcycle, 1100 cc flat twin, 97 hp etc. It's done all of 12400 miles, I also have another bike, a Yamaha.

The wiring loom on a motorcycle is similar to a car, wires inside rubber sleeving etc.

Except that most of the wires are not inside the sleeving any more because the rubber sleeving has degraded and fallen off, just like the silver paint on the engine castings, barrels, heads, crankcase, gearbox etc.

It's condition is worse than any other bike I have owned, Guzzis, Ducati's, Honda's Suzuki's, HinkleyTriumphs, plus all the unmentionable two-wheeled cr*p I started out on in the sixties.

The BMW quality myth is wearing very thin with me - never again.

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Wed 17 Jan 2018 12:32
BMW 3 Series Touring - BMW 3 Series 2007 reliability? - pd

Got to be honest, never had too many issue with the M47. Always found it to be a generally reliable old lump as diesels from it's era go whether in BMW or Rover use. The odd injector can play up and cause cold starting issues but I've seen them plodding on just fine at 200k+ several times.

Probably at it's most reliable in the Rover 75 as it has a simpler turbo and no swirl flaps.

The rest of the car may fall apart around it but the basic engine is not so bad.

The 6-cylinder petrols are hardly a paragon of reliability. Vanos seals go (expensive), cam sensors, oil leaks, failed cooling system and blown headgaskets not uncommon on them at all.

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Wed 17 Jan 2018 13:33
BMW 3 Series Touring - BMW 3 Series 2007 reliability? - SLO76
“The 6-cylinder petrols are hardly a paragon of reliability. Vanos seals go (expensive), cam sensors, oil leaks, failed cooling system and blown headgaskets not uncommon on them at all.”

Agree totally, BMW’s are far from the most robust vehicles on the road. I wouldn’t buy one with my own cash unless it’s an old (preferably pre vanos 6cyl) E36,E34 or E39.
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Wed 17 Jan 2018 15:42
BMW 3 Series Touring - BMW 3 Series 2007 reliability? - madf
“The 6-cylinder petrols are hardly a paragon of reliability. Vanos seals go (expensive), cam sensors, oil leaks, failed cooling system and blown headgaskets not uncommon on them at all.” Agree totally, BMW’s are far from the most robust vehicles on the road. I wouldn’t buy one with my own cash unless it’s an old (preferably pre vanos 6cyl) E36,E34 or E39.

Older son has a 2003 E46 318i.

Apart form 1 coil pack and rebuild of entire braking system it has been OK, Only 90k miles now tho and little used.

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