E46 reliability/upkeep question
 

I'll start by saying that I've never owned a German car before.

A friend of mine has a B6 A4, and the constant problems he's having is enough to scare me away from ever looking at a used Audi.

That said, are BMW's in the same boat? I'm aware that they're not as reliable and hassle-free as most Japanese cars, but are they really that unreliable?

I'm asking because a friend of a friend is selling his E46 325i for a price that's very hard to resist. All maintenance is done on time, he has all records from every visit, and the condition is drool worthy.

I've only owned Japanese cars, and I've done most of the regular maintenance on them myself. I understand that a German car would require more attention, but coming from exclusively Japanese cars, would I just get frustrated and want to push the BMW off a cliff in a few months? Is maintenance on them pretty straight forward? Or am I going to need 13 new tools and an hour to do an oil change?

I'll admit I haven't done much research, so maybe some owners can chime in?

Thanks in advance, RS.

Treat them well, and they will treat you well. My "shitbox" vw has not been a shitbox. It depends on what people define as unreliable. Electronics are notoriously frustrating in german cars. The more options, the more I'd be nervous. I've only ever owned 3 cars, and they were all german, and I wouldn't call a single one of them unreliable. Stupid stuff seemed to break. Window switches, door handle strikers, automatically raising spoilers, but engine and drivetrain I never had any issues. I think a car as popular as the e46 is a safe bet. Used parts are plentiful and bmw engines are notorious for lasting when maintained.

You have to remember the whole "German cars are very unreliable" stem mostly from people not maintaining a vehicle and complaining when shit breaks. If you ensure it's in good condition mechanically... Well obviously you aren't going to be breaking down every week. Buy some E46 M3 someone has beaten the living shit out of for the past ~10 years and took in for a servicing once a year? Pretty self explanatory...

Ive seen my fair share of E46s, 2 of my pretty close friends have one, as far as the transmission (manual) or the engine goes, if its maintained, I would say they are if not more reliable than japanese cars.

But one thing you do need to keep in mind is that even stupid stuff from BMW costs a stupid amount. like any sort of sensor on that car is gonna cost you probably about twice as much compared to JDM stuff. But almost all regular maintenance are pretty straight forward and can be done with a regular tool set. If you are doing any major things, then YES, BMW does have alot of BMW specific special tools (which I have never encounter with my 240SX, done think my 240 has any model specific tool) Good luck, things do cost a bit more (insurance/parts), but nothing really outrageous in my opinion. Off course I could be wrong because well, ya I have never personally owned one =P

They suck. Send your friend's car my way. :troll:

I've owned an E46 M3 for the past 4 years and I've had practically zero issues whatsoever, except the exception of 1 relay gone bad.
Get one with a good service history and you're golden.

Thanks guys.

I've never really thought about any car being that unreliable. But the two friends I have who drive the A4 and an X5, I swear, it's like every time I see them, they have a new issue.

From some quick research it seems like the most common problems are regarding the thermostat and cooling system.

Most of the fixes seem pretty doable, and help online is very available, probably due to the wide demand :lawl:

I'll admit I'm getting a little nervous, but it's SOOOOoo pretty :love:
This is reminding me of when I dated my first high maintenance Vancouver broad.

e46 are pretty reliable if u take care of it well and parts do cost a shit load, i still remember changing out the damn $300 battery. but other than that, it was a good car

I'm surprised no one has mentioned sub-frame issues...

Subframe issues on the E46 seem to only be evident from drivers who track their cars or extensively drive like morons.

Either way, it's an easy check for previous damage.

The subframe issue is something to watch out for on early build E46s: 1999-2000.

The E46 (and E39) are the last BMWs that are DIY-friendly. Parts are readily available (and cheap if you know where to source them other than the stealer) and information about how to handle routine maintenance to complex problems is available all over the internet. With that said, the E46 was designed to last the duration of the warranty period and since most examples are now around 10 years old, you will run into some issues that require attention. Here is what you need to take care of when you acquire an example (if it hasn't been done by a previous owner):

- Cooling system refresh: thermostat, water pump, expansion tank, and hoses (roughly 300 bucks in parts from a supplier in the States)
- Valve cover gasket (20 bucks and 2-3 hours labour). My cover was warped and the cover cost me about 220.
- Crankcase vent valve: 100 buck part and about 4 hours in labour
- Worn guibo: part is about 50 bucks and will require you to drop the exhaust to change

Considering the condition of the car, you may also need to overhaul the suspension:
- Control arms
- All bushings

I would of course want to see routine transmission, brake, and differential fluid changes. And don't forget about the possibility of having to replace window regulators (about 130 a pop.)

Are E46s reliable? Compared to other BMWs, relatively. Are they reliable like Japanese cars? No because BMWs are engineered differently. My theory is that you pay a penalty for driving feel and that penalty is preventative maintenance. But, if you're willing to put in the time (or spend the money), the E46 is a very enjoyable car. Again, it's really one of the last cars that drives and feels like a BMW.

Like many have already stated, the E46 when maintained properly fares not less reliable than it's Japanese counterparts, although most parts do cost sufficiently more.

One thing I did notice though (and I'm sure many people don't care) is the gas mileage isn't the greatest. I remember fill ups were about $90 ish and the tank would only last 350-400 km, not completely terrible but basically on-par with my Lexus RX350 (3075 lbs vs 4178 lbs)

What the... I didn't expect gas mileage to be great, but I didn't think it'd be THAT bad. That's roughly what my FX35 got

If you drive in the city, you will get about 400kms per tank (65L). Don't forget that the engines are naturally aspirated inline-6s which aren't all that fuel efficient to begin with. As with any other BMW, you gotta pay to play. Besides, when you wind up that inline-6, there aren't many things that sound better in the world, at least when it comes to cars.

However, highway mileage is very respectable. I've taken my E46 to Seattle on various occasions and I've been able to get there and back on a half-tank.

no problem with our e46 325i so far. Previous owner who is also a member here also maintained it religiously well which is an added bonus.

i say e46 is the ultimate bang for the buck.. the interior quality is amazing for a car that's over 10 years old (mine is a 01). Materials on every single panel are soft, high quality and the overall cabin and driving feel is a lot more modern and refined than cars that are 10 years newer.

i get around 420kms from $80 full tank and that's highway and city mix.. its not the best but I'm okay with it.. just wish it had a bit more power to even out that gas mileage..and oil changes are really easy, just like any other regular cars


These are all the parts that have been replaced from the previous owner. Something to look out for or ask your friend about if you decide to buy the car
-expansion tank replaced
-camshaft position sensor replaced
-O2 sensors replaced
-secondary air pump replaced
-fan clutch replaced
-rear trailing arm replaced
-water pump replaced
-spark plugs replaced
-brand new front upper strut mounts
-brand new rear upper strut mounts
(im pretty sure the strut mounts are because he had coilovers... not too sure)

what year is your friends e46?

This is exactly what I was feeling.

I never understood the whole BMW craze when the Japanese luxuries were known to be more reliable.

But I get it now. Just sitting inside and driving. My god, everything just feels so sleek and sexy, and the car runs smooth as butter.

It's a 2000.

You should definitely get the car on a hoist and check for cracks by the rear subframe.

The nice thing about the earlier builds (323 and 328) is that they use a mechanic throttle and have a much stiffer steering box. They are a bit lighter in weight also. The M54 engines (325 and 330) use an electronic throttle. Post-2001 builds also feature a lighter steering box which makes parking easier, but provides less feel (at least compared to ealier BMWs). However, the M54 engines do have a modified exhaust system with dual pipes all the way and a throatier sound.
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gas mileage is pretty shitty. I drive like a granny and still only get about 450km max...

I had an E46 when it was new. Had it 3 yrs. I'd say reliability was ok although considering mine was under warranty it had it's fair share of issues. The engines are solid, it's just all the little things. After 3 years I had transmission issue, keyless entry was half working, ballast for HID died, and handful of service recalls.

Definitely not as bad as a benz or audi, but when things do go it does get expensive to repair.

I opted to go for a older japanese car (same era as e46) and have had less issues with it over my brand new (at the time) bimmer.

Gotta pay to play. All in all, great car to drive.

:confused: I always thought Benz was the most reliable out of the 3. Their aesthetics just don't appeal to me at all.

Kinda off topic, since people here has more experience on European cars.
how about Land Rover LR4 ? I am looking at a used one anything I should look out ?

^cool thread jack bro

:troll: sorry

Cars are only as reliable as their owners, that being said, reliability out of the box depends on what the previous owner has done (or not done) to the car. I've seen people put 500,000 miles on MK2 Jettas on the original engine, and they are still going strong despite what most people claim to be a "shitbox".

People who complain about reliability are often the ones who don't care about maintenance, would you run a nuclear power plant without checking up on it's systems now and then?

Agree, but there's more to the equation than just keeping up with maintenance.

The German cars generally have more parts in their mechanical designs, and therefore more chances of something failing. But like everyone says, you have to pay to play.

My family and I have ever only owned Japanese cars, and we've never once had to do anything other than regular maintenance. No leaks, no overheating, no CEL's, no bad fuses or relays, nothing out of the ordinary ever happened. (Except for my G35's window motor.)

The obvious quick answer to my question is that German cars aren't as forgiving as its Japanese counterparts, but will do just fine if you address their issues immediately. I was just questioning to what extent in practical terms that the extra minding is actually evident in BMW's.

In other words, are they actually as finicky and high-maintenance as everyone says?