The fuck you will... One little thing on several models of Toyota, Honda, etc, it's a big fuggin bill since a bunch of stuff is "found" to be in need of attention. As expensive and complex any car is lately, it'll all be pricey. Family, friends or coworkers: foreign vehicles have always been the most worked on ones and not minor stuff. Mechanic friends and acquaintances have all expressed same sentiment.
You’re absolutely right! After years of high maintenance and repair costs on multiple Volkswagens I finally made the right decision: a Japanese car, mazda CX-30. For almost 5 years now only the regular maintenance, no extra costs or expensive repairs. Very reliable and the safest car on the market.
It's really nice, it is just the driver's seat that's cooled, but that really isn't my problem lol the steering wheel is also heated and that's honestly amazing. I don't know much about where there's eight months a year, but you deserve cooled seats too lol
Wait... what? You bought a BMW, outside of a warranty?
Are you 𝘿𝘼𝙁𝙏, man?
BMW's today are technology saturated and perform like rally cars. They're AMAZING. That is, until you get to the point where something goes wrong. There was a simpler time when actually the BMW 3 series was ranked near the top on reliability by Consumer Reports. Those days... are LONG gone.
This. I just bought a new BMW. Touch screens and electronics everywhere. Had a 30 minute session at the dealership walking me through all the menus and functions. 5 year 50k mile warranty. I’ll hit the 5 years before the miles. I can assure you I’ll not be keeping the car beyond that point.
I have a 2011 BMW 3 series. The thing has been reliable enough. I also have fixed pretty much everything myself though, so it really isn't any more expensive to fix than any other car. I can get parts cheaper for my BMW than I could get for my wife's old Honda fit.
I was up on vacation and went to an event where they had us park in a field. But they made a "lot" by ringing it with cut wood. Logs and whatnot. Left the event at like 2am, got in car, backed up, one of the pieces of wood had gotten snagged on my bumper and ripped it partially off. Had to drive like 30 miles to get to a store that had zip ties.
did you drill a hole? I was thinking of using glue but I guess that' bad, unfortunately the clip that broke is the one on the car not the bumper so idk how I would fix that
It was a long time ago and can't fully remember, but I was pretty broke at the time and couldn't afford to properly fix it so I think for a "permanent" fix I used a few self-tapping machine screws. But I may be mixing it up with another "repair."
I have a personal theory that the reason BMW's have a bad reputation for maintenance and a bad reputation for never using blinkers is for the same reason: The people driving them are ass-hats.
The only people who drive BMW around here are rich douchebags so congrats on joining that group. I have never seen a BMW driver who drove like an adult who has more than 2 brain cells. Having said that, they are nice cars.
Inherited my father's BMW 1-Series. First time I took it to my trustworthy, local mechanic, one of his guys took a look at it and immediately stated, "We don't work on those."
However, they did recommend an independent BMW specialist a few towns over who actually did alright by me for the few years I owned the car. Not cheap, or even "affordable", by any means, of course, but still far better than the local BMW dealership.
Man—in like 2007 I got a '86 320is for $1000. It was an actual "low milage summer only" car. For a few years I thought it was cheap to repair. Windshield 75, gas line $2, Headlight 6, even the silly flashlight was 25.
Then I hit a pothole so hard it dented the rim. Suddenly I was surprised to find that replacement wheels were 1500 minimum. Luckily, I spent ten hours calling junkyards and got one for 15. Time ran out eventually, in that manner.
So, I have an Outback, biggest repair was some rear-end bearings that failed after 12 years...
Coworkers owned BMWs, basically they got the grand tour of the BMW product line as loaners while their cars were being rebuilt... never problems with the engines or transmissions, but electrical problems that make Italian cars look well built.
A friend had a BMW 750i, he called it Fritz, cuz, well, yeah, you know... I saw him driving basically every car BMW ever made... X5s, 5-series, 6-series... it was a parade of different BMWs while they tried to figure out how to fix that ridiculous piece of shit (when that thing was working, it was fun... but that was like never)
I will note, that when I lived in Germany, I owned three BMWs, a 1979 528i, a 1981 528i and a 1985 M535i... all the cars were ok, mostly... I did lose a clutch in Naples on the M535i and had to power shift all the way back to Germany... weird drive... but a cool story (hold the clutch in, put car in 1st, start engine, catches, power shift up... when I came to a traffic light, brake till car stalls at light, repeat... sucked balls.
The 1980's and 1990's were terrific years for BMW, save for some model based issues here and there. BMW was focused mainly on optimizing engine power, handling, ride comfort, and appointments. Today? They're all about packing in tons of tech... much of which you really don't need. So many electrical issues that become so costly.
‘02 2.5RS, lasted 182K miles until a tree crushed it. I replaced valve gaskets and fuel system myself without pulling the engine, and it had the original clutch. Am now on a ‘15 WRX that’s at 83K and I just did a full clutch job for $2500 and that’s been the only major repair the entire time. I’m just fine with this kind of reliability - I drove a ‘14 M3 between Subarus as I was considering a switch, and it was already throwing errors after a few months.
My 2011 Outback 3.6R Limited has 72K miles on it... they don't make flat-sixes any more and they don't make unconnected cars hat aren't tracking your driving and ratting you out to your insurance company... Carfax sends me a monthly report and says it is worth $5k... they are out of their fucking minds... it is worth 4x that to me.
I toured with someone in one of those 3.6Rs for a while; it’s such a great band vehicle for 2-3 people. Full PA/gear/suitcase load, plenty of get-up-and-go, and 30MPG on long freeway runs. Comfy for a Subaru, too. Easily worth $15k in that trim.
Things just got worse, in the last few years. EVERYONE is going LED touchscreen-o-rama. These vehicles now have THREE of them. Driver, Center, Passenger. They're loaded with menus, displays, options. But, they're all integrated units. Screen issues? The entire thing needs to be replaced. $5k to $9k, depending upon the unit. It's insane.
Why do we need all of this? We don't. Drive from A to B. Sound system? Yes. Small indicators for warnings / issues? Yes. Not much else needed.
There's a startup trying to make a "cheap" EV pickup truck that's got air conditioning and a speedometer and a mounting point for a phone and a Bluetooth speaker to BYO infotainment system.
Unfortunately the stuff that costs the factory deal money is stuff that needs to be in by law or for basics. Airbags and such. Touch screens are cheap as dirt to buy. The car companies just sell them at crazy prices because they can and often make more money on spare parts than the car sales. Cue Renault's business model. Like an inkjet printer. Cheap cars. Absurd spare parts.
I don't think that's where they're going for any real cost savings, they're just appealing to the people who want a basic fucking car to do basic fucking car things.
My BMW doesn't cost anymore to repair than any other car i've ever owned... I really don't understand this whole "BMW's are expensive to repair/maintain" thing
Seems most are being stung on labour charges by taking them to the dealership for maintenance or to someone who charges them more because it's a specialist car brand even though it's not. I do most of the work myself they're not that hard to work on.
think people are getting fleeced some other way, I get all of my maintenance done at the BMW dealership here I make enough now I don't need to work on my cars anymore so even my wifes jeep or the chevy/fords I've owned were all done at a mechanic for the last 10 years or so. I've had nothing to repair on my bmw that is near 13 years old at this point other than maintenance stuff. Maybe people just don't take care of their BMW's lol
Sounds like you got a lemon just like my parents got a lemon honda accord that required 6 different FULL spark plug replacements inside the first year (spoiler honda owned up to it and did it all for free, but they still got rid of the car because it was annoying constantly being without the car)
I spent 1000 for brakes about a month ago (2013 320i), did wifes brakes on her jeep 6 months ago... was like 980. Such expensive so much more... I just really don't understand where this whole thing comes from lol. I've had it for 5 years now and all i've done is tires and oil changes and a brake fluid flush.
I've had a ford escort, a chevy impala, a chevy blazer, a vw jetta. I've had to do all sorts of things on the various vehicles but maintenance wise they're all very similar when accounting for inflation. Repair wise I haven't had to do anything on my BMW luckily but the things I've seen that are frequent repairs on the BMW aren't gonna be anymore expensive than they would have been on any of the other cars I've owned. All the work on the bmw has been at the dealership.
The hourly rate they charge at the bmw dealership here is the same hourly rate they charge at any of the mechanic shops around here that are actually knowledgeable about cars and not some chain shop. The parts can sometimes be more expensive but most of the parts are made in the US now so there isn't really any markup for shipping from oversea's like there used to be. I know they USED to be a lot more expensive to repair but I just don't think that's true anymore outside of their M series.
My wife has a 4 series. Regular maintenance is no problem. The run-flats are pretty expensive. My biggest gripe is all the tech in it - touchscreen, hand gestures, HUD, sensors freaking everywhere… when any of that crap goes, you know it’s going to be a fortune.
I have a 2013 so I don't have any of that crap. But I'd never buy a car that has all that stuff. It's just prone to failure, no matter the maker. I was eyeing a newer 3 series for my next car but it still didn't have touch screen or anything like that in it.
And I'm glad that's your experience. Mine was different. Had a 2010 A3 1.8 TFSI and it had engine issues, light issues, and shock absorber issues. She was a fun but expensive lady.
It's ok to drive a fridge. I was a Toyota tech for almost 17 years and I've owned many. '95 Tercel, '00 Corolla, '03 Corolla, '05 Corolla, '05 Matrix XRS (uh oh!!) and '14 Corolla. Some in the high 200k km, most above 300k km. Give me a high mileage Toyota and I won't be worried at all. Is it fun to drive? Not really, outside of the Matrix XRS! Will it leave you stranded often. Unlikely! I do own a German car, but it's in pieces until I finished doing maintenance on the "new" engine. For 14>
years, I've owned a '05 Cooper S and it didn't give me a lot of problems since I was maintaining it myself and was aware of the main issues, but parts are more expensive than let's say... the '94 Pickup at 274,000 km I've had for 5 years
Mine is a 2014 Toyota Auris, hatchback version. Best "car" car I've had. Has about 230k km on it, and looking to put at least 50k more as it's all paid off and very cheap to keep.
As you said, not terribly exciting, but does the job reliably and comfortably, even on Norwegian winter roads. And it loads a lot more than you'd think by looking at it.
One of my favourite BMW stories is about a few colleagues who lift shared from 30 or so miles away. One morning they were a bit late & were telling the story about the beemer on fire on the dual carriageway that caused a bit of a jam. They all had a little chuckle about how shit 1 series beemers are. Then one of them gets a phone call from, let's call him Jon. Jon was going to be late because he's beemer caught fire on the dual carriageway and thanked them for bothering to stop to check on him.
I always think of the BMW coolant hoses. They are held together by plastic clips. Plastic that heats and cools gets brittle. If you replace one hose, you always break the clip on the next hose. So you have to replace that one. All the way through. You can only get the clips from BMW. So you will pay 1800 to replace your own coolant lines. This was told to me by a former BMW tech.
I thought the only problem was they pushing to look more and more ridiculous (image is of a electric model btw, NO NEED whatsoever for that big nostril fake grill, but that's their identity now). Good to know.
Ok, I...dont get it. Your colleagues stopped to check on a car on fire and it was another colleagues car but they hadn't realized it? Or they didn't stop and they were getting a sarcastic phone call? Is Jon a colleague? And they were late because of the car on fire but the owner of the car also called to let them know he'd be late?
Or for traffic lights. Almost got run over by a BMW that ran a red light. I had to literally leap out of the way to avoid being hit and the bastard didn't even slow down.
Ah yes, interstate fraud and evasion of Environmental regulations. TBC while I believe that a person of integrity does the right thing even when nobody's looking, emissions wouldnt need to be so stringent if it wasnt for corporate lobbying for deregulation and PR campaign's putting the responsibility on private individuals when they own the lion's share of fucking up the environment.
It does say that Americans originally called the cars beamers. Regardless, I have never heard someone say bimmer. I have joked about calling them "bimoos" though, pronouncing the w like Welshmen do
The sources you cite don't really matter in the face of common parlance. If it's BMW branded, it's going to be called a "beamer". You can argue all you want, cite all you want, and it's not going to change what people say.
I don't care, not trying to change what people say. But it is incorrect, and as we have seen especially this year, the truth has nothing to do with what people do or say. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Did I say you weren't an american? Only an american would be so brash, so cocksure and so stupid as to be a weapons-grade foreskin waste, thinking that he was this fucking clever.
Calicious
Never buy a new car, and always do your own maintenance. It's not rocket science.
PutItInNeutral
Yeah. I got that maintenance sticker shock when I took my Mercedes in for its first PM. Still love that car.
IgnisInvictus
You didn't know? Ouch.
thevoiddancer
Expensive car has an expensive maintenance? Who'd fucking thunk it, right?
UmamiMama
Feels your pain in vintage Mercedes tears...
SausageStuffer
*Laughs in Jaguar XKR*
UmamiMama
Oof... Nice car though!
jj999124
Yeah, recently bought a Mercedes. Send help.
WafflesOfMassDeliciousness
Buy a Japanese brand if you want to come out ahead on the maintenance lifecycle.
ChloeRed
My Nissan is a mercedes...
Vidikron
The fuck you will... One little thing on several models of Toyota, Honda, etc, it's a big fuggin bill since a bunch of stuff is "found" to be in need of attention. As expensive and complex any car is lately, it'll all be pricey. Family, friends or coworkers: foreign vehicles have always been the most worked on ones and not minor stuff. Mechanic friends and acquaintances have all expressed same sentiment.
SaturnineCult
I think the early 2000's were best really for both japanese and german cars.
32FGWolfhound
You’re absolutely right! After years of high maintenance and repair costs on multiple Volkswagens I finally made the right decision: a Japanese car, mazda CX-30. For almost 5 years now only the regular maintenance, no extra costs or expensive repairs. Very reliable and the safest car on the market.
RayMC
But, they’re not engaging to drive. I’d rather take the bus. Same with dad’s Tesla and mom’s Land Rover. I imagine the American 3 are the same.
pvtsquirel
My maxima feels pretty engaging, plus it has heated and cooled seats
RayMC
My Bimmer does not have cooled seats and seven out of the eight months of the year and I really wish it did
pvtsquirel
It's really nice, it is just the driver's seat that's cooled, but that really isn't my problem lol the steering wheel is also heated and that's honestly amazing. I don't know much about where there's eight months a year, but you deserve cooled seats too lol
MarcUK
Makes sense that an expensive car has expensive parts/maintenance.
cytherians
Wait... what? You bought a BMW, outside of a warranty?
Are you 𝘿𝘼𝙁𝙏, man?
BMW's today are technology saturated and perform like rally cars. They're AMAZING. That is, until you get to the point where something goes wrong. There was a simpler time when actually the BMW 3 series was ranked near the top on reliability by Consumer Reports. Those days... are LONG gone.
tlh1138
This. I just bought a new BMW. Touch screens and electronics everywhere. Had a 30 minute session at the dealership walking me through all the menus and functions. 5 year 50k mile warranty. I’ll hit the 5 years before the miles. I can assure you I’ll not be keeping the car beyond that point.
etcnotect
I have a 2011 BMW 3 series. The thing has been reliable enough. I also have fixed pretty much everything myself though, so it really isn't any more expensive to fix than any other car. I can get parts cheaper for my BMW than I could get for my wife's old Honda fit.
aThingWithTheStufAndTheJunk
WTF is your wife doing to her Honda Fit that it needs parts?
etcnotect
It needed ignition coils, but I hit a deer and got 8k for, so I went and bought a RAV4 and hopefully it will run for the next 15 years lol
Evenmoreuselessname
We got bit by the fit ignition coils, too. That should have been a recall.
Nevernotknowing
Toyota triumph over your obsolete truck again
apacheian
I had a 3 series it was great and everybody craved one. It was 30 years ago though and things change.
EroticZombiePants
If you can afford a new BMW in the first place, then I'd think you could handle the repair bill too.
crespomodesto
not a BMW but I just pulled up over those things at the end of a car parking spot the bump thing, and it ripped my bumpers clips damn
MutatedHorse
SAME SHIT HAPPENED TO ME.
Th3H1ghlander
At least you didn’t rip the rad packs off…
extraDimensionalAnxiety
Yeah, they're not meant to be driven over.
crespomodesto
so funny I was trying to lower my car too, can't even handle a freaking parking bump
crespomodesto
I also curbed my rim bad it's black alloy but now it has a silver ring damn it
ItsaSmeggingGarbagePod
you can buy black gloss wheel touch up paint
crespomodesto
oh interesting wonder how good it stays
Th3H1ghlander
Damn it, now you have to make the others match
L4t3xs
You can call it "machined" now
aThingWithTheStufAndTheJunk
I was up on vacation and went to an event where they had us park in a field. But they made a "lot" by ringing it with cut wood. Logs and whatnot. Left the event at like 2am, got in car, backed up, one of the pieces of wood had gotten snagged on my bumper and ripped it partially off. Had to drive like 30 miles to get to a store that had zip ties.
crespomodesto
did you drill a hole? I was thinking of using glue but I guess that' bad, unfortunately the clip that broke is the one on the car not the bumper so idk how I would fix that
crespomodesto
I just jammed a piece of foldable plastic in there and then scotch tape lol which idk how it will hold up in the wind
aThingWithTheStufAndTheJunk
It was a long time ago and can't fully remember, but I was pretty broke at the time and couldn't afford to properly fix it so I think for a "permanent" fix I used a few self-tapping machine screws. But I may be mixing it up with another "repair."
chaylar
I have a newish diesel truck. I am afraid.
OBM1
Fucking timing belts. How can they engineer something so great and then mess up the basics...
Keibrina
Is that why don't have turn signals?
Vungor
Must cost per click of the signal.
HollerinAtTheVoid
Locked out unless you pay extra
CowsAreAliens
Blinker fluid is stupid expensive for BMWs
davebeastly
Nothing to indicate it.
Isorikk
I have a personal theory that the reason BMW's have a bad reputation for maintenance and a bad reputation for never using blinkers is for the same reason: The people driving them are ass-hats.
penzar
They do. The hazards activate automatically in case of hard braking. I assume anyway.
JonSnowAKAAegonTargaryen
Nah they just aren't compatible. You gotta use your arms like a bike. Why else do you think they use the monotic salute so often?
MapleSyrupMafia
As a BMW owner, they do work... they just flash at a frequency that poor people can't see! Am also poor, so I can't see them either.
nevergonnagiveyouupnevergonnaletyoudownnevergonnarunaroundand
You'd be much less poor in a Honda tho
MapleSyrupMafia
It's a project car, I have a '15 Prius and a trusty '94 Pickup, so I have some reliability guaranteed.
ClutterMonkey
Blinker fluid is low.
keillrandor
All I can think of now is a version of the printer comic meme: *Tries to start BMW car - "no, fuck you, low on blinker fluid"* :P
Ifekinlovesauerkraut
With BMW it's the other way around.
lozeldatkm
Blinker fluid? How stupid does he think I am? Once I get that elbow grease, I'm out of there...
MutatedHorse
The only people who drive BMW around here are rich douchebags so congrats on joining that group. I have never seen a BMW driver who drove like an adult who has more than 2 brain cells. Having said that, they are nice cars.
Sipmonsnsn
Aggressive drivers nothing more
Frogblender
There are brands where you do not stretch the budget to buy and hope it costs nothing to run...
madeejit
The most expensive car in the world is a cheap BMW.
eastend666
If you have the money to buy one, you should have the money to lease one, and make the cost of repairs someone else's problem.
Vergenbuurg
Inherited my father's BMW 1-Series. First time I took it to my trustworthy, local mechanic, one of his guys took a look at it and immediately stated, "We don't work on those."
However, they did recommend an independent BMW specialist a few towns over who actually did alright by me for the few years I owned the car. Not cheap, or even "affordable", by any means, of course, but still far better than the local BMW dealership.
AnAverageBoxEnthusiast
laughs in i cant afford a car and at the rate of the usa economy wont ever be able to
meowingintensifies
*cries in not having a car and living in a place without public transit*
AnAverageBoxEnthusiast
thediscoBiscuits
just bought a Z4.
I can feel the pain coming....
davebeastly
Break My Wallet
MotoCanuck
Break My Windows.
TheDudeanator
Bring Money With
bathoryduck
I have a Jeep. That stands for Just Empty Every Pocket.
45acp
I like my Joop. Just Enough Essential Parts.
astrangehop
Man—in like 2007 I got a '86 320is for $1000. It was an actual "low milage summer only" car. For a few years I thought it was cheap to repair. Windshield 75, gas line $2, Headlight 6, even the silly flashlight was 25.
Then I hit a pothole so hard it dented the rim. Suddenly I was surprised to find that replacement wheels were 1500 minimum. Luckily, I spent ten hours calling junkyards and got one for 15. Time ran out eventually, in that manner.
Fuel pump wasn't working even after replacement.
astrangehop
The only people willing work on it wanted 1700 to tear it apart and get at the line from the relay and I was like nahhh
Profozpin
Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious
cytherians
THAT is a good one. Right up there with Found On Road Dead and Fix It Again Tony. 😄
ItsMyk
Oh, I'm sure you mean First On Race Day ;)
Quixus
Don't forget Very Odd Looking Vehicular Object.
bippityboppitybuttsex
So, I have an Outback, biggest repair was some rear-end bearings that failed after 12 years...
Coworkers owned BMWs, basically they got the grand tour of the BMW product line as loaners while their cars were being rebuilt... never problems with the engines or transmissions, but electrical problems that make Italian cars look well built.
DontTazeMeBrah
Save up for the head gasket buddy :D
bippityboppitybuttsex
My car is 14 years old, when does that happen?
MapleSyrupMafia
I plan on redoing the entire wiring of my car with a standalone ecu... Good news is that it's old, so not a whole lot of things to worry about.
TurnsOut42WasASlightMiscalculation
Dude, worse electrical than an old Fiat - that's saying something!
bippityboppitybuttsex
A friend had a BMW 750i, he called it Fritz, cuz, well, yeah, you know... I saw him driving basically every car BMW ever made... X5s, 5-series, 6-series... it was a parade of different BMWs while they tried to figure out how to fix that ridiculous piece of shit (when that thing was working, it was fun... but that was like never)
bippityboppitybuttsex
I will note, that when I lived in Germany, I owned three BMWs, a 1979 528i, a 1981 528i and a 1985 M535i... all the cars were ok, mostly... I did lose a clutch in Naples on the M535i and had to power shift all the way back to Germany... weird drive... but a cool story (hold the clutch in, put car in 1st, start engine, catches, power shift up... when I came to a traffic light, brake till car stalls at light, repeat... sucked balls.
cytherians
The 1980's and 1990's were terrific years for BMW, save for some model based issues here and there. BMW was focused mainly on optimizing engine power, handling, ride comfort, and appointments. Today? They're all about packing in tons of tech... much of which you really don't need. So many electrical issues that become so costly.
bippityboppitybuttsex
Yeah, the issues I always ran into with them were suspension and exhaust...
Hammertulski
‘02 2.5RS, lasted 182K miles until a tree crushed it. I replaced valve gaskets and fuel system myself without pulling the engine, and it had the original clutch. Am now on a ‘15 WRX that’s at 83K and I just did a full clutch job for $2500 and that’s been the only major repair the entire time. I’m just fine with this kind of reliability - I drove a ‘14 M3 between Subarus as I was considering a switch, and it was already throwing errors after a few months.
bippityboppitybuttsex
My 2011 Outback 3.6R Limited has 72K miles on it... they don't make flat-sixes any more and they don't make unconnected cars hat aren't tracking your driving and ratting you out to your insurance company... Carfax sends me a monthly report and says it is worth $5k... they are out of their fucking minds... it is worth 4x that to me.
Hammertulski
I toured with someone in one of those 3.6Rs for a while; it’s such a great band vehicle for 2-3 people. Full PA/gear/suitcase load, plenty of get-up-and-go, and 30MPG on long freeway runs. Comfy for a Subaru, too. Easily worth $15k in that trim.
bippityboppitybuttsex
It has a navigation system that is mostly worthless (most addresses can't be found...) I just use my phone.
cytherians
Things just got worse, in the last few years. EVERYONE is going LED touchscreen-o-rama. These vehicles now have THREE of them. Driver, Center, Passenger. They're loaded with menus, displays, options. But, they're all integrated units. Screen issues? The entire thing needs to be replaced. $5k to $9k, depending upon the unit. It's insane.
Why do we need all of this? We don't. Drive from A to B. Sound system? Yes. Small indicators for warnings / issues? Yes. Not much else needed.
bippityboppitybuttsex
I use a Bluetooth connection to play music from my phone thing...
aThingWithTheStufAndTheJunk
There's a startup trying to make a "cheap" EV pickup truck that's got air conditioning and a speedometer and a mounting point for a phone and a Bluetooth speaker to BYO infotainment system.
ExceptFluffyDuck
Unfortunately the stuff that costs the factory deal money is stuff that needs to be in by law or for basics. Airbags and such. Touch screens are cheap as dirt to buy. The car companies just sell them at crazy prices because they can and often make more money on spare parts than the car sales. Cue Renault's business model. Like an inkjet printer. Cheap cars. Absurd spare parts.
aThingWithTheStufAndTheJunk
I don't think that's where they're going for any real cost savings, they're just appealing to the people who want a basic fucking car to do basic fucking car things.
ExceptFluffyDuck
Yeah. Kindof where Smart started out.
kopper41222
My BMW doesn't cost anymore to repair than any other car i've ever owned... I really don't understand this whole "BMW's are expensive to repair/maintain" thing
davebeastly
Seems most are being stung on labour charges by taking them to the dealership for maintenance or to someone who charges them more because it's a specialist car brand even though it's not. I do most of the work myself they're not that hard to work on.
kopper41222
think people are getting fleeced some other way, I get all of my maintenance done at the BMW dealership here I make enough now I don't need to work on my cars anymore so even my wifes jeep or the chevy/fords I've owned were all done at a mechanic for the last 10 years or so. I've had nothing to repair on my bmw that is near 13 years old at this point other than maintenance stuff. Maybe people just don't take care of their BMW's lol
UserNameCorrupted
Had my current Honda for 15 yrs. Once spent $300 for brakes. Otherwise, just oil change every year. My MB E350 was $3000/yr in maintenance.
kopper41222
Sounds like you got a lemon just like my parents got a lemon honda accord that required 6 different FULL spark plug replacements inside the first year (spoiler honda owned up to it and did it all for free, but they still got rid of the car because it was annoying constantly being without the car)
kopper41222
I spent 1000 for brakes about a month ago (2013 320i), did wifes brakes on her jeep 6 months ago... was like 980. Such expensive so much more... I just really don't understand where this whole thing comes from lol. I've had it for 5 years now and all i've done is tires and oil changes and a brake fluid flush.
HashMaster9k
See, this is entirely subjective— what other cars have you owned, what repairs have you had done, and from whom?
There's a big difference from going from a string of Hondas to a BMW, only having to repair minor faults, and going to local garages and mechanics...
And owning 3 other European vehicles, having to get major repairs done frequently, or only getting maintenence and repairs done at dealerships.
So, on average, repairs for perceived "high end" cars like BMW can be, and are, costly.
kopper41222
I've had a ford escort, a chevy impala, a chevy blazer, a vw jetta. I've had to do all sorts of things on the various vehicles but maintenance wise they're all very similar when accounting for inflation. Repair wise I haven't had to do anything on my BMW luckily but the things I've seen that are frequent repairs on the BMW aren't gonna be anymore expensive than they would have been on any of the other cars I've owned. All the work on the bmw has been at the dealership.
kopper41222
The hourly rate they charge at the bmw dealership here is the same hourly rate they charge at any of the mechanic shops around here that are actually knowledgeable about cars and not some chain shop. The parts can sometimes be more expensive but most of the parts are made in the US now so there isn't really any markup for shipping from oversea's like there used to be. I know they USED to be a lot more expensive to repair but I just don't think that's true anymore outside of their M series.
SausageStuffer
My wife has a 4 series. Regular maintenance is no problem. The run-flats are pretty expensive. My biggest gripe is all the tech in it - touchscreen, hand gestures, HUD, sensors freaking everywhere… when any of that crap goes, you know it’s going to be a fortune.
kopper41222
I have a 2013 so I don't have any of that crap. But I'd never buy a car that has all that stuff. It's just prone to failure, no matter the maker. I was eyeing a newer 3 series for my next car but it still didn't have touch screen or anything like that in it.
BrokenAnimal
Same reason I sold my Audi and bought a Toyota instead. I've spent less on maintenance on my Auris in five years than I did on my A3 in one.
cytherians
2007 A3 S-line 8P Sportback with DSG, here. 103k miles. No problems. Most reliable car I've ever owned!
BrokenAnimal
And I'm glad that's your experience. Mine was different. Had a 2010 A3 1.8 TFSI and it had engine issues, light issues, and shock absorber issues. She was a fun but expensive lady.
MapleSyrupMafia
It's ok to drive a fridge. I was a Toyota tech for almost 17 years and I've owned many. '95 Tercel, '00 Corolla, '03 Corolla, '05 Corolla, '05 Matrix XRS (uh oh!!) and '14 Corolla. Some in the high 200k km, most above 300k km. Give me a high mileage Toyota and I won't be worried at all. Is it fun to drive? Not really, outside of the Matrix XRS! Will it leave you stranded often. Unlikely! I do own a German car, but it's in pieces until I finished doing maintenance on the "new" engine. For 14>
MapleSyrupMafia
years, I've owned a '05 Cooper S and it didn't give me a lot of problems since I was maintaining it myself and was aware of the main issues, but parts are more expensive than let's say... the '94 Pickup at 274,000 km I've had for 5 years
BrokenAnimal
Mine is a 2014 Toyota Auris, hatchback version. Best "car" car I've had. Has about 230k km on it, and looking to put at least 50k more as it's all paid off and very cheap to keep.
As you said, not terribly exciting, but does the job reliably and comfortably, even on Norwegian winter roads. And it loads a lot more than you'd think by looking at it.
taez555
I know people usually downvote AI, but here you go.
BrokenAnimal
And this time appears to be nothing different.
taez555
One of these days people won't be able to tell the difference.
BrokenAnimal
Personally I see that as a problem, not a benefit.
taez555
It might even happen today.
VibratingNipples
I see the future elections gonna be wild with AI.
nickasaurusrex83
One of my favourite BMW stories is about a few colleagues who lift shared from 30 or so miles away. One morning they were a bit late & were telling the story about the beemer on fire on the dual carriageway that caused a bit of a jam. They all had a little chuckle about how shit 1 series beemers are. Then one of them gets a phone call from, let's call him Jon. Jon was going to be late because he's beemer caught fire on the dual carriageway and thanked them for bothering to stop to check on him.
Isthe4thtimethecharm
I always think of the BMW coolant hoses. They are held together by plastic clips. Plastic that heats and cools gets brittle. If you replace one hose, you always break the clip on the next hose. So you have to replace that one. All the way through. You can only get the clips from BMW. So you will pay 1800 to replace your own coolant lines. This was told to me by a former BMW tech.
Poppypoppoppop
I thought the only problem was they pushing to look more and more ridiculous (image is of a electric model btw, NO NEED whatsoever for that big nostril fake grill, but that's their identity now). Good to know.
Poppypoppoppop
Nellisir
Ok, I...dont get it. Your colleagues stopped to check on a car on fire and it was another colleagues car but they hadn't realized it? Or they didn't stop and they were getting a sarcastic phone call? Is Jon a colleague? And they were late because of the car on fire but the owner of the car also called to let them know he'd be late?
Neywiny
They didn't stop, but the guy must've seen them drive by in the traffic
sorryforsayingthat
Brutal sarcasm
OhNooNotAgain
BMW drivers dont stop for others, come on!
thelategirl
Or for traffic lights. Almost got run over by a BMW that ran a red light. I had to literally leap out of the way to avoid being hit and the bastard didn't even slow down.
Itslukus
I spend a lot of time on the road. The new asshole driver, to everyone's utter astonishment, is the tesla.
IAmTheBadW01f
My former coworker with a BMW modified it too much to be legal in his state so he registered it at his gf's parents' house in Florida
spittleteets
Ah yes, interstate fraud and evasion of Environmental regulations. TBC while I believe that a person of integrity does the right thing even when nobody's looking, emissions wouldnt need to be so stringent if it wasnt for corporate lobbying for deregulation and PR campaign's putting the responsibility on private individuals when they own the lion's share of fucking up the environment.
linexnewt
BMW automobiles are bimmers. BMW motorcycles are beemers or beamers. https://www.bmw.com/en/automotive-life/bimmer-beamer-nickname-origin.html
101Medic
Don't worry, friend. I die on that same hill and almost always get the same reaction you did.
Pedants unite!
ballsoutflyer
Stop.
101Medic
Nah
ThePocketWhale
Those are two really dumb names for beamers.
NationalistCanadianMooseWarrior
That is.. not corroborated by any beamer people I know tbh
CreatureFromtheBlackLegume
It does say that Americans originally called the cars beamers. Regardless, I have never heard someone say bimmer. I have joked about calling them "bimoos" though, pronouncing the w like Welshmen do
ParaspriteHugger
Bimo would be a Bimota. A Tesi, to be more specific.
ParaspriteHugger
linexnewt
https://bimmerlife.com/publications/
0xDEC0DE
https://media2.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPWE1NzM3M2U1ZGI1aXFwaTlwazAybDN4YTJndjNodHg0eDJ6MG1mbW1uYndrZHYxeSZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/enqnZa1B5fRHkPjXtS/200w.webp
Valkyr1987
No one cares about the origins of a nickname more than 30 years old, correcting people just makes you seem like a posh twit
linexnewt
you thinking BMWs are just for posh people is hilarious
Itslukus
Loving that jab... posh twit.
zwomally
Posh twit? I think more like a right cunt
Tengenstein
Posh? It's only a BMW. Now now if it was a Bentley...or a Morgan
Valkyr1987
Never said anything about BMW being posh
TheSecondPiewackit
Anything made by BMW is a beamer. You will be buried on this hill.
linexnewt
https://bimmerlife.com/publications/
TheSecondPiewackit
The sources you cite don't really matter in the face of common parlance. If it's BMW branded, it's going to be called a "beamer". You can argue all you want, cite all you want, and it's not going to change what people say.
linexnewt
I don't care, not trying to change what people say. But it is incorrect, and as we have seen especially this year, the truth has nothing to do with what people do or say. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
derJake
Confused germans: looking up projectors made by BMW …
ballsoutflyer
Bimmer is a Euro thing. Beemer is an american thing. Most of the people here are yanks, not posh tits like yourself.
You should've left this one be, mate.
linexnewt
rofl. I'm American you clueless dolt. https://bimmerlife.com/publications/
ballsoutflyer
Did I say you weren't an american? Only an american would be so brash, so cocksure and so stupid as to be a weapons-grade foreskin waste, thinking that he was this fucking clever.
KipperFillets
I'm old and I've never heard "Bimmer" in the UK before.
ballsoutflyer
https://media2.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPWE1NzM3M2U1bXVldGhyeTB1d2E3Z2szNHVjeHViZHV5Zjd4a3o0Z3Z5MHEyY256NCZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/Yp8GKgfytxQVq/200w.webp