e89 35i & 35is Reliability Question

HEY32G · 02-15-2017, 05:23 PM

This is probably been discussed on here before but I couldn't find it.

Looking at used e89 35i's & 35is's, around $30k-$35k, so not bottom of the barrel, high mileage cars, but I'm concerned about reliability. I once swore I'd never have a BMW w/out a warranty and here I am. Had a '98 328i that was awful, I joked that it was '98 with all 2001 parts. I had an '07 335i that was very good, but it was a lease so I parted with it after 45k miles. Also, had an '07 Z4 3.0si that was very reliable (had a warranty on it, but never used it). So having said that, I'm still shell shocked from my 328i disaster and am worried about reliability.

Blah, blah, blah.... so how reliable are these things? Looking at 2012 and newer.

I'm so concerned about it, I'm also considering Corvette Grand Sports. I don't even have any gold necklaces or a pinky ring and don't need a walker! Please stop me from doing this! I like BMW's.

Thanks.

jparnes1 · 02-15-2017, 10:34 PM

I have a 2012 35i and have had very few, minor issues only. You will find people in this forum who have posted with lots of problems. But keep this in mind: this forum represents a small fraction of total Z4 owners. And people like to vent their problems rather than talk about their lack of issues. That's just human nature. So take what you read here with a grain of salt.
I would never buy a car that has a tune to avoid repairs due to increased stress and wear, FWIW.

HEY32G · 02-16-2017, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jparnes1

I have a 2012 35i and have had very few, minor issues only. You will find people in this forum who have posted with lots of problems. But keep this in mind: this forum represents a small fraction of total Z4 owners. And people like to vent their problems rather than talk about their lack of issues. That's just human nature. So take what you read here with a grain of salt.
I would never buy a car that has a tune to avoid repairs due to increased stress and wear, FWIW.

Thanks, that's another concern is knowing whether or not a used one has been tuned.

jparnes1 · 02-16-2017, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HEY32G

Quote:

Originally Posted by jparnes1

I have a 2012 35i and have had very few, minor issues only. You will find people in this forum who have posted with lots of problems. But keep this in mind: this forum represents a small fraction of total Z4 owners. And people like to vent their problems rather than talk about their lack of issues. That's just human nature. So take what you read here with a grain of salt.
I would never buy a car that has a tune to avoid repairs due to increased stress and wear, FWIW.

Thanks, that's another concern is knowing whether or not a used one has been tuned.

Everything done to the car is stored in the ECU. You just need to have it scanned while you're getting the pre-purchase inspection.

porshah · 02-16-2017, 09:43 AM

Have a 2012 3.5i as well. Zero mechanical issues with engine or transmission. 4-5 year old car has some minor cosmetic issues, but then again, it's a car not a painting. I personally prefer buying cars that are consistently used vs sitting in storage 5-6 months at a time. I drive the Z4 all year long, as long as there's no salt on the ground. I put all season tires from Nov-Dec to March-April. We get our share of snow up here, but usually melts quickly and rain washes away the salt.

davis449 · 02-16-2017, 10:21 AM

I still will never buy a German car, especially, without a warranty. There are excellent aftermarket ones out there. Get the Z4 you want, get a good warranty, join the club here, and have fun.

paris1 · 02-16-2017, 12:07 PM

In Oct. of 2014 my wife and I bought a non-CPO 2013 35i from an out of state Benz dealer. It had just under 19k miles on it, had been a BMW factory car during 2013 and was CPO'd to a woman in early 2014 who drove it for seven months and traded it in on a four seat Mercedes convertible. It's been my wife's DD ever since and now has 43k miles on it. The only major issue has been a failed body control module at about 35k miles that was covered under warranty. It goes out of factory warranty at the end of this month and we had it inspected by an indie (who we will use for future maintenance and repairs) and they found a few items which are being taken care of by the dealer as I write this before the warranty expires. I would characterize the car's reliabity as "average". Given the complexity of German cars, I think that's about all one can hope for.
As for warranty, we are electing to go without, although I know that's a controversial topic on this forum. I've read too many negatives about after market extended warranties and, although this car qualifies for an BMW warranty extension for a not outrageous price, it seems like BMW excludes as many components in their warranty products as they include. And buying a warranty from the car's manufacturer seems like leaving the fox to guard the henhouse.
That said, my advice would be to up your budget just a bit and either buy a car that's still under original warranty or a CPO that will offer you some protection. Monitor the car like crazy and stay on top of anything that looks remotely suspicious and find a good indie shop to save money on regular maintenance and/or repairs not covered by BMW.

jparnes1 · 02-16-2017, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davis449

I still will never buy a German car, especially, without a warranty. There are excellent aftermarket ones out there. Get the Z4 you want, get a good warranty, join the club here, and have fun.

There is no car today which is cheap to repair. My friend's Kia is just as tech-infused as any German car.

paris1 · 02-16-2017, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jparnes1

There is no car today which is cheap to repair. My friend's Kia is just as tech-infused as any German car.

Ahh, but there's "expensive" and there's "inordinately expensive"!

HEY32G · 02-16-2017, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paris1

Ahh, but there's "expensive" and there's "inordinately expensive"!

Yeah my 328i that I referenced to start this thread, well I traded it in on a new Nissan Maxima, my wife and I put 90,000 miles on it and during that time, we replaced the battery. That's it, other than oil changes. Btw, that's what has me looking at Nismo Z's, but they're so dang ricey!

distinctperson · 02-16-2017, 06:35 PM

I've had 3 E89s and 1 E85 and I am very happy to continue to drive one. The only BMW that attracts attention on the road, I've observed, is the Z, given that the other models populate the road too much to be given a second look. For my first E89 (35i), at around 80k, my water pump failed and starter needed to be replaced. Other than that, there were no issues.

My advice is to get a post-LCI (2014 and newer) Z4, as the facelift brought about better looking LED headlights, reinforced hardtop mechanism (so you can safely operate it at up to 40km/h) and wider nav screen with minor interior refinements. And I'm not quite sure why you think the 370z Nismo is pricey when it MSRPs at 41k vs 47k for the bottom E89.

Good luck!

Tangent · 02-16-2017, 06:39 PM

About a year and a half ago I bought a 52,000 mile '11 Z4 35i for $32k. It's now at 60k and the only work it's needed is oil and filter changes, new spark plugs, and new brake pads. I know it's not a lot of miles but only costing me a few hundred dollars total in maintenance is still pretty good.

paris1 · 02-16-2017, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by distinctperson

I've had 3 E89s and 1 E85 and I am very happy to continue to drive one. The only BMW that attracts attention on the road, I've observed, is the Z, given that the other models populate the road too much to be given a second look. For my first E89 (35i), at around 80k, my water pump failed and starter needed to be replaced. Other than that, there were no issues.

My advice is to get a post-LCI (2014 and newer) Z4, as the facelift brought about better looking LED headlights, reinforced hardtop mechanism (so you can safely operate it at up to 40km/h) and wider nav screen with minor interior refinements. And I'm not quite sure why you think the 370z Nismo is pricey when it MSRPs at 41k vs 47k for the bottom E89.

Good luck!

Well yea, but you've managed to crash them all before you had any problems with 'em! And BTW, OP said "ricey" not "pricey".

distinctperson · 02-18-2017, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paris1

Well yea, but you've managed to crash them all before you had any problems with 'em! And BTW, OP said "ricey" not "pricey".

Quite sassy, paris1, quite sassy lol.

Bleen · 02-21-2017, 03:33 PM

Had my 35i for a bit over a year. So far, the roof had to get its harness replaced due to a relay breaking. The roof got stuck in the closed position, but it wouldn't let me open the trunk. Repairs would have been around $4k.

I'd recommend getting '13 and over since their roofs have been reinforced... but unsure if the harness has been improved.

A friend has a '15 35is and his HPFP recently went out. On mine, it was replaced by the previous owner. Will probably get rid of mine after CPO expires... :/

Deljus · 02-22-2017, 03:09 AM

My transmission (DCT) started leaking from 3 different places last year at ~42k miles. Cost me ~$1800 at a reputable shop that specializes in German cars. BMW dealership wanted to charge me ~$2600. It was quite a headache, but so far that's the only problem I've really had with it *knock on wood*.

Cloudywolf · 03-01-2017, 10:53 PM

I'm mostly worried about cooling problems. I watched my oil temp climb up halfway to 250 today after driving around for half an hour on surface streets. My previous car was an e92 and it was incredibly unreliable past 60K miles.

paris1 · 03-02-2017, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cloudywolf

I'm mostly worried about cooling problems. I watched my oil temp climb up halfway to 250 today after driving around for half an hour on surface streets. My previous car was an e92 and it was incredibly unreliable past 60K miles.

Mine runs close to 250 (halfway on gauge) all the time. Why does that bother you?

Zteve · 03-02-2017, 10:50 AM

I've had two 2011 Z4 35i.

First car was a DCT M-sport. Owned for 1 year.
Only engine issue was a cracked valve cover and leaking valve cover gasket. Relatively easy fix, new valve cover kit is only 3 or 4 hundred bucks, and easy enough to do yourself in an afternoon, if you're handy.
This car also had an issue with the driver seat side bolster adjustment, wouldn't hold pressure, probably just a failed o-ring, I never tried to fix it.

Current Z4 is a 6MT M-sport. Owned for 1 year so far.
No issues to report

Tangent · 03-03-2017, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cloudywolf

I'm mostly worried about cooling problems. I watched my oil temp climb up halfway to 250 today after driving around for half an hour on surface streets. My previous car was an e92 and it was incredibly unreliable past 60K miles.

Those are the intended normal temps. The oil thermostat only fully opens by 250 degrees by design. You can get a lower temp thermostat for about $40 though if you want.

Cloudywolf · 03-03-2017, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paris1

Mine runs close to 250 (halfway on gauge) all the time. Why does that bother you?

While I was troubleshooting my failing water pump / thermostat on my e92, I noticed that my car would almost always go into limp mode once the engine temps passed 250. Good to know this isn't the same problem for the Z4!

BugsBunny · 03-05-2017, 08:00 PM

Proud owner of a 2009 3.5i DCT with 53Kmiles on it.
Very reliable car overall. Very happy with this Z4 since.... now 6+ years geeez.
I only faced minor issues and most were fixed under warranty. I did some aftermarket modif such as OSS Design headlights, LCI turn signals and SmartTop (I used my rooftop a lot).
Briefly, my issues were:
The HPFP recall.

Spark plugs and rotors were the most expensive service items. Spark plugs was apparently part of the regular maintenance at 50K....

My rooftop rattles disappeared with the Howie trick. I need to find him and shake his hand.

Then the right front wheel bearing had to be replaced at 30Kmiles (under warranty), this I was not happy but given the 3rd world type of potholes we have in Houston downtown, I couldn't really complaint

Good luck with your car

02-15-2017, 05:23 PM	#1
HEY32G Captain 224 Rep 770 Posts Drives: Z4 sdrive35is Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Texas iTrader: (0)	e89 35i & 35is Reliability Question This is probably been discussed on here before but I couldn't find it. Looking at used e89 35i's & 35is's, around $30k-$35k, so not bottom of the barrel, high mileage cars, but I'm concerned about reliability. I once swore I'd never have a BMW w/out a warranty and here I am. Had a '98 328i that was awful, I joked that it was '98 with all 2001 parts. I had an '07 335i that was very good, but it was a lease so I parted with it after 45k miles. Also, had an '07 Z4 3.0si that was very reliable (had a warranty on it, but never used it). So having said that, I'm still shell shocked from my 328i disaster and am worried about reliability. Blah, blah, blah.... so how reliable are these things? Looking at 2012 and newer. I'm so concerned about it, I'm also considering Corvette Grand Sports. I don't even have any gold necklaces or a pinky ring and don't need a walker! Please stop me from doing this! I like BMW's. Thanks. Last edited by HEY32G; 02-15-2017 at 05:52 PM..
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02-15-2017, 10:34 PM	#2
jparnes1 Colonel 242 Rep 2,387 Posts Drives: 2016 340i, 2012 Z4 35i Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: NY iTrader: (1)	I have a 2012 35i and have had very few, minor issues only. You will find people in this forum who have posted with lots of problems. But keep this in mind: this forum represents a small fraction of total Z4 owners. And people like to vent their problems rather than talk about their lack of issues. That's just human nature. So take what you read here with a grain of salt. I would never buy a car that has a tune to avoid repairs due to increased stress and wear, FWIW. __________________ 2016 340i XDrive, EBII/black, 6 MT, M Sport, Track Handling, Cold Weather, Tech, Lighting, Driver Assistance Plus. 2012 Z4 35i, ED 2/24/2012, Melbourne Red Metallic, Black Leather, Carbon Trim, 6MT, M Sport, CW, PP, PS, NAV, CA.
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02-16-2017, 09:43 AM	#5
porshah Lieutenant 197 Rep 597 Posts Drives: M4, R8, Huracan - All topdown Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Fairfield, NJ iTrader: (5) Garage List 2018 Audi R8 V10 Sp ... [0.00] 2021 BMW 330e xDrive [0.00] 2017 Lamborghini Hu ... [9.50] 2016 BMW M4 Convert ... [0.00]	Have a 2012 3.5i as well. Zero mechanical issues with engine or transmission. 4-5 year old car has some minor cosmetic issues, but then again, it's a car not a painting. I personally prefer buying cars that are consistently used vs sitting in storage 5-6 months at a time. I drive the Z4 all year long, as long as there's no salt on the ground. I put all season tires from Nov-Dec to March-April. We get our share of snow up here, but usually melts quickly and rain washes away the salt.
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02-16-2017, 10:21 AM	#6
davis449 Captain 423 Rep 887 Posts Drives: 2014 Audi SQ5 Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: San Antonio, TX iTrader: (0)	I still will never buy a German car, especially, without a warranty. There are excellent aftermarket ones out there. Get the Z4 you want, get a good warranty, join the club here, and have fun.
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02-16-2017, 12:07 PM	#7
paris1 Captain 90 Rep 745 Posts Drives: 2013 35i Space Grey over Coral Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Northern Calif. iTrader: (0)	In Oct. of 2014 my wife and I bought a non-CPO 2013 35i from an out of state Benz dealer. It had just under 19k miles on it, had been a BMW factory car during 2013 and was CPO'd to a woman in early 2014 who drove it for seven months and traded it in on a four seat Mercedes convertible. It's been my wife's DD ever since and now has 43k miles on it. The only major issue has been a failed body control module at about 35k miles that was covered under warranty. It goes out of factory warranty at the end of this month and we had it inspected by an indie (who we will use for future maintenance and repairs) and they found a few items which are being taken care of by the dealer as I write this before the warranty expires. I would characterize the car's reliabity as "average". Given the complexity of German cars, I think that's about all one can hope for. As for warranty, we are electing to go without, although I know that's a controversial topic on this forum. I've read too many negatives about after market extended warranties and, although this car qualifies for an BMW warranty extension for a not outrageous price, it seems like BMW excludes as many components in their warranty products as they include. And buying a warranty from the car's manufacturer seems like leaving the fox to guard the henhouse. That said, my advice would be to up your budget just a bit and either buy a car that's still under original warranty or a CPO that will offer you some protection. Monitor the car like crazy and stay on top of anything that looks remotely suspicious and find a good indie shop to save money on regular maintenance and/or repairs not covered by BMW.
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02-16-2017, 06:35 PM	#11
distinctperson Human 36 Rep 160 Posts Drives: 2014 E89 35is Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Bay Area, CA iTrader: (0)	I've had 3 E89s and 1 E85 and I am very happy to continue to drive one. The only BMW that attracts attention on the road, I've observed, is the Z, given that the other models populate the road too much to be given a second look. For my first E89 (35i), at around 80k, my water pump failed and starter needed to be replaced. Other than that, there were no issues. My advice is to get a post-LCI (2014 and newer) Z4, as the facelift brought about better looking LED headlights, reinforced hardtop mechanism (so you can safely operate it at up to 40km/h) and wider nav screen with minor interior refinements. And I'm not quite sure why you think the 370z Nismo is pricey when it MSRPs at 41k vs 47k for the bottom E89. Good luck!
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02-16-2017, 06:39 PM	#12
Tangent Lieutenant 298 Rep 583 Posts Drives: G01, F82, E89, F25 Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: California iTrader: (2)	About a year and a half ago I bought a 52,000 mile '11 Z4 35i for $32k. It's now at 60k and the only work it's needed is oil and filter changes, new spark plugs, and new brake pads. I know it's not a lot of miles but only costing me a few hundred dollars total in maintenance is still pretty good.
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02-21-2017, 03:33 PM	#15
Bleen Private 8 Rep 98 Posts Drives: 2012 BMW Z4 35i Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Glendale, CA iTrader: (0)	Had my 35i for a bit over a year. So far, the roof had to get its harness replaced due to a relay breaking. The roof got stuck in the closed position, but it wouldn't let me open the trunk. Repairs would have been around $4k. I'd recommend getting '13 and over since their roofs have been reinforced... but unsure if the harness has been improved. A friend has a '15 35is and his HPFP recently went out. On mine, it was replaced by the previous owner. Will probably get rid of mine after CPO expires... :/ __________________
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02-22-2017, 03:09 AM	#16
Deljus New Member 3 Rep 27 Posts Drives: 2011 BMW Z4 sDrive35i Join Date: Feb 2017 Location: California iTrader: (0)	My transmission (DCT) started leaking from 3 different places last year at ~42k miles. Cost me ~$1800 at a reputable shop that specializes in German cars. BMW dealership wanted to charge me ~$2600. It was quite a headache, but so far that's the only problem I've really had with it knock on wood. __________________ VRSF DCI / ER CP / TiAL BOV / VRSF 7" FMIC / VRSF DP / Supersprint Cat-back exhaust / Beyern Spartan 19" / LUX V5 Angel Eyes / MHD 2+
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03-01-2017, 10:53 PM	#17
Cloudywolf Private First Class 15 Rep 133 Posts Drives: 2013 Z4 35i Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Los Angeles, California iTrader: (1)	I'm mostly worried about cooling problems. I watched my oil temp climb up halfway to 250 today after driving around for half an hour on surface streets. My previous car was an e92 and it was incredibly unreliable past 60K miles. __________________ ___________________________ 2013 BMW Z4 35i 2008 BMW 335i 2005 350Z Roadster
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03-02-2017, 10:50 AM	#19
Zteve Private 46 Rep 70 Posts Drives: Z4 sdrive35i Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Indiana iTrader: (0)	I've had two 2011 Z4 35i. First car was a DCT M-sport. Owned for 1 year. Only engine issue was a cracked valve cover and leaking valve cover gasket. Relatively easy fix, new valve cover kit is only 3 or 4 hundred bucks, and easy enough to do yourself in an afternoon, if you're handy. This car also had an issue with the driver seat side bolster adjustment, wouldn't hold pressure, probably just a failed o-ring, I never tried to fix it. Current Z4 is a 6MT M-sport. Owned for 1 year so far. No issues to report
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03-05-2017, 08:00 PM	#22
BugsBunny Private First Class 19 Rep 125 Posts Drives: 2009 Z4 3.5i, 2022 Macan S Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Seattle, WA iTrader: (0)	Proud owner of a 2009 3.5i DCT with 53Kmiles on it. Very reliable car overall. Very happy with this Z4 since.... now 6+ years geeez. I only faced minor issues and most were fixed under warranty. I did some aftermarket modif such as OSS Design headlights, LCI turn signals and SmartTop (I used my rooftop a lot). Briefly, my issues were: The HPFP recall. Spark plugs and rotors were the most expensive service items. Spark plugs was apparently part of the regular maintenance at 50K.... My rooftop rattles disappeared with the Howie trick. I need to find him and shake his hand. Then the right front wheel bearing had to be replaced at 30Kmiles (under warranty), this I was not happy but given the 3rd world type of potholes we have in Houston downtown, I couldn't really complaint Good luck with your car
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