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BMW x3 2013 issues..worth to keep it?

7K views 26 replies 14 participants last post by  TK-BMW 
#1 ·
Hello Experts,

This is my first post even though I come here very often whenever an issue crop up in my x3. I have an x3 2013 with 88k miles on it. I am in a dilemma whether to sell it or to keep it. Have read numerous posts about the high maintenance costs likely to happen at these miles.

I didn't have any serious issues till 80k. (I bought it pre-owned when it had 55k miles on it). Had to do the regular maintenance stuff like tires, wheel bearings and brake pads. 2 months back I got a Drive Train Malfunction and I took it to BMW service center for inspection. They identified a faulty pressure converter and fixed it for some 500 bucks. They recommended some other stuff like front bushings which I took care of from my trusted mechanic. (I always go to this guy to do things like oil change and other routine maintenance.)..Last week my x3 lost the power completely and resisted to accelerate. Immediately Drive Train Malfunction warning popped up. I managed to reach home which was some 2 miles away. The warning went went away after few hours, but I kept getting a burning smell from the heat vents. I took it for an inspection and they came back saying there is a multitude of issues to be fixed including an engine rebuild and it's not worth to keeping the car. They gave me a quote of some 24k usd which included to fix things like,
1)Vaccum pump: Leaking oil into pressure converter for waste gate.
2)Module Reprogramming: As per ista test plan/ and si b12 36 15.
3)Transmission oil cooler: Heat exchanger mounted to radiator shroud.T-stat stuck open.
4)Battery replacement
5) valve cover replacement replacement: leaking oil causing burning smell.
6)tail light unit: rh side rear on hatch.inop.leds are out.
7)sine alarm siren.internal battery is setting faults.
8)Front brake pads and rotors replacement.
Engine rebuild was the one quoted for 17k which they didn't mention here.

Now I showed this to my mechanic and he said he can take care of points 1-8 for some 3.2k usd including timing chain. He says he is not finding any issue with the engine and it appears butter smooth to him. According to him these are regular things that crop up at this stage and should be good to drive for another 20k miles without any issues after which suspension and other things need to be taken care of.

Now I am confused if I need to fix it for 3.2k and keep it optimistically or sell it. Kbb says a value of 7k but yet to take it to a dealer to know what it's worth for. Is 3.2 k a reasonable quote to fix these things? What I am concerned is even if I fix these things what is the assurance that I should be good to drive for another 20k.

Secondly I need to move to canada for a year or so. My initial plan was to take it there and drive over there (heard cars are very expensive over there). But I am bit hesistant to do so now after the recent inspection.

What do you guys advice? Reason I have a second thought is I love my car..Apologies for the long post and thanks in advance..

-Andy
 
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#2 ·
I know you love the car, I love mine too.. but you're already out 500. Now about to spend 3200. They way how these things usually go is that sooner or later, its going to be something else for another 3k - 5k. Then your at the point where its costing you more than its worth. That 3200 could be a down payment or quite a few monthly payments on something newer/more reliable.

IMO the only way I would consider it is if I had paid off the car already, and are at the point where its not costing you any more than the usual gas, upkeep, insurance that any other car would. If you haven't finished paying it off yet, then its more clear that its likely not worth it.

I've got a 2012 M-Sport which I vowed to keep till the wheels fall off. I've not had any significant issues so far, but if it starts to act up to the point where there are serious issues that may re-occur if corrected, like drivetrain malfunctions, then at that point it will be time to say good and thanks for the memories.

Verdict - Trade it in.
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the response. Yeah, you said it, I love my car. I got a check engine light recently and have a hard feeling that things are gonna get complicated if I keep it..planning to go to mechanic to make it in an acceptable condition, probably without shelling out much..need to do something with the bad oil leaks..
 
#5 · (Edited)
This is one good reason to stick with a vehicle covered by a standard or CPO warranty and trade it in on another before it's too late.
 
#6 ·
We really like the drive of our X3 as well, but I'll never buy one again. Every time we get one thing fixed another thing breaks.

Our Tundra has similar miles and has had absolutely zero issues.
It's been driven much harder, used off road and has been towing heavy loads.

We will sell our X3 as soon as we have it running right and replace it with a Lexus. I don't have the heart to sell it to someone without at least getting the current known issues resolved.

Sorry to be so down on BMW but in our case the car has been a nightmare.
 
#7 · (Edited)
@mcjohn, I hear you. I am also not a fan of brand new vehicles as you lose 10-15% of its value pretty much as soon as you drive off the dealer's lot. In addition, if you buy a CPO at the right point, you get roughly the same warranty time and mileage as with a new vehicle and for cheaper and with similar maintenance costs. As soon as it nears the end of the CPO warranty, trade it in and start the process over again.

My '15 X3 xDrive 28i has almost 85k miles on it and only about 2 months of CPO warranty left on it, and it will be a tough decision what to do. It's run flawlessly for some time now, but I had to replace the battery and have the rear drums and pads replaced recently which was over $1k and the fronts will have to be done soon for around $800. After that, it should not need much attention for a while, but .... if something breaks, it's going to cost big bucks to fix. The other thing, if going on longer trips, you want something you can rely on and not be constantly worrying about something breaking (which I experienced several times when in my 20s and it somehow didn't bother me so much, even when once the engine caught fire and burned the whole front end to a crisp!).

The other thing that honestly bothers me is that the news BMW X3 units have gotten yet again bigger plus have more plastic. I drove a '19 as a loaner for a couple of days and really did not like it as much as my '14 version, sadly. I also do not care for the new CPO terms BMW instated a few years ago, with more limited time vs. unlimited mileage. It's catered towards people on the road all the time, whereas I have been in the 12k or fewer miles per year category.

If the vehicle would holds its value even with continuous investment, it s perhaps worth it, but not if it continues to depreciate and you are concerned with dumping a lot of money into it.

What might I get instead of an X3 if I get rid of the current one? Not totally sure yet, but have been eyeing a Macan.
 
#8 ·
I agree. If you don't trust a car that you would use for road trips (such as an X3 with room in back for luggage), if you can you probably should move on.

I'm not to that point yet in my '15 at under 81,000 miles. My plan is for at least another 2 years and see what I feel like then (my previous car, I told myself keep for at least 6-7 years, I bought its replacement at year 11).

But would I want a sedan again? Or maybe a smaller pickup? Electric? So many choices it is easier right now to dither.
 
#9 ·
It does seem like you aren't addressing the elephant in the room: the engine rebuild/replacement. To me it sounds like the timing chain went(which is common on the '13/x28, n20 engine). The timing chain can be replaced IF the engine did not eat itself(good independent can do it for 2.5-3k). But it sounds like one of the places you took it to quoted you a full engine replacement, which would indicate timing chain failure. But your mechanic is saying there is nothing wrong with the engine. FYI, BMW warranteed the timing chain in the US up to 70k mi. So at 80k, you are likely SOL.

If the engine has to be replaced a used one is in the 8-9k range. New upwards of 20k. Neither option seems the right way to go financially.

If you have the n20 engine then your vehicle is right there with the timing chain failures. It looks like my vehicle is similar to yours. I had my timing chain replaced at 80k mi before the engine ate itself. I had a litany of other issues with the vehicle after 80k. Turbos failed....and on and on. Luckily I had an extended warranty that performed over $8k in repairs on the vehicle. I am now over 100k, paid off, and hoping to run the vehicle until the wheels fall off. Fingers crossed everything major that could fail, failed under warranty. Everything that has happened to this vehicle has me completely turned off to BMW.
 
#23 ·
We had the timing chain guard issue and lost the whole engine. Bought it CPO but was a few months out of the CPO duration when it happened, and was 15k miles over the timing chain guard extended warranty for that particular issue. $14k to repair at BMW dealership. BMW NA covered $7k of that. Incredible that this wasn't a recall. Left my wife stranded on the side of the road, but fortunately near the house. Love the car and all is well since the fix, but will look for something other than "the ultimate driving machine" when it comes time for another car.
 
#10 ·
I love my X3 35 as well. I've had very few issues. However without a doubt if I had the problems you describe, I would not put another penny in it. I made the decision at 90k to sink $2k in maintenance and keep mine. Most of it was just preventative. I'm at 118k miles now. It's a great car. I would not give up on BMW if I was you. Sometimes maintenance problems are specific to a car, not the brand. Use the $3200 toward another X3.
 
#11 ·
It's a game of odds, alas. Some vehicles will run fine for 300k miles, others start showing symptoms after just a few thousand. I had the transfer case go out on a brand new Dodge Durango at 1500 miles, for example (yes, I know, my bad for buying it in the first place, but that's a whole different story).

The balance of the decision as to how long to keep a vehicle is what it costs to maintain an older vehicle vs. the cost of a more frequent replacement. Again, to me, the safety factor of wanting high reliability when traveling long stretches out west with nothing around for tens of miles is a factor to consider. The other is if you have a spare vehicle you can use if one is in the shop and cannot be driven. If you need a vehicle on a daily basis, that should factor in. It boils down to both what you are comfortable with as far as reliability as well as what you are willing to spend (in some cases, unexpectedly and possibly involving large amounts of money!).
 
#12 ·
I'm at 85,000 miles, and have had no problems with my '14 35i. (other than the oil filter housing gasket). Everything has been basic maintenance - tires, brakes, oil and filter changes.

The water pump does make me nervous, especially when taking on longer trips. It feels like a ticking time bomb of sort from all I have heard with this engine. Would anyone recommend just biting the bullet and having it replaced pro-actively at some point?
 
#21 · (Edited)
I'm at 85,000 miles, and have had no problems with my '14 35i. (other than the oil filter housing gasket). Everything has been basic maintenance - tires, brakes, oil and filter changes.

The water pump does make me nervous, especially when taking on longer trips. It feels like a ticking time bomb of sort from all I have heard with this engine. Would anyone recommend just biting the bullet and having it replaced pro-actively at some point?
Water pump: Yes, you'd be smart to have the pump (and thermostat) replaced; maybe hold off to 100K mile mark, but no longer. (I'm doing a preventative replacement on the pump/stat in my car at 100K; (I have the non-turbo 6 motor, 2012 model year car)

Good luck/Bill
 
#13 ·
@235301 - As you mentioned I think we are in the same boat. Do you think taking care of timing chain would help to keep the vehicle in a long run? Did you experience turbo failures as well? Dealership says turbos have a warranty upto 120k miles or 7 years but I know they would still eat my money saying labour hours in case if I end up in a issue. My mechanic insists on the fact if I take care of timing chain replacement then only issue possibly would crop up is the turbo..Also he provided me with a quote of 2.1k to take care of timing chain and valve cover gasket replacement.
 
#14 ·
Also I went to a couple of dealerships and they gave me a price of 5 - 6k with the issues. There were also few dents and scratches. If I sell to a private party I would probably get 10k but I need to fix these issues before selling. As per state of Massachusetts if any issues crop up during the first month the seller is responsible to fix it. I have an auto loan of 12k on the vehicle..I am totally confused how to take this forward...car has never ditched me making me stranded. So definitely have a flavor of attachment as well..***x1f642;
 
#16 · (Edited)
Just some anecdotal evidence on my part with the N20 engine: as I stated, at around 80k or so had the timing chain replacement. Since this issue was so prevalent, I was in tune to notice the engine whine that occurs as the timing chain is failing and caught it before it caused complete engine failure. About 10k mi after that was on a trip in the mountains and got the drivetrain malfunction error. We finished the trip w/o issue although any time through the mountains going uphill meant a new drivetrain malfunction error. I drove on w/ some confidence because the engine did not exhibit any malfunctions. I also took it to a mechanic on the trip and they did not find anything. When we got home, my mechanic replaced the turbos and no drivetrain malfunctions since.

I have an e60 5 series that's 7 years older than my '13 X3. I fully expect it to outlive the X3. And my mechanic agrees.

Just took a cross country trip over the holidays, about 2k mi round trip, including extensive driving through the mountains. Zero problems w/ the car now at 100k mi. Note that I took it to my mechanic prior to the trip for the full go over and the 100k mi service. That included scoping the timing chain for my own peace of mind.

Car seems fine now. If I can get a couple of more years out of it I feel I am playing w/ house money. If your mechanic is a knowledgeable BMW guy, I would definitely have a conversation w/ them about your car and recommendations. Of course, he can't recommend whether or not to keep it but he can tell you what you are likely signing up for. Best guess would be you will be looking at turbo replacement shortly and, of course, water pump(that's simply a BMW maint issue). 100k you want full plugs and other service as recommended. As with most BMWs you should budget 1.5k-2k/yr for maintenance.

And lastly, for the future, consider purchasing CPO cars or extended warranty. I have had discussions here on the value of these extended warranties but it's really insurance and it puts a ceiling on your loss w/ a car. And no, I have no taste for going down that rabbit hole again. Had you had CPO or extended warranty, even if the timing chain caused the engine to fail, the warranty company would have covered it. I suspect with the troubles w/ the n20 engine, warranties for these vehicles are probably expensive now given the actuarial data.
 
#24 ·
We***8217;re coming up to 90k on our 2011 X3 35. I***8217;m guessing it may be worth $5k. There***8217;s no loan so we own the title. It***8217;s had a few things go wrong but thankfully nothing catastrophic. At the moment we budget $3600/annum for servicing and repairs. So looking at future repair costs you would have to say until it gets to about $12k/annum you are still ahead of the game. That***8217;s based on what you might expect in terms of loan payments on a new vehicle.

What would we replace it with? New or used X3 M40? Audi A4 allroad? Audi SQ5? Volvo XC60? I just don***8217;t know. I***8217;ve avoided test driving any of them as I know that***8217;s a slippery slope...
 
#25 ·
We're coming up to 90k on our 2011 X3 35. I'm guessing it may be worth $5k. There's no loan so we own the title. It's had a few things go wrong but thankfully nothing catastrophic. At the moment we budget $3600/annum for servicing and repairs. So looking at future repair costs you would have to say until it gets to about $12k/annum you are still ahead of the game. That's based on what you might expect in terms of loan payments on a new vehicle.

What would we replace it with? New or used X3 M40? Audi A4 allroad? Audi SQ5? Volvo XC60? I just don't know. I've avoided test driving any of them as I know that's a slippery slope...
I test drove a 2018 Macan yesterday. I was very impressed, especially with the ride and smooth shifts. The 14-way seats would be the way to go -- the 8-way seats didn't have adjustable lumbar support.They are not bad, but the difference is big and I'm spoiled from having that adjustment in the X3.
 
#26 ·
We loaded up the spec when we ordered our car back in 2011 - sports seats, adaptive dampers, head up display, staggered wheel set and on - as we had sold two cars and paid for this one in cash.

It's amazing how you get used to things like head up displays that the sales guy told us was not worth it. Or the sports seats with the adjustable side bolsters. I noted somewhere that the Macan does not have head up display and as you said the 8-way seats are a bit ho-hum.

The car I would REALLY like is out of my price range and that's the new Audi A6 allroad with air suspension. I owned an old one back in 2001 and it was just about the perfect vehicle. Fast enough, roomy enough to put all kinds of gear into it but flexible enough to go up to a friend's camp way north in the Upper Peninsular of Michigan. He told me he could only ever take an old Ford F250 truck up there so he was amazed that the Audi made it all the way.

The one thing I believe the Audi SQ5 has over the X3 M40 is air suspension, but that's not a BMW thing,
 
#27 ·
The Macan is built on an Audi platoform and air suspension is optional. But, your're right, no heads-up display and extras add up really, really fsat. Audi reliability has not been so grat, though, whereas it's been great for the Macan in general.
The newer X3 has kept getting bigger and full of more plastic, which isn't so great. As far as higher-end 4-cyl engines go I've heard MB has the best. I may also look at a G:C 300 for that reason.
 
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