135i Reliable?

[Pangloss]

Originally Posted by Chunkaway

I did drive the 128i, but to be honest, after I drove the 135i I stopped considering it.

'Swhat happened to me. Nothing sells a 135 like first test-driving a 128.

[RimasRS]

Oh my... Really you have to buy TOYOTA...

And it's not reliable it's just a fun good looking powerful supercar...

[Venom]

I haven't seen much traffic in SD, but I was in La Jolla so that might be a different story... also I was 13 so my attention span to commutes was nada.

Even a CPO'd 135i should be no more than 25-27k imo, but I went the private party route. Don't trust KBB, walk in with what YOU WOULD PAY, at the end of the day.

I have seen quite a few 1ers for sale in SoCal, not so many up here. So maybe wait til after your move?

BTW the ad didn't mention that the car was CPO so I am a little skeptical about that because they would advertise every fricken thing they can in those ads, even the standard stuff. I lol every time I see an ad with "increased speed limiter" or "Xenon headlamps".

Might wanna wait until the end of the year, used car prices are a little ridiculous right now...

Originally Posted by Chunkaway

The salesperson contacted me today to tell me the car is CPO and as such is covered until 01/2015. And I agree, the price is definitely too high. I prefer a dark color on a car, so this is a no-go for me anyway. I just wanted to see if the 135 is even an option.

We are looking at moving to San Diego next summer, so we are thinking automatic, although I would love to have a stick. The automatics out here are about the same price, although the sticks are a tad more.

[Ash83]

Originally Posted by KingOfJericho

N55 has had pump failures as well.

I've had my car for 2 years. During year one I had the 3rd brake light break and fall out and the HPFP shit the bed. It was great for the next 6 months then it started hesitating a bit under WOT in high gears. I finally took it to the dealer and they informed me that I had carbon buildup on the valves and they had to sandblast them clean. The latter is the one that really concerns me - if the car has carbon buildup every 15-20k miles, that would be a costly maintenance issue out of warranty. It really sucks because I ADORE this car.

I remember reading similar stories about Carbon build in Turbocharged engines.. I also read that you can prevent this if you push the card hard every week when you have a half+ tank.

[Chunkaway]

So has BMW found a "permanent" fix for the HPFP or are they simply continually replacing the part over and over until the car hits 100k?

[singular]

Originally Posted by Chunkaway

Oh, I agree about calling BS on the gas cap issue. I did say to the guy, that doesn't even make sense, because I checked the gas cap when we pulled over. He kind of stammered and said, "It must be an emissions issue." Uh, yeah. By the way, this was at a BMW dealer in Portland, Oregon. (This car was actually under warranty by the way.)

The check engine light does come on for many/most cars when the gas cap isn't on tight. Had it happen on my Honda and a search on google confirmed it.

I'm not saying that's the issue in your case, but it is a common cause.

On your reliability concern, in two years of ownership:
- I've had the cab top replaced twice due to the "tear" problem
- I've had the leather on the passenger side repaired twice
- I replaced the run-flats
- I've had the HPFP and tail lights replaced due to recall (there was no problem)

The HPFP is warranted to 100K, so I'm not too worried.

RANT ON:

The biggest issue in my mind are the run-craps and lack of space for a spare. The run-craps ride like sh*t, are easily damaged, wear out very quickly, and are very expen$$$ive to replace. Most BMW's are now on run-craps, including SUV's (are they kidding?). If you do get a BMW, do yourself a favor and ditch the run-craps as fast as possible.

RANT OFF;

[singular]

Originally Posted by Chunkaway

So has BMW found a "permanent" fix for the HPFP or are they simply continually replacing the part over and over until the car hits 100k?

Hard to say, but I've noticed a drop in threads complaining about HPFP failures. My CA claimed that the issue is fixed with the latest pump and software update.

In two and a half years of ownership, I haven't had an HPFP problem, but a friend of mine has gone through four pumps. Karma?

[IS+1]

I have over 55,000 km on my 2011 (34,000 miles) and not a single mechanical problem... a door seal had to be replaced, a squeaky handbrake, and a couple other issues (all resolved) that were so minor that I've long forgotten what they were.

All in all, the car runs great and has been thus far more reliable and problem-free than any of the 4 other cars I've owned, including a Lexus.

[Hulk311]

I'm in the same boat as the original poster. I know that my next car will be the BMW 1 series however I cannot make up my mind if I should get the 128i or the 135i! Obviously the reason why I want the 135i is because of the increased horsepower and I would also get the JB4 PNP (N54 Stage 3) BMW Performance Tune. Thing is, fellas, I tend to keep my cars for a very long time. Currently driving a 1997 Toyota 4Runner with 186,XXX miles on it (bought it 5 years ago for $5.5K). So whichever 1 series car I go with I would mostly likely keep it for over 10 years. I guess I'm not like the other members on this forum in that most of the members on here either lease their car and get a new one after two years (plenty of posts on here about members stating they had half a dozen or so BWMs in the past) or sell it after the four years or 50,000 miles (whichever comes first)! See the for sale section, the ratio of 135i to 128i being sold is like 20:1.

I really want the 135i, so my question is besides the fuel pump failing is there any other major problem area I should know about? Also, how much does the fuel pump cost if I had to replace it after the warranty expires? I think the warranty is only good for 100,000 miles for the fuel pump, correct? And last question, how come there are so many 135i cars up for sale in the sale section. This really worries me.

[KingOfJericho]

My father has had his 1998 4Runner since new and it currently has 330,000 on the clock. Motor runs like new and all that has been replaced is the clutch once and the starter twice in 15 years. The brake pads were changed at 10yrs due to age, not wear. I had my 135i for 3yrs and it had a catastrophic failure at 6k (HPFP), carbon buildup at 18k (in perpetuity), one turbo stopped working due to a pinched wire that caused the fan to stop functioning, and a brake light lens fell out. That was in 3 years... It's a fine car and a fun car with lots of bells and whistles but it will NEVER be as reliable and trouble free as a those late 90s Toyotas.

[KingOfJericho]

Originally Posted by Ash83

I remember reading similar stories about Carbon build in Turbocharged engines.. I also read that you can prevent this if you push the card hard every week when you have a half+ tank.

It's the nature of the engine design. I will say that I have a very short commute and the car barely warms up but I also had the Cobb AP and would drive the shit out of the car every weekend. The short commute likely shortened the interval but the buildup will be there on any DI engine eventually.

[chrisv_335EBII]

Some people has issues and some people have none. It does not mean the entire series is bad.

The good thing about it being a BMW is if it breaks your local BMW should have a nice fleet of loaner BMWs.

[135Pats]

its not very reliable, lets be honest here. does the enjoyment outweigh the myriad issues? absolutely. but reliable? no...not really. Seatbelt issue, hpfp, defective brake pad sensors, cracked third tail light, and i just had the cat-readiness o2 sensor go bad today. 38k miles not abused or tracked at all.

[roo97ss]

Originally Posted by cchrisv

Some people has issues and some people have none. It does not mean the entire series is bad.

The good thing about it being a BMW is if it breaks your local BMW should have a nice fleet of loaner BMWs.

Remember loaners are at the discretion of the dealership and many have the policy that if you didn't buy from them, NO car is given at service or breakdowns. This is the PITA i deal with locally here in Delaware. For a used car they want about 5k over most other dealers and private party cars, so it's pay now or deal with it later.

I won't own one of these turbos out of warranty.

I've only gone through one hpfp and a few brake lights. My brother went through 2 sets of injectors, plugs, carbon buildup, coil packs, and 2 hpfps and his car still wasn't right (from 35k-50k). He sold it when the warranty expired and bought another one. Has about 5k miles on this one (25-30k miles) with no problems yet...

carbon build up, and injectors seem to be issues as you get up in miles, esp if tuned...

[ilikebmxbikes]

the only real issues are the HPFP which has been mostly fixed with the new pumps and had an extended warranty up to 120k miles and the necessity to clean your intake valves every 40k miles. Both issues do not sway me from loving or trusting this car.

The brake light is a bit of an inconvenience as if it cracks, it can be fixed for an $80 part and 20 minutes of your time. It is due to over torquing the light from the factory and a small metal tab on the trunk lid.

[golf_234]

Amazing car. zero regrets.

[golf_234]

Originally Posted by 135Pats

its not very reliable, lets be honest here. does the enjoyment outweigh the myriad issues? absolutely. but reliable? no...not really. Seatbelt issue, hpfp, defective brake pad sensors, cracked third tail light, and i just had the cat-readiness o2 sensor go bad today. 38k miles not abused or tracked at all.

i feel like it's hit or miss. no problems here. if they do happen, i don't really care i will just DIY. i kind of hope something goes wrong with it as i am getting bored of smooth sailing.

[135Pats]

Originally Posted by golf_234

i feel like it's hit or miss. no problems here. if they do happen, i don't really care i will just DIY. i kind of hope something goes wrong with it as i am getting bored of smooth sailing.

I agree to an extent, and to be honest i'm more or less thankful that my issues have been relatively "cheap" to fix and haven't kept my car off the road for more than a day or two at a time. I do think however that any potential 1 series buyer has to be prepared for problems, this isn't a Honda Civic. Ultimately I love this car, and I would trust it for a long drive every time, in spite of the issues that i've had. Come to think of it, the only issue that literally prevented my car from being driven was the original HPFP, everything else has been an annoyance. The o2 sensor being a perfect example- annoying to have to take it in, but since the one that broke just checks the primary cat status, the car is still perfectly drivable. Flaws and all, i'd recommend this car to anyone any time.

[golf_234]

Originally Posted by 135Pats

I agree to an extent, and to be honest i'm more or less thankful that my issues have been relatively "cheap" to fix and haven't kept my car off the road for more than a day or two at a time. I do think however that any potential 1 series buyer has to be prepared for problems, this isn't a Honda Civic. Ultimately I love this car, and I would trust it for a long drive every time, in spite of the issues that i've had. Come to think of it, the only issue that literally prevented my car from being driven was the original HPFP, everything else has been an annoyance. The o2 sensor being a perfect example- annoying to have to take it in, but since the one that broke just checks the primary cat status, the car is still perfectly drivable. Flaws and all, i'd recommend this car to anyone any time.

For sure. I was mostly just commenting on how it was being presented in like a .. more unreliable than most light,.. which i dont really agree with. Every car has problems, and i feel like the 128/135 are on the average if not above. It prob will be a bit more tempermental than a camry but who cares about that comparison right lol. Also honestly most of the kinks if any i feel like work their way out in the warranty period anyways. all said and done i LOVE this car. absolutely love. cannot stand the mentality of avoiding something for something "more practical" i will always own a sportscar. period.

[golf_234]

Originally Posted by KingOfJericho

My father has had his 1998 4Runner since new and it currently has 330,000 on the clock. Motor runs like new and all that has been replaced is the clutch once and the starter twice in 15 years. The brake pads were changed at 10yrs due to age, not wear. I had my 135i for 3yrs and it had a catastrophic failure at 6k (HPFP), carbon buildup at 18k (in perpetuity), one turbo stopped working due to a pinched wire that caused the fan to stop functioning, and a brake light lens fell out. That was in 3 years... It's a fine car and a fun car with lots of bells and whistles but it will NEVER be as reliable and trouble free as a those late 90s Toyotas.

this is definitely not the norm. sorry to hear for sure, you must have gotten a "Made on friday" car. sounds borderline lemon.

Originally Posted by Hulk311

I'm in the same boat as the original poster. I know that my next car will be the BMW 1 series however I cannot make up my mind if I should get the 128i or the 135i! Obviously the reason why I want the 135i is because of the increased horsepower and I would also get the JB4 PNP (N54 Stage 3) BMW Performance Tune. Thing is, fellas, I tend to keep my cars for a very long time. Currently driving a 1997 Toyota 4Runner with 186,XXX miles on it (bought it 5 years ago for $5.5K). So whichever 1 series car I go with I would mostly likely keep it for over 10 years. I guess I'm not like the other members on this forum in that most of the members on here either lease their car and get a new one after two years (plenty of posts on here about members stating they had half a dozen or so BWMs in the past) or sell it after the four years or 50,000 miles (whichever comes first)! See the for sale section, the ratio of 135i to 128i being sold is like 20:1.

I really want the 135i, so my question is besides the fuel pump failing is there any other major problem area I should know about? Also, how much does the fuel pump cost if I had to replace it after the warranty expires? I think the warranty is only good for 100,000 miles for the fuel pump, correct? And last question, how come there are so many 135i cars up for sale in the sale section. This really worries me.

First i think the fuel pump is VERY blown out of proportion, and it is covered to like 120,000 miles under warranty so who cares. also the turbos are up to 80 i believe. that being said i would say the 128 is inarguably a better long term car. i would say the 128 6mt fully loaded is probably one of the best long term propects on the market today, no question would recommend that to anyone i know, even having the 135.

[Colt]

Buy one with low miles (which is ~30k in my book). Try with one owner but no more than two owners. I bought my 08 with 22,700 on it for $22,500. Have yet to have one problem (it was still under warranty too when I bought it). Had the HPFP replaced by previous owner, and I think the injectors? Have the receipts somewhere...

As soon as you do get one with low miles put an oil catch can on it. Read up on the flaws of the car. Carbon build-up in the valves is inevitable (it's direct injected...) so if you're in the 3+ year run expect a walnut blasting and maybe the turbo(s) replaced. There are people that have not had their turbos replaced after 80k miles....it depends on how the previous owner treated the car.

Have yet to have one problem with my car, and have had it for close to a year as a DD. At 35k mark now.

[ptack]

75k and about to start year 4. No major problems since vanos and HPFP warrantee replacement back about 40k miles ago. In fact no problems at all since then.