135i Reliable?

Chunkaway · 08-31-2011, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by audimotion

From what i gather, and i did alot of that before i bought my 135, is the hpfp and brake light are primarily the issues. The car, mechanical wise seems to be pretty tough. Consider a CPO car and have worry free driving for 100k.
But If you are the type to constantly worry about issues that "could" happen, then you truely may want to consider a less high performance type car...honda, toyota etc.

Pardon my ignorance (again!) but what is a CPO car?

KingOfJericho · 08-31-2011, 06:01 PM

Certified Pre-Owned

ItsHectic · 08-31-2011, 06:09 PM

Quote:

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.

Is it even covered under warranty? Called the service department of my dealership and they did not even know about the issue!

Chunkaway · 08-31-2011, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KingOfJericho

Certified Pre-Owned

Okay, I'm asking because I have seen some 135is that had a 100K warranty, which I guess is something different.

EVERY recent BMW on the BMW dealer's lot seems to be "certified pre owned" including the one that I drove that had the check engine light come on.

Chunkaway · 08-31-2011, 06:34 PM

Here is the car I drove and you can see the "certified pre owned thing on the page."

http://www.kunibmw.com/certified/BMW...6a1f809993.htm

ken1137 · 08-31-2011, 06:58 PM

Actually the gas cap thing is real...if someone did not close it all the way during the last fill a code would be triggered. The dealer may not have known or was too lazy to clear it before your test drive. By the way...as a few posted the 335 and 135 main issue is the HPFP, which is now under warranty 10yr/100,000. I had one replaced already but no other issues. All I know is I have a smile on my face each and every time I drive this car...it is sooo much fun (w/Cobb A/P). In addition, there are not many on the road so it sticks out in the land of Lincoln (3,5, & 7 series) here in Chicago.

Chunkaway · 08-31-2011, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ken1137

Actually the gas cap thing is real...if someone did not close it all the way during the last fill a code would be triggered. The dealer may not have known or was too lazy to clear it before your test drive. By the way...as a few posted the 335 and 135 main issue is the HPFP, which is now under warranty 10yr/100,000. I had one replaced already but no other issues. All I know is I have a smile on my face each and every time I drive this car...it is sooo much fun (w/Cobb A/P). In addition, there are not many on the road so it sticks out in the land of Lincoln (3,5, & 7 series) here in Chicago.

What year is your car? There seems to be significantly fewer problems with the N55 turbo era cars (2010 -2011).

BimmerE82 · 08-31-2011, 07:10 PM

2 door coupe = fun
4 door sedan = family

Just sayin'

Chunkaway · 08-31-2011, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BimmerE82

2 door coupe = fun
4 door sedan = family

Just sayin'

I'm trying to pull off both with the 135, but it may not happen. Wish me luck!

ken1137 · 08-31-2011, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chunkaway

What year is your car? There seems to be significantly fewer problems with the N55 turbo era cars (2010 -2011).

'08 - produced in Sept. (I think - haven't looked at the tag in awhile). Yep, N55's are newer and I believe only a couple of reported problems with HPFP's here in the forum.

audimotion · 08-31-2011, 07:33 PM

One good reason there are so few issues on the 2010-11 is the fact they are so new. Many have VERY few miles. Give them 2-3 years and then they can be compared to the previous years...

Venom · 08-31-2011, 07:49 PM

I have not seen if the N55 is covered under the 100K(or 120K) mile warranty. Something to be careful of...

The gas cap thing sounds false to me because if that was the case they should fix it or close it. I doubt the code would show up "after 3 min" if it had been previously set. My 2c

Plus 1 on the cobb ap! Dont forget to uninstall it before you take it in for service!

BimmerE82 · 08-31-2011, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chunkaway

I'm trying to pull off both with the 135, but it may not happen. Wish me luck!

Good luck with that, I love my 135i but I don't have to cart around little kids in car seats all day long either.

GotM · 08-31-2011, 08:32 PM

The one thing I have noticed over the last 2 years on this this forum is that the volume of threads talking about HPFP failure has dropped a lot. I dont have facts to back this up. But, it seems that 2 years ago there was at least 1 new thread a week talking about a recent failure. This does not seem as frequent...but there still are failures.

It also seems that a few people have had their AC worked on several times. Mine was worked on twice in 9 months. If I have another failure on this car, I know I will not keep the vehicle past the warranty period. AC is way to valuable here in Az.

old1 · 08-31-2011, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chunkaway

First off, thanks for all the comments in my thread about the 135i being a good family car or not. Lots of things for my wife and I to consider.

In my research on this board (and on the web) it seems like there have been a significant number of issues with the 135 (and to a lesser extent the 335). I also saw that Consumer Reports gave it a below average in reliability. I understand that some of these issues are due to the HPFP, but are there other significant issues with the car?

By the way, I test drove a 135 with my wife and the "check engine light" came on about 3 minutes into the drive. We turned around and brought the car right back to inform the salesperson helping us. His comment was, "Oh yeah that's just an issue with the emissions or with the gas cap not being tight." (The gas cap was tight, by the way.) I realize this was only one car, but it has spooked me a bit, especially after reading some comments on this board.

So, is the 135i reliable or not? (I'm looking at a 2009 model, by the way.)

The 135i is not reliable, in my experience. Consider your brief
experience with it a warning.

Venom · 08-31-2011, 09:19 PM

I disagree! Research research research and maybe go for CPO. Getting a free loaner is nice, whenever my car is in for service. HPFP isn't even that bad(my 3rd). But hey, not everyone is in love with their 1. I am addicted to my 1. But I've only had mine for a couple months, so YMMV. Service records are important!
Gluck and hf with whatever your decision is.

Quote:

Originally Posted by old1

The 135i is not reliable, in my experience. Consider your brief
experience with it a warning.

jkoral · 08-31-2011, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chunkaway

Here is the car I drove and you can see the "certified pre owned thing on the page."

http://www.kunibmw.com/certified/BMW...6a1f809993.htm

FWIW, this price is a bit high, unless you want automatic.

Back in March, I was looking at two 2009 CPO 135s from BMW dealers with less mileage for less money. Both were 6MT + M-Sport + iPod + leatherette. 9K miles for $32K and 15K miles for $31K and this was with no real negotiation, just their initial "best price".

if you are concerned about reliability, a 2008 will be off warranty next year. A 2009 or 2010 will give you an extra year or two of factory warranty.

x97Melbourne · 08-31-2011, 09:54 PM

135i is a great car.....but family car.....but come on now...... that's a stretch even for this forum. I just can't say it with a straight face

x97Melbourne · 08-31-2011, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jkoral

FWIW, this price is a bit high, unless you want automatic.

Back in March, I was looking at two 2009 CPO 135s from BMW dealers with less mileage for less money. Both were 6MT + M-Sport + iPod + leatherette. 9K miles for $32K and 15K miles for $31K and this was with no real negotiation, just their initial "best price".

if you are concerned about reliability, a 2008 will be off warranty next year. A 2009 or 2010 will give you an extra year or two of factory warranty.

yeah that price is WAY high....come on now.....if you do want a 135i, maybe consider getting a 2010 model for this price through a car broker. 2 1/2 years warranty left.

Venom · 08-31-2011, 10:13 PM

Agreed, 2008 at that mileage 25k tops... Its not even CPOd

Automatic tends to be cheaper near me.
Keep searching!

Quote:

Originally Posted by x97Melbourne

Quote:

Originally Posted by jkoral

FWIW, this price is a bit high, unless you want automatic.

Back in March, I was looking at two 2009 CPO 135s from BMW dealers with less mileage for less money. Both were 6MT M-Sport iPod leatherette. 9K miles for $32K and 15K miles for $31K and this was with no real negotiation, just their initial "best price".

if you are concerned about reliability, a 2008 will be off warranty next year. A 2009 or 2010 will give you an extra year or two of factory warranty.

yeah that price is WAY high....come on now.....if you do want a 135i, maybe consider getting a 2010 model for this price through a car broker. 2 1/2 years warranty left.

Chunkaway · 08-31-2011, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NurEinser

Agreed, 2008 at that mileage 25k tops... Its not even CPOd

Automatic tends to be cheaper near me.
Keep searching!

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.

Chunkaway · 08-31-2011, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by x97Melbourne

135i is a great car.....but family car.....but come on now...... that's a stretch even for this forum. I just can't say it with a straight face

It wouldn't be our only car. I'm not a huge fan of the size of the 335, so if I can swing the 135, I'll do it. (Assuming the reliability is there.)

08-31-2011, 06:01 PM	#24
KingOfJericho Major General 2452 Rep 7,341 Posts Drives: Yes Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: CT iTrader: (1) Garage List 2010 135i Coupe [5.26]	Certified Pre-Owned __________________ The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Bimmerpost. 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee High Altitude Hemi \| 2010 S4 Sold \| 2010 BMW 135i Retired \| 2006 Lotus Exige Sold
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08-31-2011, 06:34 PM	#27
Chunkaway Private 16 Rep 60 Posts Drives: 330xi Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Oregon iTrader: (0)	Here is the car I drove and you can see the "certified pre owned thing on the page." http://www.kunibmw.com/certified/BMW...6a1f809993.htm
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08-31-2011, 06:58 PM	#28
ken1137 Brigadier General 89 Rep 3,732 Posts Drives: BMW S1000XR Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Gilbert, AZ iTrader: (7) Garage List 2009 e90 335i [6.40]	Actually the gas cap thing is real...if someone did not close it all the way during the last fill a code would be triggered. The dealer may not have known or was too lazy to clear it before your test drive. By the way...as a few posted the 335 and 135 main issue is the HPFP, which is now under warranty 10yr/100,000. I had one replaced already but no other issues. All I know is I have a smile on my face each and every time I drive this car...it is sooo much fun (w/Cobb A/P). In addition, there are not many on the road so it sticks out in the land of Lincoln (3,5, & 7 series) here in Chicago.
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08-31-2011, 07:10 PM	#30
BimmerE82 Captain 105 Rep 837 Posts Drives: 2009 BMW 135i Sport package Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Tucson, Arizona iTrader: (0) Garage List 2009 BMW 135i [7.00]	2 door coupe = fun 4 door sedan = family Just sayin' __________________
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08-31-2011, 07:33 PM	#33
audimotion Second Lieutenant 4 Rep 218 Posts Drives: 08 135i/12 F250 CC PS/06 ML500 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: MN iTrader: (0)	One good reason there are so few issues on the 2010-11 is the fact they are so new. Many have VERY few miles. Give them 2-3 years and then they can be compared to the previous years... __________________ 08 135i \|Alpine White w/ Terra Boston Leather\|Sport Pkg\| Premium Pkg\| Shadowline\| Gloss Black Trim\| Nav\| Comfort Access\| Active Steering\| Steptronic\| Htd Seats\| Prem. Sound/Sirius\| Park Distance\| PPK 1\|BMS 4LED\|M3 Sway Bar
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08-31-2011, 07:49 PM	#34
Venom Colonel 374 Rep 2,388 Posts Drives: M2 Competition Join Date: May 2011 Location: East Bay, CA iTrader: (5) Garage List 2008 BMW 135i [8.50]	I have not seen if the N55 is covered under the 100K(or 120K) mile warranty. Something to be careful of... The gas cap thing sounds false to me because if that was the case they should fix it or close it. I doubt the code would show up "after 3 min" if it had been previously set. My 2c Plus 1 on the cobb ap! Dont forget to uninstall it before you take it in for service!
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08-31-2011, 08:32 PM	#36
GotM Second Lieutenant 7 Rep 232 Posts Drives: 2013 Subaru BRZ 6MT Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Chandler, AZ iTrader: (0)	The one thing I have noticed over the last 2 years on this this forum is that the volume of threads talking about HPFP failure has dropped a lot. I dont have facts to back this up. But, it seems that 2 years ago there was at least 1 new thread a week talking about a recent failure. This does not seem as frequent...but there still are failures. It also seems that a few people have had their AC worked on several times. Mine was worked on twice in 9 months. If I have another failure on this car, I know I will not keep the vehicle past the warranty period. AC is way to valuable here in Az. __________________ 13 Subaru BRZ, WR Blue, 6M 09 BMW135i, Alpine White, Sport, 6M - sold 99 BMW M roadster, Estoril Blue - sold
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08-31-2011, 09:54 PM	#40
x97Melbourne Molar World 47 Rep 916 Posts Drives: 2016 435i Coupe Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Florida iTrader: (0)	135i is a great car.....but family car.....but come on now...... that's a stretch even for this forum. I just can't say it with a straight face __________________ Current: 2016 435i Coupe Previous: 2014 335i Sedan; 2013 328i Cv, 2011 335i Sedan Gone But Not Forgotten: 2008 135i Convertible (my favorite)
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