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      11-04-2014, 10:30 PM   #1
JTracy223
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Thinking about getting my first 7! Scared though...

Can I get some reliability reviews from you any of you guys? I have an 07 335i 6MT and to this day I've never had an issue. I really have always dreamed of owning a 7 series and I'm finally in a situation where I can purchase a used 2009-2011 model... So please, let me hear all of complaints and issues! And anything I should check for when looking at some! I greatly appreciate all of your knowledge and advice in advance
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      11-04-2014, 10:34 PM   #2
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Like I said earlier today, don't touch one without a full warranty. The repairs are gonna add up to very, very, big numbers. Thats why I'm getting rid of mine. Service department told me to. Hit 50k miles, warranty is gone, told me to get rid of it or prepare to drop $30-40k in the next few years in maintenance and repairs. All I needed to hear. Goodbye 750.

Oh yeah, extended warranties will only cover up to the value of the car, and early F01/02s are below $30k, so even if you get one, they may not pay for the needed repairs. CPO is the only way to go if you can't afford a 2012-2014 car still under factory warranty.

As far what goes wrong, where to begin? The N63 has weak valve seals. At around 60k, they're expected to leak. Leaking requires pulling the heads, tearing them down and rebuilding them with new seals. Its a $5k job if you're friendly with the shop. More if you aren't. The turbo oil seals have a tendency to leak (my car had this), causing oil to get into the turbo and eventually down into the intercooler. Requires replacing both the offending turbo and that intercooler. Another $5,000 job, per bank. The fuel feed line can leak from the pressure, and if its not caught, could ignite and melt the line, due to the immense heat in the engine bay (had that too). Its a fairly inexpensive fix, only a few hundred dollars, if the fire doesn't spread (mine didn't, just melted the line and went out). And then theres the lovely ZF 6 speed transmission. It gets cranky when the miles accumulate. It'll start banging into gear and occasionally slipping. A re-manufactured tranny runs $5022 wholesale, plus labor to install it. Count on $6k-6500 OTD. Thats about it for the powertrain. Should I go on to the drivetrain (rear end mounts) and suspension ($2k each rear shocks)?


Only a small fire on the fuel line.

Last edited by Mike_L; 11-05-2014 at 12:33 AM..
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      11-05-2014, 04:54 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JTracy223
Can I get some reliability reviews from you any of you guys? I have an 07 335i 6MT and to this day I've never had an issue. I really have always dreamed of owning a 7 series and I'm finally in a situation where I can purchase a used 2009-2011 model... So please, let me hear all of complaints and issues! And anything I should check for when looking at some! I greatly appreciate all of your knowledge and advice in advance
Hello, I have had three e66 and two f02.

The current f02 is at the peak of its reliability curve.

The reliability at this point is good.

The technology of 750li is really cool if you are the kind that appreciates hi tech. The engine management system floats inside two liquid cooled circuit board heat sinks.
The interconnects are fun to look at and examine.

The tech integration is awesome for us working stiffs that demand performance and integration with the office.

That said, I wouldn't touch this car with a 10 foot pole if it didn't have a factory warranty---even bill gates couldn't afford this car off warranty.
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      11-06-2014, 09:27 AM   #4
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I've also had 3 E66s and 2 F02s. The F02s have both been bulletproof, and the second and third E66s were too. None of these cars EVER went to the dealer for anything other than routine oil changes. (We won't talk about the 2003 745Li) Unfortunately, it's not a car that you want to own out of warranty. My analysis is that it costs more to own a used one than a new one. That's why I lease them for 2-3 years and always have the latest model. They just keep getting better and your expenses are always predictable. The lease payments barely cover the depreciation anyway.

It is a shame that these will be worthless in the future since BMW probably won't support them like Microsoft abandons outdated operating systems.
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      12-16-2014, 11:23 PM   #5
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I agree with all the posters. I got a 2013 740i with low miles(11000), so it has the full warranty and 1 yr CPO. I'm going to keep it for the rest of the full warranty and then dump it. The 740 doesn't have the same issues as the 750 since it has the N55 like the E9X does. But because it is a 7 everything is a premium on repairs when there is an issue. And when you are out of warrantly, its not pretty. So save yourself the headache and get one CPO with as much full warranty as possible and then get something else when the warranty is over. It's how things go with this car. Also get ready for the big depreciation hit. These cars drop in value very quickly.
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      12-17-2014, 01:33 PM   #6
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Same here, my 7 is under warranty but the day it is not under warranty is the day I'm trading it off on a different car. I've had nothing but problems with the electrical problems with the machine and parts and service takes months to get anything fixed in it. Tell you what though for 30k its hard to have a better car with as much character as the big 7 series.
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      12-27-2014, 03:48 PM   #7
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This seems wrong to me on so many different counts. The 7 series and similar cars are targeted towards people who want to make the statement/get the best of whats out there in automotive tech. 99% of these people are expected to not care about spending that kind of money on repairs or make buying choices based on reliability figures. If you are even thinking about a 7 series reliability, something is wrong with your buying decision.
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      12-27-2014, 07:00 PM   #8
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Im into year 3 of mine and it hasn't given many problems. Not every car is going to have the same problems. Take the chance and drive the car you really love. Otherwise you won't be happy.
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      12-27-2014, 07:55 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bimmeupscotty View Post
This seems wrong to me on so many different counts. The 7 series and similar cars are targeted towards people who want to make the statement/get the best of whats out there in automotive tech. 99% of these people are expected to not care about spending that kind of money on repairs or make buying choices based on reliability figures. If you are even thinking about a 7 series reliability, something is wrong with your buying decision.

Just because you want the top of the line, that doesn't mean you don't care about reliability or money. It should mean you get the best of the best. Unfortunately, with the Germans, you don't seem to get it.

Having to take the car in for service is a bother. Sure, some of the higher end owners who have 8 other cars can just have the help do it, but for those of us who have to do it ourselves, it doesn't exactly scream "Luxury!". Hopefully in the next generation, either reliability will improve, or BMW will take a page from Hyundai's Equus playbook and have concierge service. Either way, I'd like to see build quality mprove. Squeaks and rattles are unbecoming of a $100k luxury car.
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      12-28-2014, 09:12 PM   #10
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It's probably too late, as this thread was started in early November, but I was in the same boat. Find the original dealer and get the service history. Anywhere between 50-60k miles and it should have had all the known issues worked out. As for the valve seals, my research is conflicting, for every one who has developed it, someone hasn't. Decent aftermarket service contacts can be had for 3-4k, but seriously read the fine print...
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      12-31-2014, 04:09 PM   #11
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I agree with everyone here except for the guy that thinks bc you buy something expensive you shouldn't care about reliability. I've got less than 10k miles left on my warranty and I have been actively looking to trade. Never again will I make the mistake of buying instead of leasing this type of car. While I've had nothing significant happen to the car I have had a couple things like door handles and trunk hydraulics go bad and need to be fixed all under warranty luckily. The fact that I have to top it off with oil every several thousand miles without having an oil leak is a big enough sign of things to come imo. I will say I have enjoyed this car very much and it still gets plenty of compliments but the sour taste I have for the depreciation of it has made owning it less pleasurable
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