[broach328]

rock, your saying that the 00 328 mt has cable throttle where as the 00 328 at has electronic??

 

[inlinesicks]

rock, your saying that the 00 328 mt has cable throttle where as the 00 328 at has electronic??

Yes that is what he was saying and it is correct, I think there was actually a recall on some of the post-2001 with electronic throttle due to very poor and jerky throttle response.

 

[broach328]

that just doesnt make sense. the same year and model, two different throttles. i mean electronic throttle would require a different everything. production date on my car is in 99. this could make a difference.

 

[RockLee]

that just doesnt make sense. the same year and model, two different throttles. i mean electronic throttle would require a different everything. production date on my car is in 99. this could make a difference.

I didn't say that the AT Had an electronic throttle they BOTH don't have electronic throttles.

 

[inlinesicks]

that just doesnt make sense. the same year and model, two different throttles. i mean electronic throttle would require a different everything. production date on my car is in 99. this could make a difference.

Oh sorry I read wrong what I meant was before 2001 was cable and after was electronic, doesnt matter if its AT or MT.

 

[broach328]

Sorry Rock. What happened was, you said, "if you get manual, believe me, its a good thing." then proceeded to say that they have cable throttle as apposed to electronic. I thought you were comparing AT to MT. My mistake fellas.

 

[mujjuman]

on the 328s, the rear subframe is prone to failure....
the automatic transmission go bad, so be aware of the possibility of learning manual or changing transmission.
water pump/cooling system needs overhaul at around 100k miles.
front control arms and bushings go bad frequently.
same with rear differential bushing.

those are the major problems that i know of.

 

[Franxta]

The two biggest things to look out for with the 328 is the autos are prone to failure and perhaps the biggest problem with the 328 is rear subframe failure, where your subframe literally pulls a whole in the rear floor of your car. Other than these things they are great cars well maintained well. Mine has been an absolute treat to own.

+1 noreverse.org, and subframe's are fragile on <01 models.

 

[broach328]

yeah. honestly man dont get a 328i. If i could, i would get an 01 325ci or 330.

 

[hwood52]

I, too, have a '00 328i. 5 speed manual. I just ordered new lower control arms and upgraded control arm bushings from bimmer world. Other than that, it drives like a charm. I would never guess it had 117,000 miles on it. It is tight.

 

[brycerichert]

Don't let the "rear subframe issue" scare you away. It's overhyped on this site. In actuality, probably less than 1% of 328i's ever had the problem.. it's just that people come to this site to complain when it happens to them. The people who it doesn't happen to don't come here to praise the product. Sure, check it out, along with the other 50 things you should have a qualified BMW mechanic check out before you buy. Good luck with your purchase!

 

[broach328]

bryce, i see where you are coming from but I think there is a lot more than 1% that have that problem. its almost inevitable.

 

[brycerichert]

There were +/- 560,000 e46's produced in it's best year.... I wish there were a way to find out if there were really 5,600 totally blown out subframes out there.

I agree that eventually, subframes might eventually all go out, if given time, but all the other major items needed to drive the car will go out eventually as well. The shops I take my car to in the Seattle area have put reinforcements into some e46's, but not post-incident. And those that have had issues (count on a couple digits on one hand) were because of jackrabbit starts and basic mistreatment of the car. All others were because of track time needs. But even the track isn't putting forces on the mounts the way jackrabbit starts would put on them.

I beat the hell out of my car at the track and because of this overrated submount fear, I have the required tack inspections take a peak at the subframe mounts everytime it is in there; it's human nature I guess.

But realistically, I think there are much more important things to worry about in a pre-buying inspection than the subframe mounts. I'm not saying, "don't check 'em out". I mean, why not, especially if it's up on a rack already.

Again, I wish we could get numbers somehow... it would be intresting to know. The internet skews negative items greatly. Further, I greatly feel for anyone who has indeed experienced a subframe issue.

Cheers.

 

[uncsuperman]

lovely cars, but having owned one for 6 months, not sure i'd recommend them.

from all that i've gathered (including my own experience), they can be problematic and very expensive to maintain. my car before this one was an acura which required absolutely nothing besides oil changes and tire rotations for 50,000 miles. i've already spent $300 on the BMW for other maintenance.

 

[brycerichert]

lovely cars, but having owned one for 6 months, not sure i'd recommend them.

from all that i've gathered (including my own experience), they can be problematic and very expensive to maintain. my car before this one was an acura which required absolutely nothing besides oil changes and tire rotations for 50,000 miles. i've already spent $300 on the BMW for other maintenance.

What some people don't understand is that on BMW's, some parts are consumables, whereas the same part on another car is not considered a consumable. Control arms on BMW's for example, especially if you are respectfully flogging it, are consumables, just like brakes. Most of the bushings are consumables, just like brake pads... but that's the price you pay for the ride. Once you get over this little variable, owning a BMW and experiencing it's costs become more understandable.

If operating costs are important, surely, don't get a BMW. Get a Japanese car; there are lot's of good ones out there that are a total blast to drive and are an amazing bang for the buck.

 

[Acarder]

Don't let the "rear subframe issue" scare you away. It's overhyped on this site. In actuality, probably less than 1% of 328i's ever had the problem.. it's just that people come to this site to complain when it happens to them. The people who it doesn't happen to don't come here to praise the product. Sure, check it out, along with the other 50 things you should have a qualified BMW mechanic check out before you buy. Good luck with your purchase!

+1, this is very true. Not every subframe fails, probably about 10% of them will at some time (could be well past 150-200k), and BMWNA will cover the entire cost of it. It's more of a hassle than a reason not to buy.

 

[mujjuman]

What some people don't understand is that on BMW's, some parts are consumables, whereas the same part on another car is not considered a consumable. Control arms on BMW's for example, especially if you are respectfully flogging it, are consumables, just like brakes. Most of the bushings are consumables, just like brake pads... but that's the price you pay for the ride. Once you get over this little variable, owning a BMW and experiencing it's costs become more understandable.

If operating costs are important, surely, don't get a BMW. Get a Japanese car; there are lot's of good ones out there that are a total blast to drive and are an amazing bang for the buck.

i agree

 

[uncsuperman]

What some people don't understand is that on BMW's, some parts are consumables, whereas the same part on another car is not considered a consumable. Control arms on BMW's for example, especially if you are respectfully flogging it, are consumables, just like brakes. Most of the bushings are consumables, just like brake pads... but that's the price you pay for the ride. Once you get over this little variable, owning a BMW and experiencing it's costs become more understandable.

If operating costs are important, surely, don't get a BMW. Get a Japanese car; there are lot's of good ones out there that are a total blast to drive and are an amazing bang for the buck.

but why are CAs on BMW consumable and NOT consumable for other luxury cars?

that makes no sense. under normal circumstances, CAs must be replaced more often on BMWs than on others. but why?

it's got nothing to do with "consumables". BMWs simply are not as reliable as japanese cars. they aren't made to be as reliable. they are better handling, in general, for sure.

but they are less reliable, and more expensive to maintain. that much is fact. for some people, that trade-off is worth it, for others, not.

but a buyer should know what they're getting into.

not to mention that the only problem i ever had with my acura was a failed tranny, which acura voluntarily covered up to 100,000 miles for all vehicles with that tranny. have we seen BMW extend that courtesy, in light of the well-documented problems with the steps? nope.

 

[mujjuman]

superman does have a point...

 

[serano99]

get the car inspected!!!! And +1 for manual transmission.