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Purchasing High Milage M3(100k+) and annual maintenance and repair cost

20K views 22 replies 12 participants last post by  Apexeon  
#1 ·
Hey everyone

So I'm in the market for a higher mileage e46 M3 (100k miles and up) and I was wondering if there is anything wrong with buying higher miles M3 oppose to lower mileage ones. My guess would be everyone would need to be replaced anyways and if maintained properly mileage shouldn't be too big of a scare. What do you guys think?

Also what is the yearly maintenance & repair cost for e46 M3? Including Oil changes, tires , brakes (consumables) and unexpected repairs?
Thanks and any help would be awesome. :excited:
 
#4 ·
like these people said there are tons of threads of things to look for when
buying high mileage M3's. Vanos ... SMG unit (if applicable) ... proper maintenance (documented oil changes, fluid changes, valve adjustment is very important... the list goes on and on. Especially with a high mileage m3, be prepared to spend a serious amount of coin to make this amazing car last for as long as possible, but if maintained properly, these cars will last for ages.
 
#8 ·
ya it sort of is. all depends on how it was maintained (if at all). When I bought my smg m3, it had 80k on it and the dealer JUST replaced the pump. I don't do any track or any launching, and I service my car as much as possible, so I am expecting this second pump to last another 100k or so. like I said though, it all depends on how hard it was driven. My recommendation is to stay away from an smg unless you are SURE it's either brand new or under some kind of warranty. they are big bucks to replace.
 
#22 ·
Maintenance is king and will cost you quite a lot. Depending on what the previous owner did, you'd be looking to rehaul the cooling system, fix the Vanos, subframe repair, subframe bushings, RTAB/FCABs (if those haven't been done and any other little quirks. Belts, tensioners, fuel pump, brakepads/rotors, the list never stops. Depending on how much you drive, replacing tires will be expensive.

Did you want to mod your car? Well that's another beast in itself.