iank

Hi there,

I used to own a 2006 525i, and found the maintenance costs quite reasonable up until about 200,000km. I had one oil leak, and the CCC replaced because it stopped starting up, but aside from that most was quite reasonable.

I'm looking at a low mileage 2009 E92 335xi coupe (65,000 km), and was wondering if there are any significant differences in reliability (unexpected maintenance/wear and tear), or general costs to own, compared with the 525i I was used to. Obviously the 335xi is all wheel drive, though I'm not sure if that introduces much in terms of cost to own.

Thanks very much!
Ian

eaton18

The 335 is going to have higher maintenance cost than the 525. the n52 in the 525 is a very reliable engine with few problems. The 335 n54 engine is a direct injection twin turbo. It has issues with the earlier injectors and high pressure fuel pump. If those have both been recently updated, like in the last year or maybe 2, you should be ok. the injectors should be ok if the are index 12's. The intake valves require cleaning every 45k miles or so because the fuel does not get spayed into the intake to keep them clean. If you are not a diy'er this can run you about $400 or more depending on where you take it to be done. Best thing to do is to try and get maintenance history and a PPI before purchasing to and do as much research, specifically on the N54 engine so you know exactly what you will be getting into before hand. I did not do the inspection when I bought my 08 535 but I did a lot of research and I was aware of all the issues that they have so that nothing was a surprise. I am a DIY'er and I have done all the repairs myself. If you can DIY then anything that does come up will not be so bad to fix