oonowindoo

So you would think BMW would have figured out a way to build FI cars after all the E90/92 fuel pumps issues.

Nope.

http://www.f30post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=786475

I got my first limp mode 2 days ago.

It seems the Fan thinks the car is overheating when it is not.

Many people replaced their fan, relay and DME software and the car just never feels the same again.

Fuking BMW....

oonowindoo

gatrhumpy

iTrader: (1)

Don't buy a BMW.

ttribe

1st year of a new model...happens.

Oh please.

Moog-Type-S

Only BMW's have problems...and they ALL have problems

Moog-Type-S

Swap out the words BMW with Honda/Acura and swap out the word FI with Automatic Transmission.

It's all relative.

FastAcura

Also, "limp mode" is not exclusive to turbo BMWs, or BMWs in general. It's a preventive measure not to cause (further) damage to the car. If Acura had installed something like that for the auto transmission, people would be thrilled instead of being downshifted into 3rd gear at highway speeds.

oonowindoo

2012 was the first year.

ttribe

Sorry, didn't catch the '13 in your sig.

oonowindoo

Don't get me wrong, BMW is still > Acura regardless

This is not going to stop me from buying another BMW like what Acura did to me with the CL.

One guy had only 400 miles when he got his first limp mode and another guy already replaced his AUX fan 5 times within a few thousand miles.

I know BMW is not the most reliable car and but i expect it to last at least 10k miles.

FastAcura

That's the way it always works. You never hear from the people who never had any issues. Between all the thousands of F30s purchased, I doubt you will find many who had this experience. Even Toyotas break down.

Mr Marco

Don't feed the trolls :ohnohedidnt:

RPhilMan1

Yep, Ford has the feature with the ST.

alex2364

Try doing a Performance Delivery in South Carolina and getting limp mode on the highway the way home. Happened to one guy on Bimmerfest...

oonowindoo

I am waiting for SSFFFFFETTTTXX

charliemike

While this is completely true, this is BMW and not The People's Glorious Cars of Motoring ... It really shouldn't be making a mess of something like this at this point should it?

oonowindoo

Did you read the thread from F30post i posted earlier?

Many have had this experience already.

Not just 1 or 2... So far 50% of the people who replied the poll have experienced this at least once and all of them have Msport.

oonowindoo

Called the dealer and i am not expecting much since all everyone is getting from their dealer is...

Limp Mode -> Replace fan -> limp mode again -> replace relay -> limp mode -> replace DME software -> limp mode -> ???

When i told the dealer what happeend, the service adviser said "it's the fan" before i finished my sentence.

FastAcura

I did not find a poll in your thread above. I did find this however. While pretty high, it's not close to 50%. Also, take into consideration that most BMW owners don't post in forums, mostly enthusiasts do. If you're having an issue, you're more likely to join a forum and contribute to the subject than if you're not having an issue.

http://www.f30post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=846185

oo7spy

ttribe

Probably not, but don't you think it gets overblown a bit because it's BMW?

I think we all know the "quality" rating processes out there right now are, unfortunately, quite poor (see Ford's dramatic drop because people couldn't figure out how to use Sync, for example), so it's difficult to compare across manufacturers.

Even looking at recall data is problematic, at best. For example, in 2012 two manufacturers accounted for almost half of the total number of new cars recalled. Those two manufacturers? Toyota and Honda (http://www.forbes.com/sites/jimgorze...calls-of-2012/). At first blush, that looks pretty bad, but when you consider the actual volume of vehicles those two companies sell every year is it really that bad? Don't know. No one seems to be studying such a thing.

Should such a trend as is allegedly occurring with F30 335's be happening? One would hope not given the amount of money paid for these cars and the, supposedly, tight quality control systems in place. But, that argument could be applied to just about any mass-producing auto manufacturer. It'd be nice if they all rolled off the line perfect, but the fact is cars are becoming more and more complex and sophisticated every year. When the "system" becomes more complex, the more difficult it is to avoid a big impact from even a small flaw.

Now, the challenge for BMW is to handle this well and, frankly, with the exception of the M5 issue last year, I don't think they've shown a great track record in that respect lately. That's the real disappointing part, IMO.

knight rider

iTrader: (1)

I get that there are problems with every car manufacturer, but when you purchase a premium vehicle "big" problems should never happen. This is big, just like the HPFP issue. Paying top dollar for a vehicle and having more problems than most non-premium vehicles just defies logic.

I own a BMW too, so I'm not just talking. I love it but I won't be replacing it with another BMW.

ttribe

Well, do your homework first then because I'll bet dollars-to-donuts that you'll find plenty of unhappy Audi/Mercedes/Land Rover/Lexus/Jaguar/Porsche/Infiniti, etc. owners out there saying the exact same thing - that their next car won't be made by the same company that made their current one. It's inevitable and the Internet only blows the issues out of proportion.

Crazy Bimmer

Not really. The more expensive the car, the more equipment there is that can fail.

You think a Toyota corolla is less reliable than a Lexus LS?

knight rider

iTrader: (1)

Homework done. I am fully aware of the sensationalism of car manufacturing problems on forums. Out of the manufacturers you listed, I'll take my chances with the Japanese brands. I've only owned Japanese brand vehicles and it wasn't until we got our BMW that I became intimate with the floor plan of a dealership lounge. It is quite nice, but I'd rather visit only for oil changes. I know a number of BMW and Mercedes owners, as well. We all know all too well what it's like to drive a loaner.

My Infiniti has been worry-free, so much so that sometimes I get anxious that I haven't been to the dealership in a while and start checking to make sure I didn't miss a scheduled maintenance.

Not trying to ruffle feathers here, but there is a reason why there is a general understanding the if you own a BMW you should purchase the extended warranty/maintenance plan, or plan to pay a premium for untimely and expensive repairs. It is what it is.

speedemon90

I do think it is blown out of proportion sometimes, but there is a certain quality that say lexus has that most german cars don't. Talking about reliability.

I remember reading something a while back that when Porsche acquired someone from toyota to aid in quality and now porsches are supposedly really reliable cars.

Now i'm with you and love bmw. I'm currenly not a fan of probably 99% of japanese cars. I love germans. But while everything is blown out of proportion because of the internet, bmw is still not at a level close to those of the japanese IMO

ttribe

I get it. But, even just a cursory search on Infiniti shows numerous complaints of "Notorious Transmission Issues" on the G37, a "bubbling dash" problem that required a class-action lawsuit on an FX45, 2013 QX56's completely shutting themselves down for no apparent reason while driving, numerous brake issues, catastrophic electrical system failures, multiple incidents of engine replacement on the same cars, etc.

I loved my 3G TL, but want to venture a guess on the number of power steering racks that car went through? Three. Remember the power steering pump recall? No one's immune. No one.

knight rider

iTrader: (1)

That might be true in some cases. For instance, on supercars there should be a reasonable expectation that these highly tuned, tight tolerance vehicles require more expensive and more routine maintenance, and the occasional problem. My expectation for vehicles that are purpose built for daily driving is that they should be generally reliable between oil changes.

I think that a Corolla is more reliable than the LS, and I get your point. I still think it's a shame that a premium vehicle, no matter how many bells and whistles it has, by definition, must be less reliable. That is a lot of money for more problems.

This might raise the point, "well knight rider, buy a Corolla and be happy". To that I say, "not a bad idea".

ttribe

Don't get me wrong; I'm not defending BMW because I happen to own one. I've been plenty critical of them as well, but all I see being thrown around is a lot of poorly supported opinion and no empirical facts. Your last statement - "...bmw is still not at a level close to those of the japanese IMO" is a good example. How did you reach this opinion? Word of mouth? Actual data? If there's data, I'd love to see it.

Let me provide another example, when I was approaching 16, I was looking for my first car. My Dad was a die-hard Ford guy. My oldest brother owned a Ford dealership at the time. I ended up with a '76 Datsun. Know what I kept hearing from my Dad? How unreliable Japanese cars were. How expensive it was to get parts or get them worked on, etc. Sound familiar?

Know what I discovered for myself? All the manufacturers, no matter where they are domiciled, have problems. All of them. At some point, buying a car is a gamble. Some people get a great F30. Other people don't. It's just a fact of life and it's magnified when you are an enthusiast who has higher expectations and lower tolerance levels for nonsense.

ttribe

Man-card revoked!

knight rider

iTrader: (1)

On my street, one of my neighbors has a Mercedes. Another one of my neighbors has a Lexus. We have a BMW. Want to venture to guess which house had one loaner (ever) parked out front in 5-6 years?

knight rider

iTrader: (1)

ttribe

Yeah, I hear you. My M5 was a maintenance pig, but my 335 has been a gem thus far. Sometimes, it's a crap shoot.

BTW, my local Lexus dealer was handing out Corolla's for loaner cars for a while...now THAT would make me an unhappy Lexus owner (first-world problems).

knight rider

iTrader: (1)

That's crazy talk.

ttribe

Big stickers across the rear windows that read - "Courtesy of Superstition Springs Lexus"...complete with grumpy, embarrassed, Lexus owners at the wheel. Made me giggle every time I drove up next to one on the freeway.

MaxMike93

Now THAT would royally piss me off to no end. Just for my , I have noticed how Japanese cars can have a better reputation than some others. As it says in my sig, I have a 2000 Infiniti, which I ended up liking quite a lot since I got it and it has been hassle free, save for an O2 sensor and the transmission not shifting as smooth as I'd like when cold, but a fluid change should change it. Anyway, I'm appalled how bad my dad's GMC has been. The small thing has been three power door lock motors, within less than 4 years of ownership (got it in 2009). Now what really kills my faith in the brand was the huge repair done last year, where apparently the valve lifters collapse (for the VCM) and all eight had to be replaced, along with a ton of other things, as I don't remember the service order completely. But for a truck with about 35K and 3 years old, that just seems unacceptable IMO. Especially since it is almost top-trim, and my dad was without it for weeks. I know it's luck of the draw, my dad said the Mazda he bought right after I was born got the CEL on right after they drove it off the lot while my mom's Highlander just had some small recalls, but nothing impaired the drivability while she kept using it, but it seems that some brands have more issues. Funny thing is my friend keeps saying how he hates newer cars since more and more components are computer-controlled (he HATED the Volvo he had last year), meanwhile, he can't get his '89 Mustang to idle correctly. I guess it's just a matter of seeing what complaints arise with any model and see the manner, and how quickly, the manufacturer can deal with them.

Hapa DC5

Who cares? I'm just happy to get wheels when my car is in service.

I dropped off my 2010 Infiniti several times and ended up with a Versa. All I cared about is if it had gas in it.

We shit and piss in clean water, where my mom grew up she didn't even have running water. They had a hand pump. Imagine what their toilet was like.

So me caring about getting some econobox for a day or two is the least of my worries. I just need to get to work.

dallison

Next he'll be saying that instead of having i-pads in the waiting room, they'll onlt have the old tower and 15" screen to use.

ttribe

Not sure if trying to be funny, or....

knight rider

iTrader: (1)

It might just be me (and ttribe) but when I buy into Infiniti instead of Nissan, or Acura instead of Honda, etc... I expect the ownership experience to be better than the ownership experience of the parent brand. Isn't that what they're selling!? So, when I visit the dealership, I expect to get a loaner that is comparable to what I have, or best effort. Receiving a Corolla as a loaner for a Lexus cheapens the experience of owning a Lexus IMO.

Even Hyundai understands this paradigm. Buy an Equus, and get an Equus service experience.

Edit: BMW understands this too. The service experience (albeit often) is always exceptional, at least in my experience.