10 Months Of Ownership

[CryptoWhale]

Only a couple of weeks since my expansion tank needed replacing to the tune of £250 due to it cracking and pi**ing coolant everywhere, today the car has been in the garage due to overheating (see previous thread). Garage confirmed the electric water-pump was knackered. £550 all in for a new pump, thermostat, coolant and labor. This takes the total amount spent on the car in 10 months of ownership (for maintenance and repairs) to a grand total of £3800. I am disappointed and angry. I no longer look forward to driving the car like i did the first few months I got it, but rather dread and worry as to what the next big bill will be, what light will flash up on the dashboard next, if the car will even get me to where I need to go. All i see is people saying about how reliable and trouble free these cars are but it's far from my experience, maybe I've just bought an absolute stinker of a car or been extremely unlucky with timing but this has most certainly been the most problematic and costly car I have ever had. Every other week somthing new seems to pop up. Take for example the past week, when cornering occasionally I can hear a sound coming from the rear wheel Always prepared to pay for maintenance and repairs but 4k in nearly 10 months takes the absolute biscuit absolutely guttering to be honest. The list of things I have had to pay out for is starting to become endless and the list of non-major things that still need sorting out is also endless and continues to grow :thumbsdown:

The car is a blast to drive don't get me wrong, but the cost and constant worry of what's going to go wrong next has now far outweighed the fun and entertainment it provides and I have just lost interest. I need to have a good think as to whether I should cut my losses and sell it or keep it and take more hits for repairs and just hope there are no more big bills. I must say though this forum has been excellent with the amount of people that are willing to help and provide so much knowledge instantly, probably one of the best parts that comes with owning a Z4

 

[hasel5]

Sorry to hear of your problems
I am a owner of both a Z3 and Z4 and not had many issues with either must be lucky.

I do have the usual issues like rattles leaks etc but then cars are 23 and 16 years old so accepted

Think you have had a bad run just enjoy the ride and see how it goes for the winter
All the best nick

 

[Scubaregs]

Feel for you, sounds like you've been very unlucky. Although costly, those items are now done and should last many years. Hopefully you are sorted now apart from normal maintenance and wear and tear.

Good to let vent, best of luck going forward.

 

[Zedebee]

The lack of posts like this on the forum speaks volumes to the Z4s reliability, you must have been really unlucky.

I briefly worked for the UK’s leading vehicle leasing company and they had a phrase “Friday car” for cars that were really unreliable for no explicable reason. The theory was that the factory workers wanted to meet their bonus quotas for the week and had a perhaps more relaxed approach to quality. :thumbsdown:

 

[Mr Tidy]

I think you have been really unlucky to have so many issues in such a short time based on my experience of three Z4s (and 3 c cylinder 3 Series).

It's always difficult to know whether to keep the car to get some benefit from what you have spent on it or just cut your losses. But as you still enjoy driving it I would hope future ownership will be painless.

 

[Old-Duckman]

Sorry to hear about your problems and I can totally understand why you no longer really want to drive the car.

Did you get it for a super cheap price? Did it have extremely low mileage?

I got my 2004, 3.0 for a very fair price for its condition. However it did have relatively low mileage (52K). I have put over 8000 miles on it in less than 2 years, much more than is normally had per year in its life. I think that fact alone contributed to some of the maintenance and repairs I had to deal with. Though none of my expenses were very high and I did most of the work myself, it still had its issues. I, like you, hope that nothing major springs up but then again my car is 18 years old. The good thing is that this car is relatively easy to work on and parts are reasonable.

I also really enjoy this car and though I hope nothing major pops up I do not plan on dumping it unless something terribly expensive rears its ugly head.

If I were in your position I would be worried that if I sold it I would have just fixed it up for the guy who buys it from me...but you never know.

I think I read it on here and I don't know if it applies to your car but it made me laugh. "The cheapest BMW you can buy will be the most expensive car you will ever own."

Best of luck brother !

 

[MKZ4000]

I had my 3.0 for 3 years with no major problems at all. The only spend was on preventative maintenance.

I did lose my power steering but got it fixed for a few hundred.

The water pump and coolant tank are know weaknesses and you got caught with them.

These cars are getting on now and you’ve got to expect to expend.

It’s better if it’s a gradual process.

Hopefully you will hang in on in there and enjoy the car

 

[True-Blue]

How has the cost got to that level so quickly?, is that all repairs or does it include maintenance such as servicing?

I feel for you, buying an old car is always a gamble. The chap who bought my TTS spent a good deal of time inspecting it, and then quipped ‘‘hopefully it’ll get me home!’’ He was more of a petrol-head than me and recounted more than one occasion where a car he’d bought privately had broken down …on the way home! It didn’t, and he loves it thankfully.

What outstanding issues do you have with the car at the moment? Or have they all been addressed?

As disheartening as it is, if it was me I’d be giving the dust a chance to settle before moving it on. You could buy something else, be really unlucky, and have to start all over again and your current car may be problem free for a long time now.

 

[bigwinn]

£3800 in maintenance costs? Crikey!

Reality is on an older car it’s pot luck if you do or don’t have to spend cash fixing stuff

It will feel like cr4p when stuff goes bad and I feel for you- but if you don’t want that feeling get a newer motor… but then you’ll hate yourself for selling that motor that puts a smile on your face

Damned if you do and damned if you don’t- sorry fella

Cheers

Stuart

 

[rdgreen]

The lack of posts like this on the forum speaks volumes to the Z4s reliability, you must have been really unlucky.

I briefly worked for the UK’s leading vehicle leasing company and they had a phrase “Friday car” for cars that were really unreliable for no explicable reason. The theory was that the factory workers wanted to meet their bonus quotas for the week and had a perhaps more relaxed approach to quality. :thumbsdown:

Never had bonus system at any of the car plants I worked at. Much more likely to be a 'Friday" car because most workers get paid on a Thursday, and Friday is devoted to recovering from the previous nights hangover.

 

[Benderloch]

Really sorry to hear about this list of issues you have had since acquired your car. You are now at the position as you say of deciding wither to give up on it or continuing, hoping the worst is over.
It would be maddening to have done all this work and then sell it on for someone else to benefit from everything you have done.
There will be more hopefully small issues in the future, however give it some time to get your confidence back in the car and you will look back on this wondering why you ever considered selling it.

All the Best.

 

[enuff_zed]

It is a sad story indeed.
All I would say is, coming from old Fords, we always reckoned that as soon as you replaced one part of the cooling system, the pressure would look elsewhere to create an issue. It may well be that the new expansion tank helped accelerate other issues? (Not that I have any N52 experience.)
I fully understand that not everyone has the facilities, time, or inclination to do their own maintenance, but I would suggest that your bill would have been a fraction of that price if you had done the work yourself.
We have already discussed that I am too far away to really help you. If I were closer I would have said bring the car, the parts and a crate of ale and I would have either done the job for you or assisted you to do it.
I think it may be a good idea for you to find out which spanner-wielding forum members are close to you and would be willing to help out.
Sod's law you won't need them now, but it's always nice to have someone to fall back on.
For example, I was brand new to the M54 engine and E85s in general, but Stuart ([ref]bigwinn[/ref]) gave me his mobile number and I pestered the hell out of him for advice. so much easier to dive into stuff when you have someone experienced you can ask questions of.

 

[idej_z4]

It's rare to hear of so many problems...did you buy the car under the pretence it was a 'well look after example'? I think with the money you've pumped in (I would be on the lookout for a cheaper garage maybe) then surely you've fixed at least 95% of the problems and for that reason, I would keep the car and keep the faith.

I bought my most recent Zed knowing it was going to need some work...still didn't soften the blow when I had to pay-up. :wink:

 

[enuff_zed]

the list of non-major things that still need sorting out is also endless and continues to grow :thumbsdown:

Post up this list of your worries.
Let's see what advice you get and how we can help you.

I know you don't want to hear about more expenses right now but here's an example for you:
I recently replaced all four shocks, top mounts, ARB bushes and drop links for a shade over £400 plus a weekend of my time.
That's a lot of labour savings for a very big improvement to the car.

 

[AveZ4coop]

Hi OP, I had a similar experience with a different manufacturer a few years ago (a Skoda octavia VRS Tdi). I spent the same amount on repairs in the first 18 months of ownership, as I had buying the car in the first place. I didn't 'trust' the car after that (I had been sat at the side of the road on three occasions due to major issues), so I sold it. A few months later I really regretted it as it was such a lovely car and I felt I had paid to make it perfect for the next owner. He never contacted me to say he had any further issues, so I am assuming he is still driving around enjoying all the repairs I paid for?
My advice would be (as someone has already stated), to let the dust settle before making a decision. These cars are something special and can really put a smile on your face, and I think you could well regret moving it on too quickly.
Whatever you decide, I wish you the best of luck!

 

[pilch]

Crypto where are you based? There's bound to be competent DIYers on here that will help you out to save a few quid. Most of the expense is on labour so if you can save on that. If you're my way I'd always be happy to help, I've a two post lift and enough tools to cover pretty much anything I had a mates 20 yr old Volvo T4 over the other weekend for a whole load of suspension parts to be replaced, the labour costs he saved would've far outweighed the cost of parts

 

[colb]

Nothing surprising with what you have gone wrong in your ownership always expect the componants you had fail will crop up sooner or later. The rubber and plastic componants across the engine will all degrade over time due to age and continued heat cycles, none of this stuff will last for ever. As with some other manufacturers BMW parts prices are usually quite high and pattern parts are not always the best option for replacements, particulaly so with any of the sensors if they go bad. Don't forget Sopher BMW at Lincoln give a forum discount and post things out to you always great service from them.
Its costing you so much because of the labour charges the Garage(s) charge these days, so glad I can do most jobs on my cars myself and help others out with our local Zed Shed group of members. Mostly Z3 owners but getting to be a few Z4's amongs our Zed Shed Cymru group who hang out on zroadster.org. The Zed Sheds run by forum members amongst themselves are dotted about the country, we are in South Wales, another is Zed Shed West based in Lydney, Gloucestershire and Zed Shed Midlands in Lincolnshire, the original Zed Shed is around Basingstoke, none are commercial enterprises just forum member run as and when someone needs something done, they supply the parts and get help to fit and fix their cars. Not everyone is capable of doing jobs on their own cars so its good to give them assistance, they do learn a lot and get confidence to do jobs themselves in the future. We do accept donations for consumable restocking and any tool requirements that crop up and of course any work is done at owners risk as we are not a commercial or proffessional set up, just enthusiasts. If there is a Zed Shed near you suggest you get yourself along to one of the meet ups and get involved for the future. There is a Commercial set up near Manchester that is called ZedShed but it has nothing to do with our forum Zed Sheds, there are some threads regarding the service he provides and should be looked at before thinking of using it, nothing like forum members experiences.

 

[colb]

Sounds like @pilch has the makings of a Zed Shed in his neck of the woods (East Sussex) always up to assist anyone down here in South Wales at ours.

 

[enuff_zed]

Crypto where are you based? There's bound to be competent DIYers on here that will help you out to save a few quid. Most of the expense is on labour so if you can save on that. If you're my way I'd always be happy to help, I've a two post lift and enough tools to cover pretty much anything I had a mates 20 yr old Volvo T4 over the other weekend for a whole load of suspension parts to be replaced, the labour costs he saved would've far outweighed the cost of parts

Think he said Sheffield?
But the fact you're in East Sussex, I'm in Norfolk, Bigwinn is in Lincoln, and we've all offered to help should surely give encouragement that there'll be someone close enough to help.
Oh, and Colb too, missed that post, sorry.

 

[pilch]

Sounds like @pilch has the makings of a Zed Shed in his neck of the woods (East Sussex) always up to assist anyone down here in South Wales at ours.

Any Zed owner is welcome to use my place or I'll do the work if available

Crypto where are you based? There's bound to be competent DIYers on here that will help you out to save a few quid. Most of the expense is on labour so if you can save on that. If you're my way I'd always be happy to help, I've a two post lift and enough tools to cover pretty much anything I had a mates 20 yr old Volvo T4 over the other weekend for a whole load of suspension parts to be replaced, the labour costs he saved would've far outweighed the cost of parts

Think he said Sheffield?
But the fact you're in East Sussex, I'm in Norfolk, Bigwinn is in Lincoln, and we've all offered to help should surely give encouragement that there'll be someone close enough to help.
Oh, and Colb too, missed that post, sorry.

I missed the Sheffield bit :roll: I'm sure they'll be someone close to help him out in the future