Z4 is starting to burn a hole in my pocket

K

k3ab

Member
Apologies about the rant - thought I need to get thsi off my chest this morning... lol

Since owning my 2.5 03 one previous owner, well maintained Z (since summer last year) I've had the following expenses

Voluntary (until I realised how matainanace hungry / unreliable the Z is):
Purchased and fitted BMW sound generator (120 GBP)

brake fluid (brake fluid) - (around 100 GBP - can't remember exactly)
RFT puncture (130 GBP)
Broken rear spring (70 GBP + 60 GBP Labour)
Cracked 3rd break light (65 GBP, fitted myself)
Breaks fronts, rears + pads (£800 inc labour)
Both front tyres leaking air, eventually identified issue to be corrosion on inner rim but only after replacing all 4 tyres to non RFTs (400 GBP)
Oil serivce (180 GBP)
Today I noticed that the whole bottom door bottom seal is worn and has a massive crack in it - I understand this is hugely expensive to replace for what it is
Today on the way to work driver's side window regulator broke (120 for the part and quoted around 100 for labour)

That's 1985 + whatever that seal is going to cost to replace.
Insurance (first year 1600), just renewed: 1400

So in just under a year of ownership I've spent nearly 5000 pounds running the car (excluding petrol!)

The original cost was around 10000 so I already spent 1/2 of the car's value... Would probably have been better off getting a newer audi TT (like an 07 reg still under warranty for around 15000).

I get that most of the expense is insurance due necessary things (breaks, servicing, insruance due to being a young driver) but I can't really help stop thinking that I wouldn't have the reliability issues if I went with a car that wasn't built in America (like an audi TT for instance).

From the things that have gone wrong, I get a very distinct feeling that the build quality is definately lacking.
If in one year I've had all these petty little problems, I can't help thinking how much I am going to spend over the next 12 months as the car gets older.



Has anyone else here had a similar experience?
 
try doing the work your self?

my sound generator - £10 from a breaker.
oil/filter service - £50 ish
Breaks - cost of the pads
Brake fluid change - £10-15
Coolant change - next to nothing
CDV delete - £0

you save so much doing it yourself. i just keep all receipts so i have a record.

also, i have no mechanical experience and found most of the things a doddle
 
Maintenance costs were very reasonable for a 7-year-old Z4. But insurance cost was silly (age?).
 
Rudd_2002 is right. I replaced all four brake disks and pads from EBC for only 490GBP. Installed them my self :thumbsup:
Doing stuff on your own saves!
 
To be honest... its a 7 year old car.

Most cars have a design life of around 10 years.... That means there is a much higher chance that parts will fail.

Manufacturers differ in their expectations but most go for B10 life of 100 000miles or 10yrs. That means 10% of the population is expected to fail by that time.

I do agree with the US vs EU build quality comments though. I'm not knocking the US, its just that the market works differently over there. There are different expectations on the life of a vehicle, although this is changing due to the influx of reliable Japanese and European cars into the US market.

Expect more things to fatigue / wear / fall off / over the next few yrs....
 
Most items would not have been covered by warranty to be fair though ...
 
pvr said:
Most items would not have been covered by warranty to be fair though ...
Click to expand...


agreed, the cost is all relative in terms of oil, brakes, plugs etc etc. every car needs them so you have to discount those really.

things like roof motors, windows etc etc are what you could compare if you were talking in terms of an older zed compared to an in warranty car

my biggest problem is mods, im like a junky needing a fix at times :P
 
That isn't bad.

The tyres will last ages.

Discs pads will last ages.

Oil service is needed no matter how reliable car is.

Brake fluid change the same.

A puncture is something any car might have. Not so good with £130 RFT's though.


Only real faults are a broken spring, 3rd brake light (not essential to replace), and your side window thingy.


My car has a split door seal at drivers side bottom, but it's fine as water won't get in there (split is across the top)... it's a job to do, but not essential I go to BMW and let them sting me for £200 or something silly.

Dave
 
Hmm you've got two years worth of insurance down (£3k) so if nothing else needed repairing (as opposed to service) then the car shouldn't cost you anything more over the next year, bringing your total down to £2.5k per year, which including insurance at such a high rate, isn't that bad TBH.
 
You spent £800 changing brakes! :o WHY???? I changed my fronts for about £170 including labour!!!

Sorry, it's not the Zed's fault, but the owner. If you take it to stealers for such things (unless an indy really ripped you off??) and you don't do your research then it'll cost you.

This is what this forum and many others are all about. You could have saved at least £400 just on the brakes alone!
 
I replaced my ///Ms brakes (with genuine discs from BMW) and EBC pads for less than £600 fitted.
Insurance = £800 (or £1600 since I've paid it twice)
Road Fund Licence = £400 (or £800 since I've paid it twice)
Inspection 1 = £700
3 oil services = £300
4 tyres = £700

Total of £4300 in 23000 miles and 18 months or £240/month.

Everything else that it's needed has been under warranty (engine, wheel hub, wiper module).

I don't see much posted about the 'loads of reliability issues' you've had. The spring is a wear & tear item, the cracked brake light is probably due to accidental damage, the RFT puncture just happens, pads & discs are wear & tear, tax, insurance & fuel are the same for everyone, window regulator is 7 years old as is the door seal.

You need to get your hands on an e34 M5 to really understand reliability issues - even though you spend £1000 a month on preventative maintenance, it'll still come back and bite you in the bum when you desperately need to get somewhere :oops:
 
not sure you will get an 07 plate TT for 15K ! im looking for one for the wife and unless you want one with starship enterprise mileage of course.
 
Build quality on her indoors X5 seems better than the Z4 and both are/were built in US. Some of the plastic trim around the windsceen on the Z4 is very cheap looking. Sounds as though you've been unlucky with your car though. There are plenty of cars that have only had wear and tear items replaced after 7 years. £800 for brakes sounds very expensive as well. I know someone with an 02 Audi TT and it is a money pit :o .Something is always breaking on it.
 
Guys, thanks for the feedback. Glad to hear things can be done cheaper and that I'm not the only one having the small annoying issues. Drove down to hove today. It was such a nice experience with the top down again. Reminds me why I spend all the money on the car. Insurance is high as I'm 19.
 
BMWZ4MC said:
Spud said:
sammyz said:
I know someone with an 02 Audi TT and it is a money pit
Click to expand...
Same (though slightly different year, but same revision).
Click to expand...

x3 with my old TT
Click to expand...


Really... wow im surprised. I've had an A4 as everyday car (2004 Sline - used to be called Quatro GmBH styling back then) and now an 2009 SE. the 04 was good as gold for the 2 years of ownership, needless to say the 2009 is bulletproof. So I almost assumed Audis are superior build quality/reliability. But then again I suppose a TT is a very different car with different uses and probably built in a different factory to the A4.

Someone asked earlier in the thread what the Milage of my Z was. it was 39,000 when I got it and it is now at 49,000.

Anyway I am taking the Z over to an indy on monday morning and hoping they'll do a good job fitting the window regulator thingy. Also HOPE they will manage to do it in an hour. They originally quoted up to 3 hours beucase the guy could not remember if he had to remove the glass or not., Said that some 3 series required glass removal which is a big job. I told him that BMW garage quoted me one hour of labour and that I'd take it there instead., At which point he said he should be a ble to do it in 1 hr.
 
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