Originally Posted by AtlantaDan
Uh, the vast majority of the items listed here are standard wear items on any car. If you can't afford to do the brakes, bushings, struts, motor mounts, etc on a BMW, then maybe look for a car where parts are cheaper. If you follow BMW's maintenance schedule, you deserve whatever you get. Change the oil @ 5k and trans fluid at 40k-50k and you'll have far fewer issues.
Every car made is going to need the following by 100k:
Timing belt, serpentine belt, tensioner, water pump, thermostat, all suspension bushings, struts/shocks, motor mounts, trans mounts, diff bushing or mount, wheel bearings and seals, brakes (including rotors and electronic wear indicators), lots of fluid changes, transmission filter (which includes the pan), tires, spark plugs, coil(s), battery and a few others.
Most cars will also require the following:
Ac compressor, evaporator, condenser, radiator, power steering pump, expansion tank, lots of underhood vacuum lines, coolant hoses, rubber brake lines, oil pan gaskets, diff gaskets and seals, and some other doodads.
Cars are not made to last forever and things will break. It's wise to allocate at least $2k year in annual maintenance. If you don't spend it, add whats left to the following year's $2k, and so forth.
Looking at the lists people have posted, the only things that I see that are troubling are the well known timing chain and guide problems with the N20 engine. Otherwise, there's nothing abnormal here outside of the prices for BMW parts.
If you can't afford the maintenance, you can't afford the car.
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