[TechnicolorKid]

Hi all!

Newbie here to the world of BMW! It's time for me to upgrade my car as the Volvo I drive is kicking the bucket. Been a great car overall but I want something a little more premium and better on fuel (since I drive close to 100miles a day in commute).

Since I currently drive a wagon (08' XC70) I said that a wagon is what I want to continue with. I found a great deal on a MY14 328d but I'm not sure if I should take the plunge or not.

It's mineral gray with 91k on the clock. From VIN decoder, it looks as if it was purchased with the least amount of packages possible. Not a deal-breaker for me. No damage and a 1 owner clean carfax that states it was taken to the BMW dealership for all of its service (I take carfax with a grain of salt because it sometimes has missing information).

I've scoured the forums and haven't really come across many who have a 328d with higher mileage. (91k not high in my book, my current car has close to 200k) How reliable are these wagons? Anything I should specifically look out for? I really like the car and plan to make the trip out to see it this week to see it in person. Any insight or thoughts would be greatly appreciated! Excited to be apart of these forums and the BMW community.

[zswickliffe]

I don't have one but when I was shopping I know some had t̶o̶r̶q̶u̶e̶ ̶c̶o̶n̶v̶e̶r̶t̶e̶r̶s̶ transfer cases fail and emissions system issues (I'm not sure if it's EGR or DEF system).

Hopefully this helps point you in the right direction.

Edit: brain fart

[EricD735i]

I bought a 328d RWD with 65k that I’ve had about four months. Had to replace the NOX sensors not long after I bought it. I bought an extended warranty that should have covered them but that’s another story. No other issues, love the car. I recently took a trip, 150 miles each way. 50mpg up, 54mpg back. I’d say look into an aftermarket warranty, but be careful as many won’t cover any of the diesel emissions parts. Easycare’s top product will but you probably have too many miles for them. If you can turn a wrench and can set aside a couple grand you can probably handle most common issues.

Also have an X3d that we bought with 42k, now has 55k or so. Only issues it’s had are both rear wheel bearings were replaced recently. On a 1,600 mile trip it averaged 35mpg and I was a bit disappointed, but I didn’t use ecopro and was in the left lane the majority of the time.

Oh yeah, there’s the EGR recall hanging out there but I haven’t heard of too many that have the actual problem, most of us are just waiting for the parts.

[Enabled]

There are zero torque converter issues... Not sure where that came from.


The issues you will run most into is the 4wd transfer case output flange can wear away due to the vibrations from the 4cyl diesel (also happens with gas 4-cyl). I have devised a preventative method to save it from happening. https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1579087


Also if you misfuel or put questionable diesel into it with contamination the high pressure fuel pump can take a hit. BMW extended the warranty to 10 year / 120k miles on the high pressure fuel pump.

The emissions stuff that goes wrong are very minor (NOx sensors) and they have extended warranty as well.

EGR cooler is well covered and many of these cars for sale have had it done. It's a recall at the dealer for cars affected.

So I consider the biggest issue you can run into is the transfer case output flange wearing.

Miles don't matter too much on this car, as it has been very solid as long as it hasn't been neglected.


My wagon is mineral gray, and it is now at 96,000 miles. I have put a lot of those miles. It has been a very solid car for me. I will not be selling it ever.

[AlpineX]

If you buy this model on price you could end up with a first year higher mileage base model. This is a poor value proposition comparing to what you can get for $4 or 5k more.

First issue will be status of transfer case, then the functioning of all mechanicals, costs of 100k mile type maintenance if not diy, etc. On the other hand a very basic car has fewer things to fail.

If you plan to keep the car long term there are a variety of things that ultimately fall into the safety column: heads up display, sport seats, drivers assist plus, adaptive headlights/auto high beams, adaptive cruise control. Worth considering imo.

[zswickliffe]

Sorry, I had a brain fart and typed torque converters instead of transfer cases. Edited...