Need buying advice: bmw f30 335i

[Aizoo]

Hi guys hope you all are keeping well
I am in the market for a 2nd car (i have a polo vivo that i daily atm)
Im currently considering the bmw f30 335i and im looking for advice to as hows the reliability on it
I wont be modifying it (probably just a charge pipe because ive heard that the stock ones always crack and maybe a downpipe later on)
I wanted to find out about the reliability of these n55’s. It’ll be more of a weekend car where i dont use it as much (+- 10 000 km a year)
Ive been hearing alot of horror stories about the reliability and how big of a money pit they can be so i wanted to ask any people who owned them
Im more of a person who would occasionally have some fun with it but not often
(I know a 330d would be more reliable but the prices for them are absurd atm and i just love the sound of a petrol)
So i wanted to know from those who have experience with the n55
how is the reliability and the drive of them?
What problems should i look out for when looking at one and what preventative maintenance should i do and how much will they cost?
And id be more than open to any other suggestions as my budget is up to 250k
(Preferably in the bmw range but id be more than happy to hear any other suggestions)

 

[yourang]

They not reliable, but hell of lot of fun when they do work. You slap stage 2 on that puppy and be taking GTI dakke down william nicol road!

You want 320D or 330d, they cost more for a reason as you can keep them on the road without taking out second mortage.

I was part of bmw club with my 320d, I heard all the stories lol

 

[Aizoo]

They not reliable, but hell of lot of fun when they do work. You slap stage 2 on that puppy and be taking GTI dakke down william nicol road!

You want 320D or 330d, they cost more for a reason as you can keep them on the road without taking out second mortage.

I was part of bmw club with my 320d, I heard all the stories lol

I think thats the best metaphor ive ever heard lol
If i were to go the diesel route id definitely buy the 330d (e90) but its hard to find a nice and clean example for a reasonable price
How much was the maintenance costs on your 320d and if i do go the diesel route
Are there any problems that i should look out for or any common problems they could have?

 

[pɐlΛ‾pɐq‾ƃᴉq]

N54 with with Single turbo. lekker

 

[yourang]

I think thats the best metaphor ive ever heard lol
If i were to go the diesel route id definitely buy the 330d (e90) but its hard to find a nice and clean example for a reasonable price
How much was the maintenance costs on your 320d and if i do go the diesel route
Are there any problems that i should look out for or any common problems they could have?

My 320d I just serviced at bmw, it just worked sold it 199k on clock. I had f30 model.

The aircon seems been pretty weak when sold only really worked when highway speeds and raditor fan I think was failing. But other than that it just worked.

E90 has issue like damper pulley that needs be done. But overall very solid cards

 

[cos_mo]

I think thats the best metaphor ive ever heard lol
If i were to go the diesel route id definitely buy the 330d (e90) but its hard to find a nice and clean example for a reasonable price
How much was the maintenance costs on your 320d and if i do go the diesel route
Are there any problems that i should look out for or any common problems they could have?

I have a F10 530d. Absolutely love it.
Stage 2 tuned with around 220kw and 600nm to the wheels and best of all, light on fuel.

Normal servicing costs aren't much more than any other car, unless you go to the dealership (please don't)
Tyres are a big cost since they are run flats

Automatic Gearbox on the E90, F10, F30 are ZF gearboxes.
Bmw says these boxes do not need servicing but ZF themselves say they do every 80k-100k km.
Service on the 8 speed is around 6k and on the 6 speed around 4.5k at ZF.
If you don't do the service, you will most likely have issues close onto 200k km and will probably need another gearbox. if you do the service I have heard of people with over 600k km on stock gearbox.

Common problem on the diesels and F30/F10 are Vibration Dampers, Engine Mounts, Control Arms.

 

[Aizoo]

My 320d I just serviced at bmw, it just worked sold it 199k on clock. I had f30 model.

The aircon seems been pretty weak when sold only really worked when highway speeds and raditor fan I think was failing. But other than that it just worked.

E90 has issue like damper pulley that needs be done. But overall very solid cards

i see
I dont know why but i just love how the e90 looks
Theres just something about it

 

[Aizoo]

I have a F10 530d. Absolutely love it.
Stage 2 tuned with around 220kw and 600nm to the wheels and best of all, light on fuel.

Normal servicing costs aren't much more than any other car, unless you go to the dealership (please don't)
Tyres are a big cost since they are run flats

Automatic Gearbox on the E90, F10, F30 are ZF gearboxes.
Bmw says these boxes do not need servicing but ZF themselves say they do every 80k-100k km.
Service on the 8 speed is around 6k and on the 6 speed around 4.5k at ZF.
If you don't do the service, you will most likely have issues close onto 200k km and will probably need another gearbox. if you do the service I have heard of people with over 600k km on stock gearbox.

Common problem on the diesels and F30/F10 are Vibration Dampers, Engine Mounts, Control Arms.l

I have a F10 530d. Absolutely love it.
Stage 2 tuned with around 220kw and 600nm to the wheels and best of all, light on fuel.

Normal servicing costs aren't much more than any other car, unless you go to the dealership (please don't)
Tyres are a big cost since they are run flats

Automatic Gearbox on the E90, F10, F30 are ZF gearboxes.
Bmw says these boxes do not need servicing but ZF themselves say they do every 80k-100k km.
Service on the 8 speed is around 6k and on the 6 speed around 4.5k at ZF.
If you don't do the service, you will most likely have issues close onto 200k km and will probably need another gearbox. if you do the service I have heard of people with over 600k km on stock gearbox.

Common problem on the diesels and F30/F10 are Vibration Dampers, Engine Mounts, Control Arms.

Hmm i see and i have heard alot about how amazing they are however my biggest problem is finding a nice and clean example as i am quite picky when it comes to cars and the 330d’s that i do find either have high kilos or they are extremely overpriced and arent really the spec that i am looking for
How much did it cost you to do the stage 2 tune and what modifications have you done to it?
And lastly whats the max amount of mileage you would say i can go up to before i start avoiding them
(Id preferably look for one with less than 150 000kms which i know is probably like looking for a needle in a haystack)
Im kind of a newbie when it comes to diesel cars

 

[Aizoo]

N54 with with Single turbo. lekker

lol as much as i love them i would much rather choose my sanity than get one even though they are alot of fun

 

[Priingles]

I think thats the best metaphor ive ever heard lol
If i were to go the diesel route id definitely buy the 330d (e90) but its hard to find a nice and clean example for a reasonable price
How much was the maintenance costs on your 320d and if i do go the diesel route
Are there any problems that i should look out for or any common problems they could have?

This. the E90 330D's are bulletproof. the LCI models look great too

 

[cos_mo]

Hmm i see and i have heard alot about how amazing they are however my biggest problem is finding a nice and clean example as i am quite picky when it comes to cars and the 330d’s that i do find either have high kilos or they are extremely overpriced and arent really the spec that i am looking for
How much did it cost you to do the stage 2 tune and what modifications have you done to it?
And lastly whats the max amount of mileage you would say i can go up to before i start avoiding them
(Id preferably look for one with less than 150 000kms which i know is probably like looking for a needle in a haystack)
Im kind of a newbie when it comes to diesel cars

Stage 2 tune - 6k
Downpipe - 3.5k
That's it.

Lower mileage, the better so that you can see to all maintenance.
200k km if there is proof preventative maintenance was done. Ie, gearbox services bla bla bla.

These N57 engines are bulletproof and so are the ZF gearboxes when maintained correctly.

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Not sure if it's still available, but the car is awesome and has a bunch of maintenance done on it already.
If I was looking to get another 30d, the link above is the car I would go for, minus the rims

Something to consider when looking at the E90 330d compared to the F10 330d, even though both share the same engine with slight modifications, the F30 has the ZF8 gearbox, this on its own is worth the price for the comfort, sport changes and fuel economy it brings. The E90 has a ZF6 if I am not mistaken.

 

[Vinnige Fanie]

N55 is fine, I raced mine for almost 2 years now.

Key thing is preventive maintenance, N55 like most Bmw engines need to have rod bearings changed at around 150k km.

Oil changes every 5000km or 6 months if you plan on enjoying it. The biggest issues with them are trying to chase big power. These are open deck design engines so they can have issues with reliability if you go past 350kw usually.

As for most N55 issues are:

Eccentric shaft
Water pump
Coil packs and plugs
Rod bearings on higher mileage

Then yes charge pipe is a must on them. And I would highly recommend changing oil frequently and not getting on it until it's up to temp.

Stage 2 N55 with decent tuning and supporting mods will be a fun car and they sound great.

If you want all out power get a N54 and enjoy hating your life with issues.

IMO the diesels make great daily's but not alot of fun with the lack of revs and sounding like a truck.

 

[Aizoo]

N55 is fine, I raced mine for almost 2 years now.

Key thing is preventive maintenance, N55 like most Bmw engines need to have rod bearings changed at around 150k km.

Oil changes every 5000km or 6 months if you plan on enjoying it. The biggest issues with them are trying to chase big power. These are open deck design engines so they can have issues with reliability if you go past 350kw usually.

As for most N55 issues are:

Eccentric shaft
Water pump
Coil packs and plugs
Rod bearings on higher mileage

Then yes charge pipe is a must on them. And I would highly recommend changing oil frequently and not getting on it until it's up to temp.

Stage 2 N55 with decent tuning and supporting mods will be a fun car and they sound great.

If you want all out power get a N54 and enjoy hating your life with issues.

IMO the diesels make great daily's but not alot of fun with the lack of revs and sounding like a truck.

I wont be heavily modifying the car though if i do get a 335i (at most stage 1 after a while)
And i am not really a person who will push the car often (maybe once in a while on an empty road but not entirely to its limits)
Once again i wont be using it as often as i do have my daily which still has low km’s

Horsepower isnt my main objective as i want something thatll not give me headaches as reliability is a big concern for me and when im feeling a little mischievous it should put a smile on my face

I was considering maybe a golf 6 gti but im honestly tired of the FWD platform and as fun as they are its not worth the headaches and the risks that come with it
Lol i definitely will not be going with the n54 though as i know all too well how big of a headache they can be
Lol i actually agree with you on the diesels but after hearing one of my neighbours stage 3 330d its changed my mind as it sounded absolutely insane and i found it hard to believe at first that it was a diesel until i heard the turbo blowoff
At the moment i cant decide whether to go with the e90 330d or a f30 335i

 

[Aizoo]

Stage 2 tune - 6k
Downpipe - 3.5k
That's it.

Lower mileage, the better so that you can see to all maintenance.
200k km if there is proof preventative maintenance was done. Ie, gearbox services bla bla bla.

These N57 engines are bulletproof and so are the ZF gearboxes when maintained correctly.

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Not sure if it's still available, but the car is awesome and has a bunch of maintenance done on it already.
If I was looking to get another 30d, the link above is the car I would go for, minus the rims

Something to consider when looking at the E90 330d compared to the F10 330d, even though both share the same engine with slight modifications, the F30 has the ZF8 gearbox, this on its own is worth the price for the comfort, sport changes and fuel economy it brings. The E90 has a ZF6 if I am not mistaken.

Im still on the fence on what car i want to get however if i do go the diesel route id definitely would do a stage 2 as i honestly hate how they sound stock but i know all too well how powerful 330d’s are as i have friends who own them and they pull like a train!!
Lol i did see that post but rhe only problem is that i live in johannesburg so its a little inconvenient for me but i already saved it as one of my options
Imo i feel that the f10 platform is a little too big for my liking and if im being honest my heart is already set on the 3 series platform
However if i do finally decide to go with the 330d i will definitely keep in mind what you have said

 

[Whoozycomic]

Don't buy N55... rather buy a B58 340i or 140i... I've changed my engine, gearbox and almost all of my suspension... M135i owner here... The money spent to repair you can buy a 340i....

 

[PHalanKS]

Had my f30 335i for 9 years (2014-2023) and enjoyed it a lot. In many ways it’s the “perfect” car. Maintenance wise I never had to do any “big” items. My charge pipe did pop off and I got a nice one fitted around 3-3.5k. Other than that I replaced brake pads just about every service under maintenance plan and tyres occasionally (I think thin profiles, stiff suspension and potholes is not a recipe for success).
Also my exhaust was almost a straight pipe, that made it a lot more fun!

 

[aiccc]

This car requires money even As a weekend toy

There are other cars

 

[Vinnige Fanie]

Don't buy N55... rather buy a B58 340i or 140i... I've changed my engine, gearbox and almost all of my suspension... M135i owner here... The money spent to repair you can buy a 340i....

This doesn't help if a B58 equipped car is almost 200-300k more than the N55's.

IMO 335 is going to be more fun and you will enjoy driving it more, 330D will be more reliable but its the fuel of satan.

 

[Whoozycomic]

Hahahah you say that now... But my M135i cost me R280k... All in all with repairs and maintenance I'm in for R160k in 3 years

My total is R440k... So hence it's not actually a bad price ...

This doesn't help if a B58 equipped car is almost 200-300k more than the N55's.

IMO 335 is going to be more fun and you will enjoy driving it more, 330D will be more reliable but its the fuel of satan.

 

[Vinnige Fanie]

Hahahah you say that now... But my M135i cost me R280k... All in all with repairs and maintenance I'm in for R160k in 3 years

My total is R440k... So hence it's not actually a bad price ...

If you purchase a car that was half a million plus for 280k you can expect there is maintenance to be done.

If maintenance if main concern then buy something with a factory warranty. The reason most people drive BMW's second hand is because they're too expensive when they have M plan.

Not sure if the OP is willing to drop north of 500k on a 340i with the right options and spec.

a car with a good maintenance record is a better buy than one with low mileage but nothing has been changed. Cars break when they just sit.

 

[Fiber]

Hahahah you say that now... But my M135i cost me R280k... All in all with repairs and maintenance I'm in for R160k in 3 years

My total is R440k... So hence it's not actually a bad price ...

When you got the car did it have a decent service record?
And some preventative maintenance done?
High mileage?
How did it just explode lol?

Something seems off. N55’s aren’t known for catastrophic engine and gearbox failure.

 

[Whoozycomic]

If you purchase a car that was half a million plus for 280k you can expect there is maintenance to be done.

If maintenance if main concern then buy something with a factory warranty. The reason most people drive BMW's second hand is because they're too expensive when they have M plan.

Not sure if the OP is willing to drop north of 500k on a 340i with the right options and spec.

a car with a good maintenance record is a better buy than one with low mileage but nothing has been changed. Cars break when they just sit.

Bru where is a M135i worth half a million ? Please show me ? My car had 48 000km ... And it ran a bearing just by looking at it the wrong way...

 

[Whoozycomic]

When you got the car did it have a decent service record?
And some preventative maintenance done?
High mileage?
How did it just explode lol?

Something seems off. N55’s aren’t known for catastrophic engine and gearbox failure.

Let me invite you to our WhatsApp group ... Every N55 troublesome... My car was full service history...and has oil changes every 10000km ... But the motor is weak ... Buy a B58

 

[Vinnige Fanie]

Bru where is a M135i worth half a million ? Please show me ? My car had 48 000km ... And it ran a bearing just by looking at it the wrong way...

When it was new, Remember cars like BMW loose value but still require expensive maintenance to keep going.

 

[Aizoo]

Don't buy N55... rather buy a B58 340i or 140i... I've changed my engine, gearbox and almost all of my suspension... M135i owner here... The money spent to repair you can buy a 340i....

As much as i would love to its completely out of my budget lol
Because atm the b58 cars are worth around 400k and upwards from what i have seen

 

[Whoozycomic]

When it was new, Remember cars like BMW loose value but still require expensive maintenance to keep going.

Hence which is why it cost R160k ...

Every bush and suspension piece isn't covered by warranty... Water pipes, charge pipes, oil filter gaskets aren't covered by maintaince plans... All comes out of your pocket... Even the bearings aren't under maintenance plan...

Hence why I'm saying to OP... If u buying a 335i... You going to spend money ... Rather get a B48 or B58 where all the issues are ironed out ...

 

[Whoozycomic]

As much as i would love to its completely out of my budget lol
Because atm the b58 cars are worth around 400k and upwards from what i have seen

So what is your budget ? Coz any N55 under R300k.... U asking for trouble ..

 

[Aizoo]

If you purchase a car that was half a million plus for 280k you can expect there is maintenance to be done.

If maintenance if main concern then buy something with a factory warranty. The reason most people drive BMW's second hand is because they're too expensive when they have M plan.

Not sure if the OP is willing to drop north of 500k on a 340i with the right options and spec.

a car with a good maintenance record is a better buy than one with low mileage but nothing has been changed. Cars break when they just sit.

Unfortunately right now as much as i love the b58’s
After alot of consideration and speaking to a few of my friends who have had n55’s
I dont think its a feasible option for me at the moment which why i think i am going to go with a 330d instead

 

[Whoozycomic]

Bru even a 320d E90 ... Is amazing. ..

Unfortunately right now as much as i love the b58’s
After alot of consideration and speaking to a few of my friends who have had n55’s
I dont think its a feasible option for me at the moment which why i think i am going to go with a 330d instead

 

[Vinnige Fanie]

So what is your budget ? Coz any N55 under R300k.... U asking for trouble ..

I don't agree, Myself and @G3t Wr3k3d own sub 300k N55's and no troubles at all.