What is the brake lines risk on a BMW 3 Series?

Brake pipe corroded or leaking Typical repair cost: £80–£200. Severity: major.

What is the electric water pump risk on a BMW 3 Series?

Electric water pump failure (no warning) Typical repair cost: £350–£600. Severity: major.

What is the timing chain risk on a BMW 3 Series?

Timing chain stretch on B47/B48 Typical repair cost: £1200–£2500. Severity: critical.

BMW 3 Series Reliability | Common Faults & Repair Costs

Segment: mainstream, premium

Fuel: petrol

MPG range: 36-42

Insurance group: 28-30

3 Series E46 (1998-2006)

mainstreampetrol

Running

~£1548/yr

Deprec.

> Top failure modes

[HIGH]Brake lines~122k mi£80-200

[MED]Coil springs~113k mi£100-200

[MED]Ball joints~124k mi£80-180

[MED]Shock absorbers~127k mi£150-350

brakes▃▁▁▂▃▃▄▄▅▅▆▆▇▇▇▇██▇██19.7%

suspension▁▂▂▃▃▃▃▄▅▅▅▅▅▆▆▆▆▆▆█▇16.9%

electrical▃▁▂▂▃▄▄▄▄▅▅▆▆▇▇▇▇▇█▇▇12.4%

0k100k200k+

3 Series E90 (2005-2013)

premiumpetrol36 mpgins. grp 28143-245 bhp0-60: 7s

Running

~£2032/yr

Deprec.

> Typical values (~17yr old)

Low mi (119k)£5.5k

Avg mi (170k)£3.6k

High mi (238k)£500

> Top failure modes

[HIGH]Electric water pump~75k mi£350-600

[HIGH]Brake lines~135k mi£80-200

[MED]Oil filter housing gasket~60k mi£150-300

[MED]VANOS solenoids~70k mi£200-400

[MED]Shock absorbers~124k mi£150-350

[MED]Ball joints~128k mi£80-180

suspension▁▁▁▂▂▃▃▄▅▅▆▆▆▇▇▇███▇10.6%

brakes▁▁▁▂▂▂▃▃▄▄▄▅▅▆▆▆▇▇▇█▇10.4%

electrical▂▁▁▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅▆▆▆▇▇▇▇███10.1%

0k100k200k+

Reliability factor: 0.78

3 Series F30 (2011-2019)

premiumpetrol42 mpgins. grp 30184-306 bhp0-60: 6s

Running

~£2054/yr

Deprec.

> Typical values (~11yr old)

Low mi (77k)£7.8k

Avg mi (110k)£6.6k

High mi (154k)£4.0k

> Top failure modes

[HIGH]Electric water pump~70k mi£400-700

[MED]Oil filter housing gasket~50k mi£150-350

[MED]EGR valve~75k mi£300-550

[CRIT]Timing chain~80k mi£1200-2500

[LOW]Brake pads~78k mi£80-160

tyres▁▃▅▅▅▅▅▆▆▆▇▆▆▆▇▇▇▆█▇▆8.5%

electrical▁▁▁▁▂▂▃▃▃▄▄▅▅▅▆▆▇███▆3.3%

brakes▁▁▁▂▂▃▃▃▃▄▄▄▅▄▅▅▅▆▇▇█3.0%

0k100k200k+

Reliability factor: 0.82

[HIGH]Brake lines~122k mi£80-200

[HIGH]Electric water pump~75k mi£350-600

[CRIT]Timing chain~80k mi£1200-2500

Toyota C-HR (1.08)Honda Civic (1.05)Honda CR-V (1.02)Kia NIRO (0.95)Mazda 3 (0.95)Mazda CX-5 (0.95)

> BMW 3 Series Buyers Guide: E90 vs F30 — Which to Buy?> Are German Used Cars Worth the Risk? BMW, Audi, Mercedes by the Numbers > Are BMWs Reliable? What the UK Data Shows > Japanese vs German Cars: Which Are More Reliable in the UK?

[ANALYSE] Run Monte Carlo simulation for your BMW 3 Series