How Many Miles Can A BMW Last? Longevity Facts You Should Know

We know that BMW vehicles are really good cars. And some of them are even perfect. But when it comes to repair or maintenance, a lot of BMW buyers start hesitating that they made a good choice buying this car. These vehicles are extremely expensive to repair. And we wouldn't say they are the most reliable and long-lasting cars in the world.

A lot of BMW vehicles will start showing first problems long before you may expect this. And you should know about some of the most important problems that can cause fatal breakdowns. In this article, we'll tell you in general how long BMW usually last and what can cause their short lifespan. If you own or are planning to buy a BMW, you better read this article till the end.

Here's what we'll be discussing here:

1. How many miles can an average new BMW last?
2. What are the most common problems with modern BMW vehicles?
3. Why repairing a BMW is such a big problem?
4. What can reduce and prolong the lifespan of your BMW?

Let's get started!

BMW longevity - how long can these cars go?

We knew some BMW vehicles from the 1990s that were extremely reliable and could go up to 300 000 miles without major breakdowns. But today, things have changed. And the new BMW cars don't last that long. Partially, it's because of the technology competition between different brands. Also, it's because ecological rules are changing every year.

The car producers need to follow the new rules and develop new technologies really fast. They just don't have time to check how these technologies actually work. This explains why so many recalls happen these days. Also, the competition is getting stronger and companies just don't have time to test their new projects.

When it comes to BMW, we can say some facts about the longevity of these cars:

• BMW modern engines live around 130 000 miles, on average, after that mark, they start showing a lot of problems;
• also, the BMW cars have problems with transmissions - nearly all automatic transmissions fail at 150 000 miles or somewhere near that mileage;
• the pneumatic suspension is a problem, it can fail at 100 000 miles and demand a huge amount of money for repair or replacement;
• the steering system is one of the weak links - we know that BMW owners start repairing it at 100 000 miles or earlier;
• electronics may malfunction at any time, but usually, it delivers problems starting with 100 000 miles or more.

As you see, it's hard to say that modern BMW cars are reliable. Please bear in mind that we are now talking about the new generation of cars. We would say, it's true for vehicles manufactured after 2015-2017. Earlier cars were better, but some bad exceptions were there like the high-performance engines in M trims.

Everyone who buys BMW should know that this German brand is not about the longevity and practical side of the car. It's all about performance, comfort, and technologies. And you just can't combine longevity and performance. That's why you will need to make a choice when buying a car.

What BMW cars are more durable?

When you are buying a BMW, you will always have a choice of trims and engines. For example, the popular BMW X5 SUV will offer you at least five options including a hybrid. If you choose the most powerful M50i version, you will get wonderful performance and speed, but the longevity will be poor - just until the warranty is over.

On the other hand, you can buy an sDrive 40i version which is the cheapest BMW X5 trim nowadays. It has a V6 3-liter engine offering 355 horsepower which is not bad at all. But compare it with the V8 4.4-liter and 523-horsepower engine in the M50i version. Everyone wants the latter one, but you should think twice.

The 3-liter V6 engine was made to last longer. It has more conventional technologies and it has already been used in BMW cars for a long time. The 4.4-liter V8 engine is constantly changing to get more power and torque. And you can imagine that such engines don't live long.

What can reduce the lifespan of your BMW?

Very often, we kill our cars by ourselves and then blame the manufacturers for poor longevity. If you own a BMW and you drive it carefully, obey all service requirements, pay attention to minor problems, you will drive your vehicle for years.

But you can also forget about the regular oil change, the timing belt or chain service, and also about other things that are necessary to let your engine live longer. Once, your engine will just stall and you will have to repair or even replace it.

Here are some things you may do to kill the BMW:

1. Irregular oil change. Oil plays an important role in your engine. It ensures that all parts work well together and don't scratch each other. Want to experiment? We don't recommend it.
2. Neglecting check engine sign. If you see any error lighting up on your dashboard, just change your plans and head to the dealer. Mechanics will check the system and tell you what's wrong with the car.
3. Not warming up the BMW. You should warm up your car at least 30 seconds before you start moving. Otherwise, the engine will be worn out very fast because of a lack of oil in the first minutes of work.
4. Wrong parts and materials. When you have a BMW, you should buy original parts and oil or at least something that suits your car. Buying cheap oil or filters will only create more problems for you.
5. High mileage. BMW units will experience wear and tear over time whatever you do. So, at a certain mileage, you should just get rid of a car and buy a new one.

We should also say that repairing BMW vehicles is not easy at all. For example, a lot of classic BMW engines have VANOS or double-VANOS systems of valve control. This system is extremely hard to repair and even disassemble. That's why only experienced mechanics can repair these engines. And you will need to pay a lot for labor.

Getting parts for new BMWs is not very easy. You will probably need to go to a dealer. But getting parts to older BMWs is even harder. Dealers may take months to deliver parts and you will not find any aftermarket alternatives. So, repairing your BMW is always expensive and hard. That's why a lot of used cars are in bad condition because they haven't been maintained correctly.

What can go wrong in a high-mileage BMW?

We consider a 100 000-mile BMW a high-mileage car. For a lot of different brands, it will not be the high mileage, but for a BMW it is. And the secret is not only in the longevity of the main parts of the engine and transmission. The thing is many minor issues can easily grow into big problems.

We figured out the most common problems with the BMW cars that reduce their longevity:

1. Engine cooling system. Unfortunately, it can malfunction without any visual symptoms. And when your engine starts overheating, everything can happen. It can be blocked, the heads can break, etc.
2. VANOS problems. The engines with variable valve timing called VANOS will always have problems with this system. You will need to repair it regularly and if you don't, the engine will say goodbye to you.
3. Ignition coils. Many cars have problems with ignition coils. But in high-performance BMW engines, these problems may lead to even bigger disasters. Bad ignition will send gasoline fumes to the engine and to the converter where these fumes will explode and destroy the systems step by step.
4. Electronics. Older BMWs all have problems with wiring, sensors, and also with an extremely complicated electronics system. These problems are sometimes hard to repair and owners just put up with them.
5. High-pressure fuel pumps. These pumps are extremely important for the performance of the vehicles, but they may fail at any point and make you call the tow-truck service.

Also, we know some horror stories that some modern BMW engines go only 40 000 miles and then fail and have many fatal issues. Replacing this engine will cost you a fortune, so no one wants to experience these problems. Usually, when a BMW car breaks badly, repairing it costs approximately the same as buying a new unit.

Final words

If you are looking for reliability, longevity, and problem-free vehicles, BMW is not your choice. These cars are high-performance vehicles that are made for active driving. They are fun to drive, but they will destroy your budget when you come to a dealer for regular service. Also, they will not last as long as an average car on the market because they are made to have fun, not to drive for 20 years without any problems.