[laylakatz]

hi all!

I have been looking to buy my first car ever and recently found a 2008 bmw x3. it has 90,000 miles and seems to be in pretty good condition with the exception of some electrical issues such as the breaklight intermittently turning on and off even when the car is off as well as some of the warning lights on the dashing board. i have a few questions

is it a worthy car to buy, im in college so expensive maintence issues are not inancially ideal.

what other maintenance issues could i expect along the road?

is this a reasonably easy to diagnose and fix?

any advice is super appreciated!

[Burrcold]

No, get a Corolla.

[MaxVO2]

Originally Posted by laylakatz

hi all!

I have been looking to buy my first car ever and recently found a 2008 bmw x3. it has 90,000 miles and seems to be in pretty good condition with the exception of some electrical issues such as the breaklight intermittently turning on and off even when the car is off as well as some of the warning lights on the dashing board. i have a few questions

is it a worthy car to buy, im in college so expensive maintence issues are not inancially ideal.

what other maintenance issues could i expect along the road?

is this a reasonably easy to diagnose and fix?

any advice is super appreciated!

****If you are in still in college with presumably not much income or financial reserves it might be prudent to get a vehicle without warning lights or electrical problems, etc..

BMW's are wonderful vehicles but are not inexpensive to fix out of warranty and parts often cost significantly more than other makes such as Toyota or most American made cars (Ford, GM, etc..).

Once you graduate from college and get a good job, and of course consider getting something nicer than just basic transportation if you wish.

Delayed gratification is a valuable virtue to have. I drove basic transportation all through college, grad school, and beyond until I had the means to afford something nicer, and already had a marketable degree, skills, and a steady paycheck which provided me with some financial reserves for repairs or other things that just happen (medical bills, etc..) throughout life that cost money - sometimes significant money.

Toyota, Honda, or any number of other brands with demonstrable reliability and reasonable repair and maintenance costs would be a better investment of your money assuming the vehicles are in decent shape themselves, and are affordable to you with your income stream or other means.

[BeEmVe]

Originally Posted by laylakatz

... pretty good condition with the exception of some electrical issues ... warning lights ...

Is contradictory. Warning lights means maintenance. Could be simple could be expensive, very expensive. Electrical issues are simply expensive.

As noted above you want a reliable car, Toyota or Honda. My suggestion would be Toyota.

[Llarry]

Don't get an older BMW, which is a potential money pit. Get a Honda or Toyota for a first car.

[pbonsalb]

I agree with the posts above, unless you have a family member or friend who is an experienced DIYer or mechanic. Toyotas are great cars. A 16 year old BMW will likely be expensive to keep on the road.

I bought a 2012 X3 with 140k miles last year for my 16 year old niece and am maintaining it for her. I knew the previous owner of 65k miles, helped him look at the car when he bought it from the original owner, and am an advanced DIYer with a lift and well equipped home shop who has been maintaining and repairing my personal BMWs for the past 20 years.

[BMWbiker]

Sounds like a potential money pit.

I agree with others: get something like a used Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla. If you need bigger, a Camry is a great choice. If you want an SUV, again maybe a Honda or Toyota.

Once you have a steady income and money in the bank, then think about a BMW. It may still not yet be the right time to buy one, but at least you can think about one.

[BlkGS]

If it has a BMW badge and isn't under warranty it's a potential money pit. The others are right, get something Japanese or a domestic if you want something that's not a risk of being a huge money pit. An early 2000s GM fullsize truck or SUV will do everything you need it to do, be cheap, and last forever.

[b58powah]

I wouldnt get this car even if money isnt an issue, you want a car free of problems and pray you dont have them. If it was a simple fix the current owner wouldve fixed it instead of hand balling it off to the next person.

+1 for a good japanese car thats suitable for a student. maybe lexus if you want something a lil nicer

[M-technik-3]

AS an owner of a 08 X3 I can say that it can get expensive very quickly if you do not have a place to do work or are unfamiliar with the stuff.

The Toyota Camry or Corolla maybe a Honda Accord or any of the small 4wd is a good option.

Mine I picked up for my girl last fall in in the span of a year it was due brakes simple, fluid changes to transfer case,transmision and both differentials. The TC Motor died, rebuild it or opt for new or new improved, I opted new improved with metal gear vs plastic. Lucky I found one on sale and was less than OE. Easy job but pia on driveway on cardboard box being my maxjax was already in use. The nice thing is they do have the N52 engine but with short gearing they are fuel hungry they only average about 21 mpg. I see 24.5 on highway but that's it and I took off the steamroller 19's that were stock.

https://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/x3-e83-2004-2010.65/ this is the most active area for them. Hope we did not crush any hopes.

[Efthreeoh]

90,000 miles is when people offload BMWs because they don't want to pay for the upcoming maintenance. Lights and electrical issues are why the car is for sale.

If you are mechanically inclined, have previous auto DIY experience, have a heated space to work in where you can leave the X3 while repairing it and a decent tool set, then it's not a terrible idea to own a BMW. But by you asking the question first off, tells us you may not have any of those elements required for successful ownership of a 16 year old 100,000-mile BMW.

[B58 parts]

I have a 2005 x5. I bought it a year ago to the day. 130,000 mi, two owners, one great, one terrible. It arrived just like any other neglected BMW with high mileage. The first thing to do is put a big piece of cardboard underneath it. I worked on it from December to August, barely getting to drive it, and then finally from August to now December I haven't had to touch it, it's been fantastic to drive.

Over the past year I have fixed / had to fix,

Front CV axles, seals
Panoramic sunroof r/r. Total nightmare. Do not buy one of these with the panoramic roof.
Oil pan gasket, front diff o-rings, dipstick o-ring, oil level sensor o-ring
Engine mounts, transfer case mount
Front tension struts, wishbones, ball joints, tie rod ends, sway bar end links
Power steering lines, reservoir
Radiator, thermostat, water pump, coolant tank, radiator hoses, fan clutch
Valve cover gasket, spark plugs
Oil filter housing gasket
Belts, tensioners, pulleys
Clutch kit, flywheel, rear main seal, slave cylinder, shift rod seal
Front brake calipers, rotors, pads
Brake hoses with stainless steel lines
All fluids and filters
All four tail lights

The prior owner had replaced the alternator with a cheap one, and something was going on with the air conditioning system. So that is all likely in front of me soon enough.

The metal brake pipes are rusted and need to be replaced, it's next on the list. In January / February, I will be doing a complete rear subframe swap to refresh the rear suspension, including the brake pipes / rest of the brake system, and new shocks/springs.

So this is about what's in front of you. A 20-year-old car with a 100k+ is going to need most of all of this. Very rewarding to do it if you want to invest in the tools.