Search Reiber auto in Facebook. They have refurbished many adaptive suspension.

Yes, for early batch of N20 engine.

If your engine is the early batch N20 engine, you might need to be careful if you like to high rev.
There are cases that due to chain stretch, the timing went off few key causes the valves, piston & crankshaft bend.
My mechanic personally just encountered 1 unit not long ago and the owner sold it after fixing it with 2nd hand stuff bought online & half-cut shop..
Good luck with the next owner..

https://norlangauto.ca/bmw-n20-engine-timing-chain/

For the F30 328i (2011-2015), it uses the N20 engine which is known to have timing chain guide failure which will lead to catastrophic damage. It's a well-known issue and applies to other models/range with the N20.

As for the F30 330i (2015 onwards), it uses the B48 engine. Not much is known for this engine's issues yet as it's still fairly new, besides the usual typical BMW issues (cooling system, gaskets, just common maintenance items which are often negelected). But so far so good.

From what i read the timing chain issue is prevalent for the early 2012 batch of N20s. And it seemed that most of the issues happened in the US. very seldom i read or hear complains, in Malaysia at least. There's speculation that it could be due to the oil change interval that can cause the guide to prematurely fail.

My parent owns a 2014 320 and had clocked over 100k km. Last i drove it i didn't hear any of the wheezing noise.

But for maintenance sake, it would be best to just change it when the mileage is above 100k (according to my mechanic). Was quoted about 2.5k.


update: and to TS, the F30 runs like a champ. 7 years of ownership, i can't recall there was any issues (major at least) apart from the standard wear and tear, where the first 5 years was totally free by BMW.

you can get a 2014 320i easily aroud 80k. I would put abit more money and opt for 328i, or even better 330i

This post has been edited by axtray: Jul 14 2021, 05:50 PM

is the new g20 reliable or not? will it have problems stopping on the road and require towing like vw?

G20 should be generally reliable. They been using the B48 engine which is upgrade from N20. G20 also using the very reliable and sweet ZF 8 speed gear box. So far haven't heard anything scary on G20. In fact G20 is more or less like F30 LCI with different interior and exterior.
The only thing remain unknown is the reliability if the LED display which is rather new.

Good to hear that your 320i had no symptoms yet. But it's a preventive maintenance item, so I wouldn't take the risk haha.

As for the early batch of N20s, I believe that refers to 2012-2015 N20s. The N20s from 2015-2017 is when BMW updated the timing chain guide.



Source: https://bmwtuning.co/bmw-n20-common-problems/

Hard to determine whether G20s are reliable or not as they are still fairly new. Gotta see how they run after they put in the distance and time, which is still too early to judge now.

The B48 is definitely an upgrade over the N20, like what keyser mentioned. I'm not too concerned on the engine and gearbox, but definitely anxious over the long term reliability of all the electronics.

I read this. When I ask the foreman to replace the timing chain but he said not necessary. If I insist seems strange. Anyway, if I plan to use this car for few more year, maybe I should.

It's not wrong to not change either actually, because technically there's no symptoms, no signs of failure. So logically, there's no need to change either.

It really depends on the person lol. I get paranoid about such things easily so I'll get it done for the peace of mind, but that's just my opinion.

The timing chain is not the issue, but usually the tensioner & the plastic guides around it.
Usually a lot of mechanic did not want to replace it as it involves a lot of time, workmanship and special tooling & some owner might not be able to accept the cost. (Usually need to budget around 4~5k for the job, as there might be other stuff spoil or wear detected during the dismantling process)
If you open your oil pan for the 1st time, mostly can see some plastic debris in it due to the fragile plastic guides around the chain. Most mechanic just help remove the debris and listen to the chain noise especially during cold start in morning. If you can hear some rough chain gridding noise during morning cold start, be prepare for it.

This post has been edited by littlefire: Jul 15 2021, 11:25 AM

manual not an issue, it's better than DSG (reliability) and better than CVT (performance)

Just saw this video, not sure if could relate:

how was the Megane maintenance cost and mechanic? easy to find here or u went to certain mechanic?

Paging Renault owner BillCollector chuakz

Mechanics? Previously I sent it back to TCEC for maintenance and did so till the car was 6 years old.

Surprisingly it wasn't expensive when compared to SDAC for Ford and Alfa Romeo.

What's very expensive are body parts because the rear bumper cost RM9,000 to replace on a Megane RS. Mirror cover and assembly RM2,900 and the rear spoiler cost RM1,800 so the moral of the story is don't crash it or allow a crazy ex near it that could vandalize it because paying is one thing, you have to wait a long time for the parts as well as it isn't something you can order today get today. Oh and don't ever break those wheels because you wouldn't want to know how much it cost to replace it.

Parts that are expensive? Suspension and brake components, Originals are as expensive as BMW parts from AB. Front lower arm bushes were RM200 per piece, shocks were RM700 each, brake pads RM700 for the fronts, disc RM800 per piece and the most expensive thing I ever replaced was the clutch kit RM3,200

Now much cheaper and easier to get aftermarket OEMs for it which just 3 years ago was an absolute rarity unless you hand carried it yourself from UK.

Mechanics? Contrary to popular believe you don't need a specialist mechanic for this car as it uses a standard MT on a very usual FWD transverse layout. Any continental car mechanic should suffice for any of the more complex works needed.

me ex owner

I thought ppl say Lexus second hand price very low? Not sure... how’s the depreciation rate compared to Merc/BMW?

In my idea, it depends on demand. If u see the 2nd Lexus car price, it really not that cheap. But again, need to see the retail price when it is new. Lexus is not that cheap for brand new cz of CBU.

2nd depend on demand, some buyer really need a car with considerable features on that price range. Some will complain the car lack of power (in NA form) for its price. While the conti are all with Turbocharge engine with higher HP/Torque.

If u see the Lexus SUV interior, it kinda premium, but lack the premium-ness of a Conti SUV car. Especially the HU with old types displayed.

Depends on model, usually those bigger cc car like LS 470 or GS300 above will drop price faster due to not much people can afford the yearly roadtax.
But those hot model usually smaller cc cars like IS200/250, GS 200T/250 will get lower depreciation rate due to affordable roadtax & maintenance.

When XE20 IS250 was new, it was around 300k.. it rivals with e90 325i and W204 C250 (1.8CGI) which are also around 300k when new.
IS250 and C250 of the same year still holding their value very similar to each other. It is only the 3-series value drop to 20k to 30k lesser compared to the other 2 models which were sold in the same year.

Saw some review that W204 is also another rock solid car to go for. 2012 model with 1.8 CGI is still going for 80k.
While 2011 BMW 325i and 2012 323i (both using N52 straight 6) has dropped to between 40k to 50k.. Once you understand the preventive maintenance that you need to do on these old beemer, there are around 10 different engine parts that need to be changed from gasket to water pump etc.

As for Lexus, needless to say.. even 2006 and 2007 models are running solid without much complain from owners.. Lexus FB group is one of the most boring group as no one there asking for help, unlike BMW and VW FB group.

It also due to demand vs supply.. for the newer generation IS250/IS200t, the number of units is so little that it is difficult to gauge the market reference price.
2013 IS250 still going as high as 140k.. It is more like willing buyer willing seller scenario.