BMW 3 Series 2012-2018 (F30) used buyer's guide: specs, trims and common problems 

Hi guys, we hope you enjoyed our 3 Series used guide! We didn't include prices in the video (they'd be wrong to anyone watching in a few years' time) but at the moment in the UK you can expect to pay from £4k for a scruffy, early high-miler, up to roughly £30k for a top spec, low mileage 2018 car.

I wish you focused more on the common problems as we already had the other information before. This video could have lasted at least 30 minutes and be informative.

Among all 3 series models, F30 is the most handsome design !

Ive had my 16" 330e for about a month now and im super happy with it, ridiculously good fuel economy for when i have to use the gas engine as well. 4.9L per 100km is my average on only the gas engine after not having reset the computer for 750km. The B-modular engines are probably the best engines BMW have ever made, way way better than most of the N-engines. IMO if youre getting an F30, try and get a LCI version. B38, B47, B48, B57 and B58 are great engines.

Love my 2014 F30 320d MSport! No problems yet and only scheduled servicing so very happy!

Check the indicators are working, common fault on this model

Currently own a F30 pre-LCI 335I for 5 years with 168,542 miles. It’s a excellent car to own, if you’re willing to stay on top of it.

so far, I've owned a 2002 e46 that i absolutely loved. it's the car that made me fall in love with BMW. I recently passed that on to my son with 167777 miles on it and its still strong. I have a 2016 f30 that I think is pretty amazing. It's like flying a turbo prop on the ground.

There was also an LCI change in 2016. Slight cosmetic changes in the interior and exterior. 320d engine was also refreshed from an N47 (single exhaust pipe) to B47 (dual exhaust pipe); slightly better economy and emissions.

This is the car i have (Sport Package.) Had it for 7 years. Took it in for maintenance every 5k, oil/filters. Up to 162k i had to replace spark plugs, coils, gas tank, transmission service, and computer. After 162k timing chain/guides, spark plugs, valve cover, tank fuel pump and fuel pump control unit. All in the same month. Set me back about $6k in repairs. Put money aside if you plan on getting one.

I got 318d (2016 automatic transmition) in fairly standard equipment and I am super satisfied. Comfy in city, "sporty" on countryside roads, good for 150/kmh on motorway... only complain is that the engine have rough idle.

I had E36 325 - super handling in corners, reliable and powerful engine. After many years not owning a BMW Im going to get F30 318i. 😎

I had a beautiful Melbourne Red 320i for a few years but possible timing chain issues and a few other costly repairs plagued my ownership. I loved the car, lovely drive and a real looker but having bought it for 11500 with 51k on and selling 2.5 years later with 81k on at 8000 wasn’t fun. Go for a G20 if you can it’s leaps and bounds ahead and is much better built

The first Used Car Video Guide put together by Auto Express

I've got a f30 320d brilliant car on a 12 plate auto!!!

I'm surprised at Auto Express! This is a terrible run down of info on this car!!!.......Firstly there was an important LCI in 2016 model year with some comprehensive tweaks including engines and chassis suspension set ups plus exterior design tweaks. The worst bit was when they mentioned the 325d (which was a total waist if time compared to the 330d). The 335d which should definitely of been mentioned, if you want pace, was faster real world and much more frugal than he 335i/340i plus 4 wheel drive which all decent performance cars are adopting now. Bad Auto Express........very poor!

E90 320i N43 LCI 2011, black exterior, with interior cognac leather, sun roof ..... very little mainataince. Common problems, coils and nitrogen oxide sensor check engine light.

No mention of the timing chain failures…….🤔

The problem I have with mine are the taillights. They keep getting condensation in them. The lenses are in perfect condition with no cracks or splits. So not sure if this is due to the light assembly fitting at the rear.

Good

three quarters about model options , and last 2 minutes about buyers guide. pretty weak imo.

My favorite car😍

You forgot about the 335d, an awesome combination of performance, economy and value....

N47 is famous for timing chain issues. N57 is also affected. There is plenty of info on the net. You should have mentioned that. A lot of people suffered by that. There were even lawsuits against BMW.

Driv en a 330i for ten years, almost 300k kms of hard rural open road driving and never missed a beat. An awesome car

2017 318d - Did stage 1 4 years ago so 195 BHP and 500nm torque , so far covered 200000 miles and touch would not one thing broke down. Just regular maintenance (doing oil every 10K and gearbox oil every 80K). Mind you- suspension lasted 160K ! Till one bushey and couple of covers went. Comfy, fast and 60mpg on average- amazing car

I ve had an E46 M3, then a 530i M-sport, then I’ve had two 320i, currently running an X2, but the 3-series is a brilliant drive, never short on revs when needed, and handled well,great turn in, and it’s mpg was good not great. (42mpg).

There seemed to be no mention of the 335D!! Why miss out one of the best of the range with off the line performance, thanks to xdrive, which is up there with the M3. 313 BHP and a massive 600NM of torque and awesome fuel economy which can reach 55 to 60 mpg on a sensible long run.

Very expensive timing chain problem was not mentioned...

Thats the worst review ive ever seen in my life were was the 335d an there wasn’t one shot of m sport model 😂

I had a 330i and I think it's the best generation.

In America here, but I have experience with the f30/32/33. Also, owned an e90 335i. Okay so first off the f series rides way better. It’s way softer. The e90 was really stiff. (Sport susp) Felt like a big go cart. But, the steering felt like you were running your hands over the pavement - awesome raw driving experience. The f series felt like a more refined, lighter, airier 3 series with a slight glaze over it. The f series definitely improved in terms of reliability.

On my fourth 3 series now f30 320d xdrive which I’ve had over 5 years and has covered 53k with only brakes needing doing. Yes they can have problems like timing chains etc, but routine maintenance is key. Also worth noting is the lack of standard spec. The saloon doesn’t even have folding seats as standard (until 2017/18) and some models you can’t play music via Bluetooth - only phone calls and the stereos aren’t amazing unless you get one with Harmon Kardon. Still a great economical and reliable car overall. Definitely recommend one, but get one with a decent spec.

the most beautiful bmw 3 series ever even better than the newer designs in 2023

How can they forget about the best real world car in the world - the 335d touring? Swiss Army knife of motoring. 0-60 under 5 seconds, 38mpg (with heavy foot) AND carry dog plus luggage. With adaptive suspension you can do 3 figures and the wife has no clue.

Had two f30s both company cars. Did 255k miles over 5 years. Never missed a beat. Only had brake discs n pads changed all round on both. Very happy with them. Have a G30 530e now but miss my 3 series.

I’m on my 9th 3-series with an M330d touring run out model, and it’s the best by far. Unbelievable fuel consumption (always over 40mpg, sometimes as high as 52mpg) superbly comfortable, great muscular performance (with a growl under load) and it’s an estate. The delicacy of the chassis in the corners is wonderful (especially without the x-drive, which weighs more too). I run it on a winter tyre set for snow and ice and it goes everywhere in the worst conditions like this. The dog can go in the back, but so does more or less anything else. I just take great care when the seats are folded down, the merino leather is delicate and needs looking after. HUD is far from the gimmick I thought it would be. My biggest (and perhaps only) gripe is that the window lifter switch panel rattles terribly on both sides - a common problem - and it spoils what is otherwise a silent and well put together cabin. My biggest issue is deciding whether hybrid or diesel will be my next choice in the G series. But for now I’m hanging on to this one. With a one off colour (Ferrari Medio Grigio) it’s the only one of its type in the country and I love the individuality. Fortunately someone else paid for it - I picked it up second hand...

Is the F30 more reliable than the E90? Do all F30's have the N20 engine? The E90 has the hydraulic steering wheel which is the best I have ever used, whereas the F30 has an easy-peasy power assisted steering wheel bollox which I'm not looking forward to.

I must have got a bad one then, OK prior gen E92 but N53 big six petrol; cracked block after 4 months off road for 3m but my consumer rights meant the garage had to pay to fix it. 3 years later low oil pressure so crank bearings breaking up. Went for £1k on eBay. Pity, as otherwise a decent car ...

is bmw lane assist an optional extra? I have the button on my car and when you press it it lights up...but doesn't seem to work, I have a BMW 2018 320d, lane assist button is at the front but slightly underneath. I was also driving earlier going round a roundabout when a redcar pic came up and a beep...crapping myself as I had no idea what this I pulled up at nearest stop. Apparently its collision warning, however I cant find this in my options or anything. On the windscreen there is the hole for what the manual says radar option...however in the 2 weeks Ive owned it that's never happened before and I cant find any options...kinda confused to be honest

If you're buying one of these, here are a few things to look out for seeing as this video didn't really explain much in that department: -The plastic piece at the bottom of the front windshield gets worn out by the sun and heat and falls to pieces - The rubber seal at the top of the front windshield goes sticky and falls appart - The paint on the wheels flakes off over time - Pretty much ever BMW logo on the car corrodes - The headlights (especially the halogens) overheat over time and crack from the inside out, the halogen headlights are also as effective as glow sticks - The leather on the M-Sport steering wheels is very easily corroded by the sun - The clear plastic piece on the shifter cracks in the sun - There are numerous squeaks and rattles throughout the cabin All things considered they're OK cars, I would probably not buy another though. My car is perfectly fine from a mechanical standpoint, however it isn't holding up as well from a cosmetic point of view.

Hey, would be highly appreciated if I could get some answers. I am looking at something like a 320d sedan or 328i sedan OR Audi A4. What is making me a little bit scary is if the bmws are more expensive to drive and to own overall. What is the biggest differneces?

Where are the common problems you mentioned? You told us nothing except check the mileage. No shot Sherlock!

Not much detail about options to look for. I will most likely be buying a 340i LCI touring later in the year and for me a must have option is the 'M Sport Plus pack' which includes Xenon and LED headlights (yes the top of the range touring will have halogens if not spec'd right), 19" 442M wheels, M Sport brakes, tinted rear windows and 14 speaker Harman/Kardon sound system. Another must have is 'Media Pro pack' which gives a higher resolution and wider media screen, live traffic and a much better idrive wheel, without this it just makes the car have a much more basic/cheap feel to it. Many higher in the range cars were spec'd with this but it was a £1000 option so not all were so it's worth looking out for, that would be a deal breaker for me. Other options I would like are 'Adaptive M Sport Suspension', some do say this is essential as the standard suspension is a bit too soft when you're pressing on and the passive M Sport suspension is overly harsh when running on run flat tyres as all BMW's are but apparently it does make a big improvement changing to non run flats. 'Head-up display' definitely not essential but just a nice feature to make the car feel a bit more special. 'Surround View' again not essential but quite a helpful feature which has cameras all around the car giving you, as the name suggests, complete all round view of the car on the media screen. It also has cameras in the front bumper in front of the wheels so when say you're in a car park with cars both sides of you blocking your view or pulling out an end of the road junction with bad visibility you can see if anything is coming without straining to see and blindly inching your front end in the path of traffic.

Every 60 seconds that goes by, 1 minute passes in Africa

Just bought an f30 after my reliable p2 s60 wasn’t so reliable anymore. I absolutely love it.

My E90 (pre-facelift✌) is the best overall package of all my 14 cars I have had before. Its basically flawless. Perfect design. My next one though will def be the F30.

Still loving my f31 320d 8 speed zf luxury..just coved 183k!...200k here we come!!!😄😄 Powerful for a 2.0 diesel,brilliant mpg and comfortable.Bmw serviced from day one and still is.Only work ive had done has been new tie rods and a rear wheel bearing thats it!Not bad considering they have covered this mileage from new and never been changed.Ive driven the manual and auto but i love the auto 8 speed zf..really keeps the 2.0 in the power band.Go buy one!😎

see i liked bmw all my life my fav is e60 m5,then i started liking m5 e39,but as i got older that dream of owning one of those was crushed,since i don't have any good earning job (even if i did,it's still alot of money) and ofc e60 m5 is not for every day drive to work and back :D also i got myself a car 3 years ago,nothing special just something to get me to and from work so now when i got a bit better job and got older i want to buy a bmw that's good for every day drive to work and back,and also to go out of the country,because i never went outside the country i feel like this is the perfect car for me,320d ofc,maybe buy one with 150k km and drive it up untill 300k maybe even more,depends ONLY PROBLEM IS,i don't want a "normal" car,like u said skoda superb or mazda 6,sure skoda is good looking,but it ain't no bmw so there we go,time to look for a bmw to buy :D

Thanks for the review. I am considering at 328i at the moment. I have owned a 318i E46 which was brilliant and I should not have sold. Stupidly, I then purchased a 2006 320i which was the worst lemon I have ever owned. It turned me off BMW so I purchased a Merceds W211 E280 which has been flawless. The328i willbe a gift for my teenage daughter but happy if anyone has suggestions. Stuart. Sydney, Australia

I have a 340i and love it 👍🏻

F30 328i owner for past 3 years, very fun car with tons of aftermarket support! Running full bolt ons and stage 2 BM3 tune, no problems with reliability. Maintnance is crucial

Timing chain need to be chamge regualry.i speak from experiemce. Regular oil change is a Must. Also the drivetrain messgae appears a lot. My advice get it checked years. I had no electric problems, thank.God

330i with B48 motor is the best for F30 series

I've a 320d auto great car 30 quid road tax Punchy enough and good on fuel. The only car you'll ever need !!!

Wow, u neglect to mention the timing chain problems on the 4 cyl but u include the squeaky seat.

Stuck between a 2016 efficient dynamics 320d 160bhp and a 2015 m sport 320d 180bhp. Far nicer trim and spec on the m sport but is it worth the money on diesel and parts? 🤔

My 2019 320d f31 is my favorite and had to get one as not as major fan of the "new" design. :) My 330d with some tuning is more fun for some, but if i just can keep one it would for sure be my 320d. Perfect everyday car and just works and drink little diesel. :)

Great lease car, fall apart as they age, N47 is a pile of junk that has caught thousands out thinking they were buying a well Engineered car. Buy with caution they can be money pits.

I found a used 2015 bmw 3 series 328i and it’s driven 88748 km. But I am not sure is it better for buy.. Please let me if anyone knows about it

My favorite generation is the bmw e90s

looking to buy a 2013-2015 3 series bmw for $9-11k , any advice?

2015 320i only thing I don't like, rough ride. Switched out stiff run flats... same.

I own a 2018 f31 335d touring.. brilliant kit of kit.

My family has a LCI 320d msport great reliable car. Only fault was a inteiror alarm sensor and that's it.

The e46 is the best 3 series in my opinion, Iv owned a 330 se and 325 msport. Both lovely cars. New 3 series has lost the looks and most are automatic only cars, also if you want a 6 cylinder car the only option is the turbo 335i. Bmw dropped the 3 litre six in the 330i and replaced it with a turbo four. Big mistake.

Surprised no mention was made of the Jaguar XE as an alternative.

F30 340i the best car speed ,elegance, comfort

Is 150k miles bad for £4500

Are there paddle shifters on the luxury line?

This is probably one of the worst 'buy guides' ever. "go and check the mileage", nothing really specific about the different models (just pick a small engine model if you are concerned with fuel consumption or a large engine model if you like some more speed), common issues of the N20 engine, such as the timing chain. I'm quite a fan of the F30 model, but this 'buy guide' doesn't do it any justice; and neither does it openly tell about its flaws (except for the very specific sequence in which you need to connect your phone to bluetooth, play Spotify and only then go to external Media, in order to get the proper song-data-sharing on your screen in the car...) Dear Auto Express - out of respect for the F30 - can you please remove this video

Excellent review 👏

Just has the timing chain changed on my 318d. Cost me £2k. Common problem apparently.

Are Luxury Line Models available In the UK as a used example

Excellent car

I own 2 e46, they're fantastic, my personal favourites

Are the 2015 facelift diesels reliable, or have known issues?

Had my F30 335d MSport Touring for close on three years now and have to say that, overall, I'm blown away at just how great car this is... Superb.

I owned 2 of these, a 2013 320d M Sport and a 2015 330d M Sport, both excellent cars, the 330d was quick but the 320d was never wanting of more performance, the interior felt a touch low rent towards the end. I also had an e90 and strangely enough in all 3 cars I had issues with the front seats making a clicking noise and had them all replaced under warranty.

I owned an E90 320i N43 2007 model - that car broke my heart: absolute garbage. Put me off buying the F30

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2015 why does my bmw f30 320d m sport automatic eat miles even am not moving any idea why