I work at a BMW dealer in the service dept. and I’ve only had one owner slip their timing gear, and that was caused by money shifting. Very solid engine for the abuse I’ve seen it take, even for 600+ whp vehicles
Tommy L Garage commonly on the driver side bolster since it pokes out a good amount and it’s grazed going in and out of the car, but overall, one of the least problematic M cars to come thru tbh, steering wheel’s leather sometimes can feel like it gets sticky or coming apart after a lot of use or if you live in a very hot/humid climate
GT Mike91 Not very much at all mechanical wise! Pretty solid M cars like I said, charge pipes have a tendency of cracking, turbos are rarely an issue, keep up with oil changes and routine maintenance and you’ll be good tbh
Also, the crank hub issues seems to be specifically for DCT transmission cars and there are some talks on various forums that it's related to violent kick-downs and vibrations that spin the crank hub loose. +1 for keeping the manual dream alive!
Robert Lunatic lol manual requires no maintenance what so ever. Race car feel with a dct lol. I’d have a dct over a standard auto but not over a manual in a sports car.
@Robert Lunatic look man it depends on the driver and preference. I had a manual car and actually perfected shifting for normal driving and doing pulls. It doesn’t matter (for me that is) to have this in either manual or auto because I can shift just as fast. You might call bs but I’ll give you the rundown on how I do so. When you’re driving in your manual car and already know the biting point quite well, when u go into the next gear quickly release the clutch right before the biting point and as soon as you stop there, give a little bit of gas but like less than 20kpah of force to the pedal and as you do so slowly release to the biting point and then fully release. The amount of force you put on the gas pedal for example if your driving your car and you have the throttle open but the car is still slowing down, that’s how little force you have to use. When you do all these things, (I do recommend a short shifter btw) you’ll be able to shift between .01-.03 seconds without feeling any force back from shifting into the next gear like most amateur drivers. This technique can only be done if you have good control of the clutch to the point where you become the synchros. The only car that seems to not be able to respond well to this would probably have to be a 350z, although he probably didn’t recall his transmission like most people did.
I have a 2016 , 3 years of ownership , 6sp also , I drive the piss out of it and 0 problems , I love this car and look , and how raw it is , and yes , you always look back :)
HosBoba agreed I just bagged a 2017 m4 comp towards the beginning of the summer, and Im already head over heals for it. Ive been an m-fanboy since I was 16 and the car is better than I could have ever dreamed. Some of the greatest acceleration and pull on both the highway and street, its completely turned my gf who didnt even like cars into a bmw fan, and its the perfect car to wip to dinner as well. I drive the shit out of it but I dont worry cus its still under warranty. So far no issues, and its been a monster on the road. and you are correct, I always look back ;P. Love your wip Tommy L
HosBoba It’s funny when Bimmer owners be like: 3 yEaRs, 30K mILeS, nO pRoBLeMs. Dude, that’s barely breaking in. Come back and lmk when you hit 80k miles without any headaches. Cuz we all know that shit is impossible lmao.
One other component that has seen some failures recently has been the top mount heat exchanger - some have been developing internal leaks and draining all of the coolant into the engine in the extreme cases. Unlike the crank hub issue, which has been most likely blown out of proportion a bit due to the forums (and the dealers don't appear to be very familiar with it), dealers have been seeing some failed top mount heat exchangers. Exactly how widespread the issue is actually is difficult to tell of course. Also, there does not seem to be a specific pattern for those cars that are affected (i.e. model year, tuned vs stock, etc). But it is something to look out for (by checking the expansion tank level) or asking the previous owner/dealer if it has been replaced. I wouldn't let this potential issue discourage anyone from buying the car though (it does not appear to be a rampant issue by any means), just something else to be aware of. FWIW, my car is a MY17 (Comp Pack), almost 3 years old with 41k miles on the clock and I have not seen any issues with my top mount heat exchanger (but I also check my expansion tank level regularly now since I became aware of this potential issue).
I'd like to add that my 2016 expansion tank had a small weeping/leak at the seams. I would notice a small amount of coolant residue spitting when hot. My dealer replaced it under warranty and mentioned that they have seen a few others do this and it's fairly simple to replace if you happen to pick one up out of warranty. Other than that, I've had zero issues.
The best review for a used car. You told me exactly almost everything I need to know that will help me in buying a used m3/m4 which I am actually considering. I loved how you compared each year model so finally people can know the minor differences and changes that BMW does. Hope to see more reviews from you on used cars. I am stuch between a C43 AMG 2017 or M4 2016, but I’ve always been an M fan.
Love the look-back comment. Classic! The measure of a great car is the look-back factor. I was going to buy an F80 M3/4 a year ago, but I unfortunately, I had to buy a pickup-truck as a tow vehicle and home improvement hauler instead. I still have my 2007 350z that I bought new and tastefully modded. I still look back at that 12 year old car as well.
Finally had the opportunity to buy the f80 with a manual transmission back in March!! My first mod was the awesome mud flaps that picked them up from you. Love the content keep it up!
I got my 2018 Yas Marina Blue manual a couple of years ago and and am still absolutely in love with this machine. Had to special order it to get the options I wanted, i.e. manual and the 19 inch wheels. This car is a work of art.
Having owned an M4 for 5 years now, I've learned a lot about the car and enjoy every minute of it. It's a garage queen with only 30k miles on it. I know how I take care of this car and how much I've put into it. I treat it kindly and have have little need to beat it up. If someone can find a car like mine then they would be at least 40k ahead of the game. Trouble is you rarely know the true history of a car. If the car has been beat, then there could be big repair bills awaiting. I've always treated my cars well but this one I am truly in love with. I think my wife is getting suspicious.
I would like to see more videos from you. You are quite and interesting person to listen and to watch. Very concise and to the point videos.Great stuff brother
Great points. I’ve had mine for some time now and it is light years beyond my older M cars. No plans to modify it. It wasn’t supposed be a daily but I just can’t stay out of it. It’s a base model with manual & I absolutely love every moment with the car. Withing a a couple months of ownership I had already accumulated about 10k miles and a few oil changes and basic preventive services. What an awesome car these seem to be.
Bought an 150k sticker 2014 m6 gran coupe with every option possible for only 55k. It had one owner and only 30k miles. Even had a dinan tuner and built in radar detector. I’ve had it for over a year now and not one problem with it.
What perfect timing in finding this video. I'm looking at getting a used M3 but, very weary about what the previous owner did and didn't know what to inspect when looking at one at the dealership. Thank you for this video it will help me a lot. Keep up the awesome videos. 😊👍👍
I own a 2020 F83 competition and the leather dash ain't a maintenance nightmare at all, in fact it's easy maintenance and looking very cool with the opposite color stitching. In the past i owned a Hartge tuned Z3 2.8 for 13 yrs, it had a leather dash as well. When i sold it it was still like new. Leather for the win!
Lots of great info, thanks Tommy, after doing some research this crank hub issue is really pushing me away from F80 M3/M4 market, even as a DIYer I don’t think I would be able to tackle issue like that, I hope aftermarket and reliable independent shops will find a solution. Especially because it’s hard to resist upgrading that platform ( tune, exhaust, air charging etc. )
Don’t shy away from this platform. They’re great cars even in the stock form. If I didn’t have to delete cold start due to me leaving early in the AM every day I’d keep the engine stock. I’m still running a semi-stock CS tune. Having said that, I would also enjoy a 911 quite a lot!
Another thing you could mention is that when the brake calipers turned green-black, the car has been tracked heavily. Without a doubt the M3/4 can handle the trackdays, but it's a way to know if a M3/4 has been tracked regularly. Some people may not like that fact.
Bought one (2015 M4) 4 years ago and most reliable BMW I ever owned. Never been at dealer and never did anything but oil change. Owned 335i N54 , 2009 328i (325i), 2014 328i and 1992 325i and all had several issues. N54 and 2009 325i the worst
For anyone concerned about maintenance costs on a used F80, I financed a used 2017 Yas Marina Blue M3 with 19k miles in February of this year through the CPO program which added a year on top of my warranty with unlimited miles and I also added a maintenance package that covers up to 75k miles on the car. So far it's saved me roughly $6000 on parts without having to pay anything out of pocket. I also recommend getting GAP insurance and tire and rim insurance, you can add it all to your monthly payments, it increased my payments by 130 bucks in the end but its already paid for itself.
I’ve been looking for videos like this. This has to be the best by far. I went into your channel and found so much great F80 M3 content and related car content. I have watched so many videos and subscribed. It’s been great. I’ve learnt so much about the car from watching all your videos.
Thanks for sharing videos like these, an F80 M3 is my dream car, especially with that crazy color. Everytime you upload a new video my desire for an F80 just gets bigger
Had mine 3 years from new. Never missed a beat. Looked for new car but couldn’t find anything that even came close. I’ve had RS4’s 911’s and gti’s . In the end I extended my warranty. The best solution for me is to keep her long term and upgrade my wife’s car so I will have the best of both worlds
I saw this car at a dealership the other day and fell in love instantly with the color which is exactly like this one, and now I want to get it so badly! 😭
One of the first videos of your I watched. Then the 6spd vs dct vid. Bought my car a month after it’s release... September 2019. Keep up the good work.
It does NOT have ventilated seats. ZCP has cut outs in the backrest and loses adjustable lumbar. As a result the seats are a little lighter. The leather is perforated but don’t confuse that with them being ventilated.
I think the best thing to do would be to change your crank hub to be sure it wouldn't brake and to change the oil of the dkg transmission and I think it will be done ✅
I'll be in the market for something new to me next next. The F82 is on the list, but so is a 997 Porsche, a BMW F12, even a 987 Porsche Cayman... Yes I'm all over the place. Thanks for the buyer's info
Shout out from Brisbane Australia. Order will be placed very soon for my new to me 2015 40th anniversary edition 340i, don't worry it's LCI haha. This video helped when buying my new car. Keep up the great work mate!
2016 BMW M4 6 speed manual owner - 25k miles - convertible. just take care of it. dont abuse it, stay away from mods, etc. my M4 convertible is a weekend warrior so a bit of a garage queen - so far so good! I love the car :)
These cars are fine in Germany at top speed getting cool air.The problem is in the summer of the United states where 90% of the country has months of hot weather--which ruins the viscosity of oil--and causes all sorts of problems.I have had many friends over the years buy these and Mercedes and the check engine light almost always goes on at some point within just a few years.The other problem is--when you take a german car to the dealership they double what americans do and find 1000 dollars worth of repairs.Like someone said--I would definetly get an RC-F.I have had my Type R crosstour almost 9 years and the 30k full maintenance was 300 dollars and that replaced all the filters and all the fluids--brakes--tran--and it has never been in the shop.I plan on entering it in the silver state classic next September--could not make it this year.Turbos and hot weather is a bad mix--and people really abusing them.Also, in summer--they are not pushing the same horsepower as when it is cool.I have had 2 turbo cars and will never get them again--both mazdas and both turbos blew--and I do all the scheduled maintenance at the dealership and they still blew.Mazda 323 GTX--1988--blew--then a mazda 6 turbo 90s model--also blew.
As a 2018 M4 comp owner with nearly every option, APART from leather dash, id highly advise to get the leather dash option, it lifts whole cabin and just makes it look higher class inside. Gutted i didnt find one with it with all other options when looking, my mate has leather dash and never cleans or looks after his car and never had any issues with it.
I got the M4 competition pack DCT about a week ago (2018 model year, ~7.5k miles, Shakir Orange). Loving it! Still getting used to it, but I find myself driving it in sequential mode most of the time, it's a lot of fun. I have opened the exhaust flaps with the BimmerLink app and it does more exhaust pops and gurgles (actually since upgrading from a 320d, I have found that I use the harman kardon at a lot less volume and instead listen to the pops and gurgles haha). Also I have turned off ASD. I might unplug the exhaust flap solenoid because it's a faff messing around with the app all the time to open the flaps.
Yup I also heard a lot of blown M3 engines due to tuning. If you tune it make sure you check out only the reputable one. Cost of fixing it will be easily in the $10K.
