E87 130i reliability (high mileage)
Discussion
Hi there guys/gals
Am thinking of getting one of these gems as my next motor (coming from a 1.7 ford puma lol, cracking nippy little coupe!) was wondering what the reliability of these are at 120-140k mileage? Also heard that the mpg of one of these aren't that bad (38-35 on motorway runs?)
Any replies from former/current experienced owners is much appreciated!
Many thanks!
Am thinking of getting one of these gems as my next motor (coming from a 1.7 ford puma lol, cracking nippy little coupe!) was wondering what the reliability of these are at 120-140k mileage? Also heard that the mpg of one of these aren't that bad (38-35 on motorway runs?)
Any replies from former/current experienced owners is much appreciated!
Many thanks!
Edited by ia996 on Wednesday 19th May 00:30
I never quite managed to get one for various reasons (mostly budget related)!
But I had an E87 123d for over 6 years and loved it at the time, apart from the tractor engine.
In 2014 I got an E86 Z4 Coupe with the same N52 engine as the 130i and loved it - well until the electric water pump died at 60K miles.
My Indy bought the replacement Pierburg pump from BMW for just over £500.
Which may be why I sold it.
But after a final drive I realised what I would be missing, so I bought another 2 days later in 2016! When I sold it in 2020 on 91K miles as far as I could tell it was on the original water pump.
Meanwhile I bought an E91 325i that had done 132K with full BMW SH as a daily - water pump died at 135K but this time my Indy had discovered Pierburg pumps could be bought elsewhere for around £300.
My current E90 330i daily also has the N52 engine and is on 115K now.
N52 engines can suffer from oil leaks around the cam-cover gasket and the oil filter housing, but I've had no other issues and all 4 of mine have driven really well - happy to chase the red-line!
Economy-wise I should explain none of them was used for commuting. 80% of my mileage was 30+ mile trips on dual carriage way A Roads/Motorways.
On that use my first E86 averaged 32+mpg over 8K miles, my next E86 averaged 34+mpg over 14K miles and my E91 managed high 33mpg over 7K miles. Despite Covid limitations my 330i has managed over 31mpg for nearly 8K miles.
But I had an E87 123d for over 6 years and loved it at the time, apart from the tractor engine.
In 2014 I got an E86 Z4 Coupe with the same N52 engine as the 130i and loved it - well until the electric water pump died at 60K miles.
My Indy bought the replacement Pierburg pump from BMW for just over £500.
Which may be why I sold it.
But after a final drive I realised what I would be missing, so I bought another 2 days later in 2016! When I sold it in 2020 on 91K miles as far as I could tell it was on the original water pump.
Meanwhile I bought an E91 325i that had done 132K with full BMW SH as a daily - water pump died at 135K but this time my Indy had discovered Pierburg pumps could be bought elsewhere for around £300.
My current E90 330i daily also has the N52 engine and is on 115K now.
N52 engines can suffer from oil leaks around the cam-cover gasket and the oil filter housing, but I've had no other issues and all 4 of mine have driven really well - happy to chase the red-line!
Economy-wise I should explain none of them was used for commuting. 80% of my mileage was 30+ mile trips on dual carriage way A Roads/Motorways.
On that use my first E86 averaged 32+mpg over 8K miles, my next E86 averaged 34+mpg over 14K miles and my E91 managed high 33mpg over 7K miles. Despite Covid limitations my 330i has managed over 31mpg for nearly 8K miles.
Edited by Mr Tidy on Wednesday 19th May 01:16
Cool little cars, ran a 2008 118d up to 180k, yes not a 130i but take their miles well.
As always buy on condition not mileage. 120k+ not that high really on a 6 cylinder BM if all the services and more add up.
Less bork factor than a diesel with all their ancillaries, miles somewhat irrelevant imo if all this adds up. Good luck with your search.
Oil leaks etc kind of always a possibility at this mileage on any car, so just check it all carefully.
I would love a 130i but need MPG and cheap tax
... actually what is the VED on the 130i?
As always buy on condition not mileage. 120k+ not that high really on a 6 cylinder BM if all the services and more add up.
Less bork factor than a diesel with all their ancillaries, miles somewhat irrelevant imo if all this adds up. Good luck with your search.
Oil leaks etc kind of always a possibility at this mileage on any car, so just check it all carefully.
I would love a 130i but need MPG and cheap tax
... actually what is the VED on the 130i?Edited by DailyHack on Wednesday 19th May 07:58
ia996 said:
Hi there guys/gals
Am thinking of getting one of these gems as my next motor (coming from a 1.7 ford puma lol, cracking nippy little coupe!) was wondering what the reliability of these are at 120-140k mileage? Also heard that the mpg of one of these aren't that bad (38-35 on motorway runs?)
Any replies from former/current experienced owners is much appreciated!
Many thanks!
Engine wise the water pump & various oil leaks can become an issue, suspension will be your biggest outlay because unless you buy one that's been refreshed it's not cheap to get them back to handling as they should (this is true of any car of this mileage) so price that up before buying.
Am thinking of getting one of these gems as my next motor (coming from a 1.7 ford puma lol, cracking nippy little coupe!) was wondering what the reliability of these are at 120-140k mileage? Also heard that the mpg of one of these aren't that bad (38-35 on motorway runs?)
Any replies from former/current experienced owners is much appreciated!
Many thanks!
Engine wise the water pump & various oil leaks can become an issue, suspension will be your biggest outlay because unless you buy one that's been refreshed it's not cheap to get them back to handling as they should (this is true of any car of this mileage) so price that up before buying.
Edited by ia996 on Wednesday 19th May 00:30
I am also after one these too and have posted probably far too many questions as to what to look out for, driving myself mad! As a Honda owner reliability is high up on the agenda. So should probably share my input....
Most of these now seem to be high mileage, with 60k being the lowest ive seen. Id say probably better to go for a car that gets used frequently rather than sitting around but thats true of any car.
FSH and regularly (2 year max intervals) seem to be important on these. As i have found though finding one with it is difficult as of late.
Make sure any oil leaks are dealt with - oil filter housing and cam cover gasket, potential scenario here is that it leaks on to the aux belt which can slip/snap causing the crank seal to be ingested by the engine, but you dont hear many reports of this.
They should pull quite strongly through the rev range (great fun!) if not it may be that it needs new vanos solenoids or Disa flaps (the manifold valves that regulate air flow)
The heads on the engine are known to sound tappy which apparently is to do with the oil feed but using lower viscosity oil or revving the nuts off of it/or a longer drive should sort that out. The later engine cars are known to suffer from it less.
As mentioned the water pump also failing which has been mentioned- so thats the firsr thing id do if i got one if it hasnt been replaced already.
As far as i can tell otherwise its all general stuff thatd youd check on other cars, brakes, tyres, suspension rust etc.
Definitely at least test drive one if you can for something to compare to even if its a no. Great fun to drive though...id maybe go for a pre facelift one as they have hydraulic steering which i thought was spot on.
The hard part is finding one, especially with fsh and in a good colour as theres not a lot of choice out there.
Babybmw.net has loads of information on there and ive got my eye on it for when something hopefully pops up.
Most of these now seem to be high mileage, with 60k being the lowest ive seen. Id say probably better to go for a car that gets used frequently rather than sitting around but thats true of any car.
FSH and regularly (2 year max intervals) seem to be important on these. As i have found though finding one with it is difficult as of late.
Make sure any oil leaks are dealt with - oil filter housing and cam cover gasket, potential scenario here is that it leaks on to the aux belt which can slip/snap causing the crank seal to be ingested by the engine, but you dont hear many reports of this.
They should pull quite strongly through the rev range (great fun!) if not it may be that it needs new vanos solenoids or Disa flaps (the manifold valves that regulate air flow)
The heads on the engine are known to sound tappy which apparently is to do with the oil feed but using lower viscosity oil or revving the nuts off of it/or a longer drive should sort that out. The later engine cars are known to suffer from it less.
As mentioned the water pump also failing which has been mentioned- so thats the firsr thing id do if i got one if it hasnt been replaced already.
As far as i can tell otherwise its all general stuff thatd youd check on other cars, brakes, tyres, suspension rust etc.
Definitely at least test drive one if you can for something to compare to even if its a no. Great fun to drive though...id maybe go for a pre facelift one as they have hydraulic steering which i thought was spot on.
The hard part is finding one, especially with fsh and in a good colour as theres not a lot of choice out there.
Babybmw.net has loads of information on there and ive got my eye on it for when something hopefully pops up.
Plenty of people running 130s past 120k and upwards. Mine is on 86k and no sign of issues whatsoever, it's my all-rounder: it does everything whether that's commuting, holidays, driving to see people and track days.
As said above, buy on condition, check servicing has been done, check for leaks etc. One thing to look at is open the oil filler cap and you can see some of the internals: do they look clean? If so, great, if not and they look a bit gungy/deposits on them then it's not likely to have been serviced properly/when it should have been.
There should be no hesitation when putting your foot down. See if you can get it on a test drive, get it to about 30mph, pop it in 4th gear, should pull smoothly still.
You will need to factor in possibility of changing the water pump (though coolant changes can prolong the life of this). Engines are easy enough to work on for a DIYer.
It's high mileage so make sure you're budgeting for things going wrong (as with any car). Otherwise, up budget and get something with lower mileage (though you may still want to factor in these costs anyway).
As said above, buy on condition, check servicing has been done, check for leaks etc. One thing to look at is open the oil filler cap and you can see some of the internals: do they look clean? If so, great, if not and they look a bit gungy/deposits on them then it's not likely to have been serviced properly/when it should have been.
There should be no hesitation when putting your foot down. See if you can get it on a test drive, get it to about 30mph, pop it in 4th gear, should pull smoothly still.
You will need to factor in possibility of changing the water pump (though coolant changes can prolong the life of this). Engines are easy enough to work on for a DIYer.
It's high mileage so make sure you're budgeting for things going wrong (as with any car). Otherwise, up budget and get something with lower mileage (though you may still want to factor in these costs anyway).
Ads22 said:
As mentioned the water pump also failing which has been mentioned- so thats the firsr thing id do if i got one if it hasnt been replaced already.
One of the first things I did with mine was to service it and flush and change the coolant. Doing this will help prolong the life of the waterpump.I've had a couple of 3.0 straight six BMW's of the similar age including a 130.
Its a cracking little car.
They are very reliable honestly and as much as people may be scared of the mpg i didn't think it was that bad. I often likened the car to a baby e46 m3. It took a few suspension tweaks to get the handling dialled in, but, once it was. Turn it was very sharp and the car was very planted and just easier to read towards the limit. I got those parts from BIRDs (google them) not cheap but very worth it.
That said. Forgetting modifications, the standard car is still very good out of the box. Make sure that you check for things like pull in the steering etc. Earlier models had non electric assisted. Which mind had (2005) and when i test drove cars i found that to be more to my liking than the assisted ones. Ditch the run flat tyres as they are awful and you'll find the car feels much more alive.
I averaged 24mpg as i remember around town on my daily commute of about 6-8 miles which for a 3.0 wasn't all that bad i felt. On a sedate motorway cruise it would reach mid to high 30's quite easily. Cabin noise was ok, just like any BMW of that age. The seats were very comfortable over long distances and my car had all the sat nav and digital screen upfront which whilst outdated worked well for what it was. I never felt the need to upgrade it.
When i got the car it did pull quite badly to one side. Bushes and arms needed replacing (see mod route above - BIRDS) but i started by fitting it with off the shelf TRW e46 M3 arms and bushes which removed alot of the play and made sure it steered correctly. None of which was especially expensive really. They were about £60 per side i think if memory serves and i got them from TRW via Amazon at the time - think they can still be found.
I had the 130 for a couple of years. In that time. It needed bushes and arms refreshed (130k). An injector went which was the fiddliest job and that is just because i hate dealing with fuel, but it cost me £70 for an injector i think. Then about an hour to pull the rail, fit it and put it back - not a massive job or hard. Just a bit messy.
I had to replace the brakes. A rear caliper seized and i got one new for £130 and upgraded the brakes all round at that point just cus again, they needed a refresh. Just standard discs and uprated pads. Not massively expensive as i remember. They were EBC but OEM spec and cost about £200-250.
Servicing was easy enough to do yourself. Oil fitler on the top. Sparks and coilpacks were all quite easily accessible from the engine bay - just remove a couple of covers. The back ones being a bit more fiddly. But again, no more expensive as any other car i've owned.
Honestly, it was not ruinous and i sold it on about 146k and its still with that same owner now i think. I would have another in a heartbeat. The engine is fizzy and loves to be rev'd and surprises a lot of quicker cars i think just because its understated the car is. Yes the looks are marmite - i like them and they've certainly aged well in my opinion but everyone knows the 1series wasn't a looker really. But with that 265hp engine upfront. The noise was lovely, it went really well and it never really gave me any major headaches. I honestly don't think you'd have much to be worried about. Just make sure its been serviced. Watch out for idle issues (coils/injectors). Watch out for how the steering feels and whether there is any play in it or if it pulls. Thats about it. Check out BabyBMW.net for a wealth of helpful advice. But i say go for one. Nows a good time to buy one.
Its a cracking little car.
They are very reliable honestly and as much as people may be scared of the mpg i didn't think it was that bad. I often likened the car to a baby e46 m3. It took a few suspension tweaks to get the handling dialled in, but, once it was. Turn it was very sharp and the car was very planted and just easier to read towards the limit. I got those parts from BIRDs (google them) not cheap but very worth it.
That said. Forgetting modifications, the standard car is still very good out of the box. Make sure that you check for things like pull in the steering etc. Earlier models had non electric assisted. Which mind had (2005) and when i test drove cars i found that to be more to my liking than the assisted ones. Ditch the run flat tyres as they are awful and you'll find the car feels much more alive.
I averaged 24mpg as i remember around town on my daily commute of about 6-8 miles which for a 3.0 wasn't all that bad i felt. On a sedate motorway cruise it would reach mid to high 30's quite easily. Cabin noise was ok, just like any BMW of that age. The seats were very comfortable over long distances and my car had all the sat nav and digital screen upfront which whilst outdated worked well for what it was. I never felt the need to upgrade it.
When i got the car it did pull quite badly to one side. Bushes and arms needed replacing (see mod route above - BIRDS) but i started by fitting it with off the shelf TRW e46 M3 arms and bushes which removed alot of the play and made sure it steered correctly. None of which was especially expensive really. They were about £60 per side i think if memory serves and i got them from TRW via Amazon at the time - think they can still be found.
I had the 130 for a couple of years. In that time. It needed bushes and arms refreshed (130k). An injector went which was the fiddliest job and that is just because i hate dealing with fuel, but it cost me £70 for an injector i think. Then about an hour to pull the rail, fit it and put it back - not a massive job or hard. Just a bit messy.
I had to replace the brakes. A rear caliper seized and i got one new for £130 and upgraded the brakes all round at that point just cus again, they needed a refresh. Just standard discs and uprated pads. Not massively expensive as i remember. They were EBC but OEM spec and cost about £200-250.
Servicing was easy enough to do yourself. Oil fitler on the top. Sparks and coilpacks were all quite easily accessible from the engine bay - just remove a couple of covers. The back ones being a bit more fiddly. But again, no more expensive as any other car i've owned.
Honestly, it was not ruinous and i sold it on about 146k and its still with that same owner now i think. I would have another in a heartbeat. The engine is fizzy and loves to be rev'd and surprises a lot of quicker cars i think just because its understated the car is. Yes the looks are marmite - i like them and they've certainly aged well in my opinion but everyone knows the 1series wasn't a looker really. But with that 265hp engine upfront. The noise was lovely, it went really well and it never really gave me any major headaches. I honestly don't think you'd have much to be worried about. Just make sure its been serviced. Watch out for idle issues (coils/injectors). Watch out for how the steering feels and whether there is any play in it or if it pulls. Thats about it. Check out BabyBMW.net for a wealth of helpful advice. But i say go for one. Nows a good time to buy one.
I've a 2008 E81 130i that's on 162.5k miles at the moment. I bought it in August 2019 with just under 147k miles on it.
As others have said they are simple cars and from my experience most issues are going to be from things wearing out rather than fundamental issues of reliability. Mine is still on the original water pump as far as I know.
Suspension was the big thing for me, as what was on the car was shot. My car is now running the Bilstein B12 kit and a full set of M3 arms. Other things that have been changed, mainly for vanity, are new wheels and front Brembo brakes from the F2x generation.
I average just under 32mpg and find that on the motorway it will do ~35mpg.
As others have said they are simple cars and from my experience most issues are going to be from things wearing out rather than fundamental issues of reliability. Mine is still on the original water pump as far as I know.
Suspension was the big thing for me, as what was on the car was shot. My car is now running the Bilstein B12 kit and a full set of M3 arms. Other things that have been changed, mainly for vanity, are new wheels and front Brembo brakes from the F2x generation.
I average just under 32mpg and find that on the motorway it will do ~35mpg.
DailyHack said:
I would love a 130i but need MPG and cheap tax ... actually what is the VED on the 130i?
VED is Band K (so £340 a year), but a Band lower on the run-out models (07 I think). That's because they have Electric PAS instead of Hydraulic PAS, but I'd go for HPAS and pay the few quid extra! ... actually what is the VED on the 130i?Edited by DailyHack on Wednesday 19th May 07:58
EPAS was the one thing I didn't like about my E86s - thankfully my current one doesn't have it.
stevekoz said:
I had the 130 for a couple of years. In that time. It needed bushes and arms refreshed (130k). An injector went which was the fiddliest job and that is just because i hate dealing with fuel, but it cost me £70 for an injector i think. Then about an hour to pull the rail, fit it and put it back - not a massive job or hard. Just a bit messy.
I had to replace the brakes. A rear caliper seized and i got one new for £130 and upgraded the brakes all round at that point just cus again, they needed a refresh. Just standard discs and uprated pads. Not massively expensive as i remember. They were EBC but OEM spec and cost about £200-250.
Servicing was easy enough to do yourself. Oil fitler on the top. Sparks and coilpacks were all quite easily accessible from the engine bay - just remove a couple of covers. The back ones being a bit more fiddly. But again, no more expensive as any other car i've owned.
Assuming you did all this stuff yourself to avoid labour charges?I had to replace the brakes. A rear caliper seized and i got one new for £130 and upgraded the brakes all round at that point just cus again, they needed a refresh. Just standard discs and uprated pads. Not massively expensive as i remember. They were EBC but OEM spec and cost about £200-250.
Servicing was easy enough to do yourself. Oil fitler on the top. Sparks and coilpacks were all quite easily accessible from the engine bay - just remove a couple of covers. The back ones being a bit more fiddly. But again, no more expensive as any other car i've owned.
They all sound par for the course when buying a 10-15 year old car with 100k+ miles to be fair but if you can't do stuff yourself, it pays to have a grand or so in savings to cover these bits if paying someone else to do them.
Mines been pretty bombproof - we’ve had it since 2008 and put all the 85k miles on ourselves.
Be aware that BMW issued a re-designed cyclinder head that would be a very expensive fix for any car not under warranty. I knew this when I bought ours AUC so had the work done via BMW at the time… I doubt many have this part fitted given it wasn’t a full recall.
Other than that it’s needed the water pump, and a new headlight unit (water ingress).
Great little cars, I keep threatening to sell it but it’s kinda part of the family now.
Be aware that BMW issued a re-designed cyclinder head that would be a very expensive fix for any car not under warranty. I knew this when I bought ours AUC so had the work done via BMW at the time… I doubt many have this part fitted given it wasn’t a full recall.
Other than that it’s needed the water pump, and a new headlight unit (water ingress).
Great little cars, I keep threatening to sell it but it’s kinda part of the family now.
Same here, the car despite it's minor flaws in handling does get under your skin. There's nothing else at a similar price that I can think of to replace it with. M135i/M140i are 2.5 times more expensive and definitely don't offer 2.5x times more worth (and arguably less reliable too).
Not a huge amount more to add.
The engines are generally pretty strong; my friends 125i (N52 engine) is on 186k and has been pretty reliable. It’s had the common oil leaks sorted and a full suspension refresh. VANOS solenoids seem to be a common theme on forums and the Facebook group but are nit crazy expensive.
They’re very relatively easy to work on yourself (loads of DIY vids on YouTube).
My old E90 330 was super reliable. We even dodged the water pump issues.
My other half has a 125i cab on 84k. The oil filter / cooler gaskets needs doing because there is a slight evidence of leaks. It drives well enough especially now the run flats are in the bin.
Don’t rule out the 125i; same engine but restricted via a map. The likes or P Torque or Bimmer Tech will map it to 130i power. I struggled to find a decent 130 in January to ended up with the 125. I’ve enjoyed that car so much that my M140i is going tomorrow and I’m buying a 130i Limited Edition with the Birds B1 suspension. I can get out if m 140i with cash in my pocket, so have jumped at the chance to save sone cash.
The engines are generally pretty strong; my friends 125i (N52 engine) is on 186k and has been pretty reliable. It’s had the common oil leaks sorted and a full suspension refresh. VANOS solenoids seem to be a common theme on forums and the Facebook group but are nit crazy expensive.
They’re very relatively easy to work on yourself (loads of DIY vids on YouTube).
My old E90 330 was super reliable. We even dodged the water pump issues.
My other half has a 125i cab on 84k. The oil filter / cooler gaskets needs doing because there is a slight evidence of leaks. It drives well enough especially now the run flats are in the bin.
Don’t rule out the 125i; same engine but restricted via a map. The likes or P Torque or Bimmer Tech will map it to 130i power. I struggled to find a decent 130 in January to ended up with the 125. I’ve enjoyed that car so much that my M140i is going tomorrow and I’m buying a 130i Limited Edition with the Birds B1 suspension. I can get out if m 140i with cash in my pocket, so have jumped at the chance to save sone cash.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202104231...
This one looks lovely but am really wondering if the mileage is fine for let's say 2-3 years ownership, or shall I try find something with a lower mileage?
This one looks lovely but am really wondering if the mileage is fine for let's say 2-3 years ownership, or shall I try find something with a lower mileage?
ia996 said:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202104231...
This one looks lovely but am really wondering if the mileage is fine for let's say 2-3 years ownership, or shall I try find something with a lower mileage?
That’s really nice with some choice mods. Looks to be in good nice too (stuff like the steering wheel trim isn’t all manky and peeling around the buttons). If it’s not too far, I’d be tempted to go and look at it.This one looks lovely but am really wondering if the mileage is fine for let's say 2-3 years ownership, or shall I try find something with a lower mileage?
My friend bought his 125i with 152k on the clock and has added 34k over two years. The interior has worn the miles really well.
Found another one, price is a tad bit low don't ya think? Hmmm... Looks good though.
https://www.gumtree.com/p/bmw/bmw-1-series-130i-m-...
Edit:On second thought, after seeing a lot of mot advisories, I can now understand why haha.
https://www.gumtree.com/p/bmw/bmw-1-series-130i-m-...
Edit:On second thought, after seeing a lot of mot advisories, I can now understand why haha.
Edited by ia996 on Thursday 20th May 22:48
Edited by ia996 on Thursday 20th May 22:48
ia996 said:
Found another one, price is a tad bit low don't ya think? Hmmm... Looks good though.
https://www.gumtree.com/p/bmw/bmw-1-series-130i-m-...
Edit:On second thought, after seeing a lot of mot advisories, I can now understand why haha.
Ive come across a few like that. I think mot advisories gives a good window into ownership sometimes. And that does seem very low! At the moment its slim pickings im afraid. Ive been saying as of late the only way around is is to tell everyone they’re terrible and not worth anyone’s trouble!!....https://www.gumtree.com/p/bmw/bmw-1-series-130i-m-...
Edit:On second thought, after seeing a lot of mot advisories, I can now understand why haha.
Edited by ia996 on Thursday 20th May 22:48
Edited by ia996 on Thursday 20th May 22:48
ia996 said:
Found another one, price is a tad bit low don't ya think? Hmmm... Looks good though.
https://www.gumtree.com/p/bmw/bmw-1-series-130i-m-...
Edit:On second thought, after seeing a lot of mot advisories, I can now understand why haha.
It’s got some nice upgrades but clearly needs sone cash spending on it. My concern quad be that sone of the advisories have been knocking about for a while and not addressed which makes me think it’s been run on a shoestring. But, it is cheap. Really cheap. Depending on your budget, you could potentially bring it back from the brink of shttps://www.gumtree.com/p/bmw/bmw-1-series-130i-m-...
Edit:On second thought, after seeing a lot of mot advisories, I can now understand why haha.
Edited by ia996 on Thursday 20th May 22:48
Edited by ia996 on Thursday 20th May 22:48
tterdom.Gassing Station | Car Buying | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff