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      07-02-2018, 11:22 PM   #1
V8LIFE
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Question 650i"s with over 60,000 miles threads

Long term BMW owner here and looking to hear your opinions with the reliability of N63tu engine and whether we should keep it out of warranty.

My wife has a 2014 650i xdive with 65,000 miles on it. During the 4 years ownership, the car has been great so far. Only two problems to date, 1st, it's engine misfire caused by coil failure. 2nd, The soft automatic door unlatched on her several times when driving, and dealer fixed it under warranty. Other than that, the car is a beast. My wife loves it so much and want to keep it for another several years. But I'm worried about the future reliability issues, and want to get rid of it before big repair bills coming in.

So, I am asking anyone that has a 650i with over 60,000 miles to comment here on any maintenance issues, or mainly large cost items.

Please chime in with your complaints and problems here.

Cheers,
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      07-03-2018, 10:33 AM   #2
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i'm at 43k miles and regret this car. its been in the shop over 10 times (overnight at least) for oil leaks, drivetrain malfunction, high pressure hoses, and limp modes.

when it works, i love it, but every time i fire it up, i have to wonder how it'll behave, and how much it will cost me in the future on my mediocre income. mine's fairly modded, so i can't just cut bait either
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      07-03-2018, 12:41 PM   #3
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I will be lurking on this thread with interest. my 2013 is out of CPO in August and I'm planning on buying extended service agreement for $3350 to get another 20K miles and 2yr. Mine right now has 30K mi and has been in the shop for 4 days now with a "check engine light" (I don't think they have even looked at it yet, but oh well, at least they gave me a new X3 loaner)

BTW, up to now, never had a problem. Check engine light came on after hitting a particularly nasty chuck hole.
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      07-03-2018, 03:15 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bravo261 View Post
i'm at 43k miles and regret this car. its been in the shop over 10 times (overnight at least) for oil leaks, drivetrain malfunction, high pressure hoses, and limp modes.

when it works, i love it, but every time i fire it up, i have to wonder how it'll behave, and how much it will cost me in the future on my mediocre income. mine's fairly modded, so i can't just cut bait either
Omg, such a horrible story. What mods have you added on to your car? Too much pressure for the engine I guess?
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      07-03-2018, 03:16 PM   #5
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Mine is at 52k with only minor issues that were handled by the previous owner (CA door handle issue, and one other I don't remember). Thankfully i have an unlimited mile warranty through 2020
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      07-05-2018, 05:20 PM   #6
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All BMWs, including the 6 series (even at it's crazy high MSRP), are hit or miss. When they miss, boy do they cost a lot to repair. There is no way of knowing what the percentage of problem 6'ers are out there. They are great cars when they work and there few cars out there that even come close the the total package.

But are the headaches worth it? Do you compromise the driving pleasure for increased reliability? That is a question you have to answer. I think as a whole, it's safe to assume that there is a moderate probability you will have issues at some point.
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      07-06-2018, 10:27 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cjof2003 View Post
Mine is at 52k with only minor issues that were handled by the previous owner (CA door handle issue, and one other I don't remember). Thankfully i have an unlimited mile warranty through 2020
who is the warranty through?
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      07-07-2018, 08:14 PM   #8
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640i,
Left headlight goes out on "auto" mode,
but lights up without issue if switched on manually.

Dealer says replace the whole headlight for 2000 EUR + VAT for the headlight only.

Currently, something is draining the battery when the car is unused.
"Increased battery discharge when stationary"
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      07-08-2018, 04:56 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DRock3d View Post
who is the warranty through?
BMW CPO
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      07-16-2018, 11:28 AM   #10
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2013 650i xDrive. Currently at 31,850 miles (but out of warranty - past date). What I've found: (1) The batteries don't last because the car is always "on" under an electrical load (even when parked) and something is draining it - BMW knows this and replaced my battery twice under warranty. Expect to pay ~$350.00 every 2-to-3 years for a new battery. (2) Even the N63tu's still consume oil. Mine drinks a quart about every 1,250 miles. BMW calls this "normal consumption", and I have come to accept it. I figure since I'm putting so much oil into it, I'll just start only changing the filter every 10,000 miles (3) The Turbos-in-the-VEE make this thing run extremely HOT and wears out components quickly - so far I've had a crankcase ventilation line replaced, 2 fuel injectors, and 1 ignition coil - all under warranty. I intend to do a full coil and spark plug refresh myself at 35,000 miles, and then again after another 35,000 miles cause that's about how long they seem to last before you start getting "Drivetrain Malfunction" message and codes. These are generally misfires from failing coils that put the car in limp mode, then kind of fix themselves, but continue to recur until replaced. (4) These cars come with RUN-FLAT tires, which (a) are very expensive (~$500.00 each) to replace and (b) there is NO spare tire. I can't wait til my 2nd set (c -they only last about 25k miles) wears out so I can get normal tires and add a spare in trunk.

Other than that, the car is a dream and I love it. There's nothing else in it's class on the road IMHO. Don't let this stuff scare you - it's all kind of "normal" maintenance for this high-end of a vehicle. If you can't accept that, then buy something else - is how I feel about it. A lot of people complain about it, but BMW builds these cars to be leased for 2-3 years and survive their warranties. If you have a little bit of car sense and can do basic work on them yourself, then the ones that are well kept are the biggest bargain on the road as a used car at 4 years and 50000 miles.

Last edited by Jerinoid; 07-16-2018 at 02:38 PM..
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      07-17-2018, 08:48 AM   #11
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2014 650xi GC here. Just passed 91,000 miles. Contrary to the post immediately above mine, it doesn't drink a drop of oil, it's never needed new injectors or coils (did get new plugs as part of general maintenance). It has had crank case vent lines replaced, as part of BMW recommended maintenance. Only failed items so far have been the rear camera housing sticking due to corrosion, a side view camera failing, one of the rear window power shades was sticking (not sure what the issue was), and the grab handle in the driver's front door cracked. All were replaced as part of my original or CPO warranty. The new grab handle is cracking, too, so some kind of design defect there.

I am on the original battery, so the issue the poster above me reports is not a general problem.

I drive my car every day, sometimes hard, and it seems to like it. It is dealer maintained every 10,000 miles. The car drives like a dream.
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      07-17-2018, 09:44 AM   #12
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To follow up on my check engine light on my '13 650 with 30K miles. I may not be saying this quite correct, but it was a fuel tank vapor pump failure, along with some vent lines replaced. All emission stuff around the tank and fuel cap.

I'm also on my original battery but I always lock the car in the garage, thinking I read somewhere this makes a lot of the batt drain systems go "to sleep" plus I keep it on a trickle charger if I think it won't get driven for over a week. And this thing does not get driven much. I've driven it 7K miles in two years so I suspect the 5yr old batt is probably due anyway even if it was a Chev Malibu !!
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      07-17-2018, 02:58 PM   #13
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Thanks guys. So much helpful advice, I really appreciate. Seems like 2013 and 2014 owners have completely different experience. Maybe it all depends on luck?! Lol
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      07-18-2018, 08:15 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by V8LIFE View Post
Thanks guys. So much helpful advice, I really appreciate. Seems like 2013 and 2014 owners have completely different experience. Maybe it all depends on luck?! Lol
I kind of knew this going in when I bought my 2013. It seemed like a roll of the dice on the "common" issues that carried over from the N63 (pre-2013) models. Mine was an early-build 2013, so maybe all the fixes weren't in yet. I think the oil consumption is a roll of the dice and somehow related to the break-in period seating of the valves and piston rings. I also have a 2010 Audi Turbo that had the same oil consumption levels in the first 30k miles, however Audi owned the problem. They pulled the engine and replaced the pistons at 34,000 miles under warranty. That car never used another drop of oil after that. The service tech said they were baffled by the problem because some cars did it, and others did not. Seems BMW would rather fight it's owners in court over the issue (I'm still getting solicitation letters from attorneys on this).
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      07-20-2018, 11:32 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jerinoid View Post
2013 650i xDrive. Currently at 31,850 miles (but out of warranty - past date). What I've found: (1) The batteries don't last because the car is always "on" under an electrical load (even when parked) and something is draining it - BMW knows this and replaced my battery twice under warranty. Expect to pay ~$350.00 every 2-to-3 years for a new battery. (2) Even the N63tu's still consume oil. Mine drinks a quart about every 1,250 miles. BMW calls this "normal consumption", and I have come to accept it.
My turned out to be a defective comfort access in one of the 4 doors, which was keep draining the battery when the car is parked.
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      07-20-2018, 04:45 PM   #16
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My 2014 650 GC is sitting at 48K miles. My warranty ends on Jan 19'. Here's a list of issues I've experienced:

-Drive Moderately. Increased steering effort required (don't remember what was causing the issue. Happened back in 2016)
-Lane departure vibration in steering wheel started to make more noise rather than generate vibration. (vibration generator was replaced)
-Steering wheel making clicking sounds as wheel is turned
-Driver's side door would not unlock via double handle pull, took a few more pulls or had to push unlock button (door lock actuator replaced)
-Drivetrain Malfunction (high-pressure fuel pump replaced)
-Driver's side window will not roll up on auto on the first try. Goes up and stops about half way then rolls back down. Took 2-3 tries to get it to roll up all the way. (window sensor replaced)
-Windshield fluid jets not spraying as normal. (have not taken it into dealership yet)
-The ongoing issue, top off oil (2 quarts) every ~2500 miles.
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      07-21-2018, 06:37 PM   #17
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'14 650GC not one single problem, not one. No oil burning, leaking or otherwise; great car and completely trouble-free. I couldn't be happier.
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      07-25-2018, 03:25 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tfzen View Post
640i,
Left headlight goes out on "auto" mode,
but lights up without issue if switched on manually.

Dealer says replace the whole headlight for 2000 EUR + VAT for the headlight only.

Currently, something is draining the battery when the car is unused.
"Increased battery discharge when stationary"
I had that, I found out it was my cell phone charger I was leaving plugged in... and also I replaced all the interior lights with LED I noticed the the two front map lights didn’t go all the way out so I put regular bulbs back in and haven’t seen that since
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      09-04-2018, 07:27 PM   #19
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I have a 2012 650i with N63 engine and manual transmission. Purchased used with 38k miles, and now it has 58k miles. Has completed the recall steps at 29k prior to my ownership. I have aftermarket warranty in effect now (crossing fingers), other warranties are expired.

In the past 20k miles, I have completed the following non-maintenance items.
Oil - about 6 quarts of oil in total. Some months it would be 2 quarts, then I would go 5 months without any oil needed. I change the oil every 8k.

Coils- had one ignition coil fail at 49k. Indy repair shop diagnosed and recommended I replace the other 7 + spark plugs for $880. I did it myself in less than 1 hour for a cost < $300

CEL- Have had an intermittent CEL light for past 1000 miles that did not impact operation. Light would come on for a few minutes and is usually out within a few miles. OBDII reads says it is Bank 1 emissions related. Has popped up twice. Dropping at my indie shop this weekend to look closer.

Drivers Window - Drivers side window activates the anti pinch about 60% of the time when I am putting it up. So I have to roll up the window in 2 inch segments. It is annoying but I have gotten used to it. The issue existed since very early in my ownership.

So far so good. Hope I continue to be one of the lucky ones as I love this car.
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      09-05-2018, 10:26 AM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BadForYourHeart View Post
Drivers Window - Drivers side window activates the anti pinch about 60% of the time when I am putting it up. So I have to roll up the window in 2 inch segments. It is annoying but I have gotten used to it. The issue existed since very early in my ownership.
The window issue appears to be caused by a faulty (or failing ) window drive. See #4 in diagram below.

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      09-12-2018, 05:57 PM   #21
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Probably going to get rid of my 650 with 65000 miles soon due to recent mechanical problems.

Was cruising along the highway at around 75 and went to pass someone, car hesitated and threw a drivetrain malfunction code. The car was shaking around like crazy even though it said I could continue driving. Pulled over, turned it off, let it sit for a minute and started her back up. The shaking was gone, but the drivetrain malfunction warning was still on screen.

Ended up having to replace all my spark plugs, 2 coil packs, the vacuum lines from the EPGW pump (I think that was the name at least) and a pressure converter. Dealer rung me up a nice $2800 bill. $3k repair bills at 65k doesn't seem particularly reasonable to me.

Under warranty I also had an issue of the battery discharging while parked, which required the battery to be replaced. The HUD display also started curving (hard to describe) which required them to change the entire cic or whatever its called. Although that was covered under warranty, the invoice price was something like $6k.

Had my E550 for 120k and an E350 for 120k and never had any problems. Probably go back to Benz again as I previously had serious problems with an Audi (although my S7 has been pretty solid).
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      09-12-2018, 08:21 PM   #22
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non stop issues, I had an m5 e60 and I thought that the 650i will be much more reliable, but apparently no.
at this point I'm convinced that bmw's with V8'S or higher are needy cars.
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