Saw a 2008 BMW 320i with low ks (87k) on a website asking for 11.5k, after negotiating the price has been reduced to 9k. However the seller (who is the second owner) claims that the logbook has been stolen in the past but he has the two most recent receipt of service.
Is it worth to buy or too risky?
Cheers Derrick
Username checks out…
Better get it checked out by a mechanic regardless of service history. Be prepared to drop another $5k in for various leak repairs. Do a thorough check of all car functionalities, including all electric windows. Parts and repairs are very expensive. FYI, servicing costs more than normal cars because BMWs use higher spec engine oil/transmission fluid, etc. All this might sound like trolling, but that's the reality of owning a old-ish BMW.
The logbook serves to provide a record of maintenance (which I’m sure you know, not intending to be condescending, just thinking out aloud), so in the absence of it, I’d think you’d want at minimum to have a thorough mechanical inspection done (which I’d suggest for any second hand vehicle, log book or not) to at least determine the current mechanical state of the car.
But there are a couple of issues I can also see, a; how likely is it someone would steal a logbook as in how reasonable is the story you’re being sold (maybe it’s super likely, IDK) and b; how much of a risk are you prepared to accept if you acknowledge that without the log book you must assume worst case (prepare for the worst, hope for the best) that none of the previous services were performed.
If it were me, I would avoid it but I’m fairly conservative I suppose and I couldn’t take the risk financially (others might be able to and that’s fine, not saying having the cash is a bad thing).
At any rate, just keep your cool and have a really good long think before you jump in. Good luck, I hope you can find something :)
I've lost my log book, not sure where but it happens.
Ah, fair enough. That’s a pain hey. Ideally we’d all take a copy of our logbooks but realistically I doubt most of us do that, I don’t, and haven’t really thought about it.
If I was buying a used car around the $10k mark my main concern would be reliability and ongoing costs. No log book, expensive to maintain European car, no way I would buy a 10 year old BMW. I know it is a boring choice but given your limited budget choose a more reliable car which is substantially cheaper to maintain/repair like a Corolla/Mazda 3. It sounds like you have a rich mans taste on a poor mans budget….
Don't blindly trust a logbook, forged ones can be bought for about $200.
As people have said, have a mechanic go through the car and even he doesn't find anything be prepare to pay premium when something goes wrong (being BMW).
DIY, test drive the car and you get a feel of the gearbox and drive, listen to the idling and slightly revving engine, check if the oil stick has dark tip after wiping (oil not changed regularly), open the oil cap and use flashlight and you should see clear liquid and no dirt etc. Look under the bonnet and boot, specially the corners to see if you find "new metal" (evidence of crash). Check under the car for evidence of rust or new paint hiding something etc.
I like that car though, but I'm so fearful of high servicing costs :)
Sounds dodgy. Not because there isn't a log book but because he claims the log book was stolen. No one would steal a log book thats ridiculous.
No one would steal a log book thats ridiculous.
Unless you can make $200 from it?
My cars log book was stolen.
Quote from an article a couple of years ago.
"THIEVES stole log books from five cars on a single street last week, prompting police to warn car owners to keep their service records safe.
They believe the log books are being doctored, by changing the registration details, to help sell with stolen cars as “proof” of ownership."
Source
How much do you specifically like the BMW 3-series, and how much money do you have put aside (after buying it) to spend on repairs and services?
Because yeah, the story of "Oh, someone stole the logbook" is hilarious - as fiction, so operate on the assumption that it missed a few years' of services - take it to a mechanic you really really trust, have them go over it with a fine-tooth comb (so not just a standard mechanical inspection), ask the mechanic for a list of parts which generally need replacing in this model and then basically budget to replace every single one that hasn't been recently replaced.
Personally I wouldn't touch a 10yr old European car with no logbook with even a 10ft pole.
ring BMW and ask if they serviced the car/how many km the car had
Old BMW's, like many European cars are a money pit.
Something something 10 foot pole…
YOLO
get e36 m3 for that money
Thanks for all the reply, I guess I'll spend 2k more and get a 2016 Hyundai accent from a dealer instead (:
That's a crazy huge 180 turn from a BMW 3-series! But an immensely more responsible choice.
Ikr… But I have just got my red p and it's my second year working as a full time so I need a car to be cheap and reliable at the same time
Aw I can totally understand the dilemma - this is the stage of your life where you really want to be (and can still get away with) kind of hooning it out in a cheap but snazzy looking Euro sports sedan, but also probably the stage of life where you can least afford to, and certainly probably can't afford to deal with the potential headaches if they crop up.
And by the time you're old enough to have enough money to buy a new (and so reliable) European sports sedan, and can pay for the repairs/servicing/maintenance, you're also kind of too old to really go at it without looking like a bit of a douche doing it.
What's that saying - when you're young you have time but no money, when you're old you have money but no time.
Still - props for being responsible, and this (and this generally financially responsible mindset) will set you up nicely to eventually splash out on a new M3 down the line.
Why are Euro cars such rubbish?
Anything else you'd buy from Germany you'd expect an above-average level of quality - why do their cars suck so bad?
Show me a Commodore or pretty much any Honda of the same era with 2x the kms and you'll get years of cheap, minimal-hassle motoring.
Cheap, minimal hassle…from a commodore…
LOL
Uh, yeah dude. Not a Holden owner (but have been in the past), but they've never been known for unreliability, they're cheap to buy and fix and parts are plentiful. They're not complex cars and literally any mechanic will be qualified to work on them.
Keen to hear your counter argument, though.
Have you ever owned a Holden? beside the Astra which is made in Europe they are all rubbish…
Yes. What makes them rubbish?
See my arguments above. They are heavy and unrefined, but I challenge you to prove me wrong that they are not cheap and reliable.
two words Holden Captiva
@Pastry: That's not a Commodore dude. I'd never defend a Captiva! (You might have misread Honda as Holden… I'm only referring to Commodores in this argument!)
Wait wait wait, "beside the Astra"?! You're kidding right? Have you owned the older AH model? Or the convertible around the same time?
Yeah those Astras that had major issues just outside warranty - aircon compressors dying, timing belts snapping before 100,000km! And let's not forget the motors going on the roofs of the convertibles - many came through the service department with their roofs halfway up.
If you're saying the new Astra is reliable, well that's just ignorant as they're about 2yrs old, not enough to truly know how good they are.
I sold for Holden for 5.5yrs, and had to laugh at that comment 😂
If you can get a road worthy check it is worth it if they say no to that i'd walk away
As far as I know rwc is pretty useless it doesn't tell you much
My mind is telling me no, but my body, my body is telling me yes
Bro you got me ):
run
I’m not sure what the appeal is of a 4cyl entry level BMW. I would much rather have a high end model from a mainstream German or Japanese manufacturer for the same money. Like a VW Jetta Turbo, Subaru Liberty Premium etc.
Is vw good? I saw a 2013 jetta 1.8 with 50k km is only about 10k
That would be the 118TSI turbo and supercharged. Those things have a reputation for blowing up. Stay well away.
The Jettas with the GTI engine are great though. Jetta Turbo, 147TSI and 155TSI Highline.
It would be a shorter list to tell you where they don't leak from. 4 cylinder beemers are massive oil leakers, none of the leaks are cheap to fix. They are also relatively uninspiring and you are really paying just for the badge wank factor.
Walk, run away from 2008 era BMW 4 cylinder engine unless you like to fix expensive oil leaks and excessive oil consumption.
2008 was a forgettable time for BMW engines reliability wise. Twin Turbo 6's were great performance wise but were unreliable.
+1 on this. The 4cylinder N4x engines are quite "forgettable."
One common cause of oil consumpion is the valve stem seals on these engines. Telltale sign is blue-white smoke on acceleration. Repair cost when it gets to this state is uneconomical for the value of the car.
I have my car always service at bmw i never have a logbook, is this for older car?
The seller say the car tells you when the next service is due if that makes sense
i dont know why i got down vote, i am genuinely asking because i don't have one. now i;m concern if i want to sell my car
New BMW's don't have log books. You can look up the service history in the iDrive.
I’m actually fairly sure that these things don’t have log books. Service information is stored in the car’s service computer.
Yes, if serviced by bmw, you can request a history statement from them. Or just take the car into bmw and have them do a thorough inspection
BMWs do not come with log books anymore as the data is tracked electronically. I would get the VIN details and ask a BMW dealer if there is any information on the service history and kms.
Also, ensure you check any vehicle you are looking at buying for an affected Takata airbag.. ismyairbagsafe.com.au. Or at www.bmw.com.au/recall
The airbag fix is free, just worth checking it has been done. All brands are affected by dodgy airbags including Ferrari, McLaren, BMW, HOLDEN, Mercedes, VW etc.
A 10 year old, 2 owner BMW, even if a log book existed, may not be a good purchase anyway.
You are starting to look at some very expensive maintenance coming up, especially if you take the vehicle to a dealership.
10 years old with low k’s and lost log books
Yes that’s so believable
Check the service history that the seller has and look over the car carefully as to if the mileage gels with the wear and tear condition of the vehicle ,
I dare say it doesn’t
I kind of feel like logbook or no logbook, it would be good to get a mechanic to check it before buying? Though I've never owned a car before.