M4s riddled with problems help

[stoyanoff]

I bought a 2018 convertible M4 in the summer of 2022. Since then I’ve had to replace the brakes, tires, amp, spark plugs, Intercooler, coolant tank, string for the convertible mechanism and now the pcv valve. Is this normal for this car or did I get a crappy cursed one? I’m tired of spending thousands specially when the install is almost as much or more than the cost of the parts. By now I would have been able to afford a nicer car if I saved. Any solutions? WHEN DOES IT END?!

[Pauldunlop13]

Originally Posted by stoyanoff

I bought a 2018 convertible M4 in the summer of 2022. Since then I’ve had to replace the brakes, tires, amp, spark plugs, Intercooler, coolant tank, string for the convertible mechanism and now the pcv valve. Is this normal for this car or did I get a crappy cursed one? I’m tired of spending thousands specially when the install is almost as much or more than the cost of the parts. By now I would have been able to afford a nicer car if I saved. Any solutions? WHEN DOES IT END?!

no - this is not normal
I have a 2019 vert with 38k miles

I have only done the bolded items (which are usage based)

brakes, tires, amp, spark plugs, Intercooler, coolant tank, string for the convertible mechanism and now the pcv valve.

sorry to hear - hope that is the bulk of items that needs to be repaired, outside of daily usage items

[stoyanoff]

Originally Posted by Pauldunlop13

no - this is not normal
I have a 2019 vert with 38k miles

I have only done the bolded items (which are usage based)

brakes, tires, amp, spark plugs, Intercooler, coolant tank, string for the convertible mechanism and now the pcv valve.

sorry to hear - hope that is the bulk of items that needs to be repaired, outside of daily usage items

Do you think getting a 2020 or newer will stop the problems? Because at this rate I’m going to basically spend what I paid for it by 2026. I also wholeheartedly believe the guys at bmw Lubbock are swapping old parts with my new ones because they always keep it for 2-3 days. For an oil change they kept it for 2 days and a week later the Inter cooler cracked.

[SYT_Shadow]

You mention these items as proof your M4 is 'riddled with problems'
brakes
tires
amp
spark plugs
intercooler
coolant tank
convertible mechanism
pvc valve

Let's look at what every car on the planet would have needed as part of regular maintenance:
brakes
tires
spark plugs

That leaves these items as the problems
intercooler - not common
coolant tank - not common
amp - never heard of this one before
convertible mechanism - not common, but part of the issues convertibles bring
pvc valve


When you say 'you could have bought a nicer car if you had saved', would have been able to afford tires, brakes and spark plugs on that car? Because that's the whole issue. You can buy all kinds of 'nice cars' for not a lot of money, but then you have to maintain them!

A good way to save money is to work on cars yourself. If you don't want to do this, and don't want to pay for a mechanic, you can buy a car that's under a service agreement/warranty, like a new M4.

[stoyanoff]

Originally Posted by SYT_Shadow

You mention these items as proof your M4 is 'riddled with problems'
brakes
tires
amp
spark plugs
intercooler
coolant tank
convertible mechanism
pvc valve

Let's look at what every car on the planet would have needed as part of regular maintenance:
brakes
tires
spark plugs

That leaves these items as the problems
intercooler - not common
coolant tank - not common
amp - never heard of this one before
convertible mechanism - not common, but part of the issues convertibles bring
pvc valve


When you say 'you could have bought a nicer car if you had saved', would have been able to afford tires, brakes and spark plugs on that car? Because that's the whole issue. You can buy all kinds of 'nice cars' for not a lot of money, but then you have to maintain them!

A good way to save money is to work on cars yourself. If you don't want to do this, and don't want to pay for a mechanic, you can buy a car that's under a service agreement/warranty, like a new M4.

Yes I am fine with tires and spark plugs but not spending 3k every time I bring it in. No one shoukd have to spend north of 10k a year to maintain their car, it’s not a Ferrari.

[stoyanoff]

Originally Posted by SYT_Shadow

You mention these items as proof your M4 is 'riddled with problems'
brakes
tires
amp
spark plugs
intercooler
coolant tank
convertible mechanism
pvc valve

Let's look at what every car on the planet would have needed as part of regular maintenance:
brakes
tires
spark plugs

That leaves these items as the problems
intercooler - not common
coolant tank - not common
amp - never heard of this one before
convertible mechanism - not common, but part of the issues convertibles bring
pvc valve


When you say 'you could have bought a nicer car if you had saved', would have been able to afford tires, brakes and spark plugs on that car? Because that's the whole issue. You can buy all kinds of 'nice cars' for not a lot of money, but then you have to maintain them!

A good way to save money is to work on cars yourself. If you don't want to do this, and don't want to pay for a mechanic, you can buy a car that's under a service agreement/warranty, like a new M4.

Also would your advice be getting a new one? Or keep it since I’ve replaced a lot of parts making it new? Do you think it’ll keep bringing problems out?

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by stoyanoff

Also would your advice be getting a new one? Or keep it since I’ve replaced a lot of parts making it new? Do you think it’ll keep bringing problems out?

Every used car will have some issues. It sounds like you had some pretty odd issues and then some regular maintenance.
Tires/brakes/spark plugs last a while, so you can 'amortize' those by keeping the car.

It all depends on your expectations. Per your thread, I understand your expectation is not to spend money out of pocket, so in that case I highly suggest a new car under warranty.

[M3SQRD]

SYT_Shadow did an excellent job of describing the ownership of a M3/M4 as well as any other performance car (tend to go thru brakes and tires
more frequently than a non-performance car as well more frequent oil changes if you’re an enthusiast). As you correctly pointed out, you’ve replaced a lot of parts not common to failures as well as a few commonly known failures (e.g., PCV, TMIC if that’s the intercooler that failed, etc.) on the F8x. The only other common failure that you haven’t yet experienced are the diff bushings.

I don’t recall you listing the mileage the car had when purchased as well as its current mileage. F8x requires a greater level of routine and preventative maintenance than your average car, especially if you want it to last > 200k miles. Maintenance costs/year are higher for a BMW. Trading in/swapping F8x’s vs. keeping the one you have is a tough question to answer. Your current car could go the next 50k miles with just routine and preventative maintenance costs or, even worse, your newer MY replacement F8x could be an even worse money pit than the one you currently own. It’s a crapshoot either way. However, you’ve invested a significant amount into this car already so are you prepared to take the total loss of owning this car for a short period of time (maintenance & repair costs + loss due to depreciation of current car & taxes already paid + new taxes & cost delta of newer MY car)? Softening F8x market could hurt badly on the sell of your current car. Selling a convertible in the winter won’t be easy plus F83s don’t hold their value as well as a F80 & F82. Total loss and cost associated with swapping to a newer MY car, would probably make me stick with the current car and hope for the best (i.e., the uncommon failures/repairs are all in the rearview mirror). Whichever decision you make, i hope you get to enjoy your car because the F8x is a phenomenal car and a blast to drive on the street and track. Best daily driver of any M3/M4 generation.

[HotRodM4]

Common. Dealer replaced my amp twice under warranty on my M4. Intercooler is known to develop a leak on F8X platform. Nothing too crazy.

[b_w.]

Maybe take it to an independent shop and not the dealer...

[TractionControlDelete]

Nothing you listed is entirely uncommon. Brakes, tires, and plugs are on every car. PCV issues have been know to give out on the S55 and N55 - furthermore BMW just did a recall for the PCV on cars as old as 2005 with the N52 engine just last year (I was one of them). The intercooler has been known to leak internally - search the forum and you’ll see. And I can assure you BMWs have been having issue with both their hard top (former 328i E93 owner) and soft top (former E36 M3 Vert owner) convertibles for over 30 years. 2 days for an oil change also isn’t unusual at the dealership, even with an appointment… crazy I know, but it’s not Jiffy Lube either so just comes with the territory.

In sum, nothing you listed surprises me at all. The huge upside is that you now know your car is in excellent running order and since you used the dealership all of your parts are covered by atleast a two-year warranty.

With the above in mind, I would strongly suggest finding a reputable independent BMW repair shop. The best ones are cheaper than the dealership and they also offer a 2-3 year warranty on their work.

You’ll feel a whole lot better about it all the first time you drop the top at the red light come spring. Don’t sell, enjoy it, and wring its neck whenever you can

[stoyanoff]

Originally Posted by M3SQRD

SYT_Shadow did an excellent job of describing the ownership of a M3/M4 as well as any other performance car (tend to go thru brakes and tires
more frequently than a non-performance car as well more frequent oil changes if you’re an enthusiast). As you correctly pointed out, you’ve replaced a lot of parts not common to failures as well as a few commonly known failures (e.g., PCV, TMIC if that’s the intercooler that failed, etc.) on the F8x. The only other common failure that you haven’t yet experienced are the diff bushings.

I don’t recall you listing the mileage the car had when purchased as well as its current mileage. F8x requires a greater level of routine and preventative maintenance than your average car, especially if you want it to last > 200k miles. Maintenance costs/year are higher for a BMW. Trading in/swapping F8x’s vs. keeping the one you have is a tough question to answer. Your current car could go the next 50k miles with just routine and preventative maintenance costs or, even worse, your newer MY replacement F8x could be an even worse money pit than the one you currently own. It’s a crapshoot either way. However, you’ve invested a significant amount into this car already so are you prepared to take the total loss of owning this car for a short period of time (maintenance & repair costs + loss due to depreciation of current car & taxes already paid + new taxes & cost delta of newer MY car)? Softening F8x market could hurt badly on the sell of your current car. Selling a convertible in the winter won’t be easy plus F83s don’t hold their value [...]

Mileage at purchase was 50k and now 63k

[stoyanoff]

Originally Posted by stoyanoff

I bought a 2018 convertible M4 in the summer of 2022. Since then I’ve had to replace the brakes, tires, amp, spark plugs, Intercooler, coolant tank, string for the convertible mechanism and now the pcv valve. Is this normal for this car or did I get a crappy cursed one? I’m tired of spending thousands specially when the install is almost as much or more than the cost of the parts. By now I would have been able to afford a nicer car if I saved. Any solutions? WHEN DOES IT END?!

UPDATE: they offered me 35k at the dealer and the repairs for the pcv issue is 4K due to “extensive labor” so I think I’m going to sell instead of putting thousands more. They also said I should replace tires and brakes again (I already did last year) for 2-3k more so I’m looking at 6-7k in repairs or sell for 35k

[TractionControlDelete]

Originally Posted by stoyanoff

UPDATE: they offered me 35k at the dealer and the repairs for the pcv issue is 4K due to “extensive labor” so I think I’m going to sell instead of putting thousands more. They also said I should replace tires and brakes again (I already did last year) for 2-3k more so I’m looking at 6-7k in repairs or sell for 35k

It’s really worth getting a quote from a reputable independent BMW shop. I had a shop do my PCV in the Bay Area (an objectively expensive place to live) for $1015 with a 2 year warranty just two days ago. The same job is over 5k at the dealership. And only the cost of parts if you do it yourself. Man, you theoretically don’t even need to replace the entire valve cover. https://youtu.be/bf2XhWGdHXY?si=TcdK4pzcWaPAcnvB

https://youtu.be/VR6pnrCtMdg?si=moZKMdmphVV-3kpe

https://youtube.com/shorts/QRbrZQuaxrw?feature=shared

[gerri]

Have you done 13K from summer '22 to now and already need to replace your brakes? It's not possible, unless you track. I think you should look for another workshop, this one is taking advantage of your, sorry for the frankness, lack of knowledge on the subject.

[RickFLM4]

Originally Posted by Pauldunlop13

no - this is not normal
I have a 2019 vert with 38k miles

I have only done the bolded items (which are usage based)

brakes, tires, amp, spark plugs, Intercooler, coolant tank, string for the convertible mechanism and now the pcv valve.

sorry to hear - hope that is the bulk of items that needs to be repaired, outside of daily usage items

Same for me with my 2018 F83.

[hC1001]

Seems normal to me for a used f8x car. Ive probably replaced more parts than you and it was all for preventative maintenance too.

Havent had to do pcv or amp but i did do the diff bushings.

I do my own work though so labor costs are $0

[N1rve]

Originally Posted by stoyanoff

I bought a 2018 convertible M4 in the summer of 2022. Since then I’ve had to replace the brakes, tires, amp, spark plugs, Intercooler, coolant tank, string for the convertible mechanism and now the pcv valve. Is this normal for this car or did I get a crappy cursed one? I’m tired of spending thousands specially when the install is almost as much or more than the cost of the parts. By now I would have been able to afford a nicer car if I saved. Any solutions? WHEN DOES IT END?!

I have a 2019 M4 with like 46K Miles. This is what I have been through.

Tires - Replaced 3 Sets
Brakes - Replaced 1 Time
Spark Plugs - Replaced 1 Time
PCV Valve - Replaced 1 Time (Paid out of pocket) and the dealership charged me about 2K.

Intercooler leak is a possible issue on the car. The fix is to replace with a Mishimoto or Wagners. CSF would actually hinder performance and performs worse than OEM. It's recommended to check the reservoir and see if it's empty. If it's empty you have leak. I think it also throws a drive-train failure code.

Coolant Tank tank is another thing that commonly fails at the seams. Can't defeat time.

Convertible Top...this is why I stay away from Convertibles. Too complicated and a lot can go wrong.

Amp is a rare issue.

It will never end lol. You cannot defeat time!

[fivaxis]

My car has 63k and I just had to put on a new valve cover. I got a Chinese one for 270 and it's been working well. It's a difficult job to diy though.

[WhiteFox]

Most of those for a 2019 car are rare to go hence just luck in this case

[NSX2M4]

I've had my 2019 since 2019 and the only thing that went was a AC temp sensor the first week I bought it. It's given me 30k solid miles since. Coming from a die hard Honda fan for over 2 decades, this bimmer has exceeded my expectations. My E39 though, broke all the damn time.

[kfresh]

I've had my 18' F83 since early 2020 and put on 20k miles, these are the items I've had to perform out of pocket:

Oil Change x7 (every 3k due to stg1 tune)
Diff flush x1
Front/rear Rotor replacement x1
Front/back brake pad replacement x2
Driver tie rod x1
Driver control control arm x1
Spark plugs x1
PS4S tires x1
Alignment x2
Coilpack x1

I've also tracked my car several times and do casual spirited driving on the weekends. What you're looking for is an M340i