[2fast19]

Hey everyone, I'm new to the forum as a prospective 228i buyer. The specific car I'm interested in is a base 228i CPO (lease return) with around 30k miles. The service records concern me, particularly the mass air flow sensor and fuel injectors going bad within 23k miles. Those coupled with all the other little things that have been repaired have me thinking I should steer clear of this vehicle, but it's in excellent shape cosmetically and drives well (from what I could discern during my test drive).

Now, someone I know with experience told me that it's not uncommon for the dealership to charge the manufacturer for bogus warranty claims because it's all the same to the leasee who doesn't have to foot the bill. He said there is a VERY low probability that those things failed within 23k miles. 1) Is this kind of fraud common within BMW? 2) do you think the service records should raise concern or should I proceed with my planned purchase? The price is excellent and the vehicle still has 15 months of factory warranty remaining with another year of CPO coverage after that.

Thanks for everyone's insight, I really love the way this car drives but I would hate to purchase a lemon. I've attached the service records here, it's my first BMW so any guidance would be appreciated.

[hwntime]

Wow, the MAF failed at 16k and a fuel injector at 23k? Seems very odd to me and I'm wondering if the previous owner had an aftermarket intake installed which could've been over-oiled, causing the MAF to fail? My car has been in the shop for a million squeaks, creaks, clunks, etc over the past 5 years but no major part failures at 42k *knock on wood*

[BEM-S4]

Spend more now = save more in repairs later. Don't get a questionable car, there are enough of them out there to wait for a clean one.

Even if it's fine when you go to sell it anyone coming to look at it will see the same thing you're seeing now and either move on or knock down your price.

[omera60]

Those things shouldn’t fail that early, it may hav been the owner with aftermarket mods etc or it could be just pure luck and those parts came ina bad batch from the supplier. One thing I can assure you on is however that BMW is really tough on warranty claims, they usually require photographic and video proof with the car and it’s VIN clearly visible all in 1 take and require you to send the faulty part back to them for inspection. In the end of the day (on most of the major things like the ones you mentioned) they are the ones who authorize the dealer to carry out the repair. It would be really bad for them in BMW’s eye to try fooling them...

[bmtespar]

That does seem surprising for those components to have failed so soon. Definitely not typical. If the previous owner had an after market oiled filter installed and had over oiled the filter, it could cause the MAF to go bad (not uncommon) and an injector. However, if the equipment was still there when the person brought the car in, it should have been noted in the service notes.

That being said, if you have a cpo warranty and you are happy with everything else, I wouldn’t let it kill the deal if you really like this particular vehicle.

[tlum235i]

The MAF sensor apparently had occasional issues for the previous owner on my car (and at low mileage), but I haven't had any issues since I got the car. I did have a fuel injector recently go (59k), which was my most expensive fix so far, but overall reliability has been pretty solid. I wouldn't let those deter you from the purchase, but if you can afford the extended warranty, then that's always a peace of mind. I ultimately opted not to do that route and try and do most things myself.

[2fast19]

Thanks for the replies everyone, I really appreciate all the feedback. I've read that these tend to be the most reliable BMWs so those early failures surprised me a bit.

As for the engine and powertrain, what's the highest mileage I can expect to reach from a healthy 228i before things start to fall apart? Have any of the members here hit 120k without too many issues popping up?

[USA-RET]

Originally Posted by BEM-S4

Spend more now = save more in repairs later. Don't get a questionable car, there are enough of them out there to wait for a clean one.

Even if it's fine when you go to sell it anyone coming to look at it will see the same thing you're seeing now and either move on or knock down your price.

^
This

A car w/ that service history tells me it is a lemon. A "lease Lemon" isn't as big deal to the lessee since repairs are not out of pocket and they know they are getting rid of it down the road. If you buy it, that changes as the car ages.

IMO, keep looking for one w/ only normal services showing up and maybe a normal wear item (wiper blades or tires).

[morphomeman]

I second that emotion, but your friend should know that the people at BMW corporate are not idiots. Dealers who try to get away with bogus warrantee rarely manage that scam for long.
Find a 2016 with low mileage. 3 years old is the sweet spot in terms of value for money.

[AndDown]

Listen to your gut, not your heart. Personally, if I was in your situation, I’d keep looking as there are flags re this car. It’s one big reason I’ve always preferred buying a new car I’ve built to my order that I know will be well maintained, namely moi

[2fast19]

The only reason I'm even considering it with that kind of a service record is that it's immaculate physically, has about 3 more months of factory warranty than every other CPO option I've seen, and is still $2k cheaper than other comparable options in the area. It seems like a solid deal, but my head is definitely overruling my heart on this one and telling me I should move on. Oh well.

[USA-RET]

Originally Posted by 2fast19

The only reason I'm even considering it with that kind of a service record is that it's immaculate physically, has about 3 more months of factory warranty than every other CPO option I've seen, and is still $2k cheaper than other comparable options in the area. It seems like a solid deal, but my head is definitely overruling my heart on this one and telling me I should move on. Oh well.

The old adage that beauty is skin deep applies. Also there may a reason it's $2K cheaper than comparable specimens. Yeah, I'd walk away on this one.

Just my $.02. Always other options available. In fact use the pricing on this (bring a copy of the listing to other dealerships) to negotiate on another BMW you may find.