2003 BMW 3 Series Consumer Reviews

Will not own another BMW

Vehicle

2003 BMW 3 Series 325i Rwd 4dr Sedan (2.5L 6cyl 5M)

Review

Never own a BMW out of warranty. I sold my 2003 325i I purchased brand new and maintain impeccably for 150,000 highway miles, kept it 100k miles too long. It’s like they used to say about boats, “the happiest day, is the day you bought it and the day you sell it.” Though that is unfair to boats, as I have a 20 year old boat with a two-stoke Yamaha that has not given me one-tenth the problems this car has and judging from the online forums, I am not alone. Alternators, radiators, water pumps, valve cover gaskets, fuel pumps, window regulators, final stage resistors, seatbelt tensioners, the list goes on and on. Avoid these cars unless you like to work on high tech autos for fun.
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Fun to Drive, Not Fun to Fix

Vehicle

2003 BMW 3 Series 325xi AWD 4dr Sedan (2.5L 6cyl 5M)

Review

I bought this car in March 2011 with 107,000 miles at the time. It's a great car to drive, and looks awesome. However, there have been several maintenance problems. First, when I bought it, it was missing the rain gutter on both sides. Getting those fixed was around $300. After a few months and 3000 miles, the starter went out and they also found the water pump needed replacing, both around $1,100. Then a few months later the thermostat, drive belts, CV Boots, and lower control arm busings needed to be fixed, $2400. Then the rain gutter clip broke, and finally the coolant tank, another $350. I wouldn't buy a BMW out of warranty; I thought they would be better mechanically but I was wrong
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I really loved this car

Vehicle

2003 BMW 3 Series 325i Rwd 4dr Sedan (2.5L 6cyl 5M)

Review

I must say, this car was a complete joy to own and drive. This car is a great starter car but the repairs and maintenance can be a bit costly but overall it's a great car and very safe when it comes to accidents (trust me on that one).
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Well served. Best car ever

Vehicle

2003 BMW 3 Series 325i Rwd 4dr Sedan (2.5L 6cyl 5M)

Review

I bought the 325i manual brand new and I put 150K since then. I have never had any major problem in the past 8 years except regular maintenance cost witch sometimes gets costly. for the first 4 years I didn't pay a penny because it was covered under BMW maintenance package and after that I only did the oil change and scheduled maintenance. The trick is not to miss a service due date!! I love it and I'm not gonna replace it with anything else until it dies.
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Prepare to Spend

Vehicle

2003 BMW 3 Series 325i Rwd 4dr Sedan (2.5L 6cyl 5M)

Review

I traded my Honda Accord for a BMW 325i. As long as the car was under warranty, everything - including a car wash was covered. But as soon as the warranty period expired, here are some of the problems that surfaced: 1. AC stopped working - $800 2. Seatbelt Sensor error - $300 3. Ignition Key stopped working - $800 Secondly, there is hardly any storage in the car. The only storage is the trunk. So if you are trading in your Japanese car, set your expectation right - be prepared to compromise on the space, and the overall reliability. German engineering is eloquent as far as the detail on aesthetics of the car. For a car with low maintenance and function, its always a Honda or a Toyota!
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Great car, until a few years down the line

Vehicle

2003 BMW 3 Series 325xi AWD 4dr Sedan (2.5L 6cyl 5M)

Review

This is a great car until you wait a few years. Wen the car was 4 or 5, the troubles began. It wasn't until this year that the laundry list of problems was fixed. There was too much play in the shifter, both outlets didn't work, the key lock was broked and the remote wasn't receiving any charge from the ignition, the sunroof rail was warped, which meant it only opened a little bit, but still worked. Today everything but the sunroof is fixed. The repairs on this car have cost a lot, but it's a great car.
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Great Car but some odd owners

Vehicle

2003 BMW 3 Series 325i Rwd 4dr Sedan (2.5L 6cyl 5M)

Review

This car is an absolute pleasure to drive. The handling and feel of this car is truly impressive. I saw a post where it said there was limited cargo space. That's a total lie. For a car this size the trunk is quite large. Cup holder placement is a bit odd but that's about my only gripe. I find it comical that people buy a high performance foreign car that is known to be expensive to repair, if you did any amount of home work then you would know this. Then they complain when it's expensive to repair, it's like hitting your head with a hammer then getting mad and surprised that your head hurts, you silly people you LOL. Many things I see being reported smack of a shady repair service. Hardly the cars fault. At least half of what you spend at a dealer is for labor costs. Many of these things can easily be fixed by YOU for much less if you ever care to get out a repair manual and a set of tools. O2 sensors, window issues are all child's play. You know if your engine light is on you can go to almost any Auto zone or other such service and as long as your engine light is on they will read the problem for you for free? Why? Because they want to sell you the part to fix it. Granted this does not apply to all of your issues but it does cover a fair amount of you. Be smart, do your home work and pick up a friggen book and a wrench every now and then or get a KIA. I'll be the guy in the BMW zipping past you and laughing. :) Catch you on the flip side!
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325xi

Vehicle

2003 BMW 3 Series 325xi AWD 4dr Sedan (2.5L 6cyl 5M)

Review

This car is an absolute delight to drive. Mileage has been excellent with 20 mpg town and 32 highway. Long trips seem more tolerable due to comfortable, supportive seats. AWD does an exemplary job in snow and rain. We live in a rural area with very rough roads and the car is still reliable and tight at 108,000 miles. This is our second BMW.
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Transmission

Vehicle

2003 BMW 3 Series 325i Rwd 4dr Sedan (2.5L 6cyl 5M)

Review

Purchased new in November 2003. Sport and premium package with xenon lights. I took exceptionally good care of the car, always garaged and hardly ever drove it hard.Ignition coil needed replacement at around 10,000 miles and again within 50,000 miles. Front right xenon light went out within 50,000 miles and headlight assembly was replaced. Brakes and discs needed replacement every 25,000 miles. Control arm bushings needed replacement prior to 100,000 miles. Radio replaced at 100,000 miles. Radio dial broke off and radio not working again. Driver side window motor replaced. Now has 125,000 miles and Transmission has issues. Great was car great prior to 100,000 miles.
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BMW first timer

Vehicle

2003 BMW 3 Series 325Ci Rwd 2dr Coupe (2.5L 6cyl 5M)

Review

2003 325CI coupe w/ 5-sp manual. Pure delight to drive. Manual shifter absolutely glides through each gear, never resisting, never sloppy, just smooth as silk. Power is best termed as graceful. Around town, passing, or normal acceleration just FEELS authoritative, confident and agile quick. Interstate driving is where you especially feel like you own the road. Passing cars and filling holes in traffic so effortlessly. When I test drove this car, I had to run the car out through the gears to get an idea of it's power. Quite frankly, my first impression wasn't that high due to it's lack of high-rev power. The 2.5 is never going to be a screamer. But who actually drives a car full-out anyway?
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