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Is it ok to buy a BMW 3 Series with a reconditioned engine?

Any issues with buying a 2007 BMW 316i ES with a reconditioned engine?

Nick Leigh (Waterford)

Aug 2014 Filed under: choosing used car


Expert answer

Hi Nick,

It just depends on who's done the reconditioning. See if you can find out because that really is the critical question. Once you've found out, a quick email to the nice people at BMW Driver Ireland should help you find out whether the reconditioning was done by someone who knows what they're doing: www.bmw-driver.net

Once you've established that, there are two crucial follow up questions. One, what was done in the reconditioning? Was it a sump-to-head overhaul, with every worn part replaced by new? Or was it merely a go-over that just replaced or repaired a few specific parts. Which leads us to the second question: why was the engine reconditioned? It's only seven years old, after all. If it was because of excessive wear or abuse, then you need to check the rest of the car for the same.

Let us know how you get on

Neil Briscoe - Complete Car Adviser
@neilmbriscoe


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