Used BMW 3 Series Touring 1999 - 2005 reliability
Category: Estate car
The BMW 3 Series Touring is reasonably practical, has a fine drive and holds its value very well.
What should I look for in a used BMW 3 Series estate?
You'd expect the BMW 3 Series to be a tough, well built car and that's very much the case, with the Touring as good as the saloon. Although there have been a few recalls, relating to (among other things) the side airbags, brakes, wheels and suspension, the 3 Series is a sound piece of engineering.
Figures from Warranty Direct show it to have better-than-average reliability, with the cars requiring little time off the road when problems do occur.
Whatcar.com reader reviews bear this out, with few reporting problems and, in most cases, when things did go wrong, the dealers were prompt and efficient in sorting things out.