I think German cars in general are pretty reliable based on the sample my parents and I have had. My X3 was downright reliable, never left me stranded, and brought driving joy all the time. I expected about 1.500$ a year in repairs and maintenance and that's roughly what it was. It was a do everything car, from the beach (and surfboard on top) to the mountains with my DH bike and all the associated gear necessary for a race weekend. I racked up a good dose of km/mls on it and it went through everything from 42° heat in the South to -20°C cold in Montréal in the winter, starting up the first time in spite of the temperature extremes. In the end, it was clean, well-maintained, ran smooth, and everything (except the remote....totally my fault) worked on the day I gave it away. "Wow, that car is 10 years old? Doesn't look like it!" is a comment I heard a lot.

My mom's 06/06 SA-build 325i has required even less maintenance and repair than the X3 and has 153k km (95k mls) on it and runs great; my dad's 2013 Tiguan is similarly reliable and all have been rattle-free.

So I don't exactly understand the North-American belief that German cars are "unreliable".......try an Italian or French car.