2010 from Michigan
 

I'm looking at a 2010 35d that spent 7 years in Michigan. Should I have any concern about rust or corrosion underneath?

TYIA
Greg

If you haven't been to Germany to experience their winters, they are brutal!!
My point being that BMW designs their stuff for some really nasty conditions.
You just don't see rust on BMWs very often, and cerainly not any built in the past 15 years or so...

Thanks,
John

Well, I would.

Do they use the same salts and chemicals in Germany that they use in Michigan?

All things being equal, Id shop away from the rust/snow/salt belt.

Am I reading it right that you're in Oregon? Why are you looking all the way out here?

For whatever it's worth, our '08 with 150k miles is really clean. It helps that they've covered basically the entire underside with plastic. Also the other cars in my fleet are 20 years old so my point of reference is probably way off.

It's currently at a lot near Seattle. I like the colors and it's very well optioned. https://www.tdimotors.net/vehicle-de...032bf#Features

Be very very very careful.... There is a chance that car has a few 'diesel emissions timebombs'. Tank sensor, DPF filter, NOX sensor, SCR cat. I think I read somewhere that it was 'recently serviced'...what does that mean? "We got all the maintenance up to date" or "we replaced as little as possible to get the light off, trying to sell quick".

The car looks like she has been passed around A LOT. Have you looked at the carfax or autocheck?????

133k miles. Has the ATF been serviced? Diffs?? Any records at all? Or just vague "dealer serviced" words?

If you are planning to move forward, post more questions for more specific advice

I did run a carfax. It had 2 owners and regular dealer maintenance. I will ask if they have any more service history but it went through a dealer auction so that info is usually lost.

Even if it when through a dealer auction, you can usually get more info from the party who sold it, if they're reputable, assuming you have enough info to go on.


I've used a Carfax sheet once before for a vehicle I purchased through a dealer auction to locate an AAMCO center that did repair work to make sure there was no major transmission issues, based on what was in the report. They were surprisingly helpful.

If you can get somebody on the phone and have enough info (e.g. VIN, service dates) most of the time you'll be glad you called, especially if you let them know you're just trying to do the best you can to purchase wisely.

"Lost" is an odd terms. Sellers of used cars are offen willfully ignorant- dont ask, dont tell. Going to the seller to ask for data will only uncover happy news. Negative history does get 'lost'


They have little interest in digging deeper, nor of providing evidence of recent work that might have been done to sell it.

BMW recommends ATF service at 100k. Was it done?

Id keep digging...but just want you to be cautious.

Any opinions on corporate or fleet ownership? It was corporate for first 6 years.

Our company does corporate leases for the execs. Its up to the execs to take care of the car. So in our case no different than Joe Blow owning it.

Some good advice here.
This was the corporate account until 72k miles, okemosautocollection
.com seems like they would care for it.

I always thought that was a lease. But seems odd for it being 6 years. Leases are usually 3. Also quite odd to have a used car get leased (ie 3+3=6) ....so I just dont know how a car gets owned by one corp for 6 years.


But.... Good news, those fleet cars are always maintained over and above what a single owner usually does. [sarcasm/ OFF]

;)

I misread the carfax. It was leased for 3 years then sold at 72k miles, or 24k miles a year.

The current lot changed the egr cooler before putting it up for sale.

I bought it and 100 miles down the road I get a CEL with code P20EE. The dealer said they will take care of it.

It drove great, it kept sneaking up to serious ticket territory.

Seems sketchy. Were they like... :whistle: ? :D

One piece of advice, since you had a code so quick: Take a mirror and check around under the hood. When I purchased mine, which also went through a dealer auction, somebody (dealer, PO, not sure) had used what appeared to be Red RTV high heat Permatex gasket maker to band-aid oil leaks from the valve cover. A few months of ownership and that 'fix' stopped working, which is where the 'fun' began and my issues reared their ugly head. A quick look with a mirror would have found that.



Not familiar with your engine, but if they were trying to pass it off as a solid engine, you never know what you might find.

Shocker.

Good luck