100,000 Mile BMW Z4 E89: The Worst Parts of Ownership

Considering buying a BMW Z4 E89 or already own one? In this video, You’ll find out what it’s like to own this stylish car after hitting the 100,000-mile mark. I’ll dive into potential pitfalls and key areas to watch out for, from engine issues to interior wear.
Owning a high-mileage Z4 can be demanding, but with proper maintenance and a thorough pre-purchase inspection, it remains a rewarding car to drive. Keep an eye on common issues and set aside a budget for repairs. For more detailed insights and tips on maintaining your Z4, check out the full video and other content on my channel. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share your experiences in the comments!
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00:00 Intro
00:38 BMW E89 Background & Engines
01:18 BMW N54 Best & Worst
03:03 E89 Interior
03:52 Convertible Top
04:36 E89 LED TailLight
05:07 Conclusion / Recap
06:57 For E89 Owners
07:23 For BMW E89 Z4 Fan, Broll
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Editor-in-chief: Vitalii Makhnovets

[@donsirsimon]

hmm im at 80k miles on my 35i... 8 years of ownership already... Some points... Oil leaks are common... oilfilter housing gaskets, valvecover, oil pan gasket, main seals... i have done them all... also dct pan seal can leak... but if someone has already done those things or at least some of them then not so bad.... with valvecover i suggest to replace the whole cover as it can also crack and/or have pcv issues with the built in valve in addition to the gasket... Index 12 injectors are expensive but seem to be reliable... They have been out for a long time and many cars have them already fitted... a thing to check when buying.... waterpump is a thing that can fail aswell... its electric.. so the motor can fail or it can develop cracks in its plastic housing... had to replace mine due to cracks and coolant leak because of that... Adaptive suspension front shocks are known to start leaking aswell... costly to buy replacements... basically only bmw makes them... though the price has come down over the years... many replace them with aftermarket suspension like i did... KW V3 is great improvement for these cars... Havent really seen a full roof harness replacements... Usually people fix it...Its a well known spot where those wires fail... roof system bends those wires back and forth at its hinge point and eventually they fail... replace these parts of the wiring with new ones and you should be good... Also something i have done on mine... indy BMW shop did the work and the cost was actually cheaper than i first thought... other things this roof system needs in maintenance are salmon relays ( just pop new ones in) and rear lid coupling locks microswitches... have those on the shelf... been too lazy to replace them... Other than that... seat base heating has been replaced twice... steering wheel retrimmed... got new seat leather from a donor seat i bought and renewed my seat that way... new alternator, ignition coils, boost solenoids, vacuum lines... have replaced both wing mirror adjustment motors.. and their self dimming mirror glass... motors corrode on the inside and the grease also dries up and they wont move anymore... selfdimming wont totally clear and leaves a brown tint on the glass.. Ofcourse you can replace them with regular glass and delete the option if you think they are pointless and not worth the money... motors you can find used as they are the same in many other more common bmw-s... Rear boot lid softclose has wires in the bootlid over time fail and your softclose will actuate between open and close in infinite loop... fix is to resolder the wires... few hours of DIY max... But the positives are... car itself, its just nice.. N54 is very tunable for not that much money... add intakes, chargepipe, intercooler, downpipes and a tune and youll add almost 50% more of power to the original 300hp... when turbos fail replace them with better ones and youll be at 560hp or more... Or you could go crazy with a single turbo swap and make it fly... DCT is also great and can be improved with a xhp software tune that shapens up the shifts and also increases the pressure on the clutches to hold more power.... All in all it is an enhusiast car... perfect for a person who likes to mod and tincker for more power and better handling and doesnt fear to get his hands dirty once in a while for some DIY... IBut if you are a person who likes to go to the dealer or repair shop for everyrhing... then it will cost you alot of money to maintain... best thing with n54 is the community and forums... everything is well documented and you will always find a forum thread or a DIY guide for the issue you are having... and if not just ask and people will help you...

[@mertdurali]

I own a Z4 E89 2.0 2012 with 127000 KM. I bought the car 2 months ago and I have been using it for 2000 km. I'm going to the mechanic next week because: 1. I can't turn my wipers on because they don't spray water. I think there is a problem with the water pump. Also, the system that throws water onto the left headlamp does not close back. 2. When I turn on the AC, there is a metallic clanking sound and it is very annoying. I don't know what caused this. 3. The clutch engages too high, there is a slight loss of power and a slight whistling sound is heard when shifting from 1st to 2nd gear. I think mechanic needs to change the clutch lining. I think this will cost me hellish. 4. Recently, a whistling sound started coming from the brakes. I think the brake pads will need to be replaced as well. Problems I solved myself in these two months: 1. The headlamp failed and I was able to replace it myself very easily. 2. Replacing the keypad. Especially the rooftop bottoms were worn out when I bought them and I ordered the bottoms from China and replaced them. Before I bought the car, they told me that only the first owner can drive a BMW wherever the owner wants, and that BMW would drive subsequent owners to a mechanic then. :)

[@Makhnovets]

I feel the pain man, It's a defiantly nice car, but it always feels like a gamble to buy one, it's like Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift if the car is running good)))

[@frankdaelemans4488]

N20 engine trash, only lasting 100000 to 150000 miles? Not at all. The timing chain issue is something that can be fixed (and actually was fixed by BMW on new post 2012 models). Time to update your info.

[@Makhnovets]

It wasn’t fixed, BMW ISSUED A RECALL (this is official source) static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2021/MC-10204534-9999.pdf which is not the same, it effects all the cars from 2011-2015 which is covers the e89 year of manufacture. Also i’m not referring to the cars that been fixed, if you can confirm that the issue was fixed, go ahead and buy it, otherwise it’s only covers the cars within 7years or 70000miles. And we are not in the range. Before posting a comment make sure to do a research, and check the official source.

[@adifferentangle7064]

​​@@MakhnovetsHe is correct that BMW fixed the timing chain at the production line but he's wrong about the date. The issue was fixed in 2015. However your assertion that the N20 is trash and only lasts 70,000 miles is ridiculous. The N20 is a phenomenonaly good engine, and frankly buying one 2nd hand the timing chain issue is one thing that needs to be checked and sorted, but compared to other similar engines it fares quite well (not that there are many - the N20 is theoretically capable of 1000HP, and nobody has come close to getting it there. the highest anyone has made it so far is 500HP. That is insane for a 4 cylinder engine). No, it's not a 90HP Toyota engine. Stock it puts out up to 260HP. And yes it can go higher than 70,000 miles. Right now on carsales (Australia) there's 69 BMWs for sale with an N20 engine with over 200,000 kms on the clock. One is over 300,000. I have a 328i from 2013. We don't have a complete history for it, some services are missing. It will cost a bit to make sure the car stays in good condition, but the engine is the least of my worries. I pay the mechanics and they look after it. It's not like Mercedes or Subaru where the car will shit itself because it didn't like the deodorant the mechanic was wearing.