330e Battery out of warranty

Search my posts. Avoid a 330e out of warranty.

The issue is not actually the technology (failure is probably rare) - it's that BMW lock down the battery via software so it's impossible for third parties to work on it. It is not possible for a battery from a crashed car to be put into another car.

BMW quoted me around €4k to replace a single module (of five), but with no guarantee that once opened, the bill would not jump to €8k. If I didn't pay that, they would not re-assemble the bad battery, and would leave me with no car.

Due to the A/C running form the HV battery, lack of an alternator, and some other things, it is not possible to reprogram the car to run without the HV battery. You are totally at the mercy of BMW if you have an issue.

OP, would you not just consider a less complex petrol 330i?

https://www.carsireland.ie/3418076

How long do you plan to keep the car? I think you need to weigh up the potential future costs. Having a large bill to potentially repair/replace a faulty hybrid system versus taking a slightly larger hit on depreciation on a more conventional but less popular petrol car. With the extra complexity of a plug in hybrid system does your mileage/usage really mitigate the risks versus a more conventional petrol car?

I think a used petrol car will still be appealing to many people for a good few years yet whereas these 30km/40km range PHEVs will date alot quicker now that the latest ones are starting to get close to nearly double that range. Similar to first generation Nissan Leaf EVs with a range of only 100km are now obsolete and really only appealing as an occasionally used second car.

The other alternative is to go for something like the tried and tested Toyota/Lexus non plug in hybrids. Very reliable with lower maintenance costs.

For example:

https://www.carsireland.ie/3396575

https://www.carsireland.ie/3412216

New models with bigger batteries in 2019? Maybe they don't have the knowledge or experience with the newer versions or most are still under warranty.

Just seeing this post now and it’s got me a little concerned……I’m going to look at a 2020 330e tomorrow at an independent garage…..no mention of warranty regarding battery.

https://www.donedeal.ie/view/34162938

That car has 70k on the clock so I can only do 30k more before warranty is void and I plan on keeping for 3 years.

On a side note the description mentions new alloys and aftermarket exhaust. Thinking about giving it a miss €39k is a lot to shell out to have have warranty/reliability concerns.

Yep it could be fine but if l was unfortunate enough to spend the guts of €40k and have battery problems and a huge bill I might aswell pack my bags and go because having to listen to the missus would be far worse to deal with. I had a 3 series about 15 years ago and it was a lemon which she still reminds of……..

I think some people are being too cautious when it comes to hybrids and EV’s. I’d imagine catastrophic engine failure is just as common and as expensive to fix.

I know theres one poster here who had issues, but what are the chances? A lot less than 1 in 100 I’d imagine

Those do not look like genuine BMW alloy wheels and I'd put good money on the tyres being some cheaper unknown brand too. The car also has an aftermarket black splitter on the bottom of the front bumper, a rear boot spoiler and m3 style exterior mirror caps if your into those sort of things. The rest of the car is fine in that the exterior Portimao Blue and Cognac interior leather are one of the better colour combinations available imo. It also the upgraded Harman/Kardon premium surround sound speaker system and head up display which were part of a Technology options pack.

That's some drivel in fairness. It's a risk assessment on a significant purchase so knowing the possible downside is vital information and no one should go into such a transaction blind. If it was such a rare event BMW would handle the situation differently and offer some good will but the right to repair and all proprietary software lock-downs is concerning.

I'm not familiar with all the details facing @kirving and but have seen it referred to here occasionally and welcome the input. A PHEV would suit my needs and the 330e and 530e have been on my radar hence my reading of this thread but would be dissuaded by kirving's experience as well as another long thread in the EV forum regarding a problematic purchase and it's handling by BMW on a new i4. Problems will always occur but it's how they are treated and resolved by the company that sets reputation and future recognition of premium brands.

I can completely understand that posters anger and frustration. That being said there are an absolute ton of these vehicles operating over here across 3, 5, 7 and x5 series. Nearly half the 3 series for sale are 330e’s. If this was a common problem we’d see weekly posts here. Bmw also got their battery tech from Toyota so it was fairly established.

There is a poster here on about their 2017 2.0 tdi skoda needing a new engine. Should everyone avoid the 2.0 TDI in most vag group cars? Unfortunately you can just be very unlucky when it comes to a car purchase. Can always buy a Toyota but the bmw is miles ahead in comfort, interior and performance.

You will always have that worry with a premium car but it’s just the cost of having one.