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BMWs before about 1995 were robust and extra-reliable. Then cost-cutting came along, with some environmental friendliness thrown in (such as bad glue on interior panels). Electronic doo-dads added more trouble. The result: new ones are trouble-prone, with the more accessorized ones being much worse than basic models. But it is hard to find a basic model because dealers make their greatest profit mark-up from stupid stuff like "premium packages" and most Americans walk into a dealership and buy what is on the lot. In a lease-and-then-who-cares-after-four-years world, this is probably good strategy on the part of corporate management. But it is rough on the traditionalist who wants to keep his car a decade or more. To BMW's credit, cost-cutting never reached the dismal lows seen in, say, Chrysler products.
As for the automatic transmissions, much of the trouble was from the absurd recommendation that the fluid was a "lifetime" fluid. Extended maintenance intervals made the lease set happy but pushed the burden of replacing neglected components on to the second owners. But then again, isn't it absurd for someone to buy a BMW with an automatic? (The same is true for a Volvo).
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