Hi all,
I currently drive a bmw e46, but I'm realizing I'm going to be spending between $500 and 1k per year on maintenance alone...which to me doesn't sound like a ton of fun. I love the car to death, but it just seems like it's constantly one thing after another... If I made the switch to a g35, would I be in the same boat?

What are some things I need to be watching out for if I go look at some g's? Anything notorious for going bad, or being really expensive to fix? (I'm looking at '03-04 coupes, btw)

Are there major maintenance issues that I'll need to address around 100k miles?

And I'm slightly confused about the engine options... Am I right that there's two 3.5L versions? Is one significantly better than the other?

Finallllly.... what does the "sport" package entail on these cars? Is it worth it to find one with it?

Thanks in advance!!

 

I have an 03 coupe. Which, as it is the first year, has some kinks to work out.

Brakes can be somewhat expensive, because they wear out a lot. I've changed mine once (I got my G used less than a year ago, and the brakes were kind of worn so I wasn't surprised).

I dont think theres engine options in the 03-04. later ones have different engines.

I kind of wonder about the sport package myself. I think the 6mt is sports automatically? someone correct me if i'm wrong. Brembo brakes? Different suspension maybe?

Overall I've been very happy with my G. I've paid almost 1000 dollars in maintenance in the year I've had it, but thats including brakes and the 65000 mile maintenance thing so I'm not too worried about that.

Oh I almost forgot. I did have an issue with the battery. It would just... die. Since then I've developed the habit of turning everything off before cutting the engine. Nissan added some blue goop to help the wiring. So maybe that helps.?

If I had a choice, I would go with a later G35. Better headlights. Better engine. Fixed brake issue (I think). And I just found out that a popcharger is technically illegal on a 2003 (from emissions guy).

 

If you don't mind me asking, what exactly did you have to do in terms of the 1k you spent on maintenance?

Also, what do you mean when you say that the later years have a better engine? I don't think I want to go there in terms of price, but I guess I was just wondering how much better it was and why.

thanks for your input!

 

haha I do wish i could tell you what they did. i think 500 or so was on the brakes (which is ridiculous, but this was before i joined driver so i don't know). I vaguely remember.. a "..something" flush. I can check later when I get to my car (I'm at work now) because I for some strange reason keep my receipt in there.

The later years (I'm not sure which. 06+ I think. or maybe 05+. being that I have 03 I'm not too interested haha) have a rev-up engine. it has the option of getting an MREV2 upgrade which is good i think. I mean, pretty much they work out the kinks in the first couple of years. It's nothing like the g37 over the g35 improvement.

 

If you're looking at an 03-04 most of them will have over 50k miles on them by now.

I have an 2004 g35 6mt and I probably average out to 1k a year on maintenance ever since it hit 60k. If you buy a manual transmission, a new clutch and flywheel will cost close to 1400 after labor. We also have issues with oil pooling in the spark plugs after 60k miles and if you don't get that fixed under the warranty i believe that repair is over 1k as well. Tires aren't cheap and neither are the brakes.

If you're worried about the maintenance cost I don't think this is the right car for you. You are probably better off with a 4cyl honda.

 

I believe the only other option with 03-04 was the aero package and that came with a front lip, wing and a rear diffuser. I think it's definately worth looking for since it doesn't look right without the aero package

 

lol...

I'm not worried about maintenance really... I just don't want to be fixing something every other weekend. In the year or so I've had my e46 I think I've replaced the valve cover, the control arms, the bushing, and the vanos seals...and then I'm gonna need new cv joints and boots soon, and god knows what else. That said, am I still in the wrong place?

thanks guys

 

These cars are pretty maintenance free...just your typical service stuff. My 2003 G35 Coupe ran for 110,000 on my original motor before I yanked it for a built motor. No major issues whatsoever in that time...just normal wear and tear.

Items that do go out are window motors and door lock actuators. Thats the only thing I ever encountered. I do not consider that major. These cars are much more reliable than BMW's IMO.

 

Most of those things probably needed replaced due to normal wear and tear. If you have your maintenance done at the dealer you should expect to pay a lot. I would suggest learning how to do as much as you can yourself. It will save you a ton of cash and you will learn the ins and outs of your car.

As for the G35, there really aren't too many major issues outside of the oil consumption on the rev-up engines. The leaking valve cover seals are another concern, but it is hit and miss as well. Other than that you should expect to replace normal wear and tear items like the ones you mentioned above. Seals, bushings, and moving parts wear out on every car no matter what brand it is.

 

^+1 All of the maintenance can be done by yourself or local mechanic for a fraction of the cost that the dealer wants. Only time to see the dealer is for maintenance work really..

Issues:
- oil consumption in the 05+ revup (manual only) motors, however I think there have been some reports of AT engines with the same problem (there is a TSB and engines are replaced if found to have oil consumption)
- Door lock actuators (pretty cheap fix if you can find a wrecked/parting out G
-Window motor, can easily be taken apart and cleaned and good as new (maybe 1 hour for inexperienced person)
-Radios seem to go out or cd player stops working or something (All the better to upgrade to a double din navigation! or you can pick one up on the forums for pretty cheap used)
-03-04 automatics had chitty brakes, however you can pick up a set of 05+ brakes on the forum for <$300 usually
-oil pooling in the spark plugs (if you're under the 60k warranty, free, otherwise ~$1k for new valvecovers I think)
I don't really think any of these problems are "big" and can easily be tackled with some help from the forum members, DIY, and service manual (found at psedog.com). As for the oil pooling issue, just pray that yours doesn't have it . All in all, I have not encountered any of these problems (knock on wood) on my G (it's an 05 AT with 59k miles) - only thing was an airbag sensor failed and the dealer fixed it free.

Good luck!

 

has anyone ever reporterd of the oil consumption problem on an 04?

 

Interesting...