| 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
2002 BMW 3-Series repairs by problem area
Engine (42%)
Transmission and Drivetrain (5%)
Brakes and Traction Control (4%)
Suspension and Steering (16%)
Electrical and Air Conditioning (22%)
Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (6%)
Other (5%)
Select a problem area
Chart based on 589 repairs.
2002 BMW 3-Series suspension repair cost distribution
$2500+ (8%)
$1000 - $2499 (17%)
$500 - $999 (33%)
$100 - $499 (24%)
< $100 (18%)
Chart based on 88 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.
2002 BMW 3-Series
Engine not specified
| 195000 mi US $4000 |
car was making a strange clunking sound when I turned hard to left. |
2002 BMW 3-Series 4dr Wagon
184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 40000 mi | Chassis noise noticed. Front end aluminum flex plate was cracked and was replaced. Lower control arm bushings also replaced. |
2002 BMW 3-Series 4dr Wagon
184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed manual RWD
| 115000 mi US $122 |
Replaced rear shocks. One of the two had started to fail. |
2002 BMW 3-Series 4dr Wagon
| 126480 mi R 1270 |
Replaced all shock absorbers |
2002 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
225-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 88000 mi US $593 |
Replaced front lower control arm. Removed and replaced the front thrust rod bushing. |
| 57000 mi US $485 |
Replace power steering line. |
| 95000 mi US $850 |
Control arm bushings worn, required replacing control arms. |
2002 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
225-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 47000 mi US $941 |
Right front CV axle boot and inner boot clinging grease. Repair included replacement of both inner and out boot plus four wheel alignment |
| 84000 mi US $1085 |
Broken front hub and bearing which was replaced |
| 100000 mi US $2557 |
Replaced front control arm and bushings |
| 72000 mi US $650 |
Noticed steering wheel vibration when power applied to engine. Not related to brakes. |
2002 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
225-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed manual RWD
| 85000 mi US $500 |
one rear shock absorber leaked fluid, so replaced both rear shocks. |
| 181000 mi | Replaced shocks, struts and mounts due to blown suspension. |
2002 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
225-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed manual AWD
| 121500 mi US $100 |
Replaced Front Lower Control Arm Bushings. |
2002 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 72000 mi US $400 |
Had to replace my lower control arms, bushing which came out to be $400 in parts and did my own labor. |
| 134000 mi US $1200 |
Power steering |
| 103500 mi US $750 |
Jittery feedback in the steering wheel. Replaced front control arm bushings and got an alignment. Problem fixed. |
| 118000 mi | CAR IS IN SHOP NOW. SERVICE ENGINE. LITE ON PLUS control arm bushings, et rear axle mount |
| 129000 mi US $1500 |
power steering pump vacuum coupling and rebuilding the rack and pinion. |
| 114000 mi US $1800 |
Power stearing pump replaced |
| 66340 mi C $300 |
Steering ball joints. |
| 60000 mi US $544 |
"Found both rear coil springs broken during inspection.Replaced both.+33-53-575 16FRU." |
| 64000 mi US $61 |
"Customer states he has a clunk under the car when he stops and again when he starts.Almost like a ball rolling around (in the trunk)".Control arm bushing "Customer states there is a downshift clunk when you come to a stop and start letting off the bra |
| 73000 mi US $134 |
"Clunk" in rear suspension described earlier revisited with independent tech who states: "Appears to be the beginning of the E46 subfame issue. Customer will monitor and await results of the class action law suit." |
| 118000 mi US $600 |
replace control arm bushings |
| 119000 mi US $400 |
Front ball joints |
2002 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 115000 mi | Rear suspension is shot. Need to change struts. |
| 127000 mi | Steering boot leak |
| 125000 mi | All steering hoses leaking |
| 160000 mi US $600 |
Replaced broken rear spring |
2002 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed manual RWD
| 72000 mi US $800 |
Lower control arms, Left and Right needed to be replaced. Bought the parts online, and had local shop do the work. Even then, it was $800. Hate to think what the dealer would have wanted. |
| 63500 mi US $208 |
Replace front sway bar link |
| 96000 mi US $600 |
Replace worn front control arms and bushings. |
| 29760 mi C $3000 |
front bushing needed repair. new tires. |
| 84880 mi C $900 |
Suspension bushings worn |
| 124000 mi C $800 |
Rear bushings cracked, needed replacement |
| 139440 mi C $500 |
Rear shock leaking, replaced both |
| 139350 mi US $1150 |
Bosch remanufactured steering rack replaced control arm driver side |
| 13994 mi US $566 |
power steering failing, making creaking noises etc. replaced power steering pump and drive belts |
| 175000 mi US $4500 |
Replaced front struts, steering rack, tie rod ends, power steering hoses, and sway bar links |
2002 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed manual AWD
| 111000 mi US $555 |
The power steering pump failed and was replaced |
| 130000 mi US $1350 |
The front suspension needed a rebuild. The struts and strut bearings were worn out and also replaced the sway bar links (right side worn out) and upgraded the sway bar bushings. Used H&R springs and Bilstein B8 performance plus struts and shocks. Upgraded the rear springs and shocks used Bavauto reinforcement plates and heavy duty shock mounts. |
| 142000 mi US $89 |
replace entire steering rack and pinion |
2002 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe
333-horsepower 3.2L I6 6-speed manual RWD
| 126700 mi US $10 |
Broken left front anti-roll bar mount. |
| 136500 mi US $3900 |
power steering leak repair, |
| 166000 mi US $600 |
replaced front wheel bearing broken upper a-arm, rear |
| 36772 mi US $1500 |
and rear trailing arm bushing replaced |
| 58674 mi US $460 |
Replaced both rear springs Replaced high pressure steering hose |
| 238000 mi US $50 |
Replaced suspension with coilovers as the suspension was getting old and worn and wanted to upgrade to adjustable height and dampening. |
| 45000 mi US $325 |
Rear end felt loose during hard cornering. Research pointed to worn out RTABs, a known failure point on these cars (too much slop between bushing and trailing arm flange). Replaced with Powerflex RTABs by my mechanic. Rear end feels a lot more planted. |
| 115200 mi US $750 |
replace worn front springs and rear control arm |
| 116600 mi US $500 |
Left front wheel bearing |
| 120000 mi US $500 |
Leak from power steering hose |
2002 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe
333-horsepower 3.2L I6 6-speed automated manual RWD
| 42540 mi R 1000 |
RR shock lost damping. Decided to install aftermarket suspension to fix the problem. |
2002 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe
225-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 102000 mi | Replaced front control arm bushings and sway bar end links. |
| 142000 mi US $3000 |
control arm bushings |
2002 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe
225-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed manual RWD
| 88000 mi | Two struts leaking when sold. |
| 254000 mi US $500 |
left rear wheel bearing replacement |
| 302000 mi US $125 |
loose steering, replaced worn tie rods. replaced steering coupler. Sway bar bushing replaced. Front control arms replaced, lower control arm bushings replaced. Rear trailing arm bushings replaced. Rear sway bar bushings and rear sway bar links replaced. |
| 136000 mi US $1000 |
Front control arms + bushings, rear trailing arm bushings, water pump + belts, water pump pulley. |
| 147000 mi US $1056 |
Replaced worn out tires and rear trailing arm ball joints. Aligned car after new tires and repairs |
| 46810 mi C $300 |
Front control arm bushings replaced. |
| 60000 mi US $800 |
Replace Control arm bushings. Front suspension was feeling loose and nosy on driveways and bumps |
| 79320 mi C $865 |
Replace worn out front control arm bushings |
| 80600 mi C $205 |
Replaced front stabiliser bar end links |
| 99200 mi C $750 |
Replaced worn-out front control arms Replace rear trailing arm bushings. Intended as preventive (I installed polyurethane bushings instead of the stock rubber bushings), but the rubber in driver side bushing was in fact tearing apart. Other worn out parts had masked this. |
| 149800 mi US $165 |
power steering reservoir and hoses replaced |
| 188300 mi US $2416 |
replaced rear shocks, front struts, front control arms & bushings |
| 88740 mi C $1600 |
Replace power steering high pressure hose |
| 124000 mi US $375 |
Replaced front control arms and control arm bushings (CABs) |
| 126700 mi US $400 |
Replaced front struts. |
| 130000 mi US $650 |
Strut bearings needed to be replaced. |
| 135000 mi US $100 |
Bad front sway bar end links and control arm bushings, replaced with OEM sway bar end links and poly control arm bushings. |
2002 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe
184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD
2002 BMW 3-Series 2dr Convertible
333-horsepower 3.2L I6 6-speed automated manual RWD
| 85300 mi US $700 |
Shocks/struts/bushings replaced b/c badly worn; broken front sway bar end link replaced. |
2002 BMW 3-Series 2dr Convertible
225-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 112000 mi US $100 |
Power Steering pump was tired, replaced with used unit from junk yard. |
| 110000 mi | Shop inspection found broken springs, $1000 estimate to fix. |
2002 BMW 3-Series 2dr Convertible
225-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed manual RWD
| 77000 mi US $536 |
right and left front suspension Lower Control Arm bushings |
| 100000 mi US $7000 |
New shocks |
| 42000 mi | The nut on top of the spring tower came loose and make a loud noise over bumps. It just needed to be tightened. |
| 125000 mi US $1000 |
Replaced control arms, bushings in L&R front plus alignment. |
2002 BMW 3-Series 2dr Convertible
184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 212000 mi US $22 |
Stiff steering. Flushed power steering fluid. Helped but did not resolve problem. Possibly have worn/bad shock mount bearing(s) |
| 143000 mi US $250 |
replaced both inner and outer tie rods on both front sides. |
| 137500 mi US $65 |
I replaced a part called the steering guibo which is a connector with a rubber damper that is between the steering column and steering rack. The rubber in the old connector had worn and was loose. This was noted by excessive play in the steering wheel before any steering forces were applied to the steering rack. |
| 154000 mi US $1650 |
Shop noted broken rear spring during PM and NY state inspection. Both springs replaced. |
| 101000 mi US $300 |
Replaced passenger side inner and outer tie rod. |
| 173000 mi US $350 |
part replaced. |
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