Just recently a 1999 323i has caught my attention and I am in the process of going to see this vehicle. Its about a 3 hour drive from where I live and I was wondering if anyone can give me a heads up on what to look for that could give me troubles from this years 3 series, or generally things to look out for for every car. It has 100, 000 km on it right now.. Thanks in advance
What to be careful of??
- Thread starter petakos
- Start date
Would that be 60,000 miles? In my opinion (and i'm just a first time BMW owner recently) the first think should be a well trustable salesman and a nice dealership that isn't gonna cheat you hehe. I'm guessing the primary think I would look for is body damage like dints and rim damage that can make a car look bad. I'm not a technical person so I just look for cosmetic stuff 
I'm sure someone will help you out in that matter. One think you have working for you is that it is a BMW and should be pretty reliable except for minor electrical problems that BMW have been known to have which can easily be fixed by a trip to the dealer. But...if its 3 hours away you better find one closer to you
I'm sure someone will help you out in that matter. One think you have working for you is that it is a BMW and should be pretty reliable except for minor electrical problems that BMW have been known to have which can easily be fixed by a trip to the dealer. But...if its 3 hours away you better find one closer to you 
is it an e46? a 99 323i sounds like an e46. If that's the case, watch out for the window regulator and moonroof. Both tend to fail quite often, and usually at the end of warranty time too. No known long term fixes unfortunately. I think it's just bad design/parts. I think the climate control can do weird things... might be an a/c comprssor thing.
Definitely ask for the service history on the window regulators, sunroof and even the moonroof shade (my shade has broken twice). Check to make sure the shade goes opens and closes properly and doesn't go back into the roof too far. And make sure all of the recalls have been taken care of -- I think there have been four recalls. I'm the original owner of a '99 323 with 69,000 miles on it and while I love the car, I have had a TON of minor issues with stupid things failing more than once. The good news is that I haven't had any mechanical failures and it still drives great (knock on wood).
here are some simple tips when purchasing a used car:
1) get the vin# and run a car fax report. don't even waste your time driving out there if this car has a suspicious history.
2) pay a mechanic to put the car up on the lift. he will be able to see if there are any major problems with it or if its been in accident. DON'T rely on your own set of eyes!!! you are not trained as a mechanic and as a result wouldn't spot certain problems with the car. the $150 you spend on doing this can save you thousands!!
3) JUST BECAUSE ITS A BMW DOESN'T MEAN CRAP!!! if the owner abused the car you can be stuck with thousands of dollars worth of repairs. besides if this car was so great why would he want to sell a great bmw...i'm just trying to play devil's advocate...there may be nothing wrong with this car...but just becareful.....good luck!!! i hope it turns out well
1) get the vin# and run a car fax report. don't even waste your time driving out there if this car has a suspicious history.
2) pay a mechanic to put the car up on the lift. he will be able to see if there are any major problems with it or if its been in accident. DON'T rely on your own set of eyes!!! you are not trained as a mechanic and as a result wouldn't spot certain problems with the car. the $150 you spend on doing this can save you thousands!!
3) JUST BECAUSE ITS A BMW DOESN'T MEAN CRAP!!! if the owner abused the car you can be stuck with thousands of dollars worth of repairs. besides if this car was so great why would he want to sell a great bmw...i'm just trying to play devil's advocate...there may be nothing wrong with this car...but just becareful.....good luck!!! i hope it turns out well