To be honest other than the oil issue they ARE just niggles. 99% of M54 BMW's have the VANOS seals issue but the owners never notice it, they all need control arm bushings, thermostats are 100 quid fitted and the ICV is hardly a massive deal either.
But, obviously, niggles add up. This is the point I keep making, your BMW will almost never leave you stranded or let you down but instead suck away at your cash with niggle after niggle interspersed with the odd massive expense
For me, I just accepted that instead of losing money on depreciation, I'd lose it keeping it running instead. No big deal.
Of course it becomes a big deal when somebody thinks a £7k BMW is going to have the running costs associated with your average £7k car..
But, obviously, niggles add up. This is the point I keep making, your BMW will almost never leave you stranded or let you down but instead suck away at your cash with niggle after niggle interspersed with the odd massive expense

For me, I just accepted that instead of losing money on depreciation, I'd lose it keeping it running instead. No big deal.
Of course it becomes a big deal when somebody thinks a £7k BMW is going to have the running costs associated with your average £7k car..