Found a low mileage 2013 R56 (N18) near me for sale. Ad mentions "Original owner manipulated lemon law claiming an idle issue which has never existed. This means we bought the car at a slight discount which we will now pass on to you." I contacted them and asked about it. The response "The initial buyer reported that the idle was too high. BMW/Mini was unable to replicate the issue, but took the car back. We have never experienced an issue with the idle."

Should I consider this a red flag? What could have been the issue? Are there any problems I can expect in the long term? Current owner has owned car for 5 years and reported no issues.

Car is listed as Lemon/ Manufacturer Buyback which will affect resale down the road.

 

How many miles on the car since it was “bought back”? That might be more telling about the actual condition of the car.

 

Car was bought back with 19k mi, and 2nd (current owner) reports around 66k mi.

 

I've thought about the situation a little more...

First, if the car has put that many miles on it over the past 5 years, I'd be willing to bet the issue is a non-issue, or it has been fixed since the buy back. A 2013 R56 with relatively low miles will be a good car. Maintenance and repairs can get pricey, but those should be few and far between with a late model R56 and N18 engine.

Second, If you are worried about resale in the next few years, the car probably isn't for you. I don't imagine these cars to be worth that much 3-4 years down the road, buy back or not. If you plan on keeping the car for the next 5-10 years, it could be an opportunity to get a good deal.

 

My train of thought is exactly along those lines. Ideally I want something fun that I can keep for around 5 years, light mods, maybe 1-2 track days/ year. I do have a neighbor of mine who is a tech with a MB dealership and has also owned lots of BMW's. I'm going to pick his brain a bit, and even maybe ask him to go with me if I decide to go look at it.

I just don't want an expensive repair bill or excessive down time.... which I guess is always a risk with any used car