2000-2006 exclusive reliability issues?

Hey! Prospective BMW buyer here, upgrading from a 2005 Scion XB. I have a friend who works as a BMW mechanic that I have been speaking with about purchasing a used BMW (off of Craigslist, not from him). Being a high school student, I'm looking for a BMW that's "higher" on the reliability spectrum, and he advised me exclusively against 2000-2006 models (maybe meant to include 1999 as well?, as this is when the new generation started). He claims that these cars were rushed off production lines, and therefore are highly unreliable and prone to issues throughout this whole period. Because of this, I've turned my attention to 1996-1998 3 Series. However, I did some research on some car owner sites that only cite reliability issues on the 2003-2006 models. Is there truth to his statement? I'd really prefer to buy a 1999, 2000, or 2001 model because there are greater opportunities for these years in my area, but don't want to be stuck with something that falls apart when I could have just stepped one year/generation back and gotten myself something far more reliable.

I know these posts are a dime a dozen here for new buyers, but I haven't come across anything specific enough to answer my question. Any help will be appreciated!

2000-2006 exclusive reliability issues?